Last Updated on February 15, 2025 12:41 pm
Watauga County Emergency Services wants to make residents aware of the importance of proper address identification. In an emergency, every second counts. Please ensure your house and business has the required identification posted so there is no delay in locating you when you call.
As we respond to emergencies, perform inspections and survey our district, we are seeing a lack of proper building identification. Street signs and house numbers are missing, faded, or blocked from view. Many street signs, mailboxes and house numbers are still missing due to damage from Hurricane Helene and have not been replaced during the rebuilding process.
Please help us by inspecting, replacing or installing the required signs and address numbers that comply with North Carolina State Building Codes.
Road Signs of named Streets and Roads
- If signage is missing for any named street or road, contact Watauga County Emergency Services at (828) 264-4235 or use their google form at Watauga County Road Maintenance Form. They will coordinate with NCDOT for the installation of a replacement sign.
Residential Building Number Requirements
- Address identification (house numbers) shall be legible and placed in a position that is visible from the street or road fronting the property. If your house is not visible from the street or road, additional numbers shall be placed at the end or your driveway in an area visible from the street.
- Characters shall be of a color that contrasts with their background (i.e. white numbers on a black background).
- Arabic numbers and alphabetical letters shall be used.
- Numbers shall not be spelled out.
- Each character shall be at least four inches in height and a half-inch brush stroke width.
Commercial Building Number Requirements
- All requirements from residential buildings except numbers and letters shall be a larger size, each character shall be at least six inches in height and three quarters of an inch brush stroke width.
Numbers and letters that meet these requirements can be purchased at most hardware retailers and online.
As emergency responders, we ask that you follow these important recommendations that will assist us in locating you in the event of any type of emergency.
- Ensure your numbers are posted and that none of the characters are faded or missing.
- Ensure numbers contrast with the background color they are mounted on. Reflective lettering is best.
- The listed dimensions are the minimum. You may always upsize your numbers. This helps us when it is dark, smokey or during inclement weather.
- Block lettering is easier to read than all types of stylized letters, especially when visibility is reduced.
- Check address identification for your family and loved ones. Many of us have family and friends without the ability to inspect, repair or install their own numbers.
- Please ensure that your landscaping has not grown to the point of blocking view of your address identification. Trim bushes or move signage to a more appropriate location that is not blocked.
- Address Identification should be visible from all directions of travel.
- During construction or in the recovery phase from Helene, spray-painting your numbers on a temporary sign is helpful until permanent identification can be installed.
- At all times, but especially on commercial buildings, install your address numbers high enough so that parked cars and trucks do not block view of the numbers.
- Consider if responders can see your numbers, while keeping in mind we may be riding low in a police car or higher up in a fire truck.
When you need help fast, every second counts. Following these requirements and suggestions will assist emergency responders in locating you or a loved one when you need us most. “Every day I hear an engine crew or ambulance calling into dispatch advising they can’t locate a residence and asking for a house description”- Steve Marks, Cove Creek Fire Department, “This only delays our ability to assist you”.
