Electrical Building Signs: Some Considerations

  

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When it comes to buying an electrical sign for your business there’s a lot of things that have to be considered.  Hiring a sign company with experience will dramatically help reduce the burden on you through the process.  Also, experienced companies are able to more accurately estimate price so you know what you’re getting into and you don’t get surprised with any hidden fees.  I’m going to go through a few items commonly overlooked during the creation of a custom building sign.

1. Make sure your design is consistent with the branding of your business.  Consistent branding is one of the most important and overlooked elements of marketing.  If your logo is blue on your business cards and in your print advertising, a red sign is probably not right for you.                                                
2. It is important to know that in order to install a sign it is important to get your landlords approval.   Many landlords have sign criteria’s which are basically documents that are part of your lease which state what types of signs you can and cannot have.  Ultimately your landlord will have final say on what type of sign you can install.  Understanding your limitations will help during the sign design process.
3. All signs that are permanently attached to a building require a sign permit.  Sign permits may be obtained by building owners or by licenses contractors.  Make sure your sign company has an electrical contractor’s license and a good working relationship with the city.  The process of obtaining a sign permit can be challenging if you’ve never done it before, but professional sign companies make the process relatively easy.   Like with landlords, Cities have dos and don’ts as far as what they will allow by way of signage.  Typically the landlord has already accounted for these things when they’ve developed the sign criteria.                                                       
4. All illuminated signs require primary power.  Typically signs should be connected to a dedicated 20 amp circuit.  Circuits are often controlled by a time clock or photo cell, which turns the sign on and off at specific times.  Most often, power has been supplied to the wall where signage goes by the landlord.  Knowing whether or not power is present, or what it will take to provide it to the sign, is extremely important prior to ordering an electrical sign.    

These are just a few of the many things to consider when installing an electrical sign.  The more you know about the process, the easier the process will be.