Can I Run a Business From My High Desert Property?

One of the attractions of buying property in California's High Desert is space.

Maybe you work remotely and want a home office with a desert view. Maybe you're an artist who wants a studio. Maybe you run an online business and need room for inventory. Or perhaps you're looking at several acres and thinking about operating a business, storing equipment or meeting customers on the property.

That leads to an important question:

Can you run a business from your High Desert property?

Possibly—but owning several acres doesn't automatically give you the right to operate any type of business you want.

The answer can depend on the property's zoning, the type of business, whether customers or employees come to the property, how much traffic the business generates, whether materials or equipment are stored there and whether the property is located within Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms or an unincorporated area such as Joshua Tree.

If operating a business is part of your reason for buying the property, investigate the rules before you buy.

Can I Work From Home in the High Desert?

For many people, yes.

A quiet home-based business is very different from turning a residential property into a commercial operation.

If you work primarily by computer, phone or Internet and your business doesn't create additional traffic, noise, outdoor storage or other impacts on the neighborhood, your situation may be relatively straightforward.

San Bernardino County describes its least intensive category of home occupation as including activities performed by phone, mail or Internet, along with certain creative and instructional activities that don't impact the surrounding neighborhood.

That could include many of the businesses people operate remotely today.

But don't assume that simply calling something a "home business" makes every activity permissible.

What you actually do at the property matters.

What Is a Home Occupation?

A home occupation is generally a business conducted from a residence while the property remains primarily residential.

That's an important distinction.

The idea isn't that you can purchase a residential property and convert it into an unrestricted commercial site.

Instead, the business remains secondary to the property's residential use.

For property in unincorporated San Bernardino County, the County specifically states that a home occupation must not alter the residential character of the area.

So if your business consists of working on a laptop from a spare bedroom, that's one situation.

If you have employees arriving every morning, customers coming throughout the day, trucks entering and leaving, equipment stored outside and deliveries being made regularly, that's a very different situation.

Does Having Five Acres Mean I Can Run Any Business I Want?

No.

This is similar to many other questions involving High Desert land:

Acreage isn't the same thing as permission.

Five acres gives you space.

Zoning determines what types of uses may be allowed on that space.

A residentially zoned five-acre property doesn't automatically become commercial property because there's enough room to conduct a business without bothering anyone.

The specific land-use designation and applicable regulations still matter.

Before buying acreage for a business, determine whether your intended activity is permitted at that location.

San Bernardino County Has Different Types of Home Occupations

For unincorporated areas, San Bernardino County divides home occupations into different classes based partly on how much impact the business may have.

At the simplest end are businesses with little or no neighborhood impact, such as certain businesses conducted primarily by phone or Internet.

More intensive home occupations can involve limited customer visits, employees and other business activity.

The County's more intensive Class III home occupation standards require at least a one-acre parcel and can allow direct sales to the public, subject to additional restrictions and operating standards.

This is particularly relevant in the High Desert because buyers often look at larger residential parcels specifically because they want enough room to live and operate a business.

But even with acreage, the details matter.

What Types of Business Activities Can Create Problems?

When evaluating property for a home-based business, think about how the business affects the property and surrounding neighborhood.

Things that can make a business more complicated include:

• Customers regularly visiting the property
• Nonresident employees
• Frequent deliveries
• Commercial vehicles
• Outdoor equipment or material storage
• Noise
• Dust
• Signs
• Increased traffic
• Retail sales
• Manufacturing or fabrication
• Repair work
• Hazardous or flammable materials
• Activities occurring outside buildings
• Business operations extending late into the evening

The more your business looks and functions like a commercial or industrial operation, the more important the property's actual zoning becomes.

Can Customers Come to My High Desert Property?

Possibly, depending on the jurisdiction, zoning and type of home occupation.

This is one of the biggest differences between a quiet home office and a more active home-based business.

San Bernardino County's home occupation standards distinguish between businesses with essentially no customer impact and businesses where limited customer visits may occur.

The County also regulates factors such as appointments, traffic and parking for certain classes of home occupations.

If customers coming to your property is an important part of your business model, don't assume that's allowed simply because you work from home.

Verify it before purchasing the property.

Can I Have Employees Working at My Property?

Again, it depends on the type of business and applicable regulations.

A business operated entirely by the people living in the home may be treated differently from one where several employees arrive each morning.

For some County home occupation classifications, limited nonresident employees may be allowed subject to applicable standards.

But if your plan involves a substantial workforce operating from the property, you may need property with zoning better suited to the business.

This is why it's important to explain your actual business operation when checking zoning rather than simply asking whether a "home business" is permitted.

Can I Store Business Equipment on My Land?

This is a big one for High Desert acreage.

Someone may see five acres and think:

Perfect. I can put my house over here and keep my trailers, construction equipment, materials or business inventory over there.

Maybe.

But residential acreage isn't automatically an outdoor commercial storage yard.

Rules can apply to where a home occupation is conducted, how materials are stored, accessory structures, vehicles and other business-related uses.

If equipment or outdoor storage is central to your business, investigate that specifically before buying.

Don't simply ask whether you can have a home occupation.

Ask whether the particular equipment, vehicles and materials you intend to keep on the property are allowed.

Can I Build a Workshop or Studio for My Business?

Possibly—but this introduces another layer of questions.

Even if your business activity is permitted, a workshop, studio, garage or other accessory building may be subject to building permits, setbacks, lot coverage requirements, utility requirements and other development standards.

There are really two separate questions:

Can I operate this business here?

and

Can I build the structure I need to operate it?

You want answers to both before purchasing a property based on your future plans.

What About an Artist or Creative Studio?

The High Desert attracts artists, photographers, craftspeople, writers, musicians and other creative professionals for obvious reasons.

Space and relative privacy can make the area particularly appealing if you want room to create.

A private studio with little or no impact on surrounding properties may be very different from a studio that regularly hosts customers, classes, events or retail sales.

If your creative business involves public visits, workshops, events or product sales, include those activities when determining whether the property works for you.

Can I Run an Online Business From My Property?

An online business may be one of the easiest examples of a home-based business—particularly when the work is performed on a computer and customers never visit the property.

But even an online business can become more complicated if you're storing large amounts of inventory or receiving frequent freight deliveries.

There's a difference between running an online consulting company from your desk and operating an e-commerce distribution operation from your garage.

Again, it's the actual use of the property that matters.

Can I Run a Contractor or Construction Business From My Property?

This is another situation where buyers need to look beyond the words "home-based business."

A contractor may perform most of the actual work at customer job sites while using the home for administrative work.

But what else happens at the property?

Are work trucks parked there?

Are trailers stored there?

Is construction material stored outside?

Do employees meet there every morning?

Is equipment being loaded and unloaded?

Those activities can create zoning and land-use issues even when the business office itself consists of nothing more than a desk and computer.

If you're buying High Desert acreage partly because you want space for a contracting business, explain the entire operation when checking whether the property is suitable.

Can I See Clients or Teach Classes at Home?

Possibly, but customer traffic is one of the factors local regulations may address.

A tutor seeing one student by appointment is different from conducting a class for twenty people.

A consultant occasionally meeting one client is different from having customers arriving throughout the day.

If your business depends on people physically coming to the property, find out what level of customer activity is permitted.

Parking matters, too.

A property may have plenty of acreage but still lack appropriate access or parking for the proposed activity.

Can I Run a Business From Property in Joshua Tree?

Joshua Tree is an unincorporated community, so San Bernardino County generally regulates zoning and land use.

The County has specific home occupation standards for residential properties and recognizes different levels of home-based business activity.

If you're considering Joshua Tree property for both residential and business use, start with the property's Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) and determine its zoning.

Then describe exactly what you intend to do.

Don't merely ask:

"Can I run a business here?"

Instead, say something like:

"I want to live on the property, operate an online business from my home, store inventory in a detached garage and have UPS or FedEx pickups several times per week."

Specific questions produce much more useful answers.

Can I Run a Business From My Yucca Valley Property?

Yucca Valley is incorporated and has its own Development Code.

That means you shouldn't assume that the San Bernardino County rules applying to neighboring Joshua Tree or other unincorporated areas also apply to a property within the Town of Yucca Valley.

The Town's Development Code regulates land use, zoning, development standards and permitting.

If operating a business is important to your purchase decision, verify both the zoning and your intended use with the Town before buying.

What About Twentynine Palms?

Properties within the incorporated City of Twentynine Palms are subject to City regulations, while properties outside the city limits generally fall under San Bernardino County.

And remember:

A Twentynine Palms mailing address doesn't necessarily mean the property is inside the incorporated City.

That's why the APN and actual property location are more useful than relying solely on the mailing address.

Determine which jurisdiction controls the property and then verify your intended business use with that agency.

What If I Need Commercial or Industrial Property Instead?

Sometimes the answer isn't finding a residential property with more acreage.

It's finding property with the right zoning.

If your business requires substantial customer traffic, employees, outdoor storage, heavy equipment, manufacturing, warehousing or other activities that don't fit comfortably within residential home occupation rules, commercial or industrial property may make more sense.

Buying the wrong property and hoping you'll be able to make the business fit later can become an expensive mistake.

Start with what you need to do, then find property that allows you to do it.

How Do I Check Whether My Business Is Allowed?

Before buying, write down exactly how you intend to use the property.

Consider:

• What type of business will you operate?
• Will customers visit?
• How often?
• Will you have employees?
• Will you receive deliveries?
• Will you store inventory?
• Will anything be stored outdoors?
• Will you have commercial vehicles or trailers?
• Will you need a workshop or accessory building?
• Will there be noise, dust or odors?
• What hours will you operate?
• Will you sell products from the property?

Then take that information—and the property's APN—to the appropriate planning authority.

For unincorporated property, that will generally be San Bernardino County.

For property inside Yucca Valley or Twentynine Palms, check with the appropriate Town or City department.

Buy the Property for What You Want to Do With It

This is becoming a recurring theme when buying High Desert land:

Don't buy the acreage first and figure out whether it works later.

If you want horses, investigate animal keeping.

If you want to build, investigate building requirements.

If you want to live off-grid, investigate water, power, septic and access.

And if you want to operate a business, investigate whether that particular business can legally and practically operate from the property.

A five-acre parcel may give you plenty of room.

The more important question is whether it gives you room to do what you're actually buying it to do.

Looking for High Desert Property With Room to Work?

Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms and the surrounding Morongo Basin offer residential properties and vacant land that can appeal to buyers who want more space for both life and work.

I specialize in High Desert real estate and land, and I understand that some buyers aren't simply looking for a certain number of bedrooms or acres.

They're looking for property that fits the way they want to live.

If working from home, having a studio, building a workshop or operating a business is part of your plan, tell me what you're looking for.

We can start the property search with the most important question:

What do you want to be able to do there?

 

Dawn Anderson is a California real estate broker serving buyers and sellers in the High Desert. This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal, planning, zoning, surveying, engineering, environmental, water, wastewater, utility, investment or permitting advice. San Bernardino County zoning and development standards can change, and map suffixes, overlays, community plans, environmental regulations and parcel-specific conditions may modify general standards. Buyers should independently verify the complete zoning designation, permitted uses and proposed project with San Bernardino County and appropriately qualified professionals before purchasing or developing property.