H112 Projecting Signs — 2025 California Building Code

Projecting signs shall be constructed entirely of metal or other noncombustible material and securely attached to a building or structure by metal supports such as bolts, anchors, supports, chains, guys or steel rods. Staples or nails shall not be used to secure any projecting sign to any building or structure. The dead load of projecting signs not parallel to the building or structure and the load due to wind pressure shall be supported with chains, guys or steel rods having net cross-sectional dimension of not less than 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) diameter. Such supports shall be erected or maintained at an angle of not less than 45 percent (0.78 rad) with the horizontal to resist the dead load and at angle of 45 percent (0.78 rad) or more with the face of the sign to resist the specified wind pressure. If such projecting sign exceeds 30 square feet (2.8 m [2] ) in one facial area, there shall be provided not fewer than two such supports on each side not more than 8 feet (2438 mm) apart to resist the wind pressure.

Supports shall be secured to a bolt or expansion screw that will develop the strength of the supporting chains, guys or steel rods, with a minimum 5/8-inch (15.9 mm) bolt or lag screw, by an expansion shield. Turnbuckles shall be placed in chains, guys or steel rods supporting projecting signs.

Chains, cables, guys or steel rods used to support the live or dead load of projecting signs are permitted to be fastened to solid masonry walls with expansion bolts or by machine screws in iron supports, but such supports shall not be attached to an unbraced parapet wall. Where the supports must be fastened to walls made of wood, the supporting anchor bolts must go through the wall and be plated or fastened on the inside in a secure manner.

A projecting sign shall not be erected on the wall of any building so as to project above the roof or cornice wall or, on buildings without a cornice wall, above the roof level except that a sign erected at a right angle to the building, the horizontal width of which sign is perpendicular to such a wall and does not exceed 18 inches (457 mm), is permitted to be erected to a height not exceeding 2 feet (610 mm) above the roof or cornice wall or above the roof level where there is no cornice wall. A sign attached to a corner of a building and parallel to the vertical line of such corner shall be deemed to be erected at a right angle to the building wall.

Projecting sign structures that will be used to support an individual on a ladder or other servicing device, whether or not specifically designed for the servicing device, shall be capable of supporting the anticipated additional load, but not less than a 100-pound (445 N) concentrated horizontal load and a 300-pound (1334 N) concentrated vertical load applied at the point of assumed or most eccentric loading. The building component to which the projecting sign is attached shall be designed to support the additional loads.