Guide to Pricing and Costs of Outdoor Signs

Estimate your expenditures for commercial outdoor signs

By Andrea Townsley, Owner, Keystone Writing Services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Install permanent outdoor business signs

Channel letter signage is the most popular type of wall-mounted signage a business can use. These signs are custom made and can be backlit or not, depending on your preference and budget. They are made from Plexiglas, acrylic or sturdy plastic. A very small, unlit sign can cost as little as $200, but expect to spend at least a couple thousand dollars for a backlit sign with large lettering for high visibility.

I recommend: Locate a SIGNARAMA near you and get a quote for a channel letter-style sign. Take a look at the different types of channel lettering available at Sign Fab.

Choose temporary outdoor signage if you're on a budget

Nonpermanent signs are nice if you run special promotions or cannot afford to install large, permanent signs. Yard signs can cost as little as $10 each up to about $50 per piece, depending on the size and quantity you're looking for. Obviously, if you order in large quantities, your price per piece will decrease, so planning ahead for future needs can do you a lot of good here. Sandwich board signs are great tools if you have a lot of foot traffic; you can find boards priced as low as $50 on up to around $300.

I recommend: Check out the corrugated plastic lawn signs from SignWire.com. See if any of the sandwich board styles at Next Level Custom Signs suit your needs.

Invest in high-tech outdoor digital signs

Signs with electronic marquees are great because you can customize them to say anything you want. You can program them to show current specials you're running or even just basic information, like the time or outdoor temperature. These marquees are made of thousands of small LED lights, so your message is clear, even at night. Smaller signs start at around $10,000, while larger, more advanced electronic signs can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

I recommend: Customize your digital sign at Outdoor Signs America, which offers a multitude of options to choose from. Signtronix offers LED signs in full-color, gray-scale and monochromatic varieties.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget your outdoor sign holders. If you choose to use yard signs, the stakes that support them are usually not included in the price of the signs themselves. Expect to pay an additional couple dollars for each stake you need; again, buying in quantities can reduce the price you pay per piece.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attract pedestrians with outdoor sidewalk signs and outdoor sandwich boards

If your business is located in a pedestrian-focused area, chances are overhead signs will not get the attention they deserve. Outdoor sidewalk signs and outdoor sandwich boards are a great way to get the attention of foot traffic.

I recommend: NEOPlex offers A-frame outdoor sidewalk signs made from PVC, hardwood or aluminum. On The Step manufactures sturdy plastic A-frame outdoor sandwich signs that let you change the message as often as you'd like.

Balloons and inflatables make great outdoor signage

Sales and special events need a big attention-getter. And sometimes the best way to get attention from a high-traffic audience is to plop a balloon or inflatable figure on the roof of your building.

I recommend: Above All Advertising, Inc. will make your product into an inflatable replica. Promo-Force specializes in custom-imprinted balloons and blimps for outdoor signage.

When to use outdoor billboards

Outdoor billboards are not limited to outdoor ad campaigns. If your business is tucked away in a nook off the freeway or a main thoroughfare, drivers are most likely to keep their eyes on traffic rather than scoping out side streets for businesses. This is a great opportunity to lease or buy an outdoor billboard on that main street to announce your shop before drivers get to the turnoff for it.

I recommend: Find out where to rent or buy outdoor billboards on OutdoorBillboard.com.

Choose architectural elements for outdoor business signs

When choosing your main street-side outdoor business signs, you'll want to consider the type of location you have and match the sign appropriately. If you are located in a strip mall, you'll have to share signs with other businesses. If your building is set alone, make sure your sign complements the architecture of the building. Architectural signs co-mingle seamlessly from street-side to your building façade or storefront. Choose a sign company that can create your architectural sign from concept to installation

I recommend: Graphic Systems Inc specializes in design, fabrication and installation of architectural outdoor signage. Icon Identity Solutions is a one-stop-shop for outdoor branding. They will handle your outdoor sign needs from the permitting stage to design and installation.

Turn on neon signs and other lighted outdoor signs

Buying an overhead sign that is backlit is a good idea, not only for businesses that are open at night. Companies that have day office hours can benefit with neon signs or backlit outdoor signage to reinforce their brand during off-hours.

I recommend: Neonsign.com stocks neon signs that advertise services such as ATM or signs that advertise 'Open', 'Closed' or types of services offered. AdsLED Inc manufactures LED message displays that do so much more than give the time and temperature-they serve as moving message displays and are incorporated right into your outdoor business signs.

For events, try banners for outdoor signage

While you need static signs to brand your building indefinitely, you also may need temporary signs to draw customers in for events and sales. Banners are a good option to have on hand for regular events.

I recommend: SignOutfitters.com makes customized full-color banners and offers stock banners with pre-printed messages. For more online banner resources, check out Work.com's Guide to Banner and Sign Production Services.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your logo uses a script typestyle, test it for legibility before you put it on an outdoor sign. What is legible on a business card isn't always legible on the side of a building from the street.
• •  Outdoor signage is useless at night unless you have it lighted properly. Street-side signs don't have to be backlit, but can be lit from the ground with up-lights in your landscaping.
• •  If you choose to have free-standing A-frame outdoor sidewalk signs, make sure that you have them weighted properly so they won't blow down in windy conditions or cause someone to trip.
• •  The main objective of having outdoor signage is to identify your place of business to customers. Keep other messages, such as hours of operation and address, to a minimum by placing them in other visible locations such as the windows or door to your building. This allows you to maximize the space for your logo or business name on the outdoor sign.

Guide to Using Outdoor Signs

Choose business outdoor signs that will work for your business

By Andrea Townsley, Owner, Keystone Writing Services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use customized outdoor signs to spread your name around town

Yard signs work best for folks with service businesses. Roofers, landscapers, lawn services, real estate agents and construction contractors can all benefit from the use of yard signs. Whenever you've done a job you're proud of, ask the customer if you can stick a small sign in his yard for a short period of time. This will draw the attention of neighbors and visitors, thus, increasing the possibility that you'll get some new clients. If you buy these signs in bulk, you may qualify for a quantity discount. Note that the outdoor sign holders usually come separately from the signs themselves.

I recommend: Check out the different types of yard signs available from BuildASign.com. If you're interested in buying in large quantities, Sign Outfitters has a large variety of these signs to select from.

Brighten your business with an outdoor lighted sign

While your business may not be open at night, late-night passersby will take notice of signs that are lit during these hours. Also, inclement weather may make your sign less visible at times, especially during heavy rain or fog. Use these signs to draw attention to your business and set it apart from the others. Lighted signs can be in the form of expensive LED signage or a more basic backlit sign mounted to the facade of your building.

I recommend: If your budget allows, consider using one of the high-end LED signs from Quesion. For those on a tighter budget, the lighted channel letters from LetterBank might work well.

Appeal to the masses with large-format outdoor advertising signs

Billboards are likely strategically placed around your city and its nearby highways. You can actually reach your target audience en masse this way. Find some billboards in areas of your town that are highly trafficked by members of your target market. For example, if you specialize in high-end dermatology services, putting your ad on a billboard near a country club might be effective. On the other hand, if you're a bail bondsman, taking out a billboard located in a high-crime area or near the county jail may get you some new customers.

I recommend: Check out the different billboard options offered by Global Outdoor Services. You can also find a great selection at the reputable Clear Channel Outdoor.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you plan on staying in one business location for years, consider installing an architectural outdoor sign. These are usually made from stone, brick or concrete and have a more professional look to them as opposed to neon lights or brightly colored channel letters. You can mount these signs to your building, but they also come in freestanding styles.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Sandwich board

The sandwich board is a way to keep a two-sided advertisement anchored on the ground without a lot of extra hardware. These movable outdoor signs are popular with many different kinds of businesses.

I recommend: Get a visual display of common sandwich board formats at SignWave Designs. Read about the sandwich board at Britannica online.

Neon

Neon was a miracle of chemistry when it first began to appear on the streets of France. This kind of sign, lit by an electrical charge interacting with gases, is now a mainstay of the outdoor advertising world.

I recommend: Find out about the history of neon and more at the Essential Neon Sign Guide.

LED

LED, or light emitting diode, is a kind of lighting that uses electricity to produce light. This is another big option for today's outdoor lighting, with several benefits over the old incandescent systems.

I recommend: Get a lot more on LED and related terms at this Beginner's Guide to LED Lighting Technology.

Backlit sign

A backlit sign includes some kind of lighting that illuminates the area of the sign so that it can be seen at night. Backlit designs are an alternative to spelling out a sign with neon or including LED systems.

I recommend: Find out more about backlit signs from S2imaging.com.

Architectural sign

For businesses that are in it for the long haul, an 'architectural sign' made out of stone, brick or other materials may be the way to go. An architectural sign is one that is built permanently into a site. These are popular with schools, hospitals and other sites where the business is not going to change on a continual basis.

I recommend: Get a description of architectural sign types and more about how they are changing outdoor business image promotion at this page from SignIndustry.com.

Channel letter signs

These individual lettered signs are another good alternative for businesses that need to reach customers through outdoor advertising.

I recommend: Get more on channel letter signs at this Scribd page.