Fountain, CO Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Max window sign coverage
- 50% of window/door area
- Measured at
- ground-floor level
- Applies when
- sign visible beyond the lot line
- Priority
- overrides other sign-area caps if conflict
- Enforced by
- zoning administrator, § 17.02.050
Summary
Fountain limits how much of a storefront window a sign can cover. Fountain Municipal Code § 17.12.060(K) caps any sign displayed in a window and visible from outside the lot at 50 percent of the window or door area at ground-floor level, and that cap overrides the city's regular sign-area allowances whenever the two conflict.
K.Window signs.1.Maximum coverage. When a sign is displayed in a window and is visible beyond the boundaries of the lot upon which the sign is displayed, the total area of such sign shall not exceed 50 percent of the window or door area at the ground floor level. If this provision conflicts with the allowed primary or secondary sign size, this provision shall prevail.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
12, Fountain's sign code adopted by Ordinance No. 1742 on January 14, 2020. 050, the window-sign limit controls. 060(L), which allows small illuminated site signs of up to six square feet without counting them toward primary or secondary sign area, but even those must still comply with 'lighting and window coverage' requirements, meaning the 50 percent ground-floor cap reaches accessory glazing signage as well as the primary storefront sign. Because the standard is measured against the physical window or door opening rather than the wall panel around it, a business with large storefront glazing gets a larger allowance in absolute square feet than one with small punched windows, even though the percentage ceiling is identical citywide.
Violations & Fines
Fountain's zoning administrator enforces sign compliance under § 17.02.050 and can order the alteration or removal of any sign that violates Chapter 17.12, including an oversized window display. A violation is punishable under the Code's general penalty, § 1.12.010, by a fine of up to $2,650.00, imprisonment of up to one year, or both, and each day the oversized signage remains displayed counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with a sign in Fountain?
Does a product display in my window count as a sign?
What if the window sign limit conflicts with my allowed wall sign area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fountain
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