Des Plaines, IL
Sign Company in Des Plaines, IL: Pole Signs, Monument Signs, and Channel Letters
Des Plaines allows a pole sign only on a lot with more than 75 feet of frontage on one street, so a shorter lot cannot have one. SignFreaks checks the code first, then permits, builds, and installs.
Nearest office: Oak Brook — by appointment only
- 25+ years of team experience
- City approvals handled for you
- Own shop, own crew, own lift
- Free survey and written quote
Local context
Reading a Des Plaines frontage
Des Plaines regulates signs in Chapter 11 of its zoning ordinance, so custom business signs in Des Plaines start with how much frontage the lot has on each street.
- 2Wall signs allowed on a street-facing facade
- 125sq ftAggregate wall sign area cap for a building
- 75ftFrontage on one street needed for a pole sign
- Wall signs
Two wall signs per street face
A facade not facing a street gets one sign.
Aggregate wall sign area is 125 sq ft total.
- Pole signs
Pole sign needs 75 ft frontage
The lot needs more than 75 ft on one street.
Only a single pole sign is allowed on the lot.
- Ground signs
Landscaping 3 ft wide each side
The strip runs along each side of the base.
Pole and monument signs both need that planting.
- Message boards
EMB limit is half the sign area
Cases cite 50% of the pole or monument area.
They also cite 250 ft from R-1 residences.
How it works
How a sign project in Des Plaines gets approved and built
Three steps take a project from your address to an installed sign.
Send address and lot
Send the address, the street frontage, and a photo of the building, and we tell you which limits apply.
Code check and survey
We read Chapter 11 for your lot, then measure the frontage and the facade on site, free of charge.
Permits, build, install
We file the permit, build in our own shop, and install, with licensed electrical work on any lit sign.
Sign types
Custom business signs in Des Plaines: what we build
Channel letters, pole signs, and monument signs each meet a different Des Plaines limit.
Channel Letters
Individual letters on the wall, counted inside the 125 sq ft aggregate and the two-sign limit.
Learn more
Pylon Signs
A pole-style sign for lots with more than 75 ft on one street, with landscaping on each side.
Learn more
Monument Signs
A low ground sign with 3 ft of landscaping on each side of the base, and its own permit.
Learn more
Acrylic Signs
A flat acrylic sign for a lobby or entry wall, a clean fit for a single wall-sign allowance.
Learn more
Window Wraps
Window graphics add a second sign face to a storefront, and we confirm the permit need first.
Learn moreVinyl Banners
A printed banner suits an opening or a sale, and we confirm the city’s rules before printing.
Learn more
The paperwork
What a sign company in Des Plaines has to get approved
Des Plaines treats each sign as its own permit, so one project can mean several applications.
Each sign in Des Plaines needs its own permit, and the application carries two sets of drawings and two plats of survey. A pole or monument sign also needs a landscaped strip 3 feet wide on each side of its base. A sign that needs more than Chapter 11 allows goes to the Planning and Zoning Board, which recommends, and the City Council decides.
SignFreaks handles the sign permits for every sign on the job, and lit signs go through licensed electrical contractors.
One permit per sign
Every sign on the property gets its own permit application, even when several go up together.
Drawings and surveys
The filing carries two sets of drawings and two plats of survey for the city to review.
Licensed installers
Every installer must be licensed, and illuminated signs need licensed electrical contractors.
Variation hearing
A larger sign goes to the Planning and Zoning Board, then the City Council makes the final call.
Who we serve
Commercial signs by industry in Des Plaines, IL
A sign company in Des Plaines plans each building differently. These pages cover what each type needs on top of the city’s sign code.
Restaurants
Wall letters, window graphics, and awnings for dining rooms that need to be seen from the street.
Learn moreShopping Malls
Center and tenant signs, with a landlord’s sign criteria checked next to the city code.
Learn moreCorporate Buildings
Building names, tenant directories, and lobby signs for office buildings and shared lobbies.
Learn moreCommercial Businesses
The everyday storefront job: a sign that fits the wall-sign limit and the lot’s frontage.
Learn more
Proof
Google reviews for our Oak Brook office
Excerpts from our Oak Brook office’s Google reviews, quoted as the customers wrote them.
- Window vinyl
“SignFreaks did a great job installing a window vinyl sign in our office. High quality, quick response, reasonable price.”
Laura KofoidGoogle review - Awning and permitting
“The awning looks amazing, almost like it has always been on the building. Any time I had a question, they were one call/email away[.]”
ECFAGoogle review - Custom vestibule
“Their customer service was excellent AND their price came in far less than any of the other quotes we obtained. Highly recommend.”
Anna VolkmannGoogle review
Meet us
Your nearest office is Oak Brook
By appointment only, so the right person is there when you arrive.
Choosing a sign company in Des Plaines usually starts with a conversation, and Oak Brook is the closest SignFreaks office. Visits are for going through a design in detail, and most quotes start with a frontage photo and a phone call.
Bring your lease and any landlord sign criteria, because a shopping center can add rules on top of the city code. All three offices, with directions, are on the contact page.
Get a code-checked quote for Des Plaines
A sign company in Des Plaines should quote against the city code for your lot. Send the address, a frontage photo, and your opening date, and SignFreaks will come back with what the code allows and a written quote for custom business signs in Des Plaines.
Nearby
Towns next to Des Plaines
Every city writes its own sign code, so a sign company in Des Plaines checks each address against its own rules, not against a neighbor’s.
Questions
Sign questions from Des Plaines businesses
Call (872) 250-4743, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Sign questions from Des Plaines businesses
What does a sign company in Des Plaines do?
Do I need a permit for a business sign in Des Plaines?
Yes, you need a permit for a business sign in Des Plaines, and each sign gets its own permit. The application carries two sets of drawings and two plats of survey. We file the sign permits for you.
How many wall signs can a Des Plaines business have?
A Des Plaines business can have two wall signs on a street-facing facade and one on a facade that does not face a street. Board minutes describe an aggregate wall sign area of 125 square feet per building. We confirm it first. See channel letters.
Can I put a pole sign on my Des Plaines lot?
You can put one pole sign on a Des Plaines lot that has more than 75 feet of frontage on a single street. The sign also needs landscaping 3 feet wide on each side of its base. See pylon signs and sign permits.
What does a monument sign need in Des Plaines?
A monument sign in Des Plaines needs its own permit and a landscaped strip 3 feet wide on each side of its base. A sign company in Des Plaines draws the sign and the planting together before filing. See monument signs and installation.
Are electronic message board signs allowed in Des Plaines?
Electronic message boards are regulated in Des Plaines, and recent variance cases measured them against 50% of the pole or monument sign area and 250 feet from R-1 residences. We confirm the current limit before design and file the sign permits.
How much does a storefront sign cost in Des Plaines?
A storefront sign in Des Plaines costs what its size, materials, lighting, mounting, and permit path add up to, and the frontage changes several of those. SignFreaks does not quote a number without a survey, so a free survey produces a written quote for channel letters or any other type.
Does Des Plaines require sign installers to be licensed?
Des Plaines requires every sign installer to be licensed, and illuminated signs must be installed by licensed electrical contractors. We handle the work and the installation together, so the permit and the install match.
Where can I get channel letters made and installed in Des Plaines?
You can get channel letters made and installed in Des Plaines from a sign company that also files the permit. We build channel letters in our own shop and install them with our own crew.