# Sign Regulations in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/grosse-pointe-woods
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MI/Grosse_Pointe_Woods/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH32SI)

## At a glance

Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan regulates 20 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Wall Signs in the Community Facilities Zoning District zoning district are capped at 3 ft tall and See general regulations based on frontage, with a Cannot project beyond property/building line setback (Sec. Sec. 32-13, 32-11(d)). Most commercial signs in Grosse Pointe Woods require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Community Facilities Zoning District | 5 | 48 inches for sign, 65 inches overall | 32 sq ft | — |
| C District, C-2 District, R-O1 District | 4 | 48 inches for sign, 65 inches overall | 32 sq ft | — |
| Residential Zoning District | 2 | — | 36 in x 36 in | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | 48 inches for sign, 65 inches overall | 120 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Community Facilities Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Electronic Changeable Copy Sign | 6 ft above ground | 32 sq ft | — | Within 10 ft inside property line, subject to safety approval | — | Within ten feet inside of the property line, subject to approval for traffic/pedestrian hazard | — | Sec. 32-33.(b)(3)-(7) |
| Wall Sign | 3 ft | See general regulations based on frontage | — | Cannot project beyond property/building line | Max 2 per building (combination of wall and ground/pole signs) (Sec. 32-17) | Building front, side, or rear exterior wall | — | Sec. 32-13, 32-11(d) |
| Ground Sign | 20 ft or to peak of roof, whichever is less (Pylon: 7 ft if within 2 ft of property line; Pole: bottom 10 ft above ground if projecting to property line) | 32 sq ft | — | Minimum building line setback, or 2 ft for pylon type (area  32 sq ft and height  7 ft); Pole type can project to property line if bottom  10 ft above ground | 1 per street frontage (2 for shopping centers with 200+ ft frontage) | Per building line/setback rules; front yard, not within 15 ft of side/rear yard property line | — | Sec. 32-11(a)(2)-(3) |
| Blade Sign | Not above top of building; lowest point at least 9 ft above public way, 8 ft above grade on private property | 4.5 sq ft per side | — | Must not project more than 3 ft from building; bracket included in measurement | 1 per storefront or business | Affixed to building, as close as practical to entrance; not above top of eave/parapet | — | Sec. 32-35 |
| Sandwich Board Sign / Easel Sign | 48 inches for sign, 65 inches overall | — | 42 inches | — | 1 per address | On property occupied by applicant, only during business hours, may not interfere with pedestrian traffic or visibility | — | Sec. 32-24(b) |

### C District, C-2 District, R-O1 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Blade Sign | Highest point not above top of building; lowest at least 9 ft above public way, 8 ft above grade on private property | 4.5 sq ft per side | — | Must not project more than 3 ft from building (including bracket) | 1 per storefront or business | Affixed to building, as close to entrance as practical; not above eave/parapet | — | Sec. 32-35(b)-(c) |
| Wall Sign | 3 ft | See general regulations based on frontage | — | Cannot project beyond property/building line; max 8 inches | Max 2 per building (combination of wall and ground/pole signs) (Sec. 32-17) | Exterior wall (front, side, or rear). Sides limited to 12 sq ft, rear to 9 sq ft. | — | Sec. 32-13, 32-11(d) |
| Ground Sign | 20 ft or to peak of roof, whichever is less (Pylon 7 ft if within 2 ft of property line; Pole: bottom 10 ft above ground if projecting to property line) | 32 sq ft | — | Minimum building line setback or 2 ft for pylon type, 10 ft above ground for pole type projecting to property line | 1 per street frontage (2 if shopping center has 200+ ft street frontage) | Front yard, not within 15 ft side/rear property line, per building line/setback rules | — | Sec. 32-11(a)(2)-(3) |
| Sandwich Board Sign / Easel Sign | 48 inches for sign, 65 inches overall | — | 42 inches | — | 1 per address | On property occupied by applicant, only during business hours | — | Sec. 32-24(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (0-40 ft building frontage) | 3 ft | 30 sq ft | — | — | Combination: max 2 total wall/ground/pole/pylon signs per building (Sec. 32-17) | Front building wall | — | Sec. 32-13(c), 32-11(d) |
| Wall Sign (41-60 ft building frontage) | 3 ft | 42 sq ft | — | — | Combination: max 2 total wall/ground/pole/pylon signs per building (Sec. 32-17) | Front building wall | — | Sec. 32-13(d) |
| Wall Sign (61+ ft building frontage) | 3 ft | 48 sq ft | — | — | Combination: max 2 total wall/ground/pole/pylon signs per building (Sec. 32-17) | Front building wall | — | Sec. 32-13(e) |
| Wall Sign (Side) | 3 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | Side wall | — | Sec. 32-13(f) |
| Ground Sign | 20 ft or peak of roof, whichever is less | 32 sq ft | — | Not closer than building line to street; exceptions for pylon (2 ft) and pole types (can project to property line if bottom 10 ft above ground) | 1 per street frontage (2 if shopping center has 200+ ft frontage) | Not within 15 ft of side or rear property line, not closer to street property line than building line, except as provided for pylons/pole signs | — | Sec. 32-11(a)(1)-(3) |
| Pylon-type Ground Sign | 7 ft above ground | 32 sq ft | — | 2 ft from property line | — | Not less than 2 ft from street property line | — | Sec. 32-11(a)(2)(b)1 |
| Sandwich Board Sign / Easel Sign | 48 inches for sign, 65 inches overall | — | 42 inches | — | 1 per address | On property occupied by applicant, only during business hours, not interfering with traffic | — | Sec. 32-24(b) |
| Portable Sign (Other than sandwich or easel signs) | — | 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from roadway, driveway, property lines | 1 per premises per 7-day period per year | Cannot be on public right-of-way; at least 10 ft from any driveway, road, street, alley, sidewalk, public property | — | Sec. 32-24, 32-25 |

## Prohibited signs in Grosse Pointe Woods

- It is unlawful to erect, construct, or alter any sign in the city without complying with the provisions of this chapter.
- No person shall erect, construct, alter, relocate, or refurbish any sign without first obtaining a permit from the division of safety inspection (except for specifically exempted signs).
- No sign shall be illuminated by other than electrical devices. No open spark or flame may be used for display purposes.
- No person shall place, maintain, or display a blinking, oscillating, or rotating light. Lights that may be mistaken for emergency or safety vehicle lights are not permitted along roadways.
- Awnings and canopies shall not be illuminated.
- Window signage shall not exceed 20 percent of the elevation's window area.
- The total of all signs on a property shall not contain in excess of a total of ten message units, except as otherwise provided.
- The following signs are prohibited: animated signs; banner signs (except as authorized by the planning commission); roof signs; rotating signs; signs with flashing, blinking, or moving lights (including moving message boards); signs with exposed incandescent lights; pennants, streamers, spinners, or flags of any type used for advertising purposes; balloons (except as specifically allowed by size, number, and approval by the building official); strings of lights (except holiday decorations); structurally unsafe signs or those capable of causing electrical shock; signs that obstruct fire escapes, windows, or doors; signs using words or phrases such as 'stop', 'look', or 'danger' that might mislead drivers; obscene, indecent, or immoral signs; unlawfully installed or erected signs; signs no longer advertising a legitimate business or product; signs attached to standpipes, gutter drains, or fire escapes; signs within 50 feet of residential zones unless screened; signs projecting above the parapet or peak of roof; signs projecting into public right-of-way or accessway; signs attached to trees, fences, or utility poles; festoon signs; portable or temporary signs unless specifically permitted; painted wall signs; signs not specifically permitted by this chapter; painted or pasted sidewalk signs; projecting signs over public property (except as permitted by section 32-35); parapet panel signs; marquee signs.
- No ground sign shall be erected so as to obstruct free access to or egress from any building.
- No wall or temporary sign shall be attached in a manner that obstructs any door, window, fire escape, or ventilating system.
- No wall or ground sign shall project past established building or property lines (except as permitted).
- No sign may be painted onto any building wall.
- No sign or any substantial part thereof which has been blown down or destroyed may be re-erected, reconstructed, rebuilt, or relocated unless it is brought into compliance with this chapter.
- No sign shall be illuminated internally unless constructed to produce a subdued lighting effect and only the display elements (letters, numbers, logos) are illuminated.
- Flags of any type (except U.S., state, county, city, or Tree City USA) may not be flown in non-residential zones without a permit, and flags may not exceed 120 square feet.
- No awning or canopy may be backlighted with artificial lighting.
- Maximum of two permanent signs (from permitted classifications) per building.
- No sign may be altered or relocated without complying with all restrictions for new signs.
- No blinking or animated sign may be used.
- Nonconforming signs may not be changed, altered, replaced, or repaired except under very limited circumstances.

## Signs exempt from permit in Grosse Pointe Woods

- No permit is required for temporary signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises on which they are located, not exceeding ten square feet of display surface.
- No permit is required for not more than one construction, engineer's, architect's, or similar sign in connection with construction operations, not exceeding 32 square feet.
- No permit is required for political signs, subject to limited size, quantity, and duration of display.
- No permit is required for garage and yard sale signs, subject to size, location, and time limitations.
- No permit is required for real estate signs advertising the sale or lease of the property upon which such signs are situated (with time, placement, and size limits).
- No permit is required for directory signs except for multitenant buildings.
- No permit is required for window signage (subject to coverage limitations).
- The construction and permitting provisions do not apply to temporary garage, yard, basement, estate, and rummage sale signs for residential property, with time and size restrictions.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for illuminated signs must be accompanied by a drawing or photograph of the building facade and must include photos of adjacent buildings.
- Designs and structural details of all signs must be submitted to the division of safety inspection before a permit is issued.
- All applications for the erection of a wall sign shall include location, building details, size, color, appearance, and fabrication/installation details.
- Multitenant buildings are generally exempted from the maximum number of sign restrictions provided a 'master'/overall building sign plan is applied for and approved by the planning commission.
- Approval for portable signs requires review by the division of safety inspection, the director of public safety regarding traffic safety, and final consideration by the planning commission.
- Requests for exceptions (variances) or appeals regarding permits are reviewed by the planning commission prior to consideration by city council.
- Awnings and canopies (including replacements) require authorization from the building official, and must comply with color and material standards (color lists maintained by building official, approved by planning commission).

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 3 districts in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 4 zoning districts in Grosse Pointe Woods — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Grosse+Pointe+Woods+MI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-grosse-pointe-woods

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