Pickup making as a "customary home occupation"

[ScottA]

Hi all,

This is one of my first posts here. I've lurked here a bit over the last few months or so and there is a lot of great information and discussions going on here.

Please excuse the parasitic nature of my first thread, but I'm afraid I do need some help.

I've got a new idea for a pickup and I want to try and start marketing it soon. I've been developing the design over the last year and a half or so and I'm ready to start pulling the trigger on some things.

I am trying to go through the correct channels to get my business set-up, and I have approached my city government about getting a special use exemption to make pickups at my home in a residential zone.

My wife had talked to one of the assistants in the planning office and she had indicated that she thought it wouldn't be a problem and gave us a list of potential issues that we would need to address. I also consulted the city code and the way I read it, what we were proposing to do would be OK.

We wrote this nicely crafted letter to the city planner and he promptly responded with a flat-out "no". We were taken aback, but I followed up with a phone call and the guy was very receptive. The problem, basically, comes down to: does making pickups fall under the definition of a "customary home occupation"?

One of things I'm trying to do is gather some information to document other cases of people running locally sanctioned pickup business out of their homes. If I can cite a case or two where local governments have recognized this activity as acceptable under the definition of a "customary home occupation" then this will help bolster my position.

Another thing that would help is documenting cases of individual hobbyists making pickups in their homes. This would allow me to say that a business making pickups, especially on a small scale, is only a marginal step past what many hobbyists typically do in their homes.

Is there anyone here who has gone through the process of getting sanctioned by their local government to make pickups in their home and would be willing to let me cite them as an example?

Or, alternatively, are there any hobbyists making pickups at home who would be willing to let me cite them as examples?

I really appreciate anyone's help in this.

If you can help, and you're not comfortable broadcasting your information, please pm me.

There's a great forum going here, and especially as I embark on my new venture, I plan to be an active contributor.

Sincerely,

Scott Lawing

[dpm]

I think the majority of small scale pickup makers operate from home, as do most luthiers until the demands for more space catch up with them. A lot of guys have purchased their homes with special consideration of workshop space.

Pickup making in particular is not something that requires a lot of room, isn't noisy, and isn't environmentally hazardous. I don't see why they'd have a problem with it.

[belwar]

It basically sounds to me like you are trying to go WAY overboard on something which is probably going to be just you for a while.. Maybe you and your wife.

Personally I wouldnt mess with trying to change zoning or get crazy permits. You're talking about a sewing machine size machine and endless hours of coil winding. It's a home based business, and if its only you probably just requires a business licence. I could see doing it if you had a laser, a 100-tonne metal press, and a CNC machine, but just getting started?

Think of all the countless small luthiers, amp makers, pickup winders out there. Do you think ANY of them have changed thier zoning on thier house?

[voodoochild]

Just a business license(if you want to get wholesale on your parts) but mainly a privilege license and pay your taxes. As long as your neighbors don't complain, you have nothing to worry about.

[jack briggs]

I've been building my guitars in the basement of my rented condo for over 10 years now. I have shipped to several European nations and all over this continent. I've belonged to NAMM for several years and all I'd say you need is a business license, a tax ID # and be in good standing with your neighbors!



Cheers,

[daz]

As was said i think as long as you have a business licence and pay your taxes and all they probably wouldn't bother you. But citing others isn't likely to work either because if they are zoned for it then you have no case, and if they aren't you'll be putting them under the gun. maybe find someone you know who lives in a properly zoned area and use thier addy, maybe even pay them a few bucks to do so. In any case, theres no fighting city hall. They will never listen to you, period.

[David Schwab]

I work from home. I have a tax ID number (they don't do business licenses here in NJ... odd but true). Now where I live is probably not zoned for this work, but my landlord is cool with it, and really no one has to know!

I'd just get your license and tax ID and make some pickups.