How big can my business sign be in Sterling Heights?

Two main budgets apply in the commercial, office, and industrial districts. A freestanding sign must be monument style (brick or stone base, no exposed poles), capped at 15 feet of height and 1 square foot per 2 linear feet of street frontage, up to 150 square feet; one sign per development, or one per frontage on 86 foot thoroughfares if the signs are 500 feet apart (Section 28.13.K.D). It must sit at least 12 feet from the right-of-way and 100 feet from any single or two family district (Section 28.13.K.D.10-11).

Wall signage may total up to 10 percent of your structure frontage area, never more than 200 square feet, and each tenant may add a 6 square foot identification sign (Section 28.13.K.N). Window signs may cover 25 percent of the glass on a facade, up to 150 square feet (Section 28.13.K.O).

An electronic message board may occupy up to one-third of a freestanding sign with a 10 second minimum hold and brightness limits (Section 28.13.H.6). Prohibited: billboards, roof signs, projecting signs, flashing signs, festoon lighting, and stationary portable signs (Section 28.13.G, K.B). Temporary signs need city registration first (Section 28.13.L.13).