Business Sign Cost Explained
For any new company business signs cost is always an important question because budget and quality is what matters most when your cash flow is limited. But why don’t sign companies show their prices?
One of the biggest pet peeves for new businesses when shopping for custom signage is that there really are no price sheets. You walk into a few sign companies and you’ll often find a wide variety of sign examples showcased but when asking for prices they’ll often ask you reverse questions like it depends on the size of your sign.
Sign prices are based on the amount of materials needed, and how much labor to complete. So it makes providing a price difficult.
Trust me it’s just as frustrating to them as is it to you, the reason behind this is that they charge based on the amount of materials they need to order for your sign.
So if you have 12 red letters for your channel letter sign, but the example they have is 8 blue letters then they won’t quote you the same price as the example they are displaying.
Promotional Signs
These would be your typical vinyl banners, sandwich boards, trade show materials. They are normally two dimensional and don’t require much labor costs for installation.
They get the name temporary signs by the city permitting guidelines, signs which are not mounted to a wall are considered temporary and don’t need a permit. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Printed Vinyl Banners
Vinyl banners are one of the most purchased signs on the market, they are an easy way to quickly get something up in a window or fence.
They don’t require any permitting, and installation is relatively easy. Prices for banners are priced based on square foot and usually does not matter how much ink will be used. A good estimate for pricing it yourself would be $3.85 per square foot.
| Banner Sizes | Prices |
|---|---|
| 2′ x 4′ | $40-$60 |
| 3′ x 6′ | $60-$90 |
| 4′ x 10′ | $140-$180 |
| 5′ x 16′ | $210-$450 |
Sandwich Boards and A-Boards
They have a few different names, and are simply made of two pieces of wood or plastic with a hinge attached at the top.
A-boards are not typically built from scratch they are purchased in bulk from manufacturers where sign shops print and apply vinyl.
Prices should not vary for this reason, however different shops charge more or less depending on their own cost of living.
Based on our results we’ve estimated these costs: MDO plywood $0.40 per square inch and plastic $0.27 per square inch.
| A-Board Sizes | Plastic | Plywood |
|---|---|---|
| 24″ x 24″ | $165-$205 | $155-$320 |
| 24″ x 32″ | $185-$290 | $175-$385 |
| 24″ x 36″ | $195-$266 | $260-$446 |
| 32″ x 48″ | $185-$265 | $245-$403 |
Outdoor Business Signs
Typically signs which are considered outdoor would be permanent signage, which are signs that require a permanent installation, and a permit from a local city.
Below we will cover prices of some of the most common ones.
Monument Signs
Monument signs are the large signs you see in the grassy lot of an apartment complex, or business center. These signs range in many different materials, and can be built to withstand a lot of different weathering conditions.
These signs range around $275 per square foot, depending on the type of materials used. For example there are real brick and foam brick which is made to look real! Many sign companies will order them direct from a manufacturer like Foamcraft.
| Monument Sizes | Foam | Real |
|---|---|---|
| 6′ x 3′ | $1.5k-$5k | $5k-$14k |
| 8′ x 5′ | $2k-$6k | $5k-$15k |
| 12′ x 5′ | $4k-$8k | $8k-$18.5k |
Pole Signs
Pole signs are very popular and are commonly used to help traffic see the business from hundreds of yards away. The longer the pole the more visibility it projects.
Size, location, and height restrictions will depend on your local city guidelines. They need to be installed to withstand hurricane winds, and cannot be done cheaply for this reason.
Prices will vary based on the type of sign placed on top of the pole, and if it needs electricity.
| Pole Sign Sizes | Prices | Install |
|---|---|---|
| 6′ x 4′ x 25′ pole | $6k-$17k | $3k-$6k |
Storefront Business Signs
Just about every company with a physical store front has some form of storefront sign. They are considered permanent signage, which require permits from your local city and must be installed by a licensed electrician.
Channel Letter Signs
These are your light up logo signs on the front of buildings you see on companies like Best Buy or Wal-Mart. They are raised lettering on bent aluminum edges, and have an electrical cable drilled through the wall.
Prices for channel letter signs normally include the type of materials used for the letters, how big they are, and the cost for installation. Many sign companies outsource these and then double the price due to the amount of time they save.
These signs after installation can run you around $3k-$18k dollars, but definitely worth the price due to the type of visibility you can achieve from most angles.
| Channel Letter Sizes | Prices | Install |
|---|---|---|
| 6′ x 2′ | $3.5k-$6k | $400-$550 |
| 8′ x 4′ | $6k-$9k | $450-$600 |
Blade Signs
Blade signs are commonly used for high foot traffic sidewalk strip businesses. They don’t usually have much space for normal signage, and these stick out from the wall making it easier on peoples necks.
These signs come in many shapes and sizes, and have strict city requirements before being installed. They can usually only extend so far from the wall before becoming a hazard.
| Blade Sign Sizes | Prices | Install |
|---|---|---|
| 2′ x 3′ | $800-$3k | $540-$1,500 |
| 3′ x 5′ | $1.4k-$5k | $700-$1,600 |
Lightbox Signs
Simply one of the most common and cheapest storefront signs available. Some building owners actually don’t allow them anymore in favor of channel letter signs.
Lightbox signs are simply a metal cabinet with florescent bulbs, and a strip of white acrylic. Vinyl is then applied to this acrylic allowing some light to shine through.
| Lightbox Sizes | Prices | Install |
|---|---|---|
| 4′ x 3′ | $3.5k-$5k | $400-$550 |
| 6′ x 2′ | $4k-$6k | $450-$600 |
| 8′ x 4′ | $5k-$7k | $500-$650 |
Get quotes on your sign project
If you’re in need of simple quotes on your project just post your listing on the Signtag, local sign companies will see your project and make offers to you!
