Starting a home-based daycare or pet boarding service can be a fulfilling way to support your community and earn income. With growing demand in Southern Oregon for home daycares and pet services, it’s easy to see the appeal of turning your home into a place of care and connection. However, before you welcome your first child or pet through the door, it’s essential to understand how local zoning and land use laws apply to your property.
At Richard Stevens & Associates, we help Southern Oregon residents navigate these zoning regulations with clarity and confidence, whether they’re exploring new business opportunities or evaluating a property purchase. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering opening a child daycare or pet boarding business from your home.
Zoning Basics: Why It Matters
Zoning laws regulate land use to ensure orderly development and protect neighborhood character, safety, and property values. Cities and counties in Southern Oregon—including Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, and the surrounding rural areas of Jackson and Josephine counties—each maintain their own zoning codes and maps. These codes and maps determine what types of activities are allowed on a given parcel of land.
Every zone falls into broad categories such as:
- Residential
- Commercial
- Industrial
- Agricultural or Resource Use
Specific rules govern what you can and cannot do within those categories. Whether your home daycare or pet boarding service is allowed depends heavily on the zone your property falls within.
Opening Home Daycares: Key Zoning Considerations
If you’re hoping to operate a child daycare from your home, zoning rules may allow it, but often with limitations.
In most cities and counties in Southern Oregon, there is a distinction between:
- Family Daycare Homes (typically serving 6–16 children)
- Group Daycares or Centers (serving more children and requiring more staff)
Family Daycares in Residential Zones
Small-scale home daycares are often permitted in residential zones, especially if you live in the home and it remains your primary residence. However, the following conditions frequently apply:
- You must meet Oregon state child care licensing requirements through the Office of Child Care. Our services don’t provide guidance or advice on state licensing requirements.
- The number of children you care for may be limited depending on your home’s square footage, staffing levels, and safety features.
- You may need to provide safe drop-off and pick-up zones, typically with off-street parking.
- Noise, traffic flow, and fencing requirements may be reviewed as part of a land use or permitting process.
Some cities may allow home daycare as a “permitted use” under a Home Occupation permit, while others may require a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), which involves a public hearing and notice to neighbors. If your proposed daycare exceeds the thresholds for a family daycare, it could be treated more like a commercial enterprise, even if run from your home.
Rural and Agricultural Properties
The rules can become more complex if your property is located in a rural residential or agricultural zone. For example, in Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zones, daycares are often not allowed unless they are ancillary to farm use or meet specific exceptions. Additionally, you’ll need to consider access roads, water supply, and septic capacity—especially for higher occupancy uses.
Pet Boarding and Doggy Daycare: More Complex Regulations
Pet services such as dog boarding, cat daycare, and training programs (Kennel) are increasingly popular, but they typically face stricter zoning oversight due to concerns about noise, sanitation, and impacts to neighboring properties.
In most urban residential zones, pet boarding is not allowed outright. But some cities may permit it as a conditional use or under a home occupation permit if it’s:
- Limited in scale (e.g., only a few animals at a time)
- Located indoors or within soundproofed structures
- Operating during specific hours only
For example, you may be required to:
- Limit the number of animals on site at any given time
- Provide waste management plans
- Maintain a minimum buffer distance from neighboring homes
- Install fencing or sound barriers to control noise
These requirements are often reviewed as part of the permitting process. Even a small number of barking dogs can draw noise complaints from neighbors, which is why public notice and hearings are often required for this type of use.
Rural Zones May Offer More Flexibility
In large rural residential zones, you may have more leeway, especially if your property is larger and has existing structures such as barns or detached garages. However, this doesn’t mean it’s a free pass. In many rural zones, such as Jackson County’s RR-10 (Rural Residential – 5 acres), animal care businesses may be required to obtain a Conditional Use Permit and may be subject to operational restrictions.
If your property is zoned Forest, kennels are not an allowed use. However, if your property is zoned for farm use, EFU, a kennel is an allowed use.
Conditional Use Permits for Home Daycares and Pet Boarding
If your business idea isn’t automatically allowed by your zoning code, don’t give up. You may be able to apply for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This process allows property owners to request approval for a land use that isn’t usually permitted in that zone, as long as specific criteria are met.
Obtaining a CUP typically involves:
- Submitting a detailed land use application
- Demonstrating neighborhood compatibility
- Attending a public hearing
- Complying with conditions of approval (such as fencing, noise control, traffic management)
The process can be time-intensive and may involve pushback from neighbors or local officials. That’s why it’s essential to consult with land use professionals who understand the process, like the team at Richard Stevens & Associates.
Zoning Research Matters—Before You Start or Buy
One of the biggest mistakes we see is when people invest in a property or remodel their home based on assumptions about what they can do, only to find out later that zoning laws don’t allow their intended use. Too often, people plan to open home daycares only to find out after they’ve purchased their properties that they aren’t allowed.
At Richard Stevens & Associates, we offer zoning assessments and land use feasibility reviews to help you:
- Understand your current zoning and what’s allowed
- Explore permitting or exception options
- Avoid costly surprises and delays
- Evaluate properties before purchase to ensure they meet your intended use
Whether expanding an existing operation or dreaming of a new home-based business, getting expert zoning advice upfront can save you time, money, and frustration.
You deserve to confidently pursue your goals, and zoning shouldn’t be a mystery. Whether you’re exploring opening a home daycare or a pet boarding service, let us help you understand what’s possible on your property.
Contact Richard Stevens & Associates today to schedule a consultation. We’ll help you assess your options, guide you through the local permitting process, and ensure your business is built on a solid foundation—legally and logistically.
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