Sign Permit Drawings: What US Cities Ask For (Checklist)
What to put in a sign permit drawing set: site plan, elevations, sign area, materials, illumination, mounting and when an engineer's stamp is needed. Examples from Houston, San Diego and Bend.
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A sign permit is usually approved or rejected on the drawings alone. The plans examiner never sees the sign; they see your PDF. When the drawing is missing one dimension, a site plan or the sign area, the permit comes back with comments and the install date slips. This guide lists what cities commonly ask for, with real examples, so your first submittal is complete.
What almost every city wants to see
- Project information: job address, business name, property owner or tenant, and the sign company with its license number.
- A site plan: the property, the building, adjacent streets and where the sign goes. For ground signs, add property lines, setbacks and a north arrow.
- A sign elevation drawn to scale: overall width and height, letter heights, copy and the scale you used.
- The building elevation: the sign shown on the wall, with tenant frontage (store front width) and the height to the top of the sign.
- Sign area calculation: the method and the number, for example 9'-0 1/2" x 7'-8 3/4" = 69.9 sq ft.
- Materials and colors: faces, returns, trim cap, backs, paint and vinyl colors.
- Illumination: lit or unlit, the type of lighting and the power supply.
- Mounting details: how the sign is attached, fastener type and size, and clearances.
- Owner or landlord approval, when the city asks for it.
Real examples
| City | What the published checklist asks for |
|---|---|
| Houston, TX | Drawings that show the sign meets the code. Engineered drawings for many signs, with structural members, cabinet and mounting details, footings, the building code edition and the wind speed. |
| San Diego, CA | Project information, site plan, sign schedule, elevations with sign dimensions and tenant frontage, and connection details. Structural calculations for some monument, pole and wall signs. |
| Bend, OR | Owner authorization, vicinity map, scaled sign details with materials and day and night color images, electrical details for lit signs, building elevations, sign area allowance and mounting details. |
Sources: Houston Permitting Center, San Diego Information Bulletin 111, City of Bend sign permit checklist.
When does a sign need an engineer?
Thresholds differ a lot from city to city. Two examples from the published rules:
- Houston lists engineering for licensed sign contractors on, among others, channel letters, ground signs over 19 ft, wall signs over 42'-6", projecting and marquee signs, and signs with rebar or anchor bolts.
- San Diego lists structural calculations for monument signs over 6 ft, pole signs over 8 ft and 50 sq ft, and wall signs over 70 sq ft or 600 lbs.
A design drawing should never claim that a sign "passes" the code or carry a seal it does not have. Leave a clear, empty box for the engineer of record to stamp and sign.
Wall sign permit drawing: a practical layout
A one or two page set works well for most wall signs:
- Page 1, left column: project details and specifications for each part of the sign (face, trim cap, returns, backs, LED, power supply, mounting), a typical cross section, and the paint and vinyl legend.
- Page 1, center: the sign layout at a stated scale such as 1" = 1'-0", with the overall width and height, the size of each part and a callout with an arrow to each part. Add the total sign area under it.
- Page 1, below: the proposed front elevation (a photo of the building with the sign in place), store front width and maximum height.
- Page 1, right: a night view for lit signs and a photo of the existing sign if one is being removed.
- Page 2: the site plan or location map with the sign marked, the business name and the property address.
Ground signs need more
Monument and pylon signs usually need everything above plus:
- Property lines, setbacks and distance to easements.
- Sight visibility (vision clearance) areas near driveways and corners.
- Foundation details and structural calculations by the engineer of record when the city's size limits are passed.
Electrical signs
For lit signs, show the illumination method and the power supply, and plan for the electrical permit the city may require. Signs are commonly listed to UL 48 and installed under Article 600 of the National Electrical Code, which also requires a disconnect for the sign. The final connection is made by a licensed electrician.
Common reasons a permit comes back
- No scale, or the elevation is not to scale.
- Sign area missing, or measured with a method the city does not use.
- No tenant frontage, so the examiner cannot check the allowance.
- Mounting detail missing for heavy or high signs.
- No site plan for a ground sign.
- No night view or illumination details where the city asks for them.
Need the drawings done for you?
AMZE Studio's Sign Desk prepares customer proofs, shop drawings and permit drawings for US sign companies, in your own title block. You send the design and the basic information; we send back a complete, white-label set. Related guides: Channel Letter Signs and ADA Sign Requirements.