Sign Permits
Sign Permit Services Chicago
In Chicago, a sign installed before its permit is issued can draw a citation, so the permit has to clear first or your opening date waits. SignFreaks prepares the drawings, files the permits, builds the sign, and installs it, so no second company holds up your opening.
- Drawings, filing, and follow-up
- Public Way Use permits
- City and suburban village codes
- Design, permit, build, install
- Own shop, own crew, own lift
- Permits for every sign type
- One company, fully accountable
Context
What Chicago’s sign permit requirements mean for your business
Chicago sets the fees, the drawings, and the approvals by the size, weight, and location of each sign, and the sign permits come before the build.
- $200zoningZoning review fee for an on-premise sign, paid when the application is filed
- 100sq ftSign area above which Chicago also requires a City Council order for the sign
- 5yearsTerm of a Public Way Use permit for a sign that extends over the sidewalk
- Who applies
A business may file for its own sign
An on-premise business can file for its own sign.
Stamped drawings need a licensed general contractor.
- Stamped drawings
Big or heavy signs need an engineer’s stamp
Roof structures over 12 feet and signs over 200 pounds.
New sign boxes and channel letters need them too.
- Public way
Signs over the sidewalk add a second permit
A sign over a sidewalk or alley needs Public Way Use.
It also needs a City Council ordinance to be approved.
- Fees and fines
Building review fees rise with sign area
Building review runs from $50 to $1,000 by sign area.
A sign installed before its permit is subject to citation.
What we handle
What our sign permit services in Chicago cover
For sign permitting in Chicago, the paperwork follows the same six jobs, whatever the sign is, and we do every one of them.
Code check
We check the sign against the zoning and building rules for your address before anything is drawn.
Permit drawings
We prepare the scaled sign drawing and location plan, with engineering where the city requires it.
Filing
We file one application for each sign through the city’s portal and pay attention to the fee order.
Review responses
We read the reviewers’ comments and answer each one until every approval is in the city’s system.
Public Way Use
We prepare the Public Way Use permit for any sign that extends over the sidewalk or the street.
Install after approval
Our crew installs the sign only after the permit is issued, so it never goes up ahead of the city.
Which sign needs what
Which Chicago signs need extra approvals
Stamped drawings and extra approvals for sign permits in Chicago depend on a sign’s size, weight, and height, so two signs on the same street can need very different work.
| Stamped drawings | Other approvals | |
|---|---|---|
| Wall sign | If it weighs over 200 pounds | Council order if over 100 sq ft |
| Channel letters | Yes, for new channel letters | Council order if over 100 sq ft |
| Projecting sign | If any face is over 100 sq ft | Public Way Use over the sidewalk |
| Ground sign | If the top is over 24 feet | Council order if over 24 feet |
| Roof sign | Over 12 feet or entirely above the roof | Council order if over 24 feet |
| Window sign | Not for exempt window signs | Keep one window under 25% glass |
Swipe to see the full table.
How it works
How sign permits in Chicago move through six steps
Our sign permit services in Chicago follow the same six steps on every sign, and the first is a site visit.
Consultation and survey
We review your goals, measure the site, and note the frontage, the building, and the schedule.
Application prep
We prepare the sign permit application with scaled drawings, specs, and engineering details.
City submission
We submit the application to the city and pay the zoning review fee that opens the review.
Follow-up and approval
We track the review and answer each comment, re-submitting drawings when the city asks.
Permit delivery
When every approval is in, the permit is issued and we hand it to you with the approved drawings.
Installation
Our crew installs the sign under the issued permit, with no wait for a second contractor.
Approvals
Who has to sign off on a sign in Chicago
Chicago permits each sign through the Department of Buildings, and several licensed parties can appear on one application.
An on-premise business can apply for its own sign, but stamped drawings need a licensed general contractor listed, and electrical work needs a registered electrical contractor. Off-premise signs always need a permit, while incidental signs with no name or logo and official signs are exempt, along with temporary window signs.
SignFreaks lines up these parties, files the application, and answers the review comments, then builds the sign and completes the installation, so the permit and the sign stay with one company.
Department of Buildings
The city office that reviews each sign application, posts comments, and issues permits.
General contractor
Listed on the application whenever the city requires stamped drawings for the sign.
Electrical contractor
Does the wiring on any lit sign, and is registered and named on the electrical permit.
Architect or engineer
Stamps the drawings for larger signs and for any sign that hangs from a building.
Beyond the permit
The permit is one part of the whole sign job
The same sign permitting company that provides these sign permit services also builds, installs, repairs, and removes the sign, so nothing is handed off between companies.
Sign installation
Our own crew and lift put the sign up as soon as the permit is issued, with no second crew.
Learn moreSign repair
A sign that fails gets repaired, and we check if a change needs a new permit first.
Learn moreSign removal
Old signs come down cleanly when a lease ends, a brand changes, or a new sign takes the spot.
Learn moreChannel letters
Lit letters that need stamped drawings and a permit, designed, built, and filed by one company.
Learn more
Our work
Recent sign projects in Chicago
Signs our crew has built and installed around Chicago, photographed on site.
Permitted channel letters — Chicago Tribune 
Permitted channel letters — Joe & The Juice 
Permitted monument sign, Chicago 
Permitted pylon sign, Chicago 
Permitted canopy — Educare 
Chicago sign permitting
Proof
Google reviews for our Chicago office
Excerpts from our Chicago office’s Google reviews, quoted as the customers wrote them.
- Awning and permits
“They made the process of permits, insurance updates and all of the logistics of installing an awning in the city of Chicago simple and seamless!”
Brooke EastGoogle review - Service and support
“Great company. Professional and always available to answer any questions when you call. Great management and staff all the way around.”
julie hillGoogle review - Storefront package
“They took care of all the permits and the process was seamless. … Debby is always very accommodating and replies in a heart beat.”
Nelli ZakharenkovaGoogle review
Who we file for
Sign permits for Chicago businesses, by building type
We also file for hospitals, schools, hotels, and shopping malls, and each building type brings its own sign sizes and approval path.
Restaurants
Wall signs, awnings, and window graphics, each filed on its own path before the build starts.
Learn moreSalons
Storefront signs and window graphics for salons, filed and approved before the sign goes up.
Learn moreCommercial Businesses
Shops, clinics, and offices that need a wall or projecting sign approved before opening day.
Learn moreCorporate Buildings
Tenant and building signs that often need stamped drawings from a licensed professional.
Learn more
Getting started
What we need from you to start the permit
Six things from you let us check the code and begin the drawings without a second round of questions.
Full address with unit
So we can check the zoning and the frontage for the address before we draw.
Photos of the elevation
Taken straight on if possible, with something in frame to show the scale.
Artwork as vectors
Send the logo as a vector file, with the brand colors if they are specified.
Landlord sign criteria
Any sign criteria document the landlord or the property manager has given you.
Existing sign history
Whether a sign is up now, and whether you know if it was ever permitted.
Your deadline
So we can plan the filing order and tell you early if the date is unrealistic.
Budget
What moves the cost of sign permits in Chicago
The city’s fees come first, and the drawings and approvals a sign needs add to them.
City fees are paid to the city and are separate from our quote. Our quote covers permit prep, submission, and management, and it lists each city fee as its own line.
- The zoning review fee, $200 for an on-premise sign and $500 for an off-premise sign.
- The building review fee, which runs from $50 to $1,000 by the area of the sign.
- Stamped drawings from a licensed architect or engineer, when the sign is large, heavy, or tall.
- A Public Way Use permit and yearly insurance resubmission for a sign over the public way.
- Electrical work by a registered electrical contractor on a lit sign.
- Changes to the sign after the drawings are filed, which can mean a new submission.
Get sign permits in Chicago and the sign from one company
Send a photo of the storefront, the sign you want, and your opening date. SignFreaks returns a written quote that covers the permit work, with the city fees listed on their own lines.
Coverage
Where we file sign permits in Chicago and beyond
The city and the suburbs around it, from three by-appointment offices. Every village writes its own sign code, so the code check comes before the drawings, whichever town the sign is in.
Questions
Sign permit questions, answered
Call (872) 250-4743, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a sign permit for all types of signage in Chicago?
Most signs in Chicago need a permit, and a few do not. Incidental signs with no business name or logo, official signs, and temporary window signs are exempt, while off-premise signs always need one, and new channel letters and projecting signs add stamped drawings and extra approvals. We check your sign against the rules for your address first.
How long does it take to get a sign permit approved in Chicago?
The time it takes to get a sign permit approved in Chicago depends on the sign, on how complete the application is, and on the city’s review comments, so we do not promise a number of days. After every approval is in, the city emails the applicant, who pays the permit fee and prints the permit, and our crew starts the sign installation.
What are the common reasons sign permit applications get rejected?
Sign permit applications usually draw comments when the drawings are incomplete, the dimensions are off, the sign does not fit the zoning rules for its location, or a sign that needs stamped drawings was filed without them, as new channel letters do. We run the code check and review every detail before we file.
Can SignFreaks help with sign permits outside Chicago, elsewhere in Illinois?
SignFreaks handles sign permits in the Chicago suburbs and other Illinois towns as well as in the city, and each village has its own sign code. We file for businesses in towns such as Naperville and Oak Brook, and the full list is on our areas served page.
What if I already installed a sign without a permit?
If you already installed a sign without a permit, call us before the city does, because a sign installed before its permit is issued is subject to citation. We review the sign against the code and tell you what the city requires next, and a sign that cannot stand as built can be changed through sign repair or taken down through sign removal.
Are sign permit costs included in your sign service packages?
Sign permit costs are partly included: the city’s fees are separate, but every SignFreaks quote includes permit prep, submission, and management, and it lists each city fee as its own line. The same quote covers the build and the installation, so you see the whole cost in one place.
Who can apply for a sign permit in Chicago, a business or a contractor?
An on-premise business can apply for a sign permit in Chicago itself, and a contractor can apply for it too. Stamped drawings need an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer and a licensed general contractor listed, and electrical work needs a registered electrical contractor. We prepare the application and work with the licensed professionals the sign needs, then completes the installation.
Do window signs need a permit in Chicago?
Temporary window signs do not need a permit in Chicago when they are paper for up to 60 days or paint or film for any length of time. The total signage in one window must stay under 25% of the glass, and painted lettering under 2 inches tall does not count, which suits a restaurant or a salon.
Does a sign over the sidewalk need a different permit in Chicago?
A sign over the sidewalk needs a different permit in Chicago: any sign that extends over a sidewalk, parkway, street, or alley needs a Public Way Use permit and a City Council ordinance. The permit runs for five years, with yearly billing and a yearly insurance resubmission, and the same applies to awnings and canopies that overhang the public way.