Commercial Sign Permit in Florence, Arizona

Florence requires a commercial sign permit for: Building permit required for permanent signs (set on their own foundation, sunk into the ground, or permanently fastened to/painted on a structure, canopy, or awning); temporary signs do not require a building permit but must still comply with Town Code; Applied for on the Building Permit Application (Rev 9.11.25) with 'Sign' checked under the COMMERCIAL permit-type section; Sign permits are grouped under 'Commercial New Construction / Tenant Improvement' on the Town's Submittal Review Timelines chart, explicitly alongside plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire sprinkler, fire alarm, and hood system work; Signs within the Florence Townsite Historic District additionally require HDAC review: the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines explicitly list 'Construction or placement of signage in the Florence Townsite Historic District' as requiring a Design Review / Certificate of Appropriateness (COA), which is often a preliminary requirement to obtaining the building permit; Minor Work COAs (signage that does not alter the property's appearance/character in a way conflicting with the Guidelines) can be approved administratively by Town Planning Staff, sometimes within days; Major Work (new construction, extensive alteration) requires a full HDAC hearing (held monthly); Historic District sign design standards (Chapter 6): roof signs and freestanding pole signs are prohibited except for Town-erected historic markers; base sign size should not exceed 1 sq ft per lineal foot of street frontage; small LED signs (4 sq ft or less) are allowed only behind windows; neon is limited similarly unless historically documented as larger; all signs must still separately comply with the Florence Town Code's Sign Regulations; A Comprehensive Sign Plan (Administrative, $500) is available for multi-tenant/multi-sign commercial developments as an alternative to permitting each sign individually. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Florence Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 520-868-7575 before starting work.

In Florence, the published Commercial Sign — Building Permit Fee is: Based on Valuation (Table 1-A) plus 65% plan review fee — see Residential Building Permit fee table for the full valuation chart. Additional published fees: Comprehensive Sign Plan: Administrative — $500.00; Historic District Design Review: Administrative — $350.00; Historic District Design Review: Planning & Zoning (HDAC hearing) — $500.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Florence's published plan-review target for a commercial sign permit is 20–35 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Sign Plans / Construction Drawings; Owner Authorization Form / Owner Builder Affidavit. Depending on your project, Florence may also ask for: Historic District Design Review Application / Certificate of Appropriateness. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Florence requires 1 inspection(s) for a commercial sign permit, in order: Final Sign Inspection. Schedule each through Town of Florence Community Development Department — Building Safety Division (520-868-7575).

Apply through Town of Florence Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 224 W 20th Street, P.O. Box 2670, Florence, AZ 85132. Phone: 520-868-7575, email: TOFPermits@FlorenceAZ.gov. Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; closed Fridays (Town of Florence transitioned to a four-day workweek effective January 5, 2026). Inspection Line: 520-868-7601. Residential submittals go through the online Residential Permitting Portal (SmartGov, twn-florence-az.smartgovcommunity.com); commercial submittals are emailed to TOFPermits@FlorenceAZ.gov; in-person submittals accepted (no rolled plans; 1-sided 8.5x11 paper only). Building Official: Kevin Wall (520-868-7556, kevin.wall@florenceaz.gov). Permit Specialist: Susan Cisco (520-868-7665, susan.cisco@florenceaz.gov). Plans Examiner: Hillarey Luther (520-868-7540). Community Development Director: Albert 'AJ' Monroe (520-868-7542).. Official information: https://www.florenceaz.gov/community-development/.

Yes for any permanent sign (wall, monument, projecting, suspended, or awning/canopy) — apply on the Building Permit Application with 'Sign' checked under Commercial. Temporary signs don't need a building permit but must still follow Town Code.

Yes. The Florence Townsite Historic District requires a Certificate of Appropriateness/Design Review from the Historic District Advisory Commission for any sign construction or placement, on top of the standard building permit. Minor Work signage can often be approved administratively by Town Staff within days; Major Work needs a monthly HDAC hearing.