# Sign Regulations in Fountain Hill Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Fountain Hill Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/fountain-hill-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/27451370#27451370)

## At a glance

Fountain Hill Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 18 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Off-Premises Sign (Billboard)s in the GC District zoning district are capped at 35 ft above adjacent street or highway tall and 300 sq ft per sign face, with a 25 ft minimum from all lot lines and rights-of-way setback (Sec. § 712.D). Most commercial signs in Fountain Hill Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | — | 20 sq ft (incidental, otherwise see freestanding requirements) | — |
| GC District | 1 | 35 ft above adjacent street or highway | 300 sq ft per sign face | — |
| Commercial district | 1 | — | Standard allowance according to Table of Freestanding, Wall and Window Signs + 25% (if not internally illuminated and base is landscaped) | — |
| Institutional Zoning District | 8 | 10 ft | 300 sq ft per side (two sides allowed, up to 600 sq ft total) | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Historic Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As authorized by the Borough or a county, state, or federal agency. | — | § 703.B(1) |
| Holiday Decorations | — | — | — | — | — | Recognized holidays by the Borough, county, state or federal government; must not include advertising. | — | § 703.B(2) |
| Not-Readable Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Not readable from any public street or exterior lot line. | — | § 703.B(3) |
| Official Sign | — | — | — | — | — | State, county, Borough, or other legally constituted government; for public purposes. | — | § 703.B(4) |
| Required Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Includes information required by a government agency or the Borough. | — | § 703.B(5) |
| Right-of-Way Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within the right-of-way of a public street, officially authorized by the Borough or PennDOT. | — | § 703.B(6) |
| Portable Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 704.C |
| Vehicle/Trailer Functioning as Sign | — | 20 sq ft (incidental, otherwise see freestanding requirements) | — | — | — | Front yard, in clear view of street—subject to freestanding sign regulations if not moved weekly. | — | § 708 |

### GC District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-Premises Sign (Billboard) | 35 ft above adjacent street or highway | 300 sq ft per sign face | — | 25 ft minimum from all lot lines and rights-of-way | Maximum one per lot | Minimum 25 ft setback from all lot lines and street right-of-way. | — | § 712.D |

### Institutional Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall, Banner, and Window Signs (Aggregate) | Top of stair towers, penthouses or equipment screens (not above highest part of building) | 5% of wall face area per building face | — | — | — | On faces of buildings within an institutional campus. | — | § 713.D/E |
| Freestanding Identification Sign (Entrance or Intersection) | 10 ft | 250 sq ft per sign | — | — | Up to two per entrance drive, one per intersection corner | At each entrance drive and at intersection corners abutting campus. | — | § 713.E |
| Pole-Mounted Flag or Pennant Sign (Standard) | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | — | Driveways, walkways, plazas, parking lots, except as below. | — | § 713.F |
| Pole-Mounted Flag or Pennant Sign (Within 100 ft of Entrance) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | — | Within 100 feet of a building entrance. | — | § 713.F |
| Building or Structure Name Sign | No greater than top of building or structure | — | — | — | — | On building or structure | — | § 713.G |
| Freestanding Electronic or Digital Message Sign | — | 300 sq ft per side (two sides allowed, up to 600 sq ft total) | — | See additional requirements; includes buffer from intersections and driveways. | One per institutional campus | On-campus, subject to spacing and sight distance controls. | — | § 713.H |
| Temporary Sign or Banner | — | — | — | — | — | Institutional campus | — | § 713.I |
| Non-legible/Directional Signs | — | — | — | — | — | Signs not legible from expressway, public street or residential lot, as well as for traffic control/direction. | — | § 713.J |

## Prohibited signs in Fountain Hill Borough

- Portable signs are prohibited in all districts, except as a temporary charitable event sign complying with § 703.
- A sign shall not intrude into or project over an existing street right-of-way, unless specifically authorized by a permit from the Borough or PennDOT.
- No sign shall be so located that it interferes with sight clearance requirements.
- No sign except permitted off-premises, official, political or public service signs shall be erected on a property to which it does not relate.
- No sign shall be posted on any property or sign pole or public utility pole unless permission has been received from the owner.
- Any moving object used to attract attention to a commercial use shall be prohibited.
- Any banner or flag that does not meet the requirements of this Part 7 shall be prohibited.
- Flashing, blinking, twinkling, animated or moving signs of any type shall be prohibited.
- A sign may electronically change from one message to another provided that the message does not flash and stays on for a duration of at least 25 seconds.
- Flashing lights visible from a street shall not be used to attract attention to a business.
- Signs which emit smoke, visible vapors or particles, sound or odor shall be prohibited.
- Signs are prohibited which contain information that states that a lot may be used for any purpose not permitted under the applicable provisions of this Chapter.
- Signs shall be prohibited that are of such character, form, shape or color that they imitate or resemble any official traffic sign, signal or device or which are likely to confuse or distract the operator of a motor vehicle on a public street (such as prominent use of the word 'danger').
- Signs or displays visible from a lot line that include words or images that are obscene or pornographic shall be prohibited.
- Balloons of greater than 40 cubic feet that are tethered to the ground or a structure for periods of 12 hours shall be prohibited.
- Floodlights and outdoor lasers used for advertising purposes shall be prohibited.
- Every sign (except allowed temporary signs) shall be constructed of durable materials and kept in good condition and repair; damaged, dilapidated or unsafe signs must be repaired or removed as ordered by the Borough.

## Signs exempt from permit in Fountain Hill Borough

- Signs meeting the requirements of § 703 (Miscellaneous Signs Not Requiring Permits) do not require a zoning permit.
- Nonilluminated window signs constructed of paper, posterboard or similar materials that are not of a permanent nature do not require a permit.
- Historic Signs specifically authorized by the Borough or a county, state or federal agency are not regulated by this Part 7.
- Holiday Decorations that commemorate a government-recognized holiday and do not include advertising are not regulated by this Part 7.
- A sign that is not readable from any public street or any exterior lot line is not regulated by this Part 7.
- Official Signs erected by the state, county, Borough or other legally constituted governmental body, or specifically authorized by Borough ordinance or resolution, which exist for public purposes, are not regulated by this Part 7.
- A required sign that only includes information required to be posted outdoors by a government agency or the Borough is not regulated by this Part 7.
- A right-of-way sign posted within the existing right-of-way of a public street and officially authorized by the Borough or PennDOT is not regulated by this Part 7.
- Changes (such as painting, repair or change in logo/message) to lawfully existing signs that do not increase sign area or make the sign noncompliant or more nonconforming do not require a new permit.
- PennDOT signs are permitted by right in all districts.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A zoning permit is required for all signs, except for signs meeting the requirements of § 703 and certain short-term window signs.
- No specific reference to a master sign plan or variance meeting requirement in the provided text.
- For institutional campus electronic graphic display signs, a certification from the sign manufacturer verifying compliance with automatic dimming technology must be submitted with the sign permit application.
- For institutional campus electronic graphic display signs, an operation test report certified by an electrical or professional engineer (as part of final inspection) must be submitted showing the sign complies with luminance requirements.

## 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 Fountain Hill Borough — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Fountain+Hill+Borough+PA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-fountain-hill-borough

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