# Sign Regulations in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Balsam Lake, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/balsam-lake
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/14676822#14676822)

## At a glance

Balsam Lake, Wisconsin regulates 11 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Commercial and Industrial Areas (I, HC, RSC, VCC) zoning district are capped at 5 feet tall and 35 square feet, with a 5 feet for ground signs, 15 feet for pole-style ground signs setback (Sec. § 300-22C(3)). Most commercial signs in Balsam Lake require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial and Industrial Areas (I, HC, RSC, VCC) | 3 | 12 feet above the mean center-line street grade | 35 square feet | — |
| Residential Areas (VR, RD, WD) | 3 | 5 feet | 16 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 5 feet | 8 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Commercial and Industrial Areas (I, HC, RSC, VCC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 12 feet above the mean center-line street grade | — | — | — | — | Attached parallel to a wall, within six inches of the wall | — | § 300-22C(1) |
| Projected Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | One per business tenant | Affixed to a building or wall | — | § 300-22C(2) |
| Ground Sign | 5 feet | 35 square feet | — | 5 feet for ground signs, 15 feet for pole-style ground signs | One per business tenant | Freestanding, supported by structures or supports anchored in the ground | — | § 300-22C(3) |

### Residential Areas (VR, RD, WD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subdivision Identification Sign | 5 feet | 16 square feet | — | 5 feet | One per development entrance | Development entrance | — | § 300-22D(1) |
| Wall Sign (Residential Conditional Use) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One per use | On premises of commercial uses in residential districts | — | § 300-22D(2) |
| Temporary Sign | 5 feet | 6 square feet | — | Within the setback | One per street frontage | Within the setback | — | § 300-22D(3) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Board | — | 8 square feet | — | — | — | On premises of public, charitable or religious institutions | — | § 300-22B(2)(a) |
| Memorial Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Affixed flat against a structure | — | § 300-22B(2)(b) |
| Official Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Placed by or on behalf of any federal, state, county or Village government | — | § 300-22B(2)(c) |
| Incidental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On the zone lot on which it is located | — | § 300-22B(2)(d) |
| Temporary Nonilluminated Sign | 5 feet | 6 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | § 300-22B(2)(e) |

## Prohibited signs in Balsam Lake

- Portable signs.
- Roof signs.
- Revolving or moving signs.
- Beacons.
- Flashing and blinking signs.
- Stringed flags.
- Signs located in public rights-of-way.
- Signs or posters attached to trees, fences, utility poles, or other permanent supports.
- Unsafe or dangerous signs.
- Signs with fluorescent colors.
- Signs painted on walls or fences.
- Off-premises commercial advertising signs or billboards.
- Private signs on public property for more than three days.
- Signs must not mimic the shape, size, form or color of railroad or traffic signs.
- Signs must not obstruct or interfere with the effectiveness of railroad or traffic signs.
- No sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window or fire escape.
- No sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct or interfere with traffic visibility.

## Signs exempt from permit in Balsam Lake

- Bulletin boards for public, charitable or religious institutions that do not exceed eight square feet in area located on the premises.
- Memorial signs. Tablets, names of buildings and dates of erection are allowed when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of metal and affixed flat against a structure.
- Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information and notices placed by or on behalf of any federal, state, county or Village government.
- Incidental signs. A sign, generally informational, that has a purpose secondary to the use of the zone lot on which it is located, such as 'No Parking,' 'Entrance,' 'Loading Only' and other similar directives.
- Temporary, nonilluminated signs, including real estate sale, model home, open house, garage sale, thrift sale, auction/estate, and noncommercial signs such as political support and community event signs are allowed without a permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign may be located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, converted or structurally altered without a building permit.
- All proposed signs shall be reviewed by the Zoning Administrator and are subject to approval prior to placement.
- An application for a sign permit must be submitted to the Zoning Administrator at the Village Hall.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Balsam Lake, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Balsam+Lake+WI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-balsam-lake

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/balsam-lake