Monument Signs
Freestanding signs in Plano's overlay districts, including the Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road overlays, carry added requirements, so campus and center monuments are designed to the overlay from the start.
Explore monument signsPlano, Texas · Commercial signs
Commercial Signs for Plano Campuses, Corridors and Storefronts
Plano writes separate rules for freestanding signs along its major corridors, from the Dallas North Tollway to Preston Road. We design monument, building, storefront and lobby signs for Plano businesses around those rules, then handle the permit, the inspections, fabrication and installation.
Can Signs Express handle sign permits in Plano?
Yes. Signs Express designs, permits, fabricates and installs commercial signs for Plano businesses. Plano's permanent sign rules are in Article 22 of its Zoning Ordinance, with added requirements for freestanding signs in overlay districts along corridors such as the Dallas North Tollway, SH 121 and Preston Road. We research the address, prepare the drawings and submit to Building Inspections.
Commercial Plano
Plano: corporate campuses, tollway frontage and a historic downtown.
West Plano is shaped by the Dallas North Tollway and the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121), where the Legacy business district holds corporate headquarters, office buildings and the shops and restaurants of Legacy West. US-75 and the President George Bush Turnpike carry a second band of offices and retail across the city.
Preston Road and Park Boulevard are lined with retail centers, and Downtown Plano around 15th Street keeps a walkable historic core beside its DART station.
In Plano, the location sets the brief. A corporate campus wants a restrained monument sign and lobby signs that follow its brand standard. A Preston Road retail tenant needs lit letters that compete at arterial speed. A downtown storefront has to suit an older, walkable street.
Sign types
What Plano businesses ask us for.
Permits
Sign permits in Plano
Plano's Building Inspections Department issues sign permits and publishes a sign permit application, sign and flagpole permit requirements and a sign inspection procedure on the city's Signs page.
Permanent sign rules are in Article 22 (Signs) of the Plano Zoning Ordinance. It requires a permit from the Building Official to erect, replace, alter or relocate a sign, the property owner's consent, and a Certificate of Occupancy obtained or in process before a sign permit is issued.
Article 22 adds requirements for freestanding signs in overlay districts and includes a Downtown Sign District. The city publishes documents for the 190 Tollway/Plano Parkway, Dallas North Tollway, Expressway Corridor, Parkway, Preston Road and State Highway 121 overlay districts.
The city's sign inspection procedure calls for a pre-installation inspection of freestanding signs, with the sign's leading edge staked out, and requires electric signs to be listed.
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 Plano: Signs (Building Inspections)
- City of Plano: Zoning Ordinance (sign rules in Article 22)
- City of Plano: Sign Inspection Procedure (PDF)
- City of Plano: Sign and Flagpole Permit Requirements (PDF)
Sources reviewed 2026-09
How our permitting service works
From the portfolio
Work from across Dallas Fort Worth.
A selection of Signs Express installations. Project locations are listed on each project page once confirmed.
Nearby
Nearby service areas
Richardson
The Telecom Corridor, CityLine and Richardson's retail streets ask different things of a sign.
Frisco
Much of Frisco's commercial space is new, and new developments come with sign coordination plans, tenant criteria and a sign ordinance the city updated in 2022.
Carrollton
Carrollton is home.
Free project review
Planning a sign in Plano?
Share the address of your Plano site. We will check whether it sits in a sign overlay or the Downtown Sign District before a single letter is drawn.
- 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 Plano: common questions.
Something else on your mind? Call (469) 901-3108 or send the details through the quote form.
What is a sign overlay district in Plano?
It is a corridor where Plano applies added requirements to freestanding signs on top of the base rules in Article 22. The city publishes overlay documents for the 190 Tollway/Plano Parkway, Dallas North Tollway, Expressway Corridor, Parkway, Preston Road and State Highway 121 corridors. If your site is in one, the monument sign is designed to that overlay.
Do I need a Certificate of Occupancy before a sign permit in Plano?
Article 22 says a business must obtain, or be in the process of obtaining, a Certificate of Occupancy before any sign permit is issued, and the business name must match the sign. For a new location, start the CO early so the sign is not left waiting.
Does Plano inspect signs after they are installed?
Yes, and sometimes before. Plano's sign inspection procedure says all signs erected in the city are inspected by Building Inspections. Freestanding signs get a pre-installation inspection with the leading edge staked out, and electric signs must be listed. The permit holder requests the inspections, so we schedule them and meet the inspector.
What drawings does Plano need for a sign permit?
Article 22 calls for scaled plans in duplicate: a drawing of the sign and its copy, a building elevation showing the proposed sign and any other signs on that elevation, and a site plan showing street frontage, property lines, visibility triangles and the sign location. We prepare the full set from the site survey.
Does the property owner have to approve a sign in Plano?
Yes. Article 22 does not allow a sign to be erected without the consent of the property owner or their authorized representative. In a leased center or office building, the landlord's sign criteria usually apply as well.
Can you make a lobby sign for our Plano headquarters?
Yes. We design and build dimensional and halo-lit lobby signs to match your exterior identification and brand standard, then install them on site, coordinating the timing with building management and any tenant finish-out.
Start with the space. End with a landmark.
Your next landmark starts here.
Tell us about your Plano property and what you need people to see. We will handle the survey, approvals, fabrication and installation.