Houston sign permit at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a permit? | Yes, to erect, reconstruct, alter, relocate or use a sign, except the on-premises signs listed in §4605(b), such as signs painted on glass, windows or doors. Other cities compared. |
| What sets my limit? | The category of the street your sign faces, not a zoning district: Houston has no zoning (street categories). |
| How big can a ground sign be? | It depends on the street category and how many businesses share the site: from 8 ft tall and 60 sq ft for a single business on a local street up to 42½ ft tall on a freeway or highway (Table 4611 in street categories; calculator). Other cities compared. |
| How big can wall signs be? | All wall signs on one wall together: 25% of that wall or 1000 sq ft, whichever is smaller. Other cities compared. |
| How many signs? | No more than five on-premise signs per business; roof signs are prohibited (sign limits). |
| Who can file? | A licensed sign contractor, or the business owner only if they do all the work on a minor non-electrical sign (who files). Other cities compared. |
| What does it cost? | $97.25 plan exam plus $97.25 construction for the first 32 sq ft and $0.56 for each sq ft over that, then an annual operating permit (fee table). |
| How long does it take? | The city publishes no turnaround time (timing). Other cities compared. |
| Sidewalk A-frame sign? | Placing a sign on a public sidewalk is unlawful unless City Council has expressly consented, new portable signs are prohibited, and an unlawful sign found in the right-of-way is seized (Chapter 46 Sign Code). Other cities compared. |
| Already installed without a permit? | Putting up or altering a sign without a written permit violates the Sign Code: a misdemeanor fine of $300 to $500 for each violation, and each day it continues is a separate offense (Houston Sign Code, Building Code Chapter 46). Other cities compared. |
| Digital or LED sign? | Only one changeable message sign per business; outside schools, none on a local street, and none on or facing a collector street within 150 feet of the property line of a single-family residence; the changing part is limited to fifty percent of the allowable sign face, not over 100 square feet (Sign Code §4611). Other cities compared. |
| Grand opening banner? | A limited use banner needs a permit before it goes up: one per premises, no more than 40 square feet, attached flush against an exterior wall with no rope, shown on consecutive days for a maximum of seven days in any 30 day period, with a separate permit for each display period (Sign Code §4608(p); form CE-1436). Other cities compared. |
| Window signs? | No permit for signs painted on windows, but an electrical sign or a sign with a structure larger than six square feet in a window needs a wall sign permit, and no more than twenty percent of a glass storefront may be covered with advertising content (Sign Code §4605(b)(1)). Other cities compared. |
| When does the permit run out? | A sign construction permit becomes null and void unless the sign is completed within 180 days, or the permit is renewed for another 180 days for one-half the original fee (Sign Code §4605(h)). Other cities compared. |
Street category Calculator Sign limits Who files How to apply Fees overview Timing Checklist Permit fees Sign companies
That's not a quirk — it changes everything about your sign. There's no "C-2 district" or "commercial zone" to look up. Instead, the Houston Sign Code (Building Code Chapter 46) sets your sign's allowed height and size by the category of the street your sign faces. Two shops on the same block can have very different limits if one faces a freeway and the other faces a local street.
Your street category decides everything
Before anything else, you need to know which category your premises frontage falls into. For any on-premise sign first permitted after September 1, 2009, Table 4611 of the Sign Code sets the maximum ground sign height and size by that category:
| Ground sign (height ft / size sq ft) | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single business | 14 / 100 | 20 / 150 | 42½ / 225 | 8 / 60 | 31 / 150 |
| Multi-tenant, 2 or 3 businesses | 19 / 200 | 26 / 300 | 42½ / 450 | 10 / 120 | 31 / 300 |
| Multi-tenant, 4 or more businesses | 24 / 300 | 31 / 450 | 42½ / 600 | 12 / 180 | 31 / 450 |
| Flag (height) | 20 | 35 | 50 | — | — |
A single-business ground sign at a site that could use the Category B or C multi-tenant standards is held to the next smaller category: a single-business Category C sign is built to Category B, and a Category B sign to Category A. That does not apply to a new ground sign more than 350 feet from another ground sign at the same location (§4611, subsection (i)(2)a). Every permanent sign other than a wall or marquee sign counts as a ground sign, including flag and fence signs (§4611, subsection (i)(2)b).
Signs first permitted before September 1, 2009 were sized under the older Table 4609, which used only three categories (A, B and C) and different height and size figures. The §4611, subsection (i) rules apply to new signs whose initial permit is requested after that date.
Source: Houston Sign Code (Building Code Chapter 46), current through Ordinance No. 2020-669, effective July 29, 2020: §4611, subsection (i) and (j), Table 4611 and Table 4609. Copy on file read 10 October 2026. A City Transportation master plan identifies whether streets are major thoroughfares, collector, or local streets.
Work out your ground and wall sign limits
This applies Table 4611 and the wall sign limit in §4611, subsection (i)(4)a of the Houston Sign Code to a new on-premise sign. Pick your street category and sign type, then enter what you plan to build.
Calculated from Houston Sign Code §4611(b)(1), §4611, subsection (i)(2) to (6), §4611, subsection (j) and Table 4611 (Sign Code PDF, current through Ordinance No. 2020-669). Copy on file read 10 October 2026. It does not cover the engineering, electrical or site inspection rules, which are listed further down this page.
How many signs, wall signs, roof signs and changeable messages — 5 rules
Section 4611 of the Houston Sign Code sets these limits for on-premise signs:
- No more than five on-premise signs per business, in any mix of: one ground or projecting sign per frontage (two, spaced at least 350 feet apart, on a frontage over 350 feet, and never more than two per business); up to four roof or wall signs; up to three marquee signs (§4611(b)(1)).
- Wall signs: 25% of the wall or 1000 sq ft, whichever is smaller, for all wall signs on that wall combined. A wall sign may rise above its supporting wall only on a mansard or facade, and never more than 10 feet above the roof line. In the central business district a wall sign may be no higher than 42½ feet (§4611, subsection (i)(4)).
- Roof signs are prohibited for signs first permitted after September 1, 2009 (§4611, subsection (i)(3)).
- Projecting signs may extend up to 10 feet from the building, no closer than 2 feet behind the curb line, and not above the roof line of the supporting wall (§4611(b)(2), §4611, subsection (i)(5)).
- Changeable message signs: one per business; none on a local street except at a school; the changing part is at most 50% of the allowed sign face and no more than 100 sq ft. The message may change no more often than every five minutes and must change within one second or less, at no more than 6500 nits by day and 1250 nits at night (§4611, subsection (h), §4611, subsection (i)(6)).
Source: Houston Sign Code (Building Code Chapter 46), §4611, current through Ordinance No. 2020-669, effective July 29, 2020. Copy on file read 10 October 2026.
Only a non-electrical ground sign no taller than 8 feet or a non-electrical wall or marquee sign mounted no higher than 16 feet above grade can be installed by someone other than a licensed sign contractor, according to the city’s Sign Administration page. Footings that use rebar or anchor bolts require engineering in the application packet, and drilled footings larger than 18 inches in diameter or 6 feet deep get a hole inspection.
Who can actually pull the permit?
This is the part that trips up new and first-time business owners. Under the Houston Sign Code, permits are only issued to whoever is doing the work — either a licensed sign contractor, or the business owner only if they perform all the work themselves (and only for minor, non-electrical signs under the size/height triggers above).
In practice, that means: if your sign is illuminated, oversized, or mounted high, you must hire a licensed Houston sign contractor. A business owner cannot pull the permit and then hand the job to someone else.
Not sure how the code reads for your sign?
Send your dimensions and we will reply with how the Houston code reads for that sign, at no charge. We are not a sign contractor and do not file permits; the sign companies listed on this page say they handle the permit.
Send your sign details →Get my free sign quote →How to apply for a Houston sign permit — 10 steps
Houston's order is unusual: the street in front of you decides your limits, and who does the work decides who files.
Steps assembled from Houston Permitting Center — Sign Administration (Houston Public Works, Building Code Enforcement) and from the confirmed items on this page; the Houston Sign Code was adopted in May 1980 and revised in July 2020. Fees and timing are handled in their own sections below — not repeated here.
What other cities ask you to submit: sign permit application checklists by city.
Fees
Houston publishes its sign fees, and they are listed in what a Houston sign permit actually costs below. The structure matters as much as the number. An on-premise sign permit in Houston is an annual operating permit renewed every year, not a one-time install charge. The City says most fees are based on size and are calculated during plan review, and that the balance of the construction, electrical and operating fees is charged when the site inspection and the permit application are approved — so the amount you pay to open the file is not the amount the permit costs. The schedule is dated, so confirm the current amount before you file.
How long it takes
Houston publishes no turnaround for a sign permit — no service standard, no target, no range. Rather than fill that gap with a number we cannot source, here is what the City does fix about timing, and what it leaves open:
Detail
The scheduling deadline, the inspection sequence, and the contact details are City-published by Houston Permitting Center — Sign Administration. No processing-time figure appears on this page because none was obtained; we do not substitute an estimate.
Houston sign checklist — 5 items
Before you design or order anything, confirm:
- Which street category (A to E in Table 4611) does my frontage face?
- How many signs do I already have? The limit is five per business (§4611(b)(1)).
- Is any ground sign over 8 ft tall, or a wall sign mounted over 16 ft high? → a licensed sign contractor must install it; engineering is required where footings use rebar or anchor bolts.
- Is the sign illuminated, or in a scenic district or corridor? → licensed sign contractor, shop and electrical inspections, and the scenic district rules.
- Am I planning a roof sign? → prohibited for new signs (§4611, subsection (i)(3)). Do my wall signs stay within 25% of the wall and 1000 sq ft?
Official Houston resources
Go straight to the city for permits and the binding code:
Houston Sign Administration (Permitting Center) — permits, contractor licensing, and Sign Code Chapter 46.
Other US city sign guides
Sources & how this page is maintained
Sources and official references: Houston Permitting Center — Sign Administration. and the Houston Sign Code (Building Code Chapter 46), current through Ordinance No. 2020-669, effective July 29, 2020, read 10 October 2026 for Table 4611 and the §4611 limits.
How much does a Houston sign permit cost?
Houston charges per action, not once per sign. Plan exam, construction, electrical inspection and the annual operating permit are separate line items, and the on-premise operating permit renews every year.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sign plan exam or reexam | $97.25 |
| Sign construction or reconstruction — base charge for up to 32 sq ft | $97.25 |
| Sign construction or reconstruction — each additional sq ft or fraction thereof exceeding 32 sq ft | $0.56 |
| Ground sign construction or reconstruction — each additional foot of maximum height exceeding 14 ft, in addition to the base charge | $2.78 |
| Annual operating permit, on-premises sign — base charge for up to 32 sq ft | $69.46 |
| Annual operating permit, on-premises sign — each additional sq ft or fraction thereof exceeding 32 sq ft | $0.56 |
| Sign electrical inspection (shop and installation) | $94.00 |
| Sign inspection or reinspection (site or construction) | $97.25 |
| Changeable message sign — per-face annual registration | $97.25 |
| Operating permit, off-premises sign not covered by Section 4612(b) | $138.92 |
| Operating permit, off-premises sign per Section 4612(b) | $69.46 |
| Replacement of lost or damaged operating tag | $97.25 |
| Annual license for a person or company engaged in leasing or erecting signs | $520.32 |
Source: Houston Permitting Center, Building Code Enforcement Sign Administration 2026 Fee Schedule, revised January 2026. Read 7 October 2026. Confirm the current amount before filing.
Renewing the operating permit each year
- The City mails the bill. Thirty days before the renewal date an invoice goes to the billing address on the application. Keeping that address current is the sign owner’s job; the City offers a free address change form.
- No paying ahead. Renewals cannot be billed or paid before the annual invoice is issued.
- Late fee: 15% of the renewal fee. The minimum renewal is $69.46, and the fee schedule adds the $33.56 Administrative Fee to annual renewal fees.
- The permit does not move with a sale. Sign permits are non-transferable, and renewals are only for the business operating the sign, so a new owner should contact Sign Administration rather than pay the old owner’s invoice.
Worked example (our arithmetic from the table above): a 48 sq ft on-premises sign renews at $69.46 + 16 × $0.56 = $78.42, plus the $33.56 Administrative Fee, for $111.98 a year. Paid late, 15% of $78.42 adds $11.76.
Source: Houston Permitting Center, Commercial Advertising Sign (On premises), and the 2026 fee schedule note on annual renewal fees. Read 22 October 2026. The City page does not say whether the 15% applies to the Administrative Fee, so confirm with Sign Administration at 832.394.8890.
Houston sign companies that say they handle the permit
Compiled from each company's own public website. We are not affiliated with any of them and we are not paid to list them. Confirm licensing and pricing yourself before you hire.
| Company | Phone | Location | What their site says about permits | In-house |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uni-Signs | (832) 590-3690 | 27027 Westheimer Pkwy, Suite 2200, Katy, Texas, 77494 | Application prepared, notarized and submitted under their license | Everything done in house — stated by Uni-Signs by email, October 2026. |
| 4D Signworx | (713) 984-2010 | 2022 Pech Rd, Houston, TX 77055 | from the planning stages to manufacturing of the sign to the proper signage permits to installation | Designed, engineered, fabricated, and installed under one roof. |
| Humble Sign Co | 281-812-2100 | 20620 Townsen Blvd E, Humble, TX 77338 | We handle sign permits in Houston & across Texas so you don't have to. | Our in-house sign manufacturing team uses high-quality materials that can handle Houston's weather. |
Each company's website is linked from its name. Source pages read 6 October 2026.
Ask us how the code reads for your sign
Send your dimensions and we will reply with what the Houston code allows for that sign. No charge. We are not a sign contractor and not a permit agent.