Best Deal planning guides
Design, landlord approval and the city permit
Know the steps before you promise an opening date.
Start with the address
The address tells us which city reviews the sign. The property’s sign rules, what your landlord asks for, the building and the sign you want all shape the next steps.
Two approvals, two different things
Landlord approval and the city permit are two different things. Some jobs also need structural or electrical drawings. An old sign in the same spot does not mean the new one is approved.
What the City of San Diego says
The City of San Diego publishes which signs need a permit, which do not, and which need an extra review. Check the current city page for your kind of sign, or ask us. Other cities have their own rules.
Set the dates once the scope is clear
Design changes, decisions from you or your landlord, comments from the city, materials and access for the install can all move the dates. Build time in the shop is only one part of the job.
Source: City of San Diego. Reviewed September 16, 2026. Official sign permit guidance
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