The short answer
A story pole sign, also called a design review notice sign, is the printed board some California towns require on the project site while a development application is under review, usually for as long as the story poles are up. It tells neighbors what is proposed, when the hearing is and where to see the plans. Not every town requires one from the applicant (many post their own small notice), but where the rule exists it is specific about size, content and timing. Here are the rules we work with most.
Story Pole Sign Rules in Los Gatos
Los Gatos has the most detailed rule in our service area (Town of Los Gatos, Height Pole, Flagging, Netting, and Signage Policy, as of September 2026).
- Timing: installed within 30 days of the first staff review. Public notices are not mailed and the application is not advertised until the sign is up and a photo has been submitted.
- Single-family or duplex: one 2 x 2 foot sign on the street frontage, top five feet above existing grade, showing the hearing date and that plans are available at the Community Development Department. Single-family remodels do not need a rendering.
- Multi-family, mixed-use, commercial or industrial: one 4 x 8 foot sign on each frontage visible from a public right of way (including trails), top six feet above grade; more may be required for long frontages.
- Conditional use permit only: one 2 x 3 foot vertical sign on or inside a window, visible from outside.
- Content: up to 75 percent of the sign describes the project (units or square footage, a color rendering or photo simulation, the applicant's name and contact) and 25 percent is the public notice with the hearing date and time, the Town's required wording, the address, application number, applicant email and a QR code.
- Materials: foam core or plywood, laminated October through April, white background with black printing (downtown C-2 signs need a metal frame and plastic or laminated face).
- Placement: oriented to the street within one foot of the front property line or two feet of the back of sidewalk; one sign per street frontage except single-family (one sign) and CUP-only projects.
- Duration: removed within 30 days of the final action; missing or damaged signs replaced within five days of the Town's request.
Our Los Gatos page covers the sign alongside the Town’s pole and netting rules.
Site Notices in Los Altos, Sized to the Project Type
The City of Los Altos requires a notice posted on the project site for design reviews, under its Open Government Policy (City of Los Altos, Resolution 2017-33). The sign must be at least 11 x 17 inches with a graphic of the project for single-family design reviews. Multi-family, commercial and mixed-use design reviews need at least 4 x 6 feet with a graphic, and those projects also erect story poles 20 days before the first hearing. Details on our Los Altos page.
Towns that post their own notice
Many jurisdictions post the hearing notice at the site themselves and do not require an applicant sign in their story pole policies, Hillsborough, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Malibu, Burbank, Calabasas and Santa Barbara among them. Laguna Beach posts the notice at the project site and two other locations and mails it to owners within 300 feet and tenants within 100 feet (Laguna Beach page). Always check the current checklist; HOAs sometimes require a sign of their own.
Story pole project signs we produce
We design the sign to the town’s rule, proof the required notice text and the project information, print it in color or black and white on outdoor-coated vinyl, mount it on plywood and set it on posts at the required height and frontage during the same visit as the story pole installation. Sizes from 8.5 x 11 inches to 4 x 8 feet. Design and production take 3 to 5 business days. If the hearing is continued we reprint the date panel. Project signs.
Send the plan set, address and the town’s notice requirement to hello@AllAmericanStoryPoles.com, or call or text (650) 613-1721 (Northern California) or (310) 980-2543 (Southern California).
Frequently asked questions
Does every town require a project sign with story poles?
No. Los Gatos and Los Altos require applicant-posted signs tied to public notice; most other towns post their own hearing notice and do not require a sign in their story pole policies.
What size is a Los Gatos project identification sign?
2 x 2 feet for a single-family or duplex project, 4 x 8 feet per visible frontage for multi-family, mixed-use, commercial or industrial projects, and 2 x 3 feet for conditional-use-permit-only projects.
What has to be on the sign?
In Los Gatos the sign carries a project description with units or square footage, a rendering (except single-family remodels) and the applicant’s contact, plus the public notice with the hearing date and time, the Town’s required text, the address, application number, applicant email and a QR code.
How long does the sign stay up?
In Los Gatos from within 30 days of first staff review until 30 days after the final action. Elsewhere, for the duration of the story pole review as the town or HOA specifies.
Sign and noticing requirements are set by each city, town, county or review board and change from time to time. Details reflect published policies as of September 2026. Confirm current requirements with the planning department before your submittal.
