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Signage guides

The Signage Blog: Costs, Permits, and Sign Types

Most signage advice skips what costs you: the permit that delays an opening, the sign type a frontage cannot carry, and the lines behind a quote. SignFreaks answers each one in plain guides from the crew that builds the signs.

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  • Written by working sign crews
  • Chicago and suburban codes
  • Cost drivers explained plainly
  • Revised when the code changes

Start here

Sign buying guides by topic

The signage blog follows the work our crew does, so every sign buying guide points to the page where that work happens.

  • Channel letters on a Chicago bookstore storefront

    Sign Permits and Codes

    What a permit holds up, who files it, and how city and village rules differ.

    Learn more
  • Acrylic sign for a Chicago bookstore

    Sign Types and Costs

    Which sign suits a frontage, and what size, lighting, and mounting add to a quote.

    Learn more
  • Sign board installed on a Chicago storefront

    Installation and Repair

    How a sign is mounted, why one goes dark, and what a lease-end removal involves.

    Learn more
  • Storefront awning on a Chicago animal hospital

    Awnings and Canopies

    Frames, covers, and entrances, and what each one needs from the building wall.

    Learn more
  • Commercial enclosure on a Chicago building

    Vestibules and Enclosures

    Winter wind control for doorways and patios, and the approvals each one takes.

    Learn more
  • Large-format vinyl banner on a Chicago building

    Banners and Wraps

    Vinyl, mesh, and wall wraps compared, plus the finishing and hanging each needs.

    Learn more

How we write

Signage advice that holds up at the permit counter

Each signage blog guide starts from a question a customer asked, then checks the answer against the code.

What usually goes wrong

  • A permit gets one vague line, so a sign goes up first and can be cited afterward.
  • One rule is quoted for every town, though each village writes its own sign code.
  • Costs are left out, so the first real number arrives after the design is finished.
  • Sign types are listed like a catalog, with no word on what the wall or lease allows.

How these guides handle it

  • Permits first. Each guide says what needs approval and who files it, so the order is clear.
  • Local codes. The city or village rule is named and linked to the town page that covers it.
  • Cost drivers. Size, lighting, mounting, and access are named, since each one moves a quote.
  • Real sites. Advice comes from the surveys, installs, and repairs our own crew has done.

Local codes

Sign rules change at every village line

The same sign can pass in one town and fail in the next, so each SignFreaks guide names the city or village behind its rule.

  • $200Chicago zoning review fee for an on-premise sign
  • 8%Streamwood wall-sign cap, as a share of the wall
  • 0Box signs allowed in any Oak Brook zoning district
  • Chicago

    A third of the wall at most

    Pedestrian Streets refuse freestanding signs.

    A sign over the public way needs its own permit.

  • Oak Brook

    No box signs in any district

    Four 22nd Street towers allow a 250 sq ft name.

    Wall signs cap at 5% in office, B1, and B3.

  • Streamwood

    Eight percent of the wall

    Box-style wall signs are not permitted there.

    Shopping centers file sign plans with the village.

  • Hinsdale

    Projecting signs only in B-2

    Each face is capped at 3 sq ft and hangs 8 ft up.

    A projecting sign is never illuminated there.

Got a question the signage blog skips?

Send SignFreaks a photo of the wall or the sign and your question. If it is a good one we may write it up, and either way you get an answer for your own project.

Get My Free QuoteCall (872) 250-4743

Coverage

The signage blog for Chicago and the suburbs

SignFreaks has three by-appointment offices, in Chicago, Oak Brook, and Burr Ridge, and works across more than 150 suburbs. The areas served pages list the sign rules town by town.

Questions

Questions about signage

Still have questions?
Call (872) 250-4743, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Questions we get asked

Where can I find a reliable sign buying guide for a commercial building?

A reliable sign buying guide for a commercial building comes from a team that designs, permits, builds, and installs signs, because the useful details only show up on real projects. The SignFreaks signage blog covers sign types, sign permits, and installation and repair, and each guide names the city or village rule behind its answer.

How much does a commercial sign cost?

A commercial sign costs what its size, lighting, mounting, access, and permit work add up to, so the number comes from a written quote after a site survey. In Chicago the city adds a $200 zoning review fee for an on-premise sign and a building review fee that starts at $50 for a sign under 50 sq ft. We list those fees on their own line beside the sign permits work for every custom sign.

Do I need a permit for a business sign in Chicago?

A business sign in Chicago needs a permit for most permanent exterior work, and a sign installed before its permit is issued can be cited. A sign over the sidewalk or street also needs a Public Way Use permit, while official signs and temporary window signs can be exempt. We check which applies at the survey and prepare the sign permits application.

What types of commercial signs can a business choose from?

Businesses can choose from channel letters, lightbox signs, blade signs, monument signs, awnings, and canopies, plus printed banners and wraps. Each type has its own page covering materials, lighting, and approvals, starting with custom signs, channel letters, and monument signs.

How do I choose the right sign for my storefront?

Choose the right sign for your storefront by starting with the zoning district, the lease, and the wall, because those three set what is allowed before style does. Some districts restrict box signs, so we compare channel letters with lightbox signs early and check the wall before any drawing is made.

What affects how long a sign project takes?

How long a sign project takes depends on the sign, the permit application, and the review comments, so we do not promise a window. The survey, the permit review, the build in our own shop, and the installation each add time, and a rejected application sends the project back to the drawings. The sign installation and sign permits pages show where each step fits.

What is the difference between channel letters and a lightbox sign?

The difference between channel letters and a lightbox sign is the form: channel letters are individual letters, usually lit, while a lightbox is a single box or cabinet with a lit face. Some districts restrict box and cabinet signs, so the choice can come down to the code. See channel letters and lightbox signs for materials and lighting.

Do sign codes differ between Chicago and the suburbs?

Sign codes differ between Chicago and the suburbs, because the city and every village write their own rules for size, height, lighting, and sign type. Oak Brook, for example, bans box signs in every district, while Chicago limits them by district. The Oak Brook and areas served pages cover the local rules.

Where can I ask a signage question the guides do not cover?

You can ask a signage question the guides do not cover by calling SignFreaks at (872) 250-4743, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, or by sending a photo through the quote form. Good questions often become a guide, and either way you get an answer for your own project.