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Sign Code Summary

Colma, CA

Local sign ordinance requirements — free, cited to the source section.

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Understanding sign regulations in Colma, CA

Every outdoor sign in Colma is governed by the municipality’s sign ordinance, which sets how large a sign may be, how tall it may stand, how far it must sit from the property line, whether it may be illuminated, and which sign types are permitted in each zoning district. This page summarizes those requirements in plain language and links each value back to the section of the Colma code it came from.

Sign rules here are layered. The base zoning district — commercial, industrial, or residential — sets the default limits, and overlay districts such as historic or downtown districts can tighten them further. Because the most specific jurisdiction controls, a freestanding monument sign on a commercial parcel and a wall sign in a historic overlay can face very different limits even on the same street in Colma.

Use the figures below as a fast first check, then run a full address lookup to confirm the exact limits for a specific parcel in Colma, California. The full report also covers permit requirements, prohibited sign types, and illumination rules — each cited to the source ordinance so your permit application can reference it directly.

Before you order or install a sign in Colma, confirm three things: the maximum sign area and height allowed in the parcel’s zoning district, the minimum setback from the right-of-way, and whether the sign type you want — freestanding, monument, wall, projecting, or awning — is permitted there at all. Many permit denials come from missing a setback or an overlay-district restriction rather than from the size of the sign itself, so checking the governing section before applying saves a costly resubmittal.

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Max ground sign height
36' high (pylon); 6' high (monument)
Ground sign setback
5' back from property line

Awning Signs

Awning Sign Sf Calc
Entire awning counts toward SF, wall calculation used for awning sf if landlord allows
Awning Projection Clearance
8' off grade, 3' off the wall

Building Signs

Building Sign Formula
Total sign area per lot shall not exceed area in sq ft equal to 2 times the linear feet of lot frontage on a public street
Building Sign Illumination
Illuminated channel letters and box signs are permitted

Directional Signs

Directional Max Size
2 sf
Directional Max Height
4' off grade

General Standards

Window Sign Setback
Illuminated window signs must be 3' back from window
Directional Sign Branding
No branding of directional signs

Ground Signs

Ground Sign Type
One freestanding sign and one monument sign per street frontage
Ground Sign Formula
36' high, 300 sf pylon; monument signs 6' high, no longer than 15' wide
Ground Sign Max Height
in full report
Ground Sign Setback
in full report

2 more ground signs rules in the full report →

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Permit Process

Permit Time Frame
10 to 20 days
Triangulation Requirements
25' entrance/exit/corner triangulation
Permit Fee
in full report
Permit Application Contact
in full report

2 more permit process rules in the full report →

Temporary Signs

Temp Signs Allowed
Yes, one per entrance or combined at corner with better site lines
Temp Sign Rules
32 sf, 30 days, 8' high

Variance Appeals

Variance Process
Submit application to city; site hardship required; council meets every second Tuesday of the month

Window Signs

Window Sign Allowable Area
10% of the available window area

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