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Cart Checkout TR@StorefrontSignOnline.comState guide
Virginia businesses can price custom LED channel letters online, have them built in Washington and California, and receive them ready for a DPOR-licensed Virginia contractor. Banners and window graphics are printed in Renton, WA.
Last reviewed against the official sources linked on this page.
What we ship
Virginia’s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) licenses both the company and the people. The Board for Contractors sorts companies into Class A, B or C by contract size, and a company with the Electrical (ELE) specialty must have a master electrician, licensed through the board’s tradesman program, as its qualifier.
Sign permits are local. Virginia Beach routes them through its zoning administrator, and in Richmond’s Old and Historic Districts a new sign also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, with internally lit signs discouraged.
Built in Washington and California
Richmond’s Old and Historic District guidelines say signs should not be internally illuminated, so letters there are usually unlit or lit from outside; ask Commission staff before ordering.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $1.58 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
In Richmond’s historic districts, permanent window signs should use no more than 20 percent of the glass, and temporary ones up to 30 days no more than 15 percent.
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 from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads.
Bright letters for suburban shopping centers.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
A polished halo look for offices and clinics in Virginia.
Starting at $15.75 per inch
Window graphics that keep the view out in Virginia.
Starting at $1.98 per ft2
Who can install it
The Board for Contractors licenses companies by class, and the class caps the work a company may take on. Under Va. Code § 54.1-1100, a Class C contractor handles single jobs over $1,000 and under $30,000, a Class B contractor jobs from $30,000 to under $150,000, and a Class A contractor jobs of $150,000 or more, each with an annual total limit as well.
The specialty decides the kind of work. Under 18VAC50-22-61, an Electrical (ELE) contractor’s designated employee or qualifier must hold a master electrician tradesman license issued by the board; there is no separate sign specialty for lit signs. Look up both the company and its master electrician on DPOR’s License Lookup before work starts.
| Licensing agency | Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors |
|---|---|
| Class C | Single jobs over $1,000 and under $30,000 |
| Class B | Single jobs from $30,000 to under $150,000 |
| Class A | Single jobs of $150,000 or more |
| ELE specialty | Qualified by a licensed master electrician |
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Permits
Virginia’s independent cities and its counties each adopt their own sign ordinances, while the structure and wiring are checked against the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC).
In Virginia Beach, most new or replacement signs need a permit approved by the zoning administrator. You may need to submit plans and diagrams so the sign can be checked against the city’s sign ordinance and the USBC. Applications are filed online, fees are set in section 8-31 of the City Code, and the city says decisions are generally made within 30 days of a complete application.
In Richmond, sign permits are reviewed by Zoning Administration. If the storefront is in one of the city’s Old and Historic Districts, City Code 30-930.6 also requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Commission of Architectural Review before new signs go up; staff can approve one administratively when the sign meets the Commission’s signage standards.
| Sign permit | Your city or county |
|---|---|
| Building code | Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Virginia Beach | Zoning administrator; decisions generally within 30 days |
| Richmond | Zoning Administration, plus CAR review in Old and Historic Districts |
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.
Windows
Richmond’s design guidelines for Old and Historic Districts limit permanent window signs to 20 percent of the total glass, and temporary window signs, up for 30 days or less, to 15 percent. Banners there are reviewed for shape, materials and colors too. Outside the historic districts, window graphics follow the regular zoning rules for your address.
Weather
Hampton Roads storefronts face salt spray off the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, plus hurricane and nor’easter winds, while the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia see more snow and ice. On the coast, ask your installer for stainless or coated mounting hardware.
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 Virginia mounts and connects your sign. We don’t have an office or installation crew in Virginia, and orders can’t be picked up.
Questions
We ship custom channel letters anywhere in Virginia, built in Washington and California and tested before they ship. We don’t install, so you’ll hire a DPOR-licensed electrical contractor to mount and connect them.
The company needs a Board for Contractors license (Class A, B or C, depending on the job size) with the Electrical (ELE) specialty, and that specialty must be qualified by an employee holding a master electrician tradesman license from the board.
Ask first. Richmond’s Old and Historic District standards say signs should not be internally illuminated, and LED or plasma display signs won’t be approved. Unlit or externally lit letters fit the guidelines, and every new sign there needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
The city says decisions are generally made within 30 days of a complete application. The zoning administrator may ask for plans and diagrams to check the sign against the sign ordinance and the Uniform Statewide Building Code. Fees are set in section 8-31 of the City Code, and applications are filed online.
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.
