Verify what the Fee Gap study does—and does not—claim.
This companion page records the Path A amendments, exact frozen height band, complete 20-city ledger, amount labels, evidence dates and release controls behind RC-3.1.
Current status: The Study page, Verification page and approved supporting files were published together on the website channel. Media outreach, press-release distribution and social promotion remain on hold pending separate owner approval.
The publication claim ledger
Supported by RC-3
- Twenty cities were reviewed under the same 32-sq-ft, 40-lb storefront-sign scenario.
- Seven dated public-record conditions remain documented.
- Charlotte’s FY2027 Residential schedule publishes a $240 Tier 3 Sign fee, with commercial-case applicability and additional-routing caveats.
- Chicago supports a $250 published/observed standard, with the enacted-footnote tension disclosed.
- Philadelphia supports a $525.50 fixed scenario calculation.
- San Diego supports a $1,543.11 dated published fee stack, with the additional-hourly-fee caveat.
- Phoenix supports a $293 minimum; Austin supports a no-permit result.
Not supported—and not used
- A 20-city fee ranking, national price range or comparison ratio.
- NYC $165 as a permit total.
- Any all-in San José amount.
- The withdrawn RC-2 estimates for San Francisco and Nashville.
- Charlotte $240 or Chicago $250 as a guaranteed all-in project total.
- Austin as $0 or Phoenix as a fixed low endpoint.
- Blind or independent-replication claims, city-failure language or policy-intent claims.
- Any expert quote without written approval.
The two dated amendments
Charlotte · $240
The City’s FY2027 Residential Zoning Fee Schedule lists “Sign” in Zoning Use Permit Tier 3 at $240, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. RC-3 publishes that fee row. Because the locked project is a commercial storefront and its 1/4-inch by 1.5-inch anchors remain outside the captured prescriptive standard, schedule applicability, alternate-method or County routing, and additional fees remain unresolved.
Archive capture: 2026-08-19T05:21:44Z
Fresh official capture: 2026-08-27
Capture SHA-256: 2489bbacc9015c387dfb4562a40a47bfdaadc040e857d90c24096d3551f7e0f3
Chicago · $250
The current code host publishes $50 per face for a sign under 50 square feet and $200 for an on-premises sign application. Captured 2026 permit data repeatedly show $250, including a non-illuminated 4×8 wall sign. RC-3 publishes $250 as a dated published/observed standard.
Table 14A-12-1204.2 footnote c still states that the sign-row fee is assessed in addition to the factor-based permit calculation. The captured enacted ordinance identifies a $602 non-temporary minimum in that factor table. RC-3 discloses this tension and does not describe $250 as all-in.
Status for all 20 cities
Population order follows the frozen Vintage 2025 incorporated-place frame. A dollar amount is public only where RC-3.1 supports both the number and its character.
| Rank | City | RC-3.1 status | Evidence-backed treatment | Access / capture date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | The $165 records-management fee is one verified component. The separate sign-filing formula and the study-window code-path record do not support one all-in total. The study-window prior-code election remains part of the dated record; its enacted repeal takes effect July 17, 2027. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive; official pages accessed 2026-08-26 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | The dated calculator capture and state/code materials produced a documented official-source conflict. RC-3 preserves the dated observation and withholds both a defect allegation and a fixed total. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 3 | Chicago | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | The sign row publishes $50 per face and zoning publishes $200 for an on-premises sign; 2026 permit records repeatedly report $250, including a 32-sq-ft non-illuminated wall sign. Footnote c still points to an additional factor-based permit calculation. | Archive captured 2026-08-20; official code accessed 2026-08-27 |
| 4 | Houston | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 5 | Phoenix | PUBLISHED MINIMUM | The retained official schedule supports a $293 minimum. Additional review time can increase the charge. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 6 | Philadelphia | FIXED SCENARIO CALCULATION | The retained receipts support $253 zoning + $253 building + $3 City surcharge + $4.50 State surcharge + $12 record retention for three frozen 24×36 plan sheets. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 7 | San Antonio | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 8 | San Diego | PUBLISHED FEE STACK | The retained receipts support $793.95 plan check + $737 General Plan Maintenance + $12.16 mapping for one non-electric wall sign. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 9 | Dallas | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 10 | Fort Worth | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 11 | Jacksonville | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 12 | Austin | NO PERMIT | The captured exemption applies to the locked scenario. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 13 | San José | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | The retained official record contains Planning and Building sign charges, but Building amounts function as staff-time-or-table floors and the exact Planning-plus-Building stack remains unproven. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 14 | Charlotte | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | The FY2027 Residential Zoning Fee Schedule publishes a $240 Tier 3 Sign row. Because the locked case is a commercial storefront and its anchorage remains outside the captured prescriptive standard, schedule applicability, alternate-method or County routing, and any additional fees remain unresolved. | Archived 2026-08-19T05:21:44Z; fresh official capture 2026-08-27 |
| 15 | Columbus | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 16 | Indianapolis balance | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 17 | San Francisco | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | Current fixed lines were captured, but the operative Planning rate and other mandatory current components were not resolved from official records for the study window. | 2026-08-20 remediation archive |
| 18 | Seattle | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 19 | Denver | EXCLUDED | The preserved record did not meet the frozen evidence threshold for a quantitative or documented-condition claim. | 2026-08-21 frozen archive |
| 20 | Nashville–Davidson balance | DOCUMENTED CONDITION | Performance-based attachment review remains project-specific, and the legally required July 1 adjusted rate was not located in the reviewed official record. | 2026-08-20 remediation archive |
The locked comparison scenario
RC-3.1 restores the frozen 40-pound maximum and exact mounting band. No physical or transaction fact changes.
Excluded from the scenario: illumination and electrical work, historic or special overlays, variances, right-of-way use, new structural framing, unrelated construction, penalties, reinspection, expedited service, professional fees and contractor costs.
The seven documented conditions
These are conditions in the preserved, dated public record—not declarations that a city failed.
Component and code-path record
$165 is one records-management component; no fixed total is published.
Dated official-source conflict
The archived observation remains; the defect claim and total are withheld.
Published/observed standard plus tension
$250 is published with the footnote/cross-reference tension disclosed.
Floors and unproven stack
Planning and Building sign figures exist, but one all-in amount is unsupported.
Fee row plus applicability caveat
The Residential schedule publishes $240; applicability to the locked commercial case and additional routing remain unresolved.
Operative current amount unresolved
RC-2's estimate is withdrawn; no amount is published.
Project-specific path and rate vintage
RC-2's estimate is withdrawn; no amount is published.
How the record was tested
One scenario
The geography, physical project and charge boundary were fixed before city coding.
Official records
Sources, captures, components, exclusions and unresolved items were retained city by city.
Informed review
Later reviewers saw the first-pass record and tested it against official sources. This was not blind replication.
Dated changes only
RC-3.1 preserves the frozen baseline and records later corrections, owner-authorized amendments and final-QA edits separately.
Process disclosure: The compilation and later cross-checks were informed, source-based reviews. Disagreements and withdrawals were logged. No city was contacted.
Commercial-interest disclosure: Signage.com operates in the commercial signage market and therefore has a commercial interest in the subject. That relationship did not change the locked scenario, evidence hierarchy, correction rules or publication exclusions.
Controlling record and downloads
Frozen workbook SHA-256:
581e2444d9a03a81743fe0d6c8dee05fc5a841732e56b456f74a128dc416e9e0
Frozen package SHA-256:
8229709789dbe0e7ba5eef5f080c8feded29ec75676d30f801ce1610a33a2492
RC-3.1 workbook SHA-256:
a53b448e1079b429fbb89ac51d65221a9e6150a70abccd4abd780d7239767386
Limits, corrections and release control
What this study does not measure
It does not measure processing time, approval probability, enforcement, service quality, policy merit, installed sign cost or the economic effect of municipal rules. Actual government charges can change with project facts and later updates.
Correction policy
If a source, amount, arithmetic step or classification changes, Signage.com Research will update the affected ledger, page, downloads and dated revision record together.
Research contact:
Michael Santiago · Signage.com Research
info@signage.com
Release control: The Path A record revision and website publication are approved. Media outreach, press-release distribution and social promotion remain on hold pending separate owner approval.
Fee Gap v2.3.1 RC-3.1 · final-QA edits 2026-08-28 · website edition published 2026-08-31.