Sign company in Palm Beach, FLTwenty Square Feet Done Perfectly
Epic Wolf designs storefront signs for businesses in the Town of Palm Beach, on Worth Avenue and across the island, and manages approvals, fabrication and install through vetted partners. The Town allows a business only 10 or 20 square feet of signage, limited to its registered name, one small logo and what it does, so every inch is designed. We are based across the bridge in West Palm Beach.
Signs and Storefronts in Palm Beach
Palm Beach opens its sign code with a statement of purpose: the town is internationally known and has become a worldwide synonym for beauty, quality and value, and unregulated signs would detract from that. Everything after it serves that sentence. If the code does not specifically permit a sign, the sign is prohibited.
The allowance is small and exact. In the commercial districts, all of a business's identification signs together get 20 square feet per 18 feet of frontage, 10 square feet if the frontage is shorter, and no building may exceed 20. Window and door lettering counts against the same total. The sign may carry only the business name as registered, one logo that fits in a 12-inch square and what the business does. A tagline does not fit.
Light changes the timeline. A non-illuminated sign can be approved by Town staff, but an illuminated sign needs Town Council approval as a special exception and is a major Architectural Commission project, with newspaper notice and mailed notice to neighbors at least 30 days before the hearing. Designated landmarks, including the Royal Poinciana Plaza, go to the Landmarks Preservation Commission instead. Choosing the approval path is the first design decision.
On the ground
What to know about signs and storefronts in Palm Beach
- What a sign may say
A business identification sign may show only the name of the establishment as identified on its business tax receipt and state registration, one logo that fits within a 12-inch square and the nature of the business. The logo counts toward the sign area limit.
Source: Town Code Sec. 134-2439
- How much
All business identification signs together may not exceed 20 square feet per 18 feet of street or via frontage. A business with less than 18 feet of frontage gets 10 square feet, no building may exceed 20 square feet in total and a hanging via sign is capped at 2 square feet.
Source: Town Code Sec. 134-2438
- Lit signs
An illuminated sign may not be permitted or erected until the Town Council approves it as a special exception use. The Town's project matrix treats illuminated signage as a major Architectural Commission project, which carries newspaper notice and mailed notice to owners within 300 feet at least 30 days before the hearing.
Source: Town Code Sec. 134-2373
- What is banned
Banner signs of any kind are prohibited, and the definition of a banner reaches pennants, balloons and streamers. No sign, logo or street number may appear on an awning visible from a street, nothing may hang from a canopy and no sign may flash, move or outline a building in neon.
Source: Town Code Sec. 134-2373
- The season
From November 1 through April, construction work that requires a permit, which includes sign installs and storefront build-outs, may run only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and not on weekends or Town holidays. In the off-season, the Worth Avenue district allows work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. except Sundays and legal holidays.
Source: Town Code Sec. 42-199
- Empty storefronts
A vacant or under-construction storefront must screen its glass within 10 days, with at least 75 percent covered by images from an approved list such as historical pictures of Palm Beach. Advertising is never permitted in the display, so a branded coming-soon wrap is not an option.
How we run it in Palm Beach
Choose the path
We confirm the zoning district, whether the property is a designated landmark, whether the frontage is on a street or a via and whether the sign needs light. Those four answers decide between staff approval, an Architectural Commission hearing or the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and how long each takes.
Design every inch
The name, a logo built to read inside a 12-inch square, the materials, the lettering on the door and the window, all counted against one small allowance. On a pedestrian street like Worth Avenue the best sign is often the most restrained one, executed with real craft.
File and schedule
We prepare the Town's submittal, file through its portal or the published commission calendar, and schedule fabrication so the install lands in the off-season or inside the Town's weekday hours. Fabrication and install run through vetted partners we manage.
What it includes
Storefront signs
Fascia and building signs designed to the brand and sized for the distance customers read them from.
Channel letter signs
Front-lit, halo-lit and non-lit dimensional letters for retail, restaurants and offices.
Blade signs
Projecting signs that catch people walking the sidewalk, not only traffic facing the building.
Window graphics and lettering
Printed and cut vinyl, perforated window film, frosted privacy film and hours decals.
Wall graphics and murals
Printed wall wraps, dimensional logos and murals for lobbies, offices, gyms and dining rooms.
Interior and wayfinding signage
Room IDs, directories, ADA room signs and directional systems for offices, clinics and campuses.
Menu boards
Printed and digital menu boards designed to be read quickly from the line.
Not sure which of these you need?
Tell us the goal
Send us the address and the opening date.
We will tell you which review the sign needs, how long that path takes and whether the install has to land before or after the season.
Questions
Signs and Storefronts in Palm Beach questions answered
Small. In the Town's commercial districts, all of a business's identification signs together may not exceed 20 square feet per 18 feet of frontage, a business with less than 18 feet of frontage gets 10 square feet, and no building may exceed 20 square feet in total. Window and door lettering counts toward the same allowance, and signs stay on the first floor, no higher than 15 feet.
Only with Town Council approval. The Town's code says an illuminated sign may not go up until it is approved as a special exception use, and the Town treats illuminated signage as a major Architectural Commission project, which requires newspaper notice and mailed notice to nearby owners at least 30 days before the hearing. Non-illuminated signs can usually be approved by staff, which is far faster.
No. The Town bans banner signs of any kind, and its definition of a banner includes pennants, balloons, streamers and wind-driven whirligigs. Sidewalk barkers and noisy advertising are unlawful too. A Palm Beach opening is announced through invitations, press and the storefront itself, plus a temporary display sign on an easel, which is allowed only from April 1 to October 31.
No. The Town prohibits any sign, including lettering, logos, illustrations and street numbers, painted or installed on an awning visible from a street, and nothing may hang from or beneath an awning or canopy. Cloth awnings on commercial buildings also have to stay installed except for repairs or an approaching storm. Put the identity on the wall or in a ground-floor window instead.
May through October. From November 1 through April, permitted construction work, which includes sign installs and storefront build-outs, can run only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and not on weekends or holidays. Off-season hours are longer, and the Worth Avenue district allows work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. except Sundays and legal holidays. File early enough to install before the season.
Keep reading
More for Palm Beach businesses
- Getting a Sign Approved in the Town of Palm BeachHow business signs get approved in the Town of Palm Beach: what a sign may say, the 10 and 20 square foot limits, ARCOM, Landmarks and the season.
- How to Market a Palm Beach Business Without Looking LoudMarketing on the island of Palm Beach: what buyers respond to, the channels that fit, Town sign and storefront approvals, the season and a checklist.
- Getting a Business Sign Approved in Palm Beach CountyHow business sign approval works in Palm Beach County: who has jurisdiction, landlord and association sign-off, design review boards and permits.
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