Can you put up your own sign on a leased flex space?

Yes, you can put your business name on a leased flex space once your landlord approves the sign under the lease and the city issues a sign permit. The lease sets where the sign goes, how big it gets, and whether it lights up. Around Rockwall, the city permit applies even on land outside city limits.

If you are moving out of a garage, the costly first mistake is paying a sign shop before anyone approves the drawing.

Who decides what sign you can put on a flex unit?

Your landlord approves the sign first and the city permits it second. The landlord owns the wall, so the park's sign criteria set the sign band, letter height, lighting, and mounting, and Rockwall's permit application asks for written proof of that approval.

Do you need a city permit to put up a sign?

Yes, a new, replaced, altered, or relocated sign needs a city permit in both Rockwall and McKinney. Rockwall charges $75 per permit, doubles it if the sign goes up first, and requires a city-licensed sign contractor (City of Rockwall sign ordinance, Chapter 32). Changing the copy on an existing sign needs no permit.

Does a flex park outside city limits still need a sign permit?

A park in Rockwall's extraterritorial jurisdiction still needs one, because the city has extended its sign ordinance onto that land. Texas Local Government Code Section 216.902 allows it, and Rockwall's Section 32-4(b) applies its permit, fee, contractor licensing, and variance rules and its ban on off-premises signs across the ETJ. The same parcel has no city zoning map, covered in what ETJ status means for a flex lease, and usually no city occupancy permit, covered in certificates of occupancy for flex space.

The wall sign size limit is not on that ETJ list. Inside city limits it allows up to 10 percent of the storefront face or 60 square feet, whichever is greater, within the district standards table, so ask the sign inspector which standard applies before the fabricator cuts anything.

How does the sign process differ at ScaleUp's Rockwall and McKinney parks?

The two parks sit on opposite sides of a city line, so their permit routes differ.

	Rockwall Flex Park	McKinney Flex Park
City status	Rockwall's ETJ, outside city limits	Inside McKinney city limits
Permit issued by	City of Rockwall sign inspector	City of McKinney Building Inspections
How you apply	Application with scaled drawings and a site plan	Online through the city's Self Service Portal
Permit fee	$75, doubled if installed first	Set by the city fee schedule
Frontage	Goliad Street, showroom glass on two buildings	About 20,000 SF of retail and showroom on McDonald Street

McKinney also requires monument signs framed in masonry that matches or complements the building, and limits temporary banners to 30-day periods, four times a year (McKinney sign permit submittal guidelines).

What do ScaleUp's units give you to put a sign on?

Each ScaleUp unit comes with unit signage and a panel on the park's monument sign. At Rockwall the 3,000 SF showroom units on Buildings A and E face glass toward Goliad Street, where a lit sign works on daily traffic, while a 1,500 SF contractor bay mostly needs crews to find the right 12x12 door. Our sign criteria allow [[CONFIRM: ScaleUp sign criteria, sign band size and whether illuminated channel letters are permitted]], and the Rockwall monument sign carries [[CONFIRM: number of tenant panels on the Rockwall monument sign and who pays for the panel insert]].

Who pays for the sign, and who removes it when you leave?

The tenant pays for the sign from the first drawing to its removal, including patching the facade at move-out. Rockwall holds the property owner and the sign owner jointly responsible for upkeep. Letters mounted on a raceway leave far fewer anchor holes to fill than letters bolted to the wall one at a time.

What should you get in writing before you sign the lease?

Get five sign terms into the lease or an exhibit to it.

• The park's sign criteria: sign band, letter height, lighting
• Your monument panel, and who pays for the insert
• A set number of days for the landlord to approve your drawing
• Which city issues the permit, even outside city limits
• The removal and facade repair standard at move-out

Signage is also item seven on our flex space lease checklist.

FAQ

Can a tenant put up a sign on a leased flex space?

Yes, once the landlord approves it under the lease and the city issues a sign permit. The park's sign criteria set the location, size, and lighting.

Do you need a sign permit if the flex park is outside city limits in Texas?

It depends on the city, and around Rockwall the answer is yes. Texas Local Government Code Section 216.902 lets a city extend its sign rules into its extraterritorial jurisdiction, and Rockwall applies its permit, fee, and contractor licensing rules there.

Who pays for a tenant's sign in a commercial lease?

The tenant pays for design, fabrication, permitting, electrical, installation, and usually removal and facade repair at lease end. A shared monument sign is typically built by the landlord, with each tenant's panel charged directly or through common area charges.