On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:45:55 -0700, Grant Erwin
wrote:

I've been working for months to set up a small steel fabrication business out of
my home. Today I stopped by City Hall in the bucolic little suburb I live in and
found out that they certainly allow businesses in homes, but none with welding.
Ack. Anyone run into this before?

GWE

In my experience (MN), ordnances largely exist to give the
authorities power to curb nuisances. I and my neighbors do all kinds
of things that there are probably rules against on the books.
Nobody cares because nobody is bothered. I've been welding in my
garage for 25 years, never once had a complaint. I don't, however,
generate any truck traffic (other than UPS) delivering materials or
picking up finished goods. That sort of activity really doesn't
belong in a residential neighborhood.

If your biz is recorded, as an S corp or LLC or whatever, you might
bill it as design engineering and consulting (sounds clean and quiet)
rather than metal fab which sounds industrial. Building
proof-of-concept prototypes from time to time is certainly part and
parcel of such a biz.

A biz with any volume probably should be set up in a business place,
but making a few this's and that's is no different from doing it as a
hobby in terms of the activities conducted or as it might affect
neighbors. Company comes once in a while, the UPS man stops a time
or two per week, no bother to anyone.

If you're unlucky enough to have busybody neighbors, you may be out of
luck. I've been real lucky that way! My neighbors definitely pay
attention and miss about nothing, but it's protective rather than
intrusive.

City Hall may be able to curb your bidness for a while, but they
can't prohibit you from having the capability unless they also
prohibit similar activites in persuit of a hobby.

It's often easier to beg forgiveness than to get permission.....

Good luck!