Sign Company in Schertz, TX

How big can a sign be in Schertz?

In Schertz, the road in front of your property sets the size of your sign. Article 11 of the Schertz Unified Development Code sorts freestanding signs by the class of road they face. So the first thing to check on any Schertz project is the frontage.

On interstates, a freestanding sign can be up to 50 feet tall and 250 square feet. IH-35 runs through the northern part of Schertz, and IH-10 runs along its southern edge. On farm-to-market roads, such as FM 3009 and FM 78, the limit is 35 feet and 250 square feet. On all other streets, it drops to 20 feet and 150 square feet. Every freestanding sign needs a 15-foot setback, and each lot gets one per street frontage.

Wall signs follow the same logic. A building on an interstate or a farm-to-market road can have up to 250 square feet of wall signs per facade. On other streets, the limit is 100 square feet per facade. In both cases, signs can go on up to three facades per building or tenant. Buildings over 100,000 square feet get an extra 100 square feet.

This is why we start every Schertz project with the address and a site survey. A corner lot on FM 3009 and a side street may have very different limits on each frontage. We measure both, then design a pylon or monument sign that uses the full size your frontage allows.

Pylon signs for the new retail along IH-35

Much of the new retail in Schertz is going up along IH-35. One example is Schertz Station, a 257,000-square-foot retail and dining hub at IH-35 and Cibolo Valley Drive. The Schertz Economic Development Corporation put $8 million toward roads and other infrastructure for the project. Centers like this bring new pad sites, new tenants, and new multi-tenant signs.

Article 11 has rules for shopping centers. Multi-tenant developments must provide sign space for each tenant, and no single tenant can take more than half of the allowed sign area. That shapes how we lay out a multi-tenant pylon. Larger tenants get the bigger panels, and smaller tenants still get clear, readable space.

Many owners want an electronic message center on the pylon. Schertz allows one as part of a freestanding sign, with limits. It can have two faces of up to 50 square feet each. Messages cannot change more than once every four seconds or use animation effects. Brightness is capped at one footcandle at the property line. A solid white background is not allowed from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.

We design and build pylon signs to meet these rules. Article 11 requires noncombustible structural materials and bans wood or unpainted steel supports, so we specify finished, noncombustible supports. We coordinate the engineered foundation and structural details, and we plan the electrical work so the display meets the brightness limit from the day it turns on.

Schertz sign permits under UDC Article 11

Schertz regulates signs through Article 11 of its Unified Development Code. Permits and inspections run through the city's Inspections Division at 1400 Schertz Parkway. No sign can be put up, altered, or displayed without a sign permit. The city's commercial sign checklist says the process also covers repair and warranty work.

A Schertz application includes a building permit application, a sealed site survey showing easements and setbacks, a materials list, a sign exhibit, and a signed contract. The city asks for an engineered foundation design and engineered structural details based on the International Building Code. The application must also include a statement or letter with an engineer's seal confirming the sign meets wind load rules.

Electric signs add steps. The city will not issue the electrical permit until the sign permit is issued. Drawings must show the required disconnect, and electronic signs need a third-party listing and a photometric plan. Required inspections are the foundation, an electrical final for electric signs, and a final.

Two other rules catch owners off guard. First, a sign permit is not released until the building permit for the main building on the site has been issued. Second, the city requires all contractors doing business in Schertz to register through its online portal. If a sign cannot meet Article 11, the Planning and Zoning Commission can consider a waiver.

We check these rules before design and prepare the permit package, including drawings and engineering. The city decides on every permit, and we answer its questions until review is complete.

Channel letters near neighborhoods and on Main Street

Many Schertz businesses sit close to homes, and Article 11 protects those neighbors. A lit sign cannot be brighter than one footcandle at the property line. A lighted sign within 150 feet of property zoned for single-family homes must be shielded from view. Wall signs are also not allowed on a facade that faces single-family property within 150 feet, unless it is the main front of the building.

Channel letters handle these limits well. Each letter is lit from inside with LEDs, so the light stays on the letter face instead of spilling across the lot. We can also build reverse-lit letters that give a soft glow against the wall. For a site near homes, we plan the facade, the lighting, and the brightness before we draw the mockup.

Schertz also bans signs painted directly on a building wall. Your storefront name needs to be a built sign, such as channel letters, a lit cabinet, or dimensional letters. Signs over a public sidewalk need at least 10 feet of clearance, and signs over a driveway need 14 feet.

Main Street has its own rule. Properties on Main Street with a facade facing the railroad may have 250 square feet of signs facing FM 78. That lets those businesses reach FM 78 traffic with a full-size sign.

We also build commercial awnings and canopies in-house. An awning or canopy over the entrance can carry your name and give customers cover. We design it to fit your facade and the clearance rules.

What does growth in the Randolph Metrocom mean for older signs?

Schertz has grown fast. Its population reached 42,002 in the 2020 census, up from 31,465 in 2010. The city spans parts of Guadalupe, Bexar, and Comal counties. It is the largest city in the Randolph Metrocom, the group of cities around Randolph Air Force Base. Growth like this leaves a mix of brand-new centers and older sites with aging signs.

Article 11 expects every sign to stay in good repair. Signs must be kept in good structural condition and neatly painted, including metal parts and supports that are not galvanized or rust resistant. Signs that are deteriorated, dilapidated, or in danger of falling are prohibited. On undeveloped lots, the ground within 25 feet of a sign must be kept clear of weeds and trash.

That makes repair and refurbishment a practical choice for many owners. A faded pylon can get new faces, new LED lighting, and fresh paint on its poles and cabinet. A cabinet sign can be refaced for a new tenant. The city's commercial sign checklist includes repair work, so plan for a permit.

At the site survey, we inspect the structure, wiring, and faces, and we tell you plainly what is worth saving. If a repair makes sense, we build the new parts in our Houston shop, and our San Antonio area staff install them. If the sign is past saving, your mockup and itemized estimate show a new sign designed to meet the current Article 11 rules.