# Sign Regulations in Collegeville Borough, Pennsylvania

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Collegeville Borough, Pennsylvania, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Collegeville Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/collegeville-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/32860527#32860527)

## At a glance

Collegeville Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 35 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Open House Sign (Off-Premises Directional)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 4 sq ft per side, with a Not in right-of-way setback (Sec. § 680-177B(7)(a)-(e)). Most commercial signs in Collegeville Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | 20 ft max | 50 sq ft | — |
| R-1 Residential District, R-2 Residential District, R-3 Residential District, R-4 Residential District | 1 | 6 ft (unless otherwise described elsewhere) | 2 sq ft (per side) | — |
| MSC Residential District, R-O District, V-1 Village District, V-2 Village Commercial District | 7 | 12 ft or up to parapet or roofline (whichever is less); wall signs on wall 75% to parapet or roofline, but no greater than 12 ft high | 35 sq ft (Total signage per nonresidential use; may be divided among signs) | — |
| GC District, C-O District, M&I District | 6 | 25 ft | 75 sq ft (gas pricing, may be internally illuminated and changed remotely by computer); 32 sq ft (other sign content) | — |
| SC Shopping Center District | 3 | 25 ft | 150 sq ft per side | — |
| Institutional Overlay District | 2 | 10 ft (for freestanding sign) | 55 sq ft | — |
| M&I District | 1 | 18 ft copy area; 4 ft min clearance under sign; no supporting structure visible above display area | 100 sq ft total copy area | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign (Advertising Subdivision Homes) | — | 35 sq ft (per side) | — | — | Max 2/subdivision | On premises | — | § 680-177B(2)(b) |
| Directional Subdivision Sign (Off-Premises) | — | 6 sq ft (per side) | — | — | Max 3 per development | Off-premises | — | § 680-177B(3) |
| Contractor/Construction Sign (Contractors, Mechanics, Painters, Artisans) | — | 6 sq ft (per side) | — | — | Max 1/property | On property where work performed | — | § 680-177B(4) |
| Construction Sign | 8-15 ft | 35 sq ft (per side) | — | — | Max 1 per street frontage | On premises where construction is underway | — | § 680-177B(5) |
| Open House Sign (On-Premises) | — | 4 sq ft per side | — | — | Max 1 per property line | On-premises | — | § 680-177B(7) |
| Open House Sign (Off-Premises Directional) | 6 ft | 4 sq ft per side | — | Not in right-of-way | Max 2 per home/development | Off-premises (not in right-of-way) | — | § 680-177B(7)(a)-(e) |
| Auction Sign | 6 ft | 9 sq ft | — | — | — | On property where auction is held | — | § 680-177B(8) |
| Special Event Banner (Building or Structure) | 20 ft max | Case by case | — | — | — | Affixed to building or sturdy structure | — | § 680-177B(10)(b) |

### MSC Residential District, R-O District, V-1 Village District, V-2 Village Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Use Signs | 6 ft (unless otherwise described elsewhere) | 2 sq ft (per side, for professional/accessory/home occupation/name sign); otherwise per § 680-178 | — | — | — | On same lot | — | § 680-179B, referring to § 680-178 |
| Freestanding Business or Identification Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 10 ft | 35 sq ft (Total signage per nonresidential use; may be divided among signs) | — | Min. 5 feet from property line | Max 1 per street frontage/building | 1 per street frontage or per building if multiple principal buildings | — | § 680-179C(1), D(1), D(9)(a), D(7) |
| Wall/Awning/Identification/Marquee/Painted Wall/Parallel Wall/Window/Projecting Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 12 ft or up to parapet or roofline (whichever is less); wall signs on wall 75% to parapet or roofline, but no greater than 12 ft high | 35 sq ft (Total signage per nonresidential use; may be divided among one or more signs for each façade facing street or parking lot) | — | — | 1 per type per side facing street/parking lot | On the building or window; projecting sign outermost part at least 5 ft from curb/shoulder | — | § 680-179C(2), D(1), (2), (4)-(6), (9)(b) |
| Directory Sign (Multi-Tenant Property) | — | 24 sq ft (aggregate); Each tenant: max 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 directory sign per property; each tenant 1 sign | On building | — | § 680-179D(3) |
| Temporary Portable Sign (Commercial/Nonresidential Use) | — | — | — | — | 1 at any time (with banners/flags/etc.) | See citation | — | § 680-179C(3), D(8)(b) |
| Special Event Sign/Banner or Commemorative Flag | — | — | — | — | 1 on property at any time | Business property | — | § 680-179D(8) |
| Window Sign (Temporary or Permanent, Commercial Use) | — | 30% of glazed area of any window facing public street | — | — | — | Window facing public street | — | § 680-179C(2)(f), C(3)(c), D(2) |

### GC District, C-O District, M&I District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All signs permitted in MSC, R-O, V-1, V-2 (generally) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 680-180A, B |
| Freestanding Sign (Gas Station Gas Price) | — | 16 sq ft (for gas prices) | — | — | Max 1 per street frontage | On same structure as freestanding sign | — | § 680-180C |
| Freestanding Center Sign (Shopping Center) | 25 ft | 70 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per shopping center | Shopping center property | — | § 680-180E |
| Freestanding Sign (Convenience Store - Per Driveway) | 18 ft | 75 sq ft (gas pricing, may be internally illuminated and changed remotely by computer); 32 sq ft (other sign content) | — | — | Max 1 per driveway | Per driveway | — | § 680-180F(1) |
| Gas Canopy Sign | — | 38 sq ft | — | — | 1 per canopy | On gas canopy | — | § 680-180F(2) |
| Business Sign (Wall, Convenience Store) | — | 50 sq ft per wall (on up to two walls) | — | — | — | On wall (max 2 walls) | — | § 680-180F(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Collegeville Borough

- Animated signs are prohibited.
- Flashing, moving, or reflective signs are prohibited.
- Illuminated temporary signs are prohibited.
- Revolving signs are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Vehicular signs are prohibited.
- Obscene signs are prohibited.
- Snipe signs are prohibited.
- Electronic message display screens are prohibited.
- No sign shall be placed in such a position as to endanger traffic on a street by obscuring a clear view or by confusion with official street signs or signals.
- No sign, other than official municipal street or directional signs, street banner signs, or political signs, shall be erected or maintained within the legal street right-of-way.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress and egress to or from any door, window, or fire escape.
- No sign shall be placed on utility poles.
- No sign shall injure, deface or destroy any notice, rule or regulation posted in park lands, nor post unofficial signs or notices within park lands.
- No person shall willfully or maliciously destroy, remove, deface, obliterate or cover up any lamp, warning sign or barricade erected by Borough authorities or their authorized agents.
- No sign, other than interior signs located entirely within an enclosed building, is exempt from compliance if its location poses a safety risk or hazard.

## Signs exempt from permit in Collegeville Borough

- Government signs (e.g., traffic signs, parking signs, etc.) do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Legal notices do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Public monument, plaque, and historic identification signs erected by a government agency do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Government flag, insignia, or decorative banners do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Public service and information signs advertising public restrooms, telephones, or similar conveniences (not exceeding three square feet in area) do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Address signs not exceeding two square feet do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Name plates and identification signs (characters not exceeding three inches in height and area not exceeding two square feet) do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Vending machine signs where a product name is an integral component do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Incidental signs if the aggregate area does not exceed four square feet do not require a permit and are allowed in any district (excess area included in permitted sign area).
- Home security signs not exceeding one square foot do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Real estate signs do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Yard sale signs (not erected earlier than seven days before the event and removed within two days after) do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Personal expression signs (freestanding, wall, or window, not exceeding six square feet, six feet in height if freestanding, not illuminated or in right-of-way/clear sight triangle) do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Political signs (not erected earlier than 30 days before the election and removed within seven days after) do not require a permit and are allowed in any district.
- Interior signs located entirely within an enclosed building are exempt from the standards of this chapter, provided their location does not pose a safety risk or hazard.
- Identification signs for an individual building in Institutional Overlay District are exempt if attached or adjacent to the building they identify.
- Nonconforming signs with documented historic value, unique architectural value/design, or subject to change of owner with business name retained, are exempt from removal/alteration.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for any sign erected, constructed, or significantly altered (unless enumerated as exempt in §680-176B).
- Sign permit applications are reviewed by the Zoning Officer, who may approve, deny, or request further information.
- Nonconforming signs must be brought into conformity (or removed) when a sign permit application is approved for significant alteration, or upon a change of use/occupancy of the property.
- Information required to determine legal status of existing signs before alterations or occupancy changes includes type, area, height, setback, illumination, material, and frontage.
- No mention of a general master sign plan, but shopping centers are permitted one freestanding center sign; signs for multiple tenants and directory signs are specified by district.
- Off-premises advertising signs are only permitted in the M&I District, as a special exception, pursuant to special exception regulations (§680-20), which functionally serves as a required hearing or approval process.

## 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 7 zoning districts in Collegeville Borough — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Collegeville+Borough+PA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-collegeville-borough

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