What is the difference between built-up and flat-cut letters?

Built-up letters are hollow, fabricated with separate faces and returns, so they can be 50–100 mm deep or more. Flat-cut letters are cut from one solid sheet, usually 5–10 mm thick. Built-up letters have more presence and share their construction with illuminated letters; flat-cut letters cost less.

Do you cover smaller places near Belfast as well?

Yes. Our coverage is not limited to Belfast itself: nearby towns, industrial estates and business parks across County Antrim are included too. The process does not change with the postcode. Send photos and approximate sizes, and we will tell you whether a site visit is needed before we can give you a fixed price.

How do I keep metal letters clean?

Wash them a few times a year with warm water and a mild detergent, then rinse and dry, wiping brushed stainless along the grain. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based cleaners, which scratch or mark finishes. Mirror stainless and brass show marks fastest, so they suit positions out of reach.

Can built-up letters go on cladding?

Yes, in most cases. Metal and composite cladding needs a fixing that suits the panel system, such as rivnuts, through-bolts to a backing rail, or a mounting rail behind the letters. We ask the building owner about the cladding before drilling, because some systems restrict penetrations.

What is the typical timescale for built-up 3D letters from enquiry to fitting?

A quote typically follows once we have your photos or have surveyed the site, and making and fitting is typically booked a few weeks after you approve the proof. Where advertisement consent applies, that decision has to come through before anything goes up, which can add several weeks. We give you an expected timescale with your quote for Belfast.

Can I get a fixed price for built-up 3D letters in Belfast before committing?

Yes. We start from the guide range, £55 to £165 per letter excluding VAT, then measure up or look at your photos and artwork. That gives a fixed written price reflecting the real size, materials, access and any design or consent work. You only commit once you accept that price and approve the proof.

Built-up 3D letters in Belfast

Built-up letters are three-dimensional letters fabricated, usually from metal sheet, with a face and returns joined into a hollow letter typically 50–100 mm deep, then fixed to a wall or sign on locators.

Where built-up 3D letters can pay off in Belfast

Hotels and venues in Belfast wanting a lasting first impression may choose brass-finish letters, which suit traditional and modern buildings.
A Belfast restaurant with a handsome stone or brick front can skip a fascia panel and let fabricated letters sit directly on the masonry.
Gyms, studios and trade units in Belfast can use painted aluminium letters on profiled cladding for a durable name above the roller door.

What built-up 3D letters cost in Belfast

How much? Expect a guide range of £55–£165 per letter, VAT excluded. The rows below show what moves a job up or down that range, and the figure becomes firm once the survey or artwork check is done.

Built-up 3D letters in Belfast: guide prices, supplied and fitted
Item	Guide, ex VAT	Inc. VAT (20%)
Fabricated letter, 300 mm tall	£55 – £165	£66 – £198
Typical business name (10–14 letters)	£850 – £2,600	£1,020 – £3,120
Logo or symbol, made to the same depth	£150 – £650	£180 – £780

The metal drives cost first: painted aluminium sits at the lower end, mirror stainless and brass finishes at the top. Letter height, return depth, letter count, stand-off locators, access height and the wall surface follow. Every price is confirmed after survey and an artwork check.

Options for your Belfast project

Contrast returns

Faces in one finish and sides in another, such as brushed with black.

Mirror-polished stainless

Reflective faces that catch light, but show fingerprints.

Brushed 304 stainless

Satin-grain stainless for most inland locations, classic and understated.

Do you need permission for a sign in Belfast?

Signs in Northern Ireland are covered by the 2015 Control of Advertisements Regulations (NI), not the English or Scottish versions. Whether an unlit sign needs an application depends on its size, where it sits on the building and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Where consent is needed, the council handles it, with applications made online via the NI Planning Portal. For listed buildings, listed building consent usually applies too, and fixings into mortar joints are generally preferred. We check what applies to your premises before anything is ordered, and we can prepare or submit the application for you.

Covering Belfast and County Antrim

We take on work in Belfast, across County Antrim and throughout the UK. When a survey makes sense, typically for anything fixed at height or illuminated, we arrange a visit. Graphics are often priced from pictures and dimensions, with a survey added only if the photos leave questions.

Neighbouring towns

Built-up 3D letters in Castlereagh 2 mi
Built-up 3D letters in Newtownabbey 4 mi
Built-up 3D letters in Holywood 5 mi
Built-up 3D letters in Dundonald 5 mi
Built-up 3D letters in Lisburn 7 mi

Photos, sizes and your logo are all we need to start. Send them over for a free, no-obligation quote on built-up 3D letters in Belfast; you approve a scaled drawing before a single thing is made.

More signs in Belfast

All sign types in Belfast · Built-up 3D letters across County Antrim

Fixing / installation	Studs or locators into resin anchors, set out with a full-size paper template
Materials	304 or 316 stainless steel, painted aluminium, brass or copper finishes
Typical size	Letters around 300 mm tall on shopfronts; taller on larger buildings