Opening day has a fixed date. Your sign permit does not. That gap is why so many new businesses open under a vinyl banner, and why the ones that plan their signs from the lease onward open with the real thing.
Gogi Signs plans, permits, builds and installs signs for new businesses across New Jersey and New York City from our shop in Linden. This guide gives you the plan we follow: what to check before you sign the lease, when each step happens, how to bridge the gap with temporary signs, and which signs you need on day one.
In this guide
The Signage Timeline
Your sign is often the first thing a new customer sees. A 2012 FedEx Office survey of 1,000 adults found that 76 percent had entered a store they had never visited because of its sign, 68 percent believed a sign reflects the quality of the business, and 52 percent were less willing to enter a store with misspelled or poorly made signs. Nearly 60 percent said a missing sign kept them from going in.
Lease to opening day, step by step
The International Sign Association notes that design, production and installation of a sign can take up to eight weeks, and permits come on top of that. In New Jersey, the construction office has 20 business days to decide on a complete permit application under the state review rule, and zoning approval comes first. We recommend starting the sign 10 to 12 weeks before you open whenever you can.
1. Check Sign Rights Before You Sign the Lease
Two sets of rules decide what sign you can have: your town’s ordinance and your landlord’s sign criteria. Both can limit size, location, lighting and the number of signs. Ask the landlord for the sign criteria document, and look up the sign rules for the zoning district. Then write your sign rights into the lease. The SBA’s guide to picking a business location reminds owners that zoning laws can restrict a business before it opens. Sign rules work the same way.
2. Know the Town Approvals That Come First
Before a New Jersey town looks at your sign, it usually wants to know your business is allowed at that address. Cherry Hill requires every business to get a zoning permit, which confirms the use is allowed. Jersey City lists zoning first, then open violations, then construction permits and inspections, before a certificate of occupancy. Hillsborough asks for zoning approval before a tenant fit out or certificate of occupancy application. Your sign permit usually follows the same zoning office, so start both early.
Plan the entrance with the signs, not after them
3. Budget for Signs Early
Signs belong in your startup budget next to rent, fixtures and inventory. The SBA’s startup cost guide is a good framework. Include the main sign, window graphics, door lettering, interior code signs, a grand opening banner and a little for upkeep. Our guide on how to budget for commercial signage walks through a full example, and our guide on how much a business sign costs gives published price ranges.
4. Get a Site Survey and Design
A site survey measures your wall, checks what it is made of, finds the power and plans the access. The design starts from those numbers and from the rules in step one. Our guide on working with a professional sign designer explains what to bring and how proofs work.
5. Landlord Approval, Then Town Permits
Send the approved proof to your landlord first. Most leases require written approval before anything is installed. Then file with the town. Landlord approval does not replace the town’s zoning approval or construction permit. Lit signs also need an electrical permit and an inspection. Our guide to avoiding permit delays covers what a complete application includes.
6. Bridge the Gap With Temporary Signs
If the permanent sign will not be ready, plan a temporary one. Printed window graphics usually need no permit and go up in a day. A grand opening banner often needs a permit and has a time limit. In New Jersey, Middlesex Borough allows a grand opening banner for up to 30 days, Glen Rock for up to three weeks and Flemington for up to 14 days. Our guide to temporary vs permanent signage covers the handover.
Window graphics usually need no permit and go up in a day
7. Plan the Signs You Need on Day One
Some signs bring customers in. Others are needed to pass inspection and keep customers safe. Plan both.
| Sign | Why you need it on day one | Rule or guide |
|---|---|---|
| Main storefront sign | Tells customers you are open and where the door is | Storefront sign guide |
| Address numbers | Delivery drivers and emergency crews need to find you | Maplewood requires numbers at least 4 inches tall, a common rule |
| ADA room signs | Restrooms and permanent rooms need tactile and Braille signs | ADA Standards |
| Exit signs | Required by the building code at exits | Exit sign rules |
| Hours and door lettering | Answers the first question at the door | Front door guide |
| Window graphics | Shows what you sell to people walking by | Window decals |
The ADA Standards require tactile signs for permanent rooms such as restrooms, mounted between 48 and 60 inches above the floor on the latch side of the door. Temporary signs posted for seven days or less are exempt. Our ADA signs page shows the options.
Hours and details belong on the door, not the main sign
Taking Over Another Tenant's Space
If you are moving into a space another business left, the old sign is part of your plan. Ask your landlord who removes it and who patches the wall, because that is often set in the old tenant’s lease. Check whether the old sign had a permit and whether its power is still live. Reusing an existing light box cabinet with a new face can save money and time, as long as the cabinet is sound and the size fits your brand. A new sign on the same spot still usually needs its own permit. Our guide on who removes old business signs covers the details.
Opening in New York City
The steps are the same, but the rules come from the city. According to the NYC Department of Buildings, a business sign needs a permit unless it is painted on the building or smaller than 6 square feet and not lit. Signs over 75 square feet or 25 pounds must be hung by a licensed sign hanger. Our sister shop covers the details in its guide to NYC storefront sign regulations.
Who Does What
| Who | What they handle | When |
|---|---|---|
| You | Lease terms, sign rights, budget, brand files, approvals | Before the lease and at each proof |
| Landlord | Sign criteria and written approval of the design | Before the permit filing |
| Sign company | Survey, design, permit drawings and paperwork help, fabrication, installation | From lease to opening week |
| Electrician | Power to the sign location during the fit out | Before the walls and ceilings close |
| Town | Zoning approval, construction and electrical permits, inspections | After landlord approval |
Most delays happen at the hand offs between these five, so agree on dates up front. At Gogi Signs we handle the survey, design, fabrication and installation and help with the permit paperwork, so you only need to manage the lease and the approvals.
Common Timeline Traps
- The landlord takes two weeks to answer. Send the proof the day you approve it.
- The permit comes back with questions. A complete application with drawings and the landlord letter avoids most of them.
- There is no power at the sign. Tell your electrician where the sign goes before the fit out ends.
- The inspection is booked late. Lit signs need an electrical inspection, so book it as soon as the sign is wired.
- The design changes after approval. A change after the permit is filed can mean filing again.
8. Review in Opening Week
Five checks in your first week open
Once you are open, look at your signs the way a new customer does. Drive past at the speed limit. Walk up from the parking lot. Check the sign after dark. Ask your first customers how they found you. Then fix what you missed while the installer is still close at hand.
What a Plan Saves You
Same opening, two outcomes
A plan costs nothing but a few hours early on. Without one, the same signs cost more and arrive later. Our guide to common business signage mistakes shows what usually goes wrong, and our guide to planning a complete business sign package lists every sign a business may need. If you will have a van or truck, Pixel Wraps, our sister graphics shop, can match it with vehicle lettering in the same colors.
Common Questions About Signage for a New Business
When should a new business order its sign?
As soon as the lease is signed, and ideally 10 to 12 weeks before opening. Design, landlord approval, zoning, the construction permit and fabrication all take time.
What signs does a new business need first?
The main storefront sign, address numbers, ADA signs for restrooms and permanent rooms, exit signs, and hours on the door. Window graphics and a grand opening banner come next.
Do I need landlord approval for my sign?
Usually yes, in writing, before anything is installed. Landlord approval is separate from the town zoning approval and construction permit, which you also need.
Can I open without a permanent sign?
Yes, with a temporary banner or window graphics, but banners often need a permit and have a time limit. In New Jersey, examples range from 14 to 30 days for a grand opening banner.
How much should a new business budget for signs?
It depends on the sign type and size. Our cost guides give published ranges. Include the main sign, window graphics, interior code signs, a banner and a little for upkeep.
What should I check after opening?
Drive and walk the approach, look at the sign at night, confirm your hours are on the door, and set a take down date for any banner.
Open on Time With the Right Signs
Send us your address, lease date and opening date, and we will check your sign rights, plan the permits, and build and install your signs in time for opening. One price covers survey, design, fabrication and installation. Request a free quote or book a site survey
Sources and further reading
- International Sign Association: working with a sign and graphics company
- New Jersey Administrative Code: permit application review time
- U.S. Small Business Administration: pick your business location
- Cherry Hill Township: business and zoning permit questions
- Jersey City: opening a business
- Hillsborough Township: commercial permit application guide
- U.S. Small Business Administration: calculate your startup costs
- Borough of Middlesex NJ: temporary banner permit
- Borough of Glen Rock NJ: sign ordinance
- Borough of Flemington NJ: sign requirements
- Township of Maplewood NJ: street address numbers
- Building Code Trainer: where exit signs must be located
- NYC Department of Buildings: business signs
