Sign Permit (Permanent and Temporary) in Federal Heights, Colorado

Federal Heights requires a sign permit (permanent and temporary) for: It is unlawful to construct, erect, or maintain a permanent sign without first obtaining a building permit from the City (Sec. 70-603(c)(1)); The sign permit application must include, unless waived by the city manager: a scaled elevation of the proposed sign showing its message; sign area, color scheme, and construction materials; a plot plan showing the sign's location (plus building outline for wall-mounted signs); and, for replacements, a photo of the existing sign with its dimensions alongside the new sign's area (Sec. 70-603(c)(2)); Illuminated or electrical signs require a separate electrical permit from the State of Colorado (DORA) before the City will approve the building permit; proof of the state permit and compliance documentation must be submitted to the City's building department first (Sec. 70-603(b)) — consistent with Federal Heights' fully state-administered electrical posture documented elsewhere in this file; Dimensional standards (maximum number, area, and height) vary by sign type (wall, ground/pole/monument, multi-tenant, drive-through) and by zone district under Sec. 70-604 — e.g., in the C-1/I-1/P-1 districts wall-sign area scales from 30 to 100 sq ft by building-face frontage, pole signs up to 100 sq ft/20 ft height, and monument signs up to 130 sq ft/10 ft height, both scaled by building footprint; residential districts are limited to small home-occupation signage (4 sq ft, 5 ft height); Electronic message displays are allowed only in the C-1, I-1, commercial PUD, and P-1 zone districts, limited to static/dissolve/fade transitions with a minimum 3-second display time per message (Sec. 70-605); Temporary signs (cold air balloons, construction-project identification, fence signs, flag poles/banners, grand-opening/store-closing banners, portable/sandwich-board signs, extra-large C-1 lawn signs, etc.) are governed by Sec. 70-606, each with its own duration, size, quantity, and setback limits by zone district; cold-air balloons and extra-large C-1 lawn signs specifically require a separate Temporary Use Permit; No building permit fee is charged for a change of copy on a sign with an identical-size panel, or for repainting, cleaning, or routine maintenance/repair of a previously-permitted sign whose structure is not altered (Sec. 70-603(c)(4)-(5)); A permanent sign may not be moved to another location or structurally/textually altered without a new city-issued permit (Sec. 70-603(m)); Signs may not be placed in the City's right-of-way and will be removed if found in violation of the sign code. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Federal Heights Building Department at 303-412-3526 before starting work.

In Federal Heights, the published Building Permit Fee (valuation-based, general schedule — no distinct sign-specific fee line item is published) is: $23.50 minimum, scaling per the valuation tiers in the City's Building Fees schedule. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of Building Permit Fee; Temporary Use Permit — $100.00; Building Use Tax — 4% of estimated materials cost (~2% of total valuation). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Federal Heights does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Federal Heights Building Department at 303-412-3526 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application (filed as a Building Permit Application, sign scope); Plot Plan and Scaled Elevation Drawing. Depending on your project, Federal Heights may also ask for: Proof of Colorado State Electrical Permit (DORA); Photo and Dimensions of Existing Sign; Temporary Use Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Federal Heights requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit (permanent and temporary), in order: Final Inspection (sign). Schedule each through City of Federal Heights Building Department (303-412-3526).

Apply through City of Federal Heights Building Department at 2380 W. 90th Ave., Federal Heights, CO 80260. Phone: 303-412-3526, email: building@fedheights.org. Office hours: 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, excluding holidays (closed Mondays). After-hours non-emergency line: 303-428-8833. Fax: 303-412-3598. Key staff: Director Tim Williams (303-412-3558); Building Official Drew Leckman (303-412-3562); Permit Technician Karen Jackson (303-412-3527, also the inspection-scheduling line at 303-412-3534).. Official information: https://www.fedheights.org/building.

Yes. Municipal Code Sec. 70-603(c)(1) makes it unlawful to construct, erect, or maintain any permanent sign without first obtaining a building permit from the City, with an application that includes a scaled elevation, sign area/color/materials, and a plot plan.

Yes. Because Federal Heights' electrical permitting is entirely administered by the State of Colorado (DORA), an illuminated or electrical sign requires its own state electrical permit, and proof of that permit must be submitted to the City's building department before the sign's building permit can be approved (Sec. 70-603(b)).