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Sign Permit — Town of Palisade Planning Clearance (+ Mesa County Permit if Valuation-Triggered) in Palisade, Colorado

Town of Palisade Land Development Code (LDC, July 2023 Revision) Section 4.10 requires a sign permit before any sign — including permanent, temporary, portable, and sandwich signs — is erected, located, or altered, plus a building permit 'if necessary.' The Town's own 'Planning Clearance: Signs' application form (flat $10.00 fee per sign type) is the practical implementation of this LDC-mandated Sign Permit. Design standards are set by LDC Section 10.10 (Signs). Separately, the Mesa County Building Department Fee Schedule lists a 'Signs Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Permit Fee' (Fee #10, Table 2, actual labor-and-material valuation) for the underlying building/electrical permit on a sign.

Verified 2026-08-14 · Source

When you need this permit

  • 'No sign, including permanent, temporary, portable and sandwich signs, may be erected, located or altered in any manner until a sign permit, and building permit if necessary, has been secured from the Community Development Director. Change of copy on a legally constructed sign shall not require a permit.' Source: Town of Palisade LDC (July 2023 Revision), Section 4.10.A, verified live 2026-08-14.
  • Town of Palisade 'Planning Clearance: Signs' application (Comm Dev_3.1) submitted to the Community Development Department; flat $10.00 fee per sign category: Wall Sign, Projecting Sign, Pole Sign, Monument Sign, Ground Sign, and Awning/Marquee/Canopy/Hanging Sign each billed separately at $10.00. Source: Town of Palisade 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: SIGNS' application form, verified live 2026-08-14.
  • Required documentation: a scaled aerial Site Plan showing the sign's location, roads, property boundary, setbacks, and dimensions; and a Diagram of the sign showing all dimensions (area, height, width, length). Required information fields: property zoning and height of proposed structure(s). Source: same Town application form.
  • Dimensional/design standards per LDC Section 10.10.B-C: total on-premises sign area for a property may not exceed 1.5 times street frontage length (10% bonus if no freestanding sign other than a monument sign is proposed). Wall/Fascia sign: max 25% of wall area, no more than 12" projection from the wall (or 8' minimum clearance if projection exceeds 6"). Pole sign: max 20' height, max 0.15 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage, sign-width-to-support-width ratio greater than 4:1. Monument sign: max 8' height, max 0.20 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage, ratio less than 4:1. Ground sign: max 4' height, max 0.5 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage. Awning/Marquee/Canopy sign: max 75% of the awning/marquee face, max 6 sq ft if hanging. Projecting sign: max 10 sq ft, one per business, minimum 8' ground clearance/max 15' height, no closer than 3' to the curb line.
  • Freestanding signs are limited to one per lot unless a Signage Plan is approved by the Community Development Director for a property with more than one street frontage; freestanding signs require landscaping (shrubs/flowers/ground cover at least 18" high, planting bed area equal to 1/2 the sign area) around the base, per LDC Section 10.10.B (per the Town's Sign Info Sheet handout).
  • Electronic signs are permitted only as free-standing signage (not in the TC Town Center zone district); messages may not change more than once every 4 seconds, and no video/animation/in-motion display or intensity-changing display is allowed, per LDC Section 10.10.E.11-12.
  • Exempt from the sign permit requirement, per LDC Section 10.10.D: historic signs (50+ years old or particularly unique), signs placed by a government entity on public property/right-of-way, murals (approvable as a conditional use), window signs (no more than 5 per business, no more than 30% of any window), and up to one easel/A-frame sign per business (max 6 sq ft per face, must not block sidewalk ramps/reduce passage below 48", max 3' height, not within 10' of a fire hydrant, removed at close of business).
  • Prohibited signs, per LDC Section 10.10.E: roof signs projecting more than 12" above the roofline; nongovernmental signs on public property/right-of-way; signs affixed to trees, shrubbery, or utility poles; portable signs (except seasonal agricultural-product signs in the AFT district); windblown signs/banners/pennants/balloons (except at temporary events); and interactive signs.
  • A Common Signage Plan is required for all multi-use developments, filed using the same sign permit form, addressing colors (max 4 including white), letter/graphics style, sign locations, materials, dimensions, and a limit of one freestanding sign per street frontage, per LDC Section 10.10.F.
  • Once issued, sign installation must be completed within six (6) months or the permit becomes null and void if the signs are not in conformance with the approved application, per LDC Section 4.10.F.2.
  • Mesa County Building Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A) separately lists Fee #10, 'Signs Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Permit Fee,' billed per Table 2 on the sign's actual labor-and-material valuation — confirm directly with Mesa County Building Department (970-244-1631) whether a specific sign's construction or electrical scope also requires a county permit in addition to the Town's Sign Permit; this was not separately confirmed to apply in every case in this research pass.

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Town of Palisade Sign Planning Clearance fee — Wall, Projecting, Pole, Monument, or Ground Sign, or Awning/Marquee/Canopy/Hanging Sign (each category)Town of Palisade 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: SIGNS' application form, verified live 2026-08-14; excludes any additional legal/engineering review, mailing, or recording costs; may also incur a Business License fee ($10/day or $50/calendar year) if applicable
$10.00 flat fee per sign category
Mesa County Signs Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Permit FeeMesa County Building Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A), Table 1A Fee #10, footnote (1) 'Total Valuation is the actual cost of project labor and materials' — independently verified by direct visual (PNG-rendered) inspection of the fee table this pass, 2026-08-14, given the risk of column misalignment in a plain-text extraction of this 2-column PDF table
Table 2, valuation-based on actual labor-and-material cost (e.g., $50.00 minimum up to $1,200 valuation, scaling per Table 2's tiers)

Review timeline

Plan reviewPalisade’s published plan-review target
0–30 business days

How long did your Sign Permit — Town of Palisade Planning Clearance (+ Mesa County Permit if Valuation-Triggered) permit actually take in Palisade?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    See the full Palisade inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

    Tips

    • The Town's 30-day review clock (LDC Section 4.10.C.2) only starts once the application is COMPLETE — submit a fully documented application (site plan plus sign diagram with all dimensions) to start the clock and get the fastest possible turnaround.
    • The Town's Sign Permit fee is a flat $10.00 per sign category regardless of size or value, but Mesa County separately charges a valuation-based fee (Fee #10, billed on actual labor/material cost) if the sign's construction or electrical scope also requires a county building/electrical permit — confirm with Mesa County Building (970-244-1631) before budgeting.
    • Check the LDC Section 10.10.D exemptions list before applying — small window signs, a single easel/A-frame sign per business, murals, historic signs, and government signs may not need a Town Sign Permit at all.
    • Illuminated wall signs are not allowed in any residential zoning district, per LDC Section 10.10.B.1 (Wall/Fascia Sign Requirements, Location); electronic signs are allowed only as freestanding signage and are barred entirely from the TC (Town Center) zone district.
    • Once issued, sign installation must be completed within six (6) months, or the permit becomes null and void.

    Frequently asked questions

    Palisade requires a sign permit — town of palisade planning clearance (+ mesa county permit if valuation-triggered) for: 'No sign, including permanent, temporary, portable and sandwich signs, may be erected, located or altered in any manner until a sign permit, and building permit if necessary, has been secured from the Community Development Director. Change of copy on a legally constructed sign shall not require a permit.' Source: Town of Palisade LDC (July 2023 Revision), Section 4.10.A, verified live 2026-08-14.; Town of Palisade 'Planning Clearance: Signs' application (Comm Dev_3.1) submitted to the Community Development Department; flat $10.00 fee per sign category: Wall Sign, Projecting Sign, Pole Sign, Monument Sign, Ground Sign, and Awning/Marquee/Canopy/Hanging Sign each billed separately at $10.00. Source: Town of Palisade 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: SIGNS' application form, verified live 2026-08-14.; Required documentation: a scaled aerial Site Plan showing the sign's location, roads, property boundary, setbacks, and dimensions; and a Diagram of the sign showing all dimensions (area, height, width, length). Required information fields: property zoning and height of proposed structure(s). Source: same Town application form.; Dimensional/design standards per LDC Section 10.10.B-C: total on-premises sign area for a property may not exceed 1.5 times street frontage length (10% bonus if no freestanding sign other than a monument sign is proposed). Wall/Fascia sign: max 25% of wall area, no more than 12" projection from the wall (or 8' minimum clearance if projection exceeds 6"). Pole sign: max 20' height, max 0.15 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage, sign-width-to-support-width ratio greater than 4:1. Monument sign: max 8' height, max 0.20 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage, ratio less than 4:1. Ground sign: max 4' height, max 0.5 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage. Awning/Marquee/Canopy sign: max 75% of the awning/marquee face, max 6 sq ft if hanging. Projecting sign: max 10 sq ft, one per business, minimum 8' ground clearance/max 15' height, no closer than 3' to the curb line.; Freestanding signs are limited to one per lot unless a Signage Plan is approved by the Community Development Director for a property with more than one street frontage; freestanding signs require landscaping (shrubs/flowers/ground cover at least 18" high, planting bed area equal to 1/2 the sign area) around the base, per LDC Section 10.10.B (per the Town's Sign Info Sheet handout).; Electronic signs are permitted only as free-standing signage (not in the TC Town Center zone district); messages may not change more than once every 4 seconds, and no video/animation/in-motion display or intensity-changing display is allowed, per LDC Section 10.10.E.11-12.; Exempt from the sign permit requirement, per LDC Section 10.10.D: historic signs (50+ years old or particularly unique), signs placed by a government entity on public property/right-of-way, murals (approvable as a conditional use), window signs (no more than 5 per business, no more than 30% of any window), and up to one easel/A-frame sign per business (max 6 sq ft per face, must not block sidewalk ramps/reduce passage below 48", max 3' height, not within 10' of a fire hydrant, removed at close of business).; Prohibited signs, per LDC Section 10.10.E: roof signs projecting more than 12" above the roofline; nongovernmental signs on public property/right-of-way; signs affixed to trees, shrubbery, or utility poles; portable signs (except seasonal agricultural-product signs in the AFT district); windblown signs/banners/pennants/balloons (except at temporary events); and interactive signs.; A Common Signage Plan is required for all multi-use developments, filed using the same sign permit form, addressing colors (max 4 including white), letter/graphics style, sign locations, materials, dimensions, and a limit of one freestanding sign per street frontage, per LDC Section 10.10.F.; Once issued, sign installation must be completed within six (6) months or the permit becomes null and void if the signs are not in conformance with the approved application, per LDC Section 4.10.F.2.; Mesa County Building Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A) separately lists Fee #10, 'Signs Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Permit Fee,' billed per Table 2 on the sign's actual labor-and-material valuation — confirm directly with Mesa County Building Department (970-244-1631) whether a specific sign's construction or electrical scope also requires a county permit in addition to the Town's Sign Permit; this was not separately confirmed to apply in every case in this research pass.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Palisade Community Development Department (Planning Clearance — Step 1) + Mesa County Building Department (Building Permit — Step 2) at Town of Palisade Community Development: (970) 464-5602. Mesa County Building Department: (970) 244-1631 before starting work.

    The Town of Palisade charges a flat $10.00 fee per sign category (wall, projecting, pole, monument, ground, or awning/marquee/canopy/hanging). If the sign's construction or electrical scope also requires a Mesa County building/electrical permit, Mesa County separately charges its own valuation-based 'Signs Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Permit Fee' (Fee #10) on top of the Town's flat fee.

    Per LDC Section 4.10.C.2, the Community Development Director has up to thirty (30) days to review a complete sign permit application and either approve it or refer it to the Planning Commission.

    You'll need: Town of Palisade Planning Clearance: Signs application; Site Plan; Sign Diagram. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Town of Palisade Community Development Department (Planning Clearance — Step 1) + Mesa County Building Department (Building Permit — Step 2) at Town of Palisade Community Development: 175 East 3rd Street, P.O. Box 128, Palisade, CO 81526. Mesa County Building Department: 200 S. Spruce Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501 (mailing: PO Box 20,000-5005, Grand Junction, CO 81502-5001). Phone: Town of Palisade Community Development: (970) 464-5602. Mesa County Building Department: (970) 244-1631, email: planning@townofpalisade.org (Town Planning Clearance); mccomdev@mesacounty.us (Mesa County Building Department). Office hours: Town of Palisade: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mesa County Building Department: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; permit issuance after 4:30 p.m. is on a limited basis (Source: Mesa County Building Department Fees page).. Official information: https://palisade.colorado.gov/departments/community-development-planning (Town Planning Clearance); https://www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/community-development/building (Mesa County Building Department, actual permit issuer).

    Palisade, Colorado has adopted: AUTHORITY MODEL NOTE: Colorado has no statewide building code (home-rule state); each city or county adopts and amends its own. Colorado does set a statutory statewide energy-code floor via HB22-1362 (requiring jurisdictions that adopt a building code to also adopt the most current or immediately preceding edition of the IECC on a rolling basis) and separate ADU-related state statutes (e.g., HB24-1152). The Town of Palisade has NOT adopted its own separate building code — it relies on Mesa County's adopted code cycle for all building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permitting, per Mesa County's own department description ('supplies permits, and current codes for building projects in ... the towns of De Beque, Collbran, Palisade, and the City of Grand Junction').; Mesa County Building Department began enforcement of a new adopted-code cycle effective September 1, 2025 (per Mesa County Ordinance adopting and amending Building Codes, in compliance with HB21-1110). Source: Mesa County Adopted Codes and Regulations page. This is the same code cycle documented in this corpus's grand-junction.json (same issuing department).; 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025, applies within Palisade town limits; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Mesa County adopted code; enforcement began September 1, 2025 'in compliance with House Bill 22-1362'; Colorado Plumbing and Fuel Gas Code, 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — all state/county-adopted per Mesa County's Adopted Codes page, applying identically within Palisade town limits; Town of Palisade Land Development Code (LDC), most recently the July 2023 Revision — this is a ZONING/LAND-USE code, not a building code; it governs the Town's own Planning Clearance process (Section 4.08) and does not itself set building-code technical standards. Local amendments apply — see the Palisade overview page for the full list.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-14.

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Palisade building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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