City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

Home
Title 17C
Chapter 17C.240
Section 17C.240.140
 

Title 17C Land Use Standards

Chapter 17C.240 Signs

Section 17C.240.140 Sign Face Area

  1. Sign Cabinets.
    The area of sign faces enclosed in frames or cabinets is determined based on the outer dimensions of the frame or cabinet surrounding the sign face (See Figure 2).





     

  1. Backed Signs.
    Only one side of a backed sign is counted in determining the area of sign faces. Where the two sides are not of equal size, the larger of the two sides is used for the determination of sign area (See Figure 3).



 
 

  1. Multiple Cabinets.
    For freestanding and projecting signs that contain multiple cabinets on one structure and oriented in the same direction, the modules together are counted as one sign face (See Figure 4).

Figure 4
Multiple Cabinets

 

 

  1. Round Signs.
    The maximum surface area visible at one time of a round, three dimensional, or three or more sided sign is counted to determine sign area.

 
Background panel or surface. 
Sign copy mounted, affixed or painted on a background panel or surface distinctively painted, textured or constructed as a background for the sign copy, is measured as that area contained within the smallest rectangle, parallelogram, triangle, or circle that will enclose the sign copy and the background, as shown in Figure 5.


Figure 5

 

 

Individual letters or graphics.
Sign copy mounted as individual letters or graphics against a wall of a building or surface of another structure, that has not been painted, textured or otherwise altered to provide a distinctive background for the sign copy, is measured as the sum of the smallest square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle or circle that will enclose each word, sentence and complete message, and each graphic in the sign.

Figure 6


  1. Painted Wall Signs.
    Painted wall signs are measured as the sum of the smallest square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle or circle that will enclose each word, sentence and complete message, and each graphic in the sign.

  2. Awnings and Marquees.
    When signs are incorporated into awnings, the sign area is determined by computing the area of an imaginary rectangle drawn around the sign face. When the ends of awnings or marquees are parallel and contain sign faces, only one side is counted in addition to the sign face area on the front.

Date Passed: Monday, January 29, 2018

Effective Date: Saturday, March 17, 2018

ORD C35577 Section 12