Sign regulations vary by city, and can vary year to year. You’ll definitely want to be clear on the rules in your area before setting up any kind of signage to avoid fines — or losing your sign altogether.
Application Process For Permits
This is usually handled on a county level. Applying for sign permits ensures any signage you put up adheres to local rules, and that you won’t have any snags further down the line that could cost you time and money.
In the Greensboro area, Guilford County will want you to provide:
- A scaled sign drawing — A detailed depiction of the sign, its colors and messaging, and whether it is illuminated. If it’s illuminated, this drawing should include information about how bright it will be and what hours it will be illuminated. (And for what purposes.)
- A site plan — A layout of the property and the proposed sign location, showing its proximity to roads, sidewalks, and other structures.
- Wall elevation and foundation plan — Dimensions for the wall including the relationship of the sign to doorways and windows, or a floorstanding sign’s footing depth and anchoring system.
Guilford County charges between $150-$350 per sign permit, with the turnaround time often being about a week. At that point, they will issue a Sign Clearance Certificate. If your sign design requires any additional building permits, you can take the Sign Clearance Certificate to the next phase to get those permits completed.
We handle this process for our customers, so when you work with JED Signs this is not something you’ll need to worry about or track.
Types of Signs You Can Get Permits For In Greensboro:
- Freestanding signs – With their own stands that aren’t attached to anything else.
- Canopy signs – Attached to canopies or awnings extended over a doorway or window.
- Development entrance signs – Introduce the name of the development or management company at the entrance to a site.
- Electronic message boards – Any type of sign that displays messages, videos, or images with lights. May or may not include text.
- Information boards
- Marquee signs – Attached in any manner to a building or entryway, but not as part of an awning like a canopy sign.
- Monument signs – Sometimes also called landmark signs, these are large attractions usually made of stone, brick, or wood meant to attract attention from the street. Popular in shopping centers and business parks.
- Playbills – Similar to canopy or marquee signs, these display “now playing” type information at theatres.
- Projecting signs – Usually attached to the wall of a building, forming an angle with that wall and projecting an image onto it.
- Suspended signs – Hung from tables, ceilings, and other surfaces.
- Wall signs – Attached to a wall and typically showing in one direction. Can highlight products, directions, sales, and more.
Zoning and Placement Restrictions
Greensboro’s zoning laws are the compass guiding where and how signs can be placed. Greensboro’s Land Development Ordinance (LDO) outlines these regulations, ensuring signs are safe and harmonious with their surroundings.
Commercial Zones: There are limits on sign size and height to prevent visual clutter. For instance, freestanding signs in these areas must adhere to specific height restrictions to maintain sightlines and aesthetic appeal.
Residential Areas: Signage in residential zones is more restricted to preserve neighborhood character. Home-based businesses, for example, may have limitations on sign size and illumination to ensure they blend seamlessly into the community. (Especially in HOA communities.)
General Standards For Freestanding Signage in Greensboro
Freestanding signs have their own special set of rules from other signage, mostly because of their portability. Since they can be put almost anywhere, there are guidelines for where and how they can be displayed to prevent eyesores or safety issues.
Main standards to know:
- These signs can be illuminated externally (by a light shining at the sign) or internally (within the sign itself). Internal illumination is limited to cut-out letter lighting.
- Signs within 100 feet of residential zones must be under 6 feet in height.
- Signs under 6 feet in height must be monument style signs, with the exception of signs in historic districts or designated landmark properties.
- You can substitute a freestanding sign with a projected sign in some cases, and the allowable wall area for the projection is 5% larger than typical size limits along the same frontage where the freestanding sign would’ve been. You’ll need approval by the Greensboro Planning Director for this type of substitution, though.
Caveats For Entrance Signs:
Greensboro businesses seeking sign permits should be aware of the following caveats to putting up entrance signs.
- You won’t be compensated for any potential loss or damage to the sign from any cause.
- If the city of Greensboro determines at any time that the sign interferes with public use of right of way, you are required to remove the sign at your own expense.
- In cases where your sign is suspended over the public right of way, you must agree to provide insurance or indemnification of the city against liability for potential injury to people passing by underneath the sign.
Pole-Mounted Banners
The city of Greensboro’s official stance on pole-mounted banners is that they are meant to enhance the aesthetic of designated areas. Consequently, all banners mounted this way should be colorful and enticing, and also have a unifying theme.
Commercial messages are limited to the business’ name, logo, and trademarks. This copy cannot occupy more than 10% of the banner’s surface area. The maximum area for a pole-mounted banner is 24 square feet.
Similar to the caveat about entrance signs above, the city reserves the right to require removal of your mounted banner(s) if they deem them to have become unsafe. This could be because of how the banner is hung, or if that mount has become loose or corroded. Similarly, if the banner material becomes worn or tattered it must be replaced to maintain the overall aesthetic.
Professional installation is important, because the city of Greensboro is not responsible for damage incurred during installation or usage of mounted banners, or during removal for repairs.
Speciality Signs Attached To Buildings or Structures
The main two types of specialty attached signs are projecting signs and integral roof signs, and each of them have some specific criteria for usage.
Projected signs can’t be projected more than 4 feet from the building’s wall. These also need to have a minimum clearance of 9 feet above sidewalks, and 14 feet above alleys or driveways to allow plenty of safe space for public right of way. Any projected sign must be spaced at least 25 feet from any other projected sign. Lastly, projected signs cannot protrude above the roof line of the building.
These signs will require building permits, and if illuminated, will also require electrical permits.
Integral roof signs are hung from roof areas, but cannot extend above the highest portion of the roof. If the sign has design features that extend above that height limit, with approval the sign can do so within the limits of other zoning district rules.
