Sign Permit Drawings

Nearly every permanent exterior sign in British Columbia needs a municipal permit, and if the premises are leased it needs landlord approval as well. Both want a drawing package that answers specific questions: how big, how high, how bright, how fixed, and how it complies with the applicable bylaw.

We prepare that package as a standard part of our projects, and we also prepare it as a standalone service for businesses and sign companies who need drawings for signage they are handling themselves.

What a submission set includes

Scaled elevation drawings with all dimensions and copy heights
Site plan showing sign location, setbacks and property lines
Construction detail: materials, return depths, fixing method and substrate
Electrical specification and illumination levels where applicable
Bylaw compliance summary — sign area, height and coverage against permitted maximums
Structural detail, and sealed engineering where the municipality requires it
Photographic context and a colour rendering of the completed sign

How the process runs

We check the zoning and sign bylaw for the specific property address.
Site survey capturing dimensions, substrate, existing signage and context photographs.
Drawings produced and the compliance summary prepared.
You review and approve; landlord approval is obtained where the lease requires it.
We submit to the municipality and track the application.
Any reviewer comments are addressed and resubmitted until the permit issues.

At a glance

Deliverable: Full municipal submission set
Includes: Elevations, site plan, details, compliance
Engineering: BC-registered, coordinated as required
Submission: Filed and tracked on your behalf

Get a price for Sign Permit Drawings

Send dimensions and artwork and we will come back with an itemised quotation.

Request a Quote (778) 681 3979

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Why it works

Benefits of sign permit drawings

Bylaw checked before you build

We confirm what your specific address actually permits, so the design starts inside the rules instead of being cut back later.

Fewer rounds of revision

Complete first submissions with the detail reviewers expect avoid the back-and-forth that adds weeks to a timeline.

We deal with the municipality

Submission, tracking and reviewer correspondence are handled for you rather than landing on your desk.

Available as a standalone service

We prepare permit sets for signage we are not manufacturing, including for other sign companies.

Gallery

Sign Permit Drawings — recent work

FAQ

Common questions

If your question is not answered here, get in touch — we are happy to talk through the detail.

It varies substantially by municipality. Straightforward wall signage in a smaller municipality can issue in two to four weeks. Larger cities, freestanding signs, or anything requiring a development permit or variance more commonly run eight to sixteen weeks. We will give you a realistic estimate for your specific jurisdiction up front.

There are usually options. Often the design can be adjusted to comply without losing its impact. Where it genuinely cannot, a variance application is possible — that adds time and cost and is not guaranteed, so we will always tell you plainly whether it is worth pursuing.

Usually not, provided coverage stays under the threshold in the local bylaw — often somewhere between 25% and 50% of the glazed area. This is exactly why window graphics are such a useful interim measure while a permanent sign is in permitting.

Yes. Permit drawing preparation is offered as a standalone service. We will need accurate dimensions, construction details and site photographs — or we can carry out the survey ourselves.

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