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Sign company in Cary, NC
Cary has some of the most detailed sign rules in the Triangle. We design your sign to fit them from the first sketch, then handle the permit and the install.
Before a sign goes up in Cary
- Every permanent wall, awning and ground sign needs a Town permit
- Office parks and shopping centers need a Master Sign Plan
- Principal ground signs top out at 54 inches tall
- New plastic cabinet signs are not allowed
- New tenants need a change of tenant permit before a sign permit is issued
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- Locally owned since 2009
- Permits handled for you
- Serving the whole Triangle
Signs that pass review the first time
Cary reviews every sign against Chapter 9 of its Land Development Ordinance, and planned developments and multi-tenant sites add a Master Sign Plan on top of that. Those plans can set your letter style, colors, sizes and where on the building the sign goes. A design that ignores them gets sent back, and every resubmittal starts a new review.
We look up your site's sign plan before we draw anything, so the mockup you approve is one the Town can approve too. That matters in Cary's office parks, medical buildings and shopping centers, where the rules are set by the development as well as the Town. It also keeps you from paying for a sign the Town would turn down.
Cary also limits some sign types outright, and its rules get specific about details like logo size and the number of colors. Checking those early is faster than redesigning a sign after the Town's first review.
Signs that suit Cary properties
Cary's rules favor low ground signs and individual letters over boxy lit cabinets, so these are the signs we build most often here.
Monument signs
Cary caps principal ground signs at 54 inches and wants them to match the building's materials. A well-proportioned monument fits that rule and still reads from the road.
Dimensional letters
Individual letters in aluminum, acrylic or PVC. A clean way to put your name on a wall when a cabinet sign is off the table.
Channel letters
Lit letters for shopping center storefronts, sized and colored to match the center sign plan.
Post and panel signs
A lower cost ground sign for small offices and service businesses on a single lot.
Lobby signs
Interior signs do not go through the exterior sign permit, so your lobby can carry your full brand.
Recent work around the Triangle
A sample of monuments, letters and lobby signs we have built for offices, medical practices and shops.
SapiensOval monument sign
Glenn Lewis / Erie InsuranceStone column monument with two panels
SwarovskiStorefront letters in mall
AG&MInterior dimensional wall letters
Carolina Elite Women's CareAcrylic lobby sign
CopperleafLit lobby sign on water feature
Glenn Lewis InsuranceLobby wall sign on stone
Bingham's RestaurantCarved post and panel sign
Allen Aesthetic SurgeryMonument sign in landscaping
Boardroom SalonCorner storefront wall signs
Maplewood Family DentalLit dimensional logo on building
How a Cary sign project runs
Find the sign plan
We look up your property's Master Sign Plan on the Town map and read it alongside the ordinance.
Design to the rules
Your mockup uses the allowed sizes, colors and placement, so there are no surprises at review.
Build the permit package
Color drawings with dimensions and PMS colors, owner approval, and electrical drawings if the sign is lit.
Build
We fabricate once the permit is approved, not before.
Install and inspect
We install the sign and schedule any inspections the permit calls for.
Cary sign questions
Do I need a permit for a sign in Cary?
Yes. The Town of Cary requires a permit for every permanent sign mounted on an outside wall or awning or set in the ground, and for some temporary signs. Applications go through the Town's online plan review portal, and the Town says each review cycle takes about 7 to 10 business days. Incomplete packages are declined, so we send a complete one.
What is a Master Sign Plan?
Planned developments and multi-tenant sites in Cary, such as office parks and shopping centers, have a Master Sign Plan (older ones are called Uniform Sign Plans). It adds rules on top of the Town ordinance. If your space is in one, your sign has to meet both.
Can I put up a lit box sign in Cary?
Not a new one. Cary does not permit new plastic cabinet style signs. Face replacements on existing cabinet signs may be allowed with a permit. Channel letters, halo-lit letters and lit monuments are the usual alternatives.
How tall can a ground sign be in Cary?
A principal ground sign can be up to 54 inches tall. Once it goes over 42 inches, the Town requires landscaping around it: one square foot of planting for each square foot of sign, at least half of it evergreen.
I just leased a space. Can I order my sign now?
You can start the design. Before Cary issues a sign permit, a new tenant needs a change of tenant permit, and the Town suggests applying before you sign the lease. Getting that started early keeps your sign from waiting on it.
What areas do you serve?
We're based in North Raleigh and work across the Triangle, including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Holly Springs, Garner, Morrisville and Fuquay-Varina.
Get a free sign quote for your Cary location
Tell us what you need and where it goes. Carlo will get back to you with questions or a price.
- Free quote, no obligation
- We handle the permit
- Design, build and install in one shop
Rather talk it through?
Call 919-696-0353