Navigating your way through the sign permit process can be challenging…
You’ve taken the plunge and joined the ranks of the new business owner. The lease has been signed, and now you need to worry about staffing, supplies, any build-out that might be required, etc., etc., etc. Oh yeah, and a sign. Hard to do much business without one.
So, what’s the best way to go about the process of buying a sign for your new business?
Step One: Review Your Lease
The first step in the process of obtaining a sign for your new business is reviewing the sign criteria of the lease you recently signed. Oh, yeah. That. If your lease is anything like approximately 82.7% of the leases that cross my desk, it contains a Sign Criteria that is outdated. You still need to read it. Closely. Here are some examples of Sign Criteria requirements, taken from actual signed leases. After each listed requirement is a suggested course of action (since it’s too late, you’ve already signed the lease).
- “Signs shall be not more than 32” in height and not more than 10’ in length”
- 10’ in length is a pretty short sign. Most retail storefronts are at least 20’ wide, so a 10’ long sign is going to look pretty small. Instead of specifying a certain length (or width) for a sign, many leases will require that the sign not take up more than 80% of a storefront. (Written this way to keep one tenant’s sign from invading the personal space of the adjacent tenant’s sign). I can tell you, there are very few shopping centers with 10’ wide storefront signs. Check other tenants in the same shopping center, and take photos if necessary.
- “Letter face shall be illuminated by 30 m.a. neon tubing connected with “pk” housings with no exposed crossovers or transformers. “
- The problem here is that almost every sign company in America stopped using neon tubing for storefront signs at least 5 years ago. Today’s storefront signs are illuminated with LED. In most instances, the landlord won’t have a problem with LED illumination, but you need to check.
- “No light cabinet signs or logo signs are allowed.”
- This is probably the second most common Sign Criteria problem we see when reviewing leases. The sign in the image below has not one but two light cabinets as part of its configuration. And, the sign criteria for the respective shopping center this store is located in specifically stated that “no light cabinets are allowed”. Before proceeding with this project, I went to the site and took photos of approximately 15 existing businesses that all had similar configurations — including “Gap”. I turned the photos in to the property manager, and asked why we would not be allowed to install a sign that was no different than more than a dozen other signs within the development. Unable to come up with a good answer, the sign was approved by the landlord and we were able to proceed as shown below.
Custom Front-Lit Channel Letter Sign With Light Cabinets
These are just three examples of inaccurate, outdated, or in the last example, inconsistently applied sign criteria restrictions. Chances are your lease contains something similar. The key is don’t accept criteria that will result in you having to accept a bad sign. Imagine the sign in the image above without the “SPORTS NUTRITION” light cabinet and the red and white groovy hipster logo. Not quite the same impact, is it? Ask for clarification on any rule you see as questionable or unduly restrictive – – you’ll need accurate information as to the criteria before you begin the process of choosing a sign company and proceeding with any design work for your new sign. Read, question, and verify.
Step Two: Determine Who Has Jurisdiction
Before you can know the rules, you have to know the jurisdiction. Which city or county governing body has Planning & Development supervision over your business location? The property manager should be able to tell you. In most instances, jurisdiction will fall to whichever governing body you pay your business license fees to. Since there are often variations in the ordinance restrictions for signage based on the zone, you will also need to know the zoning classification for your new business location. You can get this information by going to the Tax Assessor’s website for your county.
Step Three: Reference the Sign Ordinance
You now have the City/County of Jurisdiction and the zoning classification. The next step is to reference the actual Code of Ordinances. For your convenience, we’ve saved and organized the necessary sign ordinance documents for a number of Atlanta Metro area jurisdictions on our website, and they can be reference by clicking BMS Sign Permit Documents. If we haven’t added the necessary sign ordinance documents for your jurisdiction, then try your local City/County of Jurisdiction’s website. Once you’ve found the city/county website, check the Zoning Department section, or “Planning & Development” or “Community Development”. While there, take a minute to download or print copes of the Sign Permit Application. A third viable option is Municode, which is a national database of sign ordinance documents. To use Municode, click on the hyperlink, then click on the red “Browse the Library” button. Next, click on the state where your business is located, followed the City/County of Jurisdiction. You will then need to locate the Sign Ordinance within that jurisdiction’s Code of Ordinances. In many cases, the Sign Ordinance can be found in a chapter marked “Planning and Development”, in its own Chapter marked “Signs”, or in an Article marked “Zoning”.
Once you’ve found the Sign Ordinance, you’ll want to read it carefully. For ground signs, pay close attention to the maximum height requirements and sign area requirements. For building or wall signs, pay close attention to the maximum sign area requirements, and how the sign area is measured. Again, in some municipalities, the zoning classification for your new business location will help determine the allowable sign area for your new business sign. Examples are listed below;
City of Atlanta Sign Ordinance
Please note that a number of municipalities have adopted “overlay districts” or “Community Improvement Districts”, with unique sign restrictions/allowances.
Step Four: Choosing the Right Sign Company
The all-important fourth step toward getting your new business sign is making sure that you are choosing a sign company that will do more than just “sell you a sign.” In addition to the design work needed for your new sign, your sign company should be a source of knowledge with regard to the landlord’s sign criteria and to the sign permit process. It’s their job to know what the restrictions are in the local sign ordinances, and they should explain those restrictions to you at the very beginning of the design process. Most sign companies will offer to do the sign permit process for you. If the procurement fee they charge is reasonable, let them.
Here are questions to consider when choosing a sign company;
- Once contacted, did they willingly schedule a site visit to verify building dimensions (wall sign), and/or sign placement (ground sign), or did they ask you for this information? If they aren’t going to provide good service when it comes to getting the sale, it’s unlikely they are going to provide good service in obtaining the sign permit or building the sign.
- If/When the site visit was conducted, were they detail-oriented, or did they take “ballpark measurements”? Did they use a color chart to match the color of the building façade (wall sign)? Details matter, an inch here or a “slightly off” color there can mean a sign that is less than satisfactory, and it can mean problems or delays in the permitting of your sign.
- How much do they charge for permit procurement if you decide you don’t want to do it yourself? Some sign companies charge $400 or more for procurement of a sign permit for a simple wall sign. Others will charge a $100 sign permit procurement fee for the same sign.
Step Five: Obtain the Sign Permit
All the hard work, at this point, is mostly done. Assuming you have decided to acquire the sign permit yourself, start by completing the sign permit application. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to locate and print a copy of the Sign Permit Application, which can be found at the City/County website. It’s fairly common that there will be a checklist to guide you through the sign permit process. Follow it closely. The checklist will typically require the following;
- Completed Sign Permit Application for each sign being installed.
- Copies of the Sign Layout, showing the proposed sign super-imposed on the building, and/or installation area.
- For Ground Signs, a copy of the site plan showing exact placement (to scale) of the proposed sign
- Letter of Approval and/or signed, approved copy of the proposed sign layout.
- Sign Permit Drawings.
- Certificate of Insurance for the sign company.
- Copy of the Business License for the sign company.
- Payment
Your sign company should provide the permit drawings and copies of any of the required paperwork that directly relates to them (Certificate of Insurance, Copy of Busines License, copies of Sign Layout/Design Proof, and Sign Permit Drawings).
Depending on the type and size of the sign, and the municipality, a building permit may also be required. For ground signs, a Certified Engineer’s Drawing might be required as well.
Turnaround times for the processing of your sign permit application vary greatly. For some jurisdictions, the turnaround is a couple of days or less. For others, the turnaround time is typically two weeks or more. Make sure you allow plenty of time for the permit process, as you should not have the construction of your new business sign take place until the sign permit has been approved.
