Not sure what you need? Call 866-436-2101 and we’ll help.
Start Building
Shop
Signs / Letters
Indoor / Outdoor Displays
Banners
Large Format
Your account
Cart Checkout TR@StorefrontSignOnline.comState guide
Ohio businesses can price custom LED channel letters online, have them built in Washington and California, and receive them ready for a licensed Ohio electrical contractor. Banners and window graphics are made in Renton, WA.
Last reviewed against the official sources linked on this page.
What we ship
Ohio licenses electrical contracting at the state level for commercial work. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) issues state licenses to electrical contractors who perform commercial work, and a storefront sign is commercial work. Individual electrician licensing, where it exists, is set by cities.
Columbus calls signs “graphics” and requires a graphics permit for each one, with a site plan, a dimensioned elevation and, for most contractors, drawings certified by an Ohio-licensed architect or engineer.
Built in Washington and California
Cleveland and Columbus both want the sign’s construction on paper: Cleveland asks how the frame, supports and anchorage are built, and Columbus wants certified drawings unless your contractor is registered with the city.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
Made in Renton, WA
Cleveland lists banners on the same supplemental sign form as wall and projecting signs, so a building banner there goes through the sign permit too.
Starting at $1.58 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $1.98 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $16 per item
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $269.50 per item
Popular choices
Lit letters for shopping centers and downtown blocks across the state.
Lit letters for suburban shopping centers in Ohio.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
A soft glow on brick downtown storefronts in Ohio.
Starting at $12.17 per inch
Who can install it
OCILB issues state licenses to electrical, HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing and hydronics contractors who perform commercial work. Its testing application asks for at least five years of experience in the trade, documented through permits, a journeyman card, an apprenticeship certificate or approved code education, or a registered professional engineer route.
The state doesn’t license individual journeyman electricians, but some cities do, and cities can add registration on top of the state license: Cleveland requires electrical contractors to be bonded, insured, licensed by the State of Ohio and registered with the City. Look up the contractor on Ohio’s eLicense site before you hire.
| Licensing agency | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Department of Commerce |
|---|---|
| Commercial work | OCILB electrical contractor license |
| Individual electricians | Licensed by some cities, not the state |
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Permits
Ohio cities issue sign permits under their own zoning codes, and building departments handle the structural and electrical side.
In Columbus, Building and Zoning Services issues a graphics permit for each sign, one graphic per application. The application needs a site plan showing the tenant and sign locations, property or right-of-way lines and setbacks, a dimensioned elevation rendering, a view of the existing sign and, where applicable, a certificate of appropriateness. Contractors registered with the city may cite the city’s structural standards; everyone else submits working drawings certified by an Ohio-licensed architect or engineer. Apply on paper or through Citizen Access.
In Cleveland, the Department of Building and Housing (601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 505) takes sign permits with the Ohio Building Code building application plus one supplemental sign application per sign. The form asks for the sign’s size, weight, materials and illumination, any projection over public property with the sidewalk width and height above the walk, the existing signs on the property, and how the frame, supports and anchorage are built. A new or repaired connection for an illuminated sign is covered by an electrical permit, and the Department routes plans to other City departments when they need to review them.
| Sign permit | Your city |
|---|---|
| Cleveland | Building and Housing: building application plus one supplemental form per sign |
| Cleveland lit signs | Electrical permit by a state-licensed, City-registered contractor |
| Columbus | Graphics permit from Building and Zoning Services |
| Columbus drawings | Ohio-licensed architect or engineer, unless a registered contractor |
New to sign permits? Read how sign permits work and what your electrician needs.
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Weather
Ohio winters bring snow, ice and freeze-thaw cycles, and spring storms bring high winds. Ask your installer to seal wall penetrations so water can’t freeze behind the letters.
How it works
Use the channel letter builder or send your logo.
Check it with your landlord and installer.
Letters in WA or CA; the rest in Renton, WA.
Standard shipping takes 3–6 business days in transit; 3-day, 2-day and overnight shipping are available at checkout. Shipping options.
With our wiring diagram and install pattern (overview). Permit checklist.
On every channel letter style (details).
We build and ship; a local pro installs. A licensed sign installer or electrician in Ohio mounts and connects your sign. We don’t have an office or installation crew in Ohio, and orders can’t be picked up.
Questions
We ship custom channel letters anywhere in Ohio, built in Washington and California and tested before they leave. We don’t install, so you’ll hire an OCILB-licensed electrical contractor to mount and connect it.
For commercial work, the contractor needs an OCILB electrical contractor license. Some cities also license individual electricians.
A graphics permit application for each sign, with a site plan, dimensioned elevation, a view of the existing sign and, unless your contractor is registered with the city, certified drawings.
An Ohio Building Code building application with one supplemental sign form per sign, filed with the Department of Building and Housing. The form asks for size, weight, lighting, any projection over the sidewalk and how the sign is anchored. The electrical connection needs its own permit from a City-registered contractor.
Standard shipping takes 3–6 business days in transit, with 3-day, 2-day and overnight options. Checkout shows the estimated date for each, including production.
Keep reading
Send a storefront photo, your logo and the size and lighting limits confirmed by your landlord or installer. We can suggest options and give you a price before you order.
