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Over-fence sign structure. Think this is strong enough?

PeterR

New Member
Hello all,

Can I borrow a little of your experience please?

I want to build a bunch of ad signage on the back of my property but I've never built any before. The one complication is I want the sign structures to overhang an existing chain link fence, but not touch it. This has me struggling a bit with the design.

The attached image shows one of the structures as I've designed it so far. It has 6x6 main posts, connected via 2x6's, to 4x4 vertical support posts(with 2" wood spacers to match the 6x6 main post width) which carry the 2x4 horizontal sign supports. All held together with carriage bolts or similar.

Does anyone with experience know whether the 6x6 main posts can handle the offset weight load without bending over time? Also, do you think this design could handle strong wind loads?

Any suggestions to improve or replace the design are more than welcome! I'm considering adding some feet to the vertical 4x4's to reach the ground and carry some of the weight but I'd rather not if I can avoid it.

Thanks in advance!
 

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Gino

Premium Subscriber
Yes, but in today's world, you'll need an engineer to design this for you. You will probably need whole foundations and not holes in the ground. Certain type of cement along with rebar. Most likely, they'll change you over to 5" steel posts and cross pieces. After all that, you better make sure, you can even do this on your property and what square footage you may have.
 

Billct2

Active Member
Yea, what's the point? It must be your fence so why not just replace that section with the sign and add fencing to the bottom?
 

rjssigns

Active Member
Gino is on point. Get an engineer to design it for you and follow those plans to the letter. Structure has to be built for the wind load in your area. Last thing you want to do is guess and the next big storm ends up "air freighting" the panels and/or structure.

Bill has the best suggestion, but you will still need engineering drawings.

I've mentioned this a lot lately but make sure your insurance covers you for such things.
From my agent:
"I don't care if it's just a plywood panel on two four by four posts.
If someone runs into it and there is any sort of injury or claim, you will be involved.
Even if that person was drunk, speeding, whatever, and runs across three other properties before hitting the sign you're still on the hook for something."
 
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