Coverage · Waco, TX

Waco, Texas sign rules

295 confirmed rules from the City of Waco's sign code for 8 sign types, each quoted word for word with its code section and a link to the official source. Last checked Nov 14, 2026.

What the confirmed rules cover

Wall sign rules in Waco

Allowed. 37 confirmed rules: maximum area, maximum height, number allowed, minimum spacing, illumination, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Example: Maximum area, O District10%“The cumulative size of signs may not exceed ten percent of the wall area.”Sec. 28-1093(c)(2) · View source · last checked Nov 14, 2026

All wall sign figures for an address

Channel letters rules in Waco

Allowed. 37 confirmed rules: maximum area, maximum height, number allowed, minimum spacing, illumination, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Example: Maximum area, O District10%“The cumulative size of signs may not exceed ten percent of the wall area.”Sec. 28-1093(c)(2) · View source · last checked Nov 14, 2026

All channel letters figures for an address

Monument sign rules in Waco

Allowed. 48 confirmed rules: maximum area, maximum height, number allowed, minimum setback, minimum spacing, illumination, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Example: Maximum area, O District20 sq ftApplies to: Additional sign for each separate building“One additional sign will be allowed per premises for each separate building not exceeding 20 square feet for each separate building”Sec. 28-1092(c)(1) · View source · last checked Nov 14, 2026

Monument and pole signs share one set of rules. Waco's code regulates detached on-premises signs (Sec. 28-1092) without separate monument and pole rules; size and height depend on the street the premises fronts (interstate, arterial or other), which the city decides.
Frontage ratio printed unclearly. Sec. 28-1092(d)(2)a. prints the frontage ratio for detached signs on primary arterials and freeways in a form whose meaning is unclear, so only its cap is shown. Ask Inspection Services how they apply the ratio.

All monument sign figures for an address

Pole or pylon sign rules in Waco

Allowed. 49 confirmed rules: maximum area, maximum height, number allowed, minimum setback, minimum spacing, illumination, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Monument and pole signs share one set of rules. Waco's code regulates detached on-premises signs (Sec. 28-1092) without separate monument and pole rules; size and height depend on the street the premises fronts (interstate, arterial or other), which the city decides.
Frontage ratio printed unclearly. Sec. 28-1092(d)(2)a. prints the frontage ratio for detached signs on primary arterials and freeways in a form whose meaning is unclear, so only its cap is shown. Ask Inspection Services how they apply the ratio.

All pole or pylon sign figures for an address

Blade or projecting sign rules in Waco

Allowed, with conditions. 32 confirmed rules: maximum area, number allowed, minimum spacing, illumination, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Example: Maximum area, O District10%Applies to: Cumulative size of attached signs“The cumulative size of signs may not exceed ten percent of the wall area.”Sec. 28-1093(c)(2) · View source · last checked Nov 14, 2026

All blade or projecting sign figures for an address

Awning or canopy sign rules in Waco

30 confirmed rules: maximum area, number allowed, minimum spacing, illumination, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Example: Maximum area, C and M10%“Such sign shall not exceed 10 percent of each canopy face area.”Sec. 28-1093(d)(4) · View source · last checked Nov 14, 2026

All awning or canopy sign figures for an address

Electronic message sign rules in Waco

41 confirmed rules: minimum spacing, illumination, electronic message limits, permit fee, submit with the application, other limit.

Example: Permit fee$15“Additional Technology Fee - Signs $15”Waco Inspection Services Permit Fee Schedules, Signs & Outdoor Advertising Structures, Permit Fee Schedules, Signs & Outdoor Advertising Structures: Additional · View source · last checked Nov 14, 2026

All electronic message sign figures for an address

42 more lines could not be confirmed by our automatic checks, so no figures are shown for them. A lookup lists them with the section to check.

Before you file in Waco

Zoning map data may be out of dateThe zoning layer used for this lookup was last updated in August 2024. Rezonings since then (including the new F-1 Downtown Form-Based Code District) are not shown; confirm the district on the city's map or with Planning Services.
Overlay and special districts are not detectedDowntown, Brazos River Corridor, Riverway, West End, La Salle Avenue, university and neighborhood conservation overlays can add to or replace these rules (Sec. 28-1042). This lookup cannot tell whether an address is in one; check the city's overlay maps. Source
Form-based code districts follow their own sign rulesOrd. 2026-693 (adopted 6 Oct 2026, not yet in the online code) added to Sec. 28-1042 that signs in form-based code districts are governed by that district's adopted form-based code document (F-1 Waco Downtown Form-Based Code District, Sec. 28-880.102). Ord. 2026-485 (4 Aug 2026) added a sign plan to the Riverway Overlay District design book (Article IV, Division 31).
Sign permit feeFees come from the Inspection Services fee schedule page, which shows no fiscal year or adoption date; an electrical fee may apply to illuminated signs. Confirm the current fee with Inspection Services. Source

Official sources

Permits: The City of Waco sign permit office, 254-750-5612. Zoning districts: Waco zoning map.

Not legal advice. The city has the final say. Planned developments, master sign plans and special sign districts can override the general sign code. Check the linked section before you file.

Rules are extracted from official city documents by AI and checked automatically, not reviewed by a person. How the checks work

All covered Texas cities and towns