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Chelan County, WA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Under 100 sq ft face
12 sq ft of signage
100-200 sq ft face
Up to 20 sq ft, 10% cap
1,501-3,000 sq ft face
169 sq ft, single sign max 160
Over 3,000 sq ft face
214 sq ft, single sign max 160
Wall sign projection
Max 12 inches from wall

Summary

In unincorporated Chelan County, wall and window signs are measured together on each building face and sized off a sliding scale in Chelan County Code Section 11.92.060(1)(A): a building face under one hundred square feet is capped at twelve square feet of combined signage, rising toward larger caps and a ten-percent-of-face limit on bigger building faces.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Chelan County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

§ 11.92.060. Specific sign regulations. (1) All permitted signs shall comply with one of the following types of structural and/or construction-related requirements: (A) Wall and Window Signs. ... (iii) Each wall and/or window sign, calculated together for any single building face, shall not exceed the figures derived from the following schedule: Building Face Maximum Sign Surface Area Per Building Face Below 100 square feet Up to 12 square feet. 100 – 200 square feet Up to 20 square feet, not to exceed 10% of the building face. ... 1,501 – 3,000 square feet Up to 169 square feet, not to exceed 10% of the building face; and also provided, that no single sign shall exceed 160 square feet.

Full Breakdown

060(1)(A) of the Chelan County Code regulates wall signs and window signs as a single category, 'Wall and Window Signs,' calculated together for any single building face. A wall sign cannot project above the roofline and cannot stick out more than twelve inches from the wall; it has to mount parallel to the building face. The combined surface area of all wall and window signs on one building face is set by a schedule tied to the size of that face. A face under one hundred square feet is limited to twelve square feet of signage.

A face of one hundred to two hundred square feet can carry up to twenty square feet, but never more than ten percent of the face. The percentage cap climbs with the schedule through the mid-size tiers, and above fifteen hundred square feet of building face the allowance rises to one hundred sixty-nine square feet for faces up to three thousand square feet and two hundred fourteen square feet above that, but no single sign in either of those top two tiers can exceed one hundred sixty square feet by itself.

Because window signs count toward the same limit as wall signs, a storefront that already carries a large painted wall sign has less room left for window lettering or window-mounted advertising before it exceeds its building face's cap. 050.

Violations & Fines

A wall or window sign display that exceeds the schedule's square-footage or ten-percent-of-face cap in Section 11.92.060(1)(A) is not a lawfully permitted sign and becomes unlawful under Section 11.92.050(1), subjecting it to removal. Community Development can issue a notice and order under Chapter 16.06, and an owner who ignores it faces the civil-penalty schedule in Section 16.06.070, assessed per day the violation continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do window signs count separately from wall signs in unincorporated Chelan County?
No. Section 11.92.060(1)(A) calculates wall signs and window signs together for each building face, so the square footage used by window lettering or displays counts against the same combined limit as any painted or mounted wall sign on that face.
How big can my wall or window signage be on a small storefront?
If your building face is under one hundred square feet, Chelan County Code Section 11.92.060(1)(A) caps your combined wall and window signage at twelve square feet. Larger faces get more area on a sliding scale, but never more than ten percent of the face.
Is there a limit on a single sign even if my building face is large?
Yes. Once a building face passes fifteen hundred square feet, the schedule allows up to one hundred sixty-nine or two hundred fourteen square feet of combined signage, but no single wall or window sign in that tier can exceed one hundred sixty square feet by itself.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Chelan County

All Chelan County rules

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