Starting and operating a business at home
The City of Karratha is a business-friendly City, and can help you complete the necessary approvals if you’d like to operate a small-scale business from your home.
There are a few differences between a home occupation, home business and home office, with different approvals required depending on the type of business you’d like to operate
Home offices don’t require development approval.
Home occupation
Home occupation refers to a business or activity carried out within a home or the curtilage of your home (the area of land surrounding your house), by you or someone who lives in your home, which:
- entails the conduct of a business, office and/or workshop and does not entail the retail sale or display of goods of any nature
- does not cause injury to or prejudicially affect the amenity of the neighbourhood
- does not detract from the residential appearance of the dwelling house or domestic outbuilding
- does not entail employment of any person not a member of the occupier’s household
- does not occupy an area greater than 20m2
- does not display a sign exceeding 0.2m2 in area
- in the opinion of the local government is compatible with the principal uses to which land in the zone in which it is located may be put
- will not result in the requirement for a greater number of parking facilities than normally reserved for a single dwelling and will not result in a substantial increase in the amount of vehicular traffic in the vicinity
- does not entail the presence, parking and garaging of a vehicle of more than two tonnes tare weight.
Home business
A home business is described as a business, service or profession carried out in your home, or on the land around your home, by you or someone who lives in your home and:
- does not employ more than two people who are not members of the household
- will not cause injury to or adversely affect the amenity of the neighbourhood
- does not occupy an area greater than 50 square metres
- does not involve the retail sale, display or hire of goods of any nature
- does not result in traffic difficulties from an inadequacy of parking or an increase in traffic volumes in the neighbourhood, and does not involve the presence, use or calling of a vehicle more than 3.5 tonnes tare weight
- does not involve the use of an essential service of greater capacity than normally required in the zone.
Home office
A home office is where you carry out your occupation from the place you live, and your occupation:
is solely within the dwelling
does not entail clients or customers travelling to and from the dwelling
does not involve the display of a sign on the premises
does not require any change to the external appearance of the dwelling.
Planning requirements
Home offices don’t need planning approval – these home-based businesses can start and operate without needing to notify the City.
All other home-based businesses need to complete an Application for Development (Planning) Approval.
The DP04 Home Occupation and Home Business local planning policy outlines the requirements for this approval.
Complete the Home Occupation/Home Business Checklist to help ensure you have everything you need.
Some types of businesses, including those which involve food, hairdressing or those which penetrate skin like tattoos and piercings, need an additional environmental health approval to ensure the safety of operators and clients.
Download the <Environmental Health Requirements – link> for more information.
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