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Sign Permits

Building Services issues sign permits for anyone looking to install or replace a sign. This includes: 

  • Ground signs 

  • Wall (facial) signs 

  • Projecting signs 

  • Mobile signs 

  • Canopy signs 

  • Directional signs 

  • Residential information signs 

  • Temporary signs 

  • Variable electronic signs 

  • Freestanding signs 

Learn more about sign compliance, with our Sign By-law. 

If they meet the Sign By-law requirements, no permit is needed for: 

  • Accessory signs (see Section 7.1) 

  • Incidental signs (ex. Employee and No Parking signs) (Section 7.7) 

  • Real estate advertising signs (Section 7.10.3) 

This new by-law replaces By-law 60-2015 and includes: 

  • Updated terminology 

  • Height for the new Freestanding signs in Highway Commercial has a graduated height based on the speed limit of the street. A property fronting on a 60km/h street (or slower) is allowed a 3.65m height restriction and an 80km/h street has a 6.0m height restriction 

  • Maximum number of signs allowed per business 

  • Ground signs (max 1.5m height) now permitted for mobile home parks, apartment buildings and cottage tourist parks 

  • Sets the parameters for Permitted Signs in specific zones as per the Town’s Zoning By-law 75-2006, as amended 

For Signs Installed on Buildings: 

  • Dimensioned elevation drawing of the building and proposed sign include size, area, height, sign location and letter height 

  • Installation and fastening details 

  • Weight of the sign if it's projecting 

 

For Ground Signs: 

  • Site plan showing property layout, building locations, and proposed sign placement (can be hand drawn, must be accurate and to scale) 

  • Detailed sign drawing with size, area, height, letter height 

  • Installation, structure, and footing details 

  • Weight of the sign if it's projecting 

 

The online building permit system, Cloudpermit allows you to apply and see the status of your application anywhere, at any time. It allows you to start an application and finish it later.  

Cloud permit also works as a communication tool allowing you to receive email updates on the status of your permit application.  

Need help getting started with Cloudpermit?  A step-by-step guide is available to help you login and submit your first application. 

If you are having difficulty using Cloudpermit, please contact the Building Department for assistance at building@saugeenshores.ca or 519-832-2008 ext. 118. You can also access support through Cloudpermit's online portal. 

Notwithstanding any other regulations in this by-law, the following signs are prohibited: 

  • Anything not expressly permitted by the Sign By-law is prohibited; 

  • Sign attached to a tree, fence or gate; 

  • Sign installed on traffic lights posts, utility poles, light poles, town signs or other Town infrastructure; 

  • A sign erected or painted on a vehicle (except a temporary sales trailer for new construction located on the site of the construction) where the vehicle is not used in weekly operation for transportation and is parked or located in a manner so as to make the sign visible from a street for the purpose of functioning as an identification, information or advertising sign; 

  • Signs displaying profanity, nudity, hate messages or other similarly offensive content 

  • Sign obstructing use of fire escape; 

  • Billboard signs; 

  • Inflatable portable signs; 

  • Poster signs save and except designated poster sign boards at an identified location by the Town;  

  • Third party signs; 

  • Flags not meeting the definition in Section 5.0 k); 

  • Roof signs;  

  • A sign which uses flashing illumination or is otherwise animated; 

  • Signs on road allowances unless otherwise specified within this By-law; and 

  • Signs painted directly onto the exterior of the building. 

 

 

The first step is to determine the property's zoning as per the Town of Saugeen Shores Zoning By-law. Once your property's zone is confirmed, we can determine your Sign Zone as per our Sign By-law. 

The sign zones related to their respective zoning by-law designation are listed below: 

Sign Zone A:  Agriculture (A) or Agricultural Commercial (AC) 

Sign Zone B: Business Park (BP), Extractive Industrial (EX), Light Industrial (LI) and Waste Disposal (WD). 

Sign Zone C: Highway Commercial (HC). 

Sign Zone D: Commercial Core (CC), Commercial Recreation (CR), Lifestyle Commercial (LC), Neighbourhood Commercial (NC), Office Residential (OR) or Resort Recreational (RR). 

Sign Zone E: Institutional (I). 

Sign Zone F: Open Space (OS). 

Sign Zone G: Residential (R1, R2, R3, R4) or Mobile Home Park (MHP). 

The next step is to determine what sign types are permitted for the property using the chart below .The regulations related to the respective signs listed in the chart can be found in our Sign By-law under Section 7. 

Ground, Fascia or Projecting Sign: $107 

Awnings and Marquees: $95.15 

You may qualify for a sign permit fee reduction if the land is located within downtown Port Elgin or downtown Southampton. Fees in these areas are 50 per cent of the required fee.  

Payment can be made at the Municipal Office or through Cloudpermit. See our methods of payment accepted. 

If the Sign By-law does not allow for the sign you want, you can apply for a sign variance. Our Committee of Adjustment considers and approves sign variance requests.

Sign Variances 

The Town’s Sign By-law 60-2015 (as amended) regulates signage while allowing businesses to identify their services. Signs should be designed to comply with the by-law. 

The variance process was created to address such things as; special circumstances that cannot be overcome, conditions applying to the land or building, pre-existing conditions not created by the owner or applicant. 

Requests based solely on improved visibility or business exposure “To provide better exposure” or “…so customers can find me” are not valid reasons for requesting a variance, such requests will not be supported. 

A sign variance may be considered if compliance is not possible due to unique site conditions or pre-existing situations not caused by the applicant. 

Complete the online sign variance application.

Upon receipt of completed application form and fee, Town staff will review the application and contact the applicant if additional information is required. Authority to approve or deny proposed variances has been delegated to the Committee of Adjustment. Once a Variance application is received, the request will be put on an available Committee of Adjustment agenda. If approved by the Committee, the applicant will be required to apply for a Sign Permit from the Building Department. If approval is not granted, the applicant may only apply for a permit for a sign that is permitted by the By-law.

An application fee is $381.89. Payment can be made at the Municipal Office or through Cloudpermit. See our methods of payment accepted. 

Contact Us

Town of Saugeen Shores
600 Tomlinson Drive, P.O. Box 820
Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0
Phone 519-832-2008
Toll Free 1-866-832-2008
Fax 519-832-2140