Franklin Township, Somerset County

Franklin Township Sign Company for Hamilton Street Shops and Business Parks

Gogi Signs makes storefront, projecting and awning signs for Hamilton Street and building and wayfinding signs for the office and warehouse parks across Franklin Township. We design to the township’s Hamilton Business District rules, prepare the zoning permit drawings and install with our own crew.

Projecting signs for walking streets

Double sided blade signs that people see from the sidewalk.

Two Different Franklins

Hamilton Street and the Business Parks Follow Different Rules

Franklin Township writes separate sign rules for the Hamilton Business District. The same business would get a different sign on Hamilton Street than in an office park a few miles away.

Hamilton Business District

Office and Industrial Parks

Main Sign
One wall sign per ground floor business, 1.2 square feet per foot of frontage, capped at 60 square feet.

Main Sign
Building identification and tenant signs sized to the zone, often with a monument at the drive.

Freestanding
Not permitted in the district.

Freestanding
Usually the main sign people see, with directional signs inside the site.

Placement
At least 8 feet above grade and no higher than the second story sill or 16 feet.

Placement
Readable from the access road and the parking field.

Extras
One projecting sign, awning valance lettering and window graphics up to 25% of each window.

Extras
Dock numbers, door signs, wayfinding and lobby directories.

Hamilton Street Storefronts

Three Signs That Work Together on Hamilton Street

A flat aluminum panel sign for a law firm, before installation.

Business Parks

Signs for Franklin's Offices and Warehouses

Away from Hamilton Street, the sign job is usually about finding the right door. A tenant in a multi building park needs its name at the entrance, its unit number where trucks and visitors can see it, and clear signs from the parking field to reception.

We make directories, door and suite signs, ADA signs, lobby walls and exterior panels, and we install them in one visit where we can.

Getting Approved

How a Franklin Township Sign Permit Works

A sign permit is a zoning permit application with plans. Projecting signs need a few extra details, and we include them from the start.

Measure

Frontage, the second floor sill height and the sidewalk clearance.

Plans

Location, size, illumination, colors and materials, plus the fastening and clearances for projecting signs.

Submit

The zoning permit application goes to the township with our drawings attached.

Install

Our licensed and insured crew installs and closes out the job.

Get a Quote

Tell Us About Your Franklin Location

Send the address and a photo. Tell us whether it is a Hamilton Street storefront or a unit in a business park, and we will come back with what the rules allow and a price.

What Franklin Township's sign ordinance allows

Franklin Township is in Somerset County. These are the rules from Franklin Township's own sign ordinance that most often shape what a business can put up.

Source: Township of Franklin Code, Chapter 112, Article XII.

Hamilton Business District wall signs

In the HBD, each ground-floor business with street frontage gets one wall sign of up to 1.2 square feet per linear foot of frontage, capped at 60 square feet, no wider than 75% of the frontage or 30 feet, and no taller than 5 feet. It must sit at least 8 feet above grade and no higher than the second-story sill or 16 feet.

§ 112-114A

HBD projecting signs

One projecting sign per ground-floor business: up to 8 square feet per face, no thicker than 9 inches, projecting no more than 6 feet and only over the sidewalk, with 8 feet of clearance below. Letters are capped at 18 inches.

§ 112-114D

HBD awning signs

Lettering is allowed only on the valance of a first-story awning, no taller than 14 inches, with letters up to 12 inches high covering no more than 60% of the awning's length. The awning is limited to two colors plus white.

§ 112-114E

No freestanding signs in the HBD

Freestanding signs are not permitted in the Hamilton Business District.

§ 112-114C

Window signs

No more than 25% of any window may be covered by signs.

§ 112-111B(1), 112-110B

Digital signs

Digital signage is limited to schools, fire houses, first aid squads, public libraries and government, on freestanding signs only, holding each message at least 15 minutes and dimming automatically to ambient light.

§ 112-111M

Banners

Banners need a permit. A grand-opening banner may stay up for one 30-day period; other banners for two 14-day periods a year, at up to 32 square feet and never illuminated.

§ 112-111G

Sandwich boards

Permitted in the Hamilton Street, Neighborhood and General Business districts at up to 5 square feet, within 4 feet of the entrance, leaving a 4-foot clear path, and taken in at close of business.

§ 112-111J

Abandoned signs

A sign must be removed within 30 days after the business stops operating or vacates.

§ 112-108C

Getting a sign permit in Franklin Township

Permits

§ 112-107

Ordinances are amended from time to time, and zone, overlay and lease requirements all apply on top of the figures above. We confirm the current requirements with Franklin Township for your specific property during the site survey, before anything is designed.

Sign services near Franklin Township

Frequently asked questions about signs in Franklin Township

How big can a business sign be in Franklin Township?

Do I need a permit for a sign in Franklin Township?

A sign permit is obtained by filing a zoning permit application with plans showing location, size, illumination method, colors and materials. Projecting signs must also show the fastening method, clearance above the curb and distance to the right-of-way. (§ 112-107.) We prepare the drawings and details the application asks for, and help you or your landlord file it.

What kinds of signs do you make for Franklin Township businesses?

Storefront and building signage, channel letters, illuminated cabinets, interior and ADA signage, wayfinding, window and wall graphics, and vehicle graphics. If you are not sure which suits the site, the survey usually settles it.

Can you replace just the face of an existing sign in Franklin Township?

Often yes, when the cabinet's structure, size, location and electrical condition are still sound. Replacing a face can still count as new signage under some ordinances, so we check whether the existing sign conforms before quoting a reface.

Do you work with landlords and property managers in Franklin Township?

Regularly. Lease sign criteria are often stricter than the town's rules, and both have to be cleared, so we read the criteria alongside the ordinance before a design is finalised.