Reading, PA Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Nameplate cap
- 1.5 sq ft, non-illuminated
- Alt. sign cap
- 3 sq ft
- Ground sign height
- 6 feet max
- Signs allowed
- One only
Summary
A home business in Reading gets one small identifying sign: a 1.5-square-foot non-illuminated nameplate, or a projecting/ground sign up to 3 square feet and six feet tall instead.
Signs for a home occupation shall be limited to one non-internally illuminated name plate. Such name plate shall not exceed 1.5 square feet in surface area and shall be a flat wall sign. Home occupations, including offices, are permitted to erect a projecting sign or ground sign, not to exceed three square feet in total surface area, in lieu of a wall sign. A ground sign shall have a maximum height of six feet.
(4) Each multiple-family dwelling property containing 10 or more dwelling units (including rental, condominium or cooperative apartments, or rental, condominium or cooperative townhouses) shall be limited to one identification sign not exceeding 32 square feet in total surface area (per side if double-faced). Such sign shall be either ground-mounted, extending not more than eight feet above grade, or a flat wall sign.
(5) New development signs. The following signs shall be permitted in conjunction with proposed new development involving more than 10 dwelling units or more than five business establishments:
(a) Signs announcing the subdivision and improvement of property, when located on the property to be improved, shall be single-faced, with a maximum surface area for each sign of 64 square feet. The maximum height of such development signs shall be eight feet.
(b) Development signs shall not be erected until zoning approval and subdivision approval, if required, have been given by the City. Such signs may
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Reading's residential-district zoning rules limit home occupation signage to a single sign. The default option is a flat wall-mounted nameplate that can't be internally illuminated and can't exceed 1.5 square feet. Home occupations, including home offices, can instead choose a projecting or ground sign in place of the wall nameplate, but that alternative tops out at three square feet, and a ground sign can't stand taller than six feet. Only one sign is allowed: homeowners don't get both the nameplate and the projecting or ground sign at the same time.
Violations & Fines
A home-based business posting more than one sign, an oversized sign, or an internally illuminated nameplate is a zoning violation, enforceable through the Zoning Administrator's code enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a home business have an illuminated sign?
Can I have both a nameplate and a ground sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reading
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