Storefront Signs
Shops and restaurants on the downtown square occupy older brick buildings, where a storefront sign has to suit the facade as much as the brand.
Explore storefront signsMcKinney, Texas · Commercial signs
Business Signs for McKinney, From the Downtown Square to US 380
McKinney pairs a historic downtown square with busy commercial corridors along US-75, US 380 and the Sam Rayburn Tollway. We design, permit, fabricate and install storefront, monument and building signs for McKinney businesses, following the sign rules in the city's Unified Development Code.
Does Signs Express make business signs in McKinney?
Yes. Signs Express designs, permits, fabricates and installs commercial signs for McKinney businesses, including storefront signs, channel letters, monument signs and building signs. McKinney's sign rules are in Article 4 of its Unified Development Code, and sign permits are submitted online through the city's Self Service (CSS) portal. We prepare the drawings, electrical details and engineering the city asks for.
Commercial McKinney
McKinney: a historic square and a growing highway edge.
Historic downtown McKinney centers on the old courthouse square, where independent shops, restaurants and offices fill older brick buildings. Signs there face a different brief from the rest of the city: the building is the landmark, and the sign has to respect it.
Beyond downtown, US-75, US 380 (University Drive) and the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) carry newer retail centers, restaurants, medical offices and business parks. Craig Ranch adds office, medical and mixed-use buildings along SH 121, and McKinney National Airport anchors aviation and industrial businesses in the southeast of the city.
Newer centers and business parks usually bring tenant criteria of their own, so a McKinney sign often answers to a landlord's standard as well as the city code.
Sign types
What McKinney businesses ask us for.
Permits
Sign permits in McKinney
McKinney's Building Inspections department handles sign permits, and the city's guidelines say all signs must be submitted online through the city's Self Service (CSS) portal.
Attached wall signs need a building elevation with the sign's placement, dimensions and area breakdown, plus an electrical detail. Detached monument and pole signs need a site plan with property lines and utility easements, sign details, an electrical detail and engineering for the pole, pier or foundation, and a form survey is required at the foundation inspection.
The guidelines also state that monument signs must be framed in masonry material that matches or complements the materials on the building.
Sign regulations are in Article 4 of the McKinney Unified Development Code (Chapter 150 of the Code of Ordinances), and the city publishes a sign variance application.
Requirements depend on the sign, the site and its zoning. We confirm the current rules for your address before design and handle the application for you.
- City of McKinney: Building Inspections
- City of McKinney: Sign Permit Submittal Guidelines (PDF)
- McKinney Unified Development Code, Chapter 150, Article 4 Signs (PDF)
Sources reviewed 2026-09
How our permitting service worksFrom the portfolio
Work from across Dallas Fort Worth.
A selection of Signs Express installations. Project locations are listed on each project page once confirmed.
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Nearby service areas
Free project review
Planning a sign in McKinney?
Send the address and a photo. Downtown storefront or highway monument, we will check the requirements for the site and recommend a sign built for it.
- A photo of the building or site, even from a phone
- Your logo or brand files, if you have them
- The city where the sign will be installed
- Landlord sign criteria, if the space is leased
Straight answers
Signs in McKinney: common questions.
Something else on your mind? Call (469) 901-3108 or send the details through the quote form.
What materials does a McKinney monument sign need?
McKinney's sign permit guidelines state that monument signs must be framed in masonry material that matches or complements the materials on the building. We design the base and frame around the building's brick or stone, so the sign reads as part of the site.
How do I apply for a sign permit in McKinney?
Online. McKinney requires sign permits to be submitted through its Self Service (CSS) portal, with the drawings for the sign type attached. We prepare the elevation or site plan, sign details, electrical detail and any engineering, and submit on your behalf.
Does a pole or monument sign in McKinney need engineering?
Yes. The city's guidelines list engineering for the sign pole, pier or foundation among the requirements for detached signs, and a form survey is required at the foundation inspection. We coordinate the sealed engineering and plan the foundation work around that inspection.
Can I put a sign on an older building downtown?
Usually, but older buildings deserve extra care. We look at the facade, the mounting surface and how power reaches the sign, then confirm the rules that apply to the property before design. Fastening into older brick is planned so the building is not damaged.
Can I get a variance for a sign in McKinney?
The city publishes a sign variance application for signs that cannot meet the code as written. It is a separate review and approval is never assured, so we look first for a design that works within Article 4.
Do you install signs in newer McKinney developments?
Yes. Newer centers and office developments along SH 121 and US 380 usually have tenant sign criteria of their own. We design to those criteria, secure landlord approval and then submit to the city.
Start with the space. End with a landmark.
Your next landmark starts here.
Tell us about your McKinney property and what you need people to see. We will handle the survey, approvals, fabrication and installation.