Sign Permit Drawings: What Cities Actually Require (A Checklist With Real Examples)

Picture a sign shop that submits a permit application with a polished mockup and a one-line description. The mockup looks great. The city rejects the submittal anyway. One county’s published checklist says it plainly: incomplete submittals will not be accepted.

That gap between a mockup and a permit drawing is where a lot of sign projects stall. A mockup is a sales picture. A permit drawing is a technical document that tells a plan reviewer where the sign goes, how big it is, how it is attached, and how it is powered.

This guide explains what a sign permit drawing set contains, using the published requirements of three real jurisdictions as examples. It is written for tenants, sign shops, agencies, and project managers who want the first submittal to be the last one.

The Short Answer

Most cities want a site plan with the address, an elevation showing the sign’s size and height, mounting and attachment details, electrical information for lit signs, a completed application, proof the property owner approves, and fees. Some also require engineer-stamped plans and a registered contractor.

Requirements vary by city, so find your jurisdiction’s checklist before anything is drawn. The three examples below show how much they can differ.

Mockup vs Permit Drawing

A good mockup helps you get landlord and client approval. It rarely satisfies a plan reviewer on its own.

What Three Real Jurisdictions Ask For

These examples come from published city and county documents. They are not universal, and your city may ask for more or less.

The Maricopa guide is the oldest of the three, so check the city’s current version before relying on it.

Anatomy of a Good Permit Drawing Set

1. Site Plan and Vicinity Map

This shows where the building sits on the property and where the sign goes on the building. Include the address, and in some places the parcel number, as Adams County requires.

2. Elevation

An elevation is a straight-on view of the building face with the sign drawn to scale. It should show the sign’s overall dimensions, its height above grade, and its position on the wall. Color elevations are requested in some cities.

3. Section and Mounting Details

This is where many submittals fall short. A section drawing shows how the sign attaches, including the mounting method, anchors, and wall type. In Adams County, the structural plans must show how the sign is attached to the existing wall.

If you are still deciding between a raceway and flush letters, settle it before the drawings are made, because the mounting method changes the details.

4. Electrical Information

Lit signs need electrical details. Adams County asks for the location of the power source and a one-line riser. Maricopa and Missouri City both note that new wiring can trigger a separate electrical permit or sub-permit.

Under NEC Article 600, electric signs must be listed and installed according to their listing instructions, as this EC&M overview of Article 600 (opens in new tab) explains. Many cities also want the sign’s listing information. UL’s signs page (opens in new tab) describes the listing program.

5. Sign Specifications

List the materials, illumination type, colors, and letter heights. A reviewer should be able to confirm the sign matches what the code allows.

6. Existing Signage

Maricopa also asks for plans or elevations showing existing signage with dimensions, since total sign area often counts everything already on the building.

7. Narrative or Scope of Work

A short written description of what is being installed. Both Adams County and Maricopa ask for one.

What the Drawings Must Prove

Plan reviewers are checking your sign against local rules, so the drawings need to show the numbers. Missouri City’s bulletin gives a good sense of what those rules look like:

• No more than two square feet of wall sign area for each linear foot of a business’s frontage on a facade
• An extra 33 percent of area for a lease space with walls facing two public streets
• No wall sign within 100 feet of a residential property line
• Channel letters and logos mounted flush, on a raceway, or on a wireway, with raceways painted to match the building
• An unregistered logo limited to half of the sign area
• Uniform materials, location, and illumination for signs in a shopping center

Maricopa’s guide describes a different formula for commercial zones, generally 1.5 square feet of sign area for every two linear feet of frontage with a 32 square foot maximum, and limits signs to 50 percent of the width of the wall.

The point is not to memorize these. It is that your drawing needs to show the sign area calculation, the frontage, and the setbacks clearly enough that the reviewer can check them in minutes.

Documents Beyond the Drawings

Drawings are only part of the packet. Depending on the city, expect to provide:

• A landlord or property owner approval letter. Maricopa specifies printed name, title, date, and signature.
• Contractor registration or licensing. Missouri City and Adams County both require it before permits issue.
• Engineer-stamped plans where required. Adams County asks for wet-stamped structural and electrical plans.
• Fees. Adams County bases its plan review fee on a percentage of the listed valuation, so costs are not always flat.
• Sign listing information for illuminated signs, which our business sign permit guide explains in more detail.

Stamped documents come from licensed engineers, so ask early whether your city needs them and who will provide them.

Review Times and Resubmittals

Published timelines show why a complete first submittal matters. Adams County lists 10 business days for the first review and 5 for later reviews, and it charges an additional plan review fee for revisions after a permit is issued. Maricopa lists a total of 20 business days and 5 days for each review round.

Missouri City’s bulletin breaks its roughly 10 business days into application processing, plan review, and comment processing, and notes that total time can increase if fees are paid late or extra reviews are needed.

Every resubmittal adds days. Every change after issuance can add days and cost.

Temporary Signs While You Wait

Some cities allow a temporary sign while the permanent one is in review. Missouri City allows a temporary wall sign after the permanent permit application is made, to be removed when the permanent sign is complete or 60 days after the application, whichever comes first. Maricopa limits banners to a 30-day temporary permit, issued only for situations such as a grand opening.

Check your city’s rules before hanging anything.

Common Reasons Drawings Get Rejected

• Missing dimensions or no height from grade
• No attachment or mounting details
• No electrical information for a lit sign
• A sign that exceeds the allowed area or setback
• Drawings that do not match the mockup the client approved
• No landlord approval letter
• An unregistered or unlicensed contractor
• Wrong file format or naming, which Adams County calls out specifically
• Missing address or parcel information

A Pre-Submittal Checklist

1. Download your city’s current sign permit checklist
2. Confirm what must be stamped and by whom
3. Draw the site plan with the address
4. Draw an elevation with dimensions and height above grade
5. Add mounting and section details for your wall type
6. Add electrical information and listing details for lit signs
7. Calculate the sign area against your frontage
8. Attach the landlord letter and contractor information
9. Check file format, naming, and fees
10. Confirm whether a separate electrical permit applies

How BASISSIGN Helps

We provide permit-ready drawings and technical documentation with orders to support city approval. Send your address, the wall photos, and any city or landlord criteria with your quote request, and tell us if your city requires stamped plans so we can confirm what can be supplied before you order.

Our UL 48 certification guide explains the listing paperwork, and our installation resources cover mounting. See how documentation fits into larger programs on our real estate developer and retail and franchise pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The sign shop from the start of this guide did not have a design problem. It had a documentation problem, and that is fixable. Find your city’s checklist, build the drawing set around it, and submit once.

If you are planning a sign and want permit-ready documentation from the start, request a free mockup and quote with your address, wall photos, and any city or landlord criteria.