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Sign Permit in Boulder City, Nevada

Required for installation of business/commercial signage in Boulder City, reviewed against the 2018 International Building Code and 2017 National Electrical Code (both with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments) and Title 11 (Zoning and Subdivisions). Noncommercial signs, such as political signs, are exempt. There is no dedicated sign permit fee table — the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee (Table A) governs, per the same Section 110.2(D) rule used for other permit types without their own fee table (e.g. re-roofing).

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Sign Permit required for installation of business/commercial signage; noncommercial messages (e.g. political signs) do not require a permit
  • Plans must comply with the 2018 IBC and 2017 NEC with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments, and Title 11, Zoning and Subdivisions
  • A contractor — not an owner/builder — must pull the permit for installation of a sign on commercial property; Nevada state law does not allow owner/builder permits for commercial properties Owner-builder
  • Dimensioned site plan required showing sign location(s), all property lines, and (for freestanding signs) all setbacks; aerial photos are not accepted in lieu of a scaled site plan
  • Sign design documentation required: dimensions and square footage, sign type (channel letters, cabinet, pylon, wall-mounted, freestanding, etc.), elevations with wall dimensions and tenant lease-space width, method of attachment, and whether the sign is illuminated
  • If illuminated: an electrical plan is required indicating power-supply size/location and the disconnect-switch location
  • If freestanding: structural calculations are required indicating footing sizes/locations and, if applicable, arch size/type
  • A non-refundable plan review deposit equal to the full plan review fee is required and must be paid before staff will review any plans/documents
  • All documents must be digitally stamped/signed and emailed to buildingpermits@bcnv.org (20MB per-email limit)
  • Signs within the Boulder City Historic District may require delay for Historic Preservation Committee review per Title 11, Chapter 27 of the City Code

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Table A, valuation-based (general schedule; no dedicated sign permit fee table published)2026 Building and Safety Division Administrative Code, Section 111, Table A — the governing fee schedule for permit types without their own dedicated fee table, per Section 110.2(D); confirmed by the Sign Permit Application form's fee-breakdown section, which lists a blank 'Sign Permit' fee line under the BLDPER code category with no separate numeric sign-fee schedule found in the 2020 Fee Schedule flyer or the 2026 Administrative Code's Table A-J listing
$27.00 minimum ($1-$500), scaling per Table A of the 2026 Administrative Code by declared/validated project valuation
Permit Issuance Fee2026 Administrative Code, Section 110.2(A) and Table H
$40.00
Building Plan Review Fee2026 Administrative Code, Section 110.2(F); a non-refundable plan review deposit equal to the full plan review fee is due before staff review begins, per the Sign Permit Submittal Checklist
65% of the building permit fee
Electrical Permit Fee (if the sign is illuminated and bundled with the sign/building permit)2026 Administrative Code, Section 110.2(I)(1); the Sign Permit Application form itself includes a separate Electrical Contractor section for illuminated signs
18.00% of the base building permit fee

Review timeline

Plan reviewBoulder City’s published plan-review target
14–21 business days

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Boulder City?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Electrical Rough-In / Final (if illuminated)

    Power supply wiring and disconnect switch verified before the sign is closed up, then devices verified operational at final

  2. 2

    Final

    Completed sign verified against approved plans for dimensions, location, structural attachment (including footing for freestanding signs), and code compliance

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

Tips

  • The plan review timeframe for a first review of a Sign Permit is 2-3 weeks. Source: City of Boulder City Sign Permit Submittal Checklist (02/16/2021 V1).
  • Political signs and other noncommercial-message signs do not require a permit under the City's current sign ordinance. Source: City of Boulder City Political Signs page.
  • A temporary sign for a business grand-opening period (45 days) is billed a flat $40.00 fee (one sign only) under 2026 Administrative Code Table H, separate from the standard Sign Permit valuation-based fee.
  • Temporary signs may not be attached to utility poles, fences, or trees, and may not flash, blink, spin, rotate, or otherwise create a traffic hazard or public nuisance. Source: City of Boulder City Sign Permit Submittal Checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Yes — a Sign Permit is required for business/commercial signage, reviewed against the 2018 IBC and 2017 NEC with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments. A contractor (not an owner/builder) must pull the permit for signs on commercial property, per Nevada state law. Noncommercial signs, such as political signs, are exempt. Source: City of Boulder City Sign Permit Submittal Checklist (02/16/2021 V1) and Political Signs page.

In Boulder City, the published Building Permit Fee — Table A, valuation-based (general schedule; no dedicated sign permit fee table published) is: $27.00 minimum ($1-$500), scaling per Table A of the 2026 Administrative Code by declared/validated project valuation. Additional published fees: Permit Issuance Fee — $40.00; Building Plan Review Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Electrical Permit Fee (if the sign is illuminated and bundled with the sign/building permit) — 18.00% of the base building permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Boulder City's published plan-review target for a sign permit is 14–21 business days.

You'll need: Application for Sign Permit; Sign Permit Submittal Checklist; Plans (Site Plan, Sign Design/Elevations, Electrical Plan if illuminated). Depending on your project, Boulder City may also ask for: Structural Calculations. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Boulder City requires 2 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Electrical Rough-In / Final (if illuminated), Final. Schedule each through City of Boulder City Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division ((702) 293-9282).

Apply through City of Boulder City Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division at 401 California Avenue, Boulder City, NV 89005. Phone: (702) 293-9282, email: buildingpermits@bcnv.org. Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (excluding holidays); applications submitted after office hours are processed the next available work day. Inspection scheduling hotline: (702) 293-9327 or buildinginspections@bcnv.org; inspection requests must be received by 3:30 p.m. for next-business-day scheduling (no Friday/weekend/holiday inspections).. Official information: https://www.bcnv.org/163/Building-Permits.

Boulder City, Nevada has adopted: Nevada has no mandatory statewide building code; NRS 701.220 requires the Nevada Governor's Office of Energy (GOE) to adopt, on a triennial basis, the most recently published International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as a statewide ENERGY floor only — local governments may not adopt an energy code less stringent than the GOE-adopted IECC edition, but building-code editions for structural/life-safety codes vary city-by-city under home rule. The 2024 IECC was adopted by the GOE effective August 18, 2024, as the current statewide energy floor. Source: NRS 701.220 (Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 701 — Energy Policy), https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-701.html; Nevada Governor's Office of Energy, Building Energy Codes / State Adoption Status, https://www.energy.nv.gov/programs/building-energy-codes/state-adoption-status/. Confirm your city's specific adopted energy-code edition — Boulder City's own adopted edition is documented separately below and is older than the current statewide floor edition (a home-rule city choice, not a floor violation, since IECC 2018 was the floor at the time of Boulder City's last code-cycle adoption).; Boulder City runs its own independent building-permit program (Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division) — it is NOT administered by Clark County. Verified via the City's official Building and Safety Division page and the City's own Administrative Code, fee schedule, and permit-submittal-checklist library, all published on bcnv.org. Source: City of Boulder City Building and Safety Division, https://www.bcnv.org/163/Building-Permits; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments — applies to buildings other than single-family residential homes and townhomes (2026 Administrative Code Section 101.5.1). Source: City of Boulder City Permit Fee Schedule and Valuation Table (eff. 8/3/2020) 'Currently Adopted Codes/Standards' list, and Residential New Construction (Custom) Permit Submittal Checklist (02/16/2021 V1) 'Applicable Codes' section; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — governs additions/modifications to existing buildings (2026 Administrative Code Section 101.5.2); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments — applies to single-family homes and townhomes (2026 Administrative Code Section 101.5.3); 2018 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments — Nevada's Southern Nevada jurisdictions use the Uniform Mechanical Code, not the International Mechanical Code; 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments — not the International Plumbing Code; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), with Southern Nevada Building Code Amendments — this is Boulder City's own locally adopted energy-code edition (older than the current 2024 IECC statewide floor under NRS 701.220; confirm current status with Building and Safety before relying on this edition for new submittals); 2012 International Fire Code (IFC) per the 2020 Fee Schedule flyer; the 2026 Administrative Code Section 101.5.9 separately lists 'the currently adopted International Fire Code' generically without repeating the edition year — the 2012 edition is the last edition year found published by the City; Southern Nevada Amendments apply to all the above codes per 2026 Administrative Code Section 101.5.10 ('the provisions of the currently adopted Southern Nevada Amendments shall apply to all matters of all of the above mentioned codes'); City of Boulder City Building and Safety Division Administrative Code, 2026 edition — the local administrative/procedural code (permit application, fees, inspections, exemptions); contains substantial copyrighted material from the 2012 IBC per its title page. Source: https://www.bcnv.org/DocumentCenter/View/16731/2026-Building-and-Safety-Division-Administrative-Codepdf; All of the above code editions and amendment references are confirmed current via the City's Permit Submittal Checklists (each dated 02/16/2021 V1, and independently re-served live from bcnv.org as of this review) for Residential New Construction (Custom), Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Demolition, Fence and Retaining Wall, Renewable Energy System Residential PV, and Residential Accessory Building — all list the identical 2018/2018/2018/2017/2018 code-edition set with Southern Nevada Amendments, corroborating the 2020 Fee Schedule flyer. Local amendments apply — see the Boulder City overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

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 Boulder City building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Boulder City

Residential Building Permit (New Construction — Custom)Residential Addition / Remodel PermitElectrical PermitEV Charger / EVSE Installation PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitRe-Roofing PermitRenewable Energy System — Residential Photovoltaic (PV) PermitDemolition PermitFence and Retaining Wall PermitFire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Installation PermitCertificate of Business Occupancy (Change of Use / Business License)

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