Nashville caps your building signs at 15% of the facade they\u2019re mounted on. Roof signs are banned, and oversized or unpermitted signs get cited and removed. Enter your wall size for a clear read before you build.
This checks on-premises building (wall) signs in Nashville commercial and industrial zoning districts. Ground/pole signs, billboards, and overlay districts (Downtown Code, Broadway Historic, Urban Design Overlays) route to a pro.
Width of the building wall your sign goes on.
Height of that wall face.
How Nashville sizes your sign
In Nashville's commercial and industrial districts, each building facade is limited to building signage of 15% of that facade's area (Metro Code 17.32.130). On top of that, you can transfer permitted ground-sign area onto your building signage — and Nashville adds a 20% bonus on whatever you transfer. Roof signs are prohibited, and the commercial attraction (CA) district has its own large caps (up to 900 sq ft per sign).
This tool figures your front-wall area from your dimensions, applies the 15%-of-facade rule, and tells you where your plan stands before you commit. Your ground-sign allowance comes from a separate frontage table (17.32.130D), so we flag when a pro should confirm the exact transfer math.
Questions owners ask
How is my allowance figured?
15% of the facade area (width × height) for building signs. You can also transfer ground-sign area onto the building, with a 20% bonus on the transferred amount — a pro confirms that figure from the frontage table.
Pole or monument (ground) sign?
Ground signs are sized from a separate lot-frontage table (17.32.130D) with its own height and setback rules, so they aren't computed here — we route those to a pro.
Digital / LED display?
LED message boards and digital displays are prohibited in many Nashville districts (17.32.050) and need a special exception in others. This screen covers static/illuminated wall signs.
Overlay or Downtown Code district?
The Downtown Code (17.37), Broadway Historic Preservation, and Urban Design Overlays set their own sign standards that override base zoning. If your address is in one, confirm with a pro.
Is this an official ruling?
No. It's a first-pass risk filter on the public code, not a permit or legal advice. Final dimensions are confirmed by the Metro Codes Department and a licensed sign contractor.
Cost, timeline & temporary banners
What does a Nashville sign permit cost?
Nashville requires both a zoning permit and a building permit for most signs, with fees set by the Metro Nashville permit fee schedule based on sign type, size, and valuation — the Codes Department calculates the exact total after review. Illuminated signs add electrical permit costs. One catch that trips owners up: if your business activity type changes (say food service to retail), you need a Use & Occupancy permit before the sign permit can be issued.
How long does approval take?
Straightforward sign applications commonly run 4–8 weeks from submission through the Metro Codes Department. Projects needing Urban Design Overlay or Historic Zoning Commission review add 30–60 days, and a sign anywhere near a public right-of-way can trigger a "Mandatory Referral" to Metro Council that adds several more weeks. The most common delay is a site plan that doesn't label property lines and easements.
Can I hang a "Grand Opening" banner first?
Banners count as temporary signs and need their own permit. In commercial districts the limit is one square foot of temporary signage per 10 feet of frontage, up to 32 sq ft max and 10 ft tall (Metro Code 17.32.060), and a temporary permit typically allows up to 30 consecutive days, three periods per year. Temporary signs can't be electrical, electronic, or mechanical — and can't sit in the public right-of-way.
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Code Ch. 17.32 (§17.32.060); Nashville.gov Codes Department (Sign Permit Process). Fees and timelines change — confirm current figures with the Metro Codes Department before filing.
Last inspected against the official code: June 2026 · monitored monthly