Why invest in custom signage?
When it comes to creating a new business it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of planning all the aspects of the value you want to provide your community. However, many new businesses fail to plan for their custom signage and the permits required to display them. As you plan your business you’ll want to consider your storefront sign sooner than later for these reasons:
- Storefront signage is more expensive than it seems. Many business owners do not allocate enough of their startup funds to their signage…their most visible piece of advertisement. See our article on the cost of signage.
- It matters! Highly visible custom signage like channel letter signs are costly but they provide INSTANT CREDIBILITY next to a similar business with cheaper-looking signage.
Permits for your custom signage
In almost every municipality (a town or city with a local government) in the United States posting permanent signage requires a permit. There are hundreds of styles for custom signage; channel letter, neon, blade, pole, carved and dimensional signs to name a few. See our article on types of signage. Why on Earth would you need to apply for a permit just to show the community that you’re open for business let alone your custom signage?
- Signage that face roads (and consumers) represent the municipality. Many will not approve distasteful, incongruent or otherwise ugly/obnoxious signage.
- Custom signage that face roads (and consumers) may be blocking directional or safety signage placed by the city. Large monument signage, for example, cannot block a drivers view of oncoming traffic.
- In some shopping developments the storefront signage must match the style of the surrounding buildings or businesses.
- Electrical or mechanical building signs cannot be so bright or distracting that is causes accidents.
Trying to do it yourself
In many cases, your municipality may require only approved contractors to draw up the plans for your custom signage. Signtag can help you find an approved sign contractor/shop that rolls permitting and even installation into their total cost for your project. If your municipality does not require a sign contractor to acquire the permits there are some general steps to obtaining them assuming you know exactly what you want and can produce engineering drawings for your custom signage.
NOTE: Do not have your sign manufactured until you receive the appropriate permits! Be sure to have this conversation with the Sign Shop you’ve engaged with on Signtag.
- Zoning is your first stop. Your local zoning department must approve signage before it goes to the permitting department.
- Once approved by zoning find the permit application online and fill it in.
- You will need engineering drawings of your proposed signage, occupancy permits for your space and electrical permits if your building sign is powered or lit.
- Pay the fees.
Get help!
If your business (and your workforce) is highly specialized, engineering drawings for custom signage may not be in your wheelhouse. If this is the case contact Signtag while you’re still in the planning and budgeting phase of your business plan. We work with sign shops in every major city in the U.S.! On Signtag you can find a shop in your area to take care of every aspect (including the aforementioned drawings and permitting) of your custom signage project!
