Code Comfort: “Call Before You Dig” Is Sage Advice A major challenge for sign Sign regulations and requirements vary, not only by state, but also by city. What do you need to know to navigate through the system? By Richard Romano producers—in particular, those that serve clients in different communities—is that each municipality will have its own unique sign codes. Some are stricter than others, some are more antiquated than others, and some regulate more than just the “usual” aspects of signage. Municipalities can require a permit before someone installs a sign, and some communities even require that a sign installer be licensed, and only the owner of a licensed sign installer can apply for a permit to When measuring the brightness of a digital sign or electronic message center (EMC), begin by determining its the square footage, but do not include any static signage associated with the EMC. Source: A Summary Report on EMC Brightness Levels, ISA. install a sign. Know the rules in your area! So, what are those “usual” aspects that are regulated? There are a few common denominators. Primary among them is size, usually expressed as some percentage of the square footage of the window or wall on which it is installed. Where this usually becomes an issue is with temporary signage. “Every local sign code has provisions regulating temporary signs: how big they can be, how long they can be up, and things like that,” said David Hickey, VP of government relations for the International Sign Association (ISA). “What we find is that local officials don’t really care for temporary signs. They want them to be smaller, and some kinds of temporary signs are banned altogether.” Temporary signs can be large window banners that advertise, for example, “Giant Warehouse Sale” or other types of graphics that promote short-term items. Most sign codes exist to preserve the aesthetics of a community. “When it comes to temporary signs, local officials say it’s about sign clutter,” said Hickey. “They also say it’s distracting to drivers.” Other items that can be regulated are colors and even fonts. Although the vast majority of sign codes are at the municipal level, other layers of the governmental onion can be involved, as well. “Where I am, the city of Pittsburgh will have their sign codes,” said Rick Hartwig, EHS Specialist, Government and Business Information, for SGIA. “And then the county—Allegheny County—will have their sign codes.” States can chime in with sign regulations, and so can the federal government, usually where interstate highways are concerned. For most sign shops, however, virtually all the code action will be at the local level. But even that can get granular. Take Chicago. “Sign codes are pretty consistent as to the square Every spring and summer, the local news inevitably features the story about a homeowner who began an outdoor construction project and inadvertently hit a gas line and caused an outage at best, or an explosion at worst. As a result, gas companies always recommend “call before you dig” to find out where the gas mains specifically are and avoid a potential catastrophe. Similar advice is applicable to anyone seeking to get involved in the production of signage. States, counties, and municipalities all have their own rules and regulations regarding signage, and failure to comply with those sign codes can mean big bucks—think of fees on the order of $100 per day that a non-compliant sign is up—for you or for your client. On top of the fees, your professional reputation could take a hit. If you’re a sign owner, you also have the additional expense of having the sign reprinted. Inside vs. Outside If you are solely producing indoor signage, you have far less to worry about than if you are producing outdoor signage. Aside from things like the Americans with Disabilities Act, OSHA rules, or regulation of flammable materials, you don’t have too many codes to worry about. Once you step outside—or create signage that can be seen outside, such as on a window—you’ll have to navigate the often byzantine world of sign codes. An illuminance meter mounted on a tripod at the appropriate distance can determine whether a digital sign complies with brightness regulations or best practices. Source: A Summary Report on EMC Brightness Levels, ISA. 44 Wide-Format Imaging | April 2015 MyPRINTResource.com
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