Phoenix wall sign size limits: area, height, roofline and window signs

Last checked: October 2026. Part of our Phoenix sign rules guide. Every statement below is quoted or summarized from a saved official city source; the numbered markers open the Sources list at the bottom.

Confirm with the city before you build or bid. This page is a plain-English summary for planning only. It is not legal advice and not the official code. The City Clerk's Office has the official version of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance [1]. Planning & Development Sign Section: 602-495-0301, pdd.signservices@phoenix.gov [2]. If anything here disagrees with the code or city staff, the city is right.

Wall sign area

Rule	Requirement	Source
Area	1 sq ft per linear foot, per elevation; minimum 50 sq ft, maximum 500 sq ft	Table D-1 [1]
Minimum for every frontage	Every property or use with frontage is entitled to a wall sign of the minimum size in Table D-1	§705.D.3.d(2) [1]
Number	no limit on the number of wall signs on a facade, as long as the permitted wall sign area is not exceeded	§705.D.3.c [1]
Pedestrian signs	not counted as wall or window sign area; lettering no more than four inches high	§705.D.7 [1]

Wall sign height and roofline

Rule	Requirement	Source
Height	25 ft, or no closer to the roofline than one-half the vertical dimension of the sign	Table D-1 [1]
Above the roofline	design review is required, and no sign may break the silhouette of the building	§705.D.3.g [1]
Signs on or above the roof	unless otherwise provided, no sign on or through a roof or above the roofline	[1]
Painted wall signs	Painted wall signs require design review approval	§705.D.3.j [1]

Wall signs over 56 feet high (§705.D.3.i): [1]

area no more than 1% of the area of the elevation [1]
placed in the top 10% of the wall and no more than 80% of the width of the building face [1]
internally illuminated or backlit [1]
comprehensive sign plan approval required; limited to either identification of the building or one occupant per building (not different tenants on different facades of the building); two identification signs per building; requests for up to four may be considered under Section 506.B.3, based on one or more of the criteria listed in §705.D.3.i(4) (such as building identification for people reaching the site from arterials or freeways, or limited visibility caused by other buildings). [1]

Canopy, awning and projecting signs

Rule	Requirement	Source
Marquee, canopy and awning signs	treated as wall signs; lettering up to seven inches high on the edge of a canopy or awning hanging perpendicular to the ground is not counted; no part of a canopy or awning less than eight feet above the surface below; awning signs may be lit indirectly or internally	§705.D.6 [1]
Projecting signs	bottom at least eight feet above grade; no more than forty-eight inches thick if solid	§705.B.3.b [1]

Residential districts

District	Wall sign limits	Source
Multifamily and nonresidential in residential district	wall signs 15 ft high, 1 sq ft for each 4 linear ft (minimum 24, maximum 120)	Table D-1 [1]
Single-family residential	wall signs 15 ft high, 2 sq ft	Table D-1 [1]

Window signs

Rule	Requirement	Source
Window signs	aggregate area up to thirty percent of each ground-floor window area; panels separated by muntins or mullions count as one windowpane; not assessed as wall signs; not allowed on glass doors	§705.D.5 [1]
Glass doors	only pedestrian signs	[1]
Temporary window signs	Temporary window signs need no permit	§705.B.2.g [1]

Permit fee

Item	Details	Source
Wall-type sign permit	$98 per sign (wall, marquee, projecting, roof, painted wall, flag and gasoline pump, per complex, and window signs)	City Code App. A.2 Pt. 8, §81 [3]

Confirm with the City of Phoenix Sign Section (602-495-0301, pdd.signservices@phoenix.gov) before you fabricate or submit. [2] Codes and fees change. Last checked October 2026.

Section numbers (§) refer to the city's zoning ordinance unless noted. Each statement on this page is checked against a saved copy of an official city source, and where official sources disagree we show both. Spotted an error or an outdated fee? Report an error.

Phoenix wall sign size limits: area, height, roofline and window signs

Wall sign area

Wall sign height and roofline

Canopy, awning and projecting signs

Residential districts

Window signs

Permit fee

Sources (3)

Related pages

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