Sign Company in New Braunfels, TX

Which freestanding signs can you put up along IH-35 in New Braunfels?

In New Braunfels, your road frontage decides which freestanding sign you can build. Under Chapter 106 of the city code, monument signs and low-profile pole signs are the only permanent freestanding signs allowed on most sites. The main exception is property with IH-35 frontage and commercial or industrial zoning. There, full pole signs are allowed.

An IH-35 pole sign can be up to 40 feet tall, with up to 400 square feet per face. The code allows one pole sign for each 400 feet of IH-35 frontage, and pole signs must sit at least 300 feet apart. Each one can have only two faces. The sign must also stay 10 feet horizontally and 15 feet vertically from power lines, unless the utility requires more.

Some sites sit lower than the highway. For those, the code allows extra height based on the difference in elevation between the sign location and the IH-35 main lanes. That matters on a road where drivers pass at highway speed and a low sign can drop out of view.

We plan pole and pylon signs around these numbers from the first sketch. At the site survey, we measure your frontage, note overhead power lines, and compare the grade with the highway. That tells us which sign type you qualify for and how tall it can be. Then we design the cabinet, structure, and foundation to fit, and we coordinate the engineering that the permit needs.

High-profile monument signs on Loop 337, SH 46, and the FM roads

Away from IH-35, the city's main commercial roads get a middle option. Chapter 106 allows high-profile monument signs on commercial or industrial property with frontage on Loop 337, SH 46, FM 306, FM 725, or Business 35. These signs can be up to 28 feet tall, with up to 225 square feet per face. As on IH-35, a site that sits lower than the main lanes can earn extra height.

There are conditions. A property needs at least 300 feet of frontage on one of those roads to have a high-profile monument sign at all. The code allows one for each 300 feet of frontage, and they must be at least 300 feet apart. Each sign can have only two faces.

On other commercial streets, a standard monument sign in most commercial and industrial districts can be up to 10 feet tall and 48 square feet. Monument structures must use materials and colors that match the main building's facade. Developments with two or more businesses must share a sign structure, and a monument for four or more tenants can reach 64 square feet.

These rules reward careful planning. A shared multi-tenant monument can give every tenant a panel inside one structure. We design the base to match your building, whether that is stone, brick, or stucco. We also size the tenant panels so they are easy to swap when tenants change. Every panel is drawn to scale in your mockup, so the owner and tenants can see exactly what they will get.

New Braunfels sign permits: what the city requires

Signs in New Braunfels fall under Chapter 106 of the city's Code of Ordinances. According to the city's Signs and Banners page, all new signs need a permit. Attached signs, such as channel letters on a wall, are not regulated by the sign ordinance, but they still need a building permit. Changing the face or wording on an existing sign does not need a permit.

The application is the city's standard building permit application. It must include a complete site plan that shows where the sign will go. Permit fees are based on square footage or dollar value. The city also states that contractors installing signs must be licensed with the City of New Braunfels.

Some signs are not allowed at all. The city lists roof signs, portable signs, and billboards among its prohibited signs, and no new off-premise signs are allowed in the city limits. If a sign cannot meet the rules, the owner can ask for an Alternative Sign Plan review or apply to the Board of Adjustment for a variance.

Historic districts add a step. New Braunfels has four local historic districts: Downtown, Mill Street, Sophienburg Hill, and Stock. New or replacement building signs there need a Certificate of Alteration. The Historic Landmark Commission reviews these, though some minor work can qualify for staff review.

We check these rules before we design, not after. Then we prepare the permit package, including the site plan and sign drawings, and we answer the city's questions during review. The city makes the final decision on every permit.

Storefront and channel letter signs for a fast-growing city

New Braunfels is adding people and businesses quickly. In April 2026, the city reported that its population has grown by nearly 30 percent since 2020. Its 2023 bond program put $99 million into roadway improvements, including Barbarosa Road, Kohlenberg Road, and Common Street. The city is also working on redevelopment along South Castell Avenue. New roads and new centers bring new storefronts, and each one needs a sign that reads from the street.

Channel letters are the standard for most of these storefronts. They are individual letters, each lit from inside with LEDs, mounted to the wall or to a raceway. They also suit a New Braunfels lighting rule. Chapter 106 says internally lit signs must use either an opaque background with translucent letters, or a colored background with lighter letters. White, off-white, light gray, and cream backgrounds are not allowed. The code also caps sign brightness and bans unshielded light sources visible from the street or from homes next door.

Lit cabinet signs can work too, as long as the face follows the same background rule. We design faces with dark or colored backgrounds from the start, so the design does not come back from plan review.

Some storefronts need shade or a clearly marked entrance. For those, we build commercial awnings and canopies in-house. An awning can carry your name over the door and keep customers out of the Texas sun. We check which permits your awning or canopy needs and include them in the permit package.

Can you repair or reface an older sign instead of replacing it?

Often, yes. A reface or repair can save a sound structure and get your new name on the street sooner. Under Chapter 106, ordinary maintenance does not need a permit. That includes cleaning, replacing bulbs or tubes, and changing message panels or letters without changing the sign itself.

Older signs have limits, though. A sign built before the current rules took effect, and that does not meet them, is called a nonconforming sign. It can stay, and its message can change if the sign face does not get bigger. It cannot be enlarged, raised, or given larger supports. If an alteration costs more than 60 percent of a new sign of the same type, the sign must be removed or brought up to the current rules.

That 60 percent line shapes the decision. New faces, an LED lighting retrofit, and fresh paint on an older pylon can make good sense. A full rebuild of a large nonconforming sign may cross the line, and then a new sign that meets the code is the better plan.

At the site survey, we inspect the cabinet, poles, and wiring, and we tell you plainly what we find. If the structure is sound, we build new faces or lighting parts in our Houston shop and install them on site. If the sign is past saving, your mockup and itemized estimate show a replacement designed to meet the current rules.