Frequently asked questions

Your quote is a fixed written price for the sign as specified, supplied and fitted. It lists the design proof, materials, making, fitting and fixings, plus any extras you have asked for, such as removing an old sign, access equipment, consent drawings or the electrician's final connection. Guide prices on our service pages are confirmed after a survey or artwork check, and nothing is made until you approve the proof.

No. All guide prices on this site exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate on your written quote. For example, an aluminium composite fascia up to 3 m has a guide price of £495–£950 + VAT, supplied and fitted. The final figure depends on size, materials, access and artwork, and is confirmed after a survey.

For fitted signs, usually yes. A site survey lets us measure the fascia or wall, check the surface and fixing points, look at access and power, and note anything that affects consent. For window graphics we can often price from photos and measurements, and for vehicle graphics the make, model and photos of the vehicle are usually enough.

Size, materials and illumination drive most of the price, followed by the number of letters and how high or awkward the fitting position is. Removing an old sign, consent drawings, design time and travel to remote areas also add cost. As a guide, removing an old sign is £95–£250 + VAT, and a scaffold tower or access platform is £150–£450 + VAT per day if needed.

The payment stages are set out in your written quote, so you know what is due and when before you commit. Check the stages, the total including VAT and exactly what is included before you approve anything. If advertisement consent is needed, the quote also explains how the application and any council fee are handled.

It depends on the sign, the building and where it is. In England, a non-illuminated sign on your own business premises usually has deemed consent if the lettering is no taller than 0.75 m and the top of the sign sits below any first-floor window. Most illuminated fascia and projecting signs need express consent, and listed buildings need extra consent. We check before you commit.

You can apply yourself, or we can do it for you. We can prepare the scale drawings, elevations and photos the council needs for an advertisement consent application, or submit it for you as an option on your quote. Applications go to the council's planning department, and decisions usually take up to 8 weeks.

Yes. Each nation has its own advertisement regulations, although the aims are similar. Wales still uses the 1992 regulations as amended, Scotland uses the 1984 regulations as amended with applications through eDevelopment.scot, and Northern Ireland uses the 2015 regulations with applications through the NI Planning Portal. Limits and details differ from England, so check with the council before you commit.

Often, yes, but you will normally need listed building consent as well as advertisement consent, and works without it can be a criminal offence. Councils tend to expect sympathetic materials, sizes and lighting. On historic walls, fixings usually go into mortar joints rather than brick or stone faces, so they can be removed with less damage later.

The acceptable brightness depends on the sign's size and surroundings. It is measured as luminance in candelas per square metre, and councils commonly refer to the Institution of Lighting Professionals' guidance PLG05, which sets lower limits in darker, rural zones than in busy town centres. Lighting should be static rather than flashing unless consented, and a time switch can limit the hours it is on.

We can work from what you have. Vector artwork, such as an AI, EPS, SVG or vector PDF file, is preferred because it scales cleanly for cutting, routing and large-format printing. If you only have a JPEG, a photo of an old sign or a rough idea, we can redraw your logo or design the sign from scratch, and you approve a proof before anything is made.

It depends on the type of sign, so these are typical ranges counted from when you approve the proof. A flat fascia sign is typically made and fitted in 2–3 weeks, illuminated letters typically take 3–5 weeks, and window or vehicle graphics typically 1–2 weeks. If express consent is needed, allow for the council decision as well, which usually takes up to 8 weeks.

Yes. You receive a proof drawn to scale showing the layout, sizes, colours, materials and fixing method, usually placed on a photo of your building or vehicle. You can ask for changes, and nothing is made until you approve it. Check spellings, phone numbers and web addresses carefully at this stage.

Lifespan depends on the materials, exposure and care rather than a single figure. Powder-coated aluminium and stainless steel suit long-term fascias and letters, with grade 316 steel used near the coast. Printed vinyl is laminated for UV protection, and manufacturers typically rate quality cast films for around 5–7 years on vertical surfaces. LED modules and drivers carry their own manufacturer ratings.

Yes. We can take down and dispose of an old sign as part of the job, with the electrics isolated first if it is lit. The fascia is then made good where needed before the new sign goes up. As a guide, removal is £95–£250 + VAT depending on size, fixings and access, confirmed after the survey.

Yes. Illuminated signs run on low-voltage LED modules and drivers, but the final connection to the mains is made by an electrician to BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and you receive the certificate for the circuit. As a guide, the final electrical connection is £150–£350 + VAT. The sign can also be set to run on a time switch or photocell.

We cover the whole of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Islands and remote areas are covered by arrangement, as travel and access can affect the price and scheduling. Give us the full address when you enquire, and the survey and fitting arrangements are set out in your quote.

Often, yes. Early morning or evening fitting can usually be arranged, so the work causes less disruption to your customers and staff. Some jobs depend on access equipment, pavement licences or council conditions that limit working hours, so the fitting time is agreed with you before the date is booked.

Only if the wrap changes the main colour of the vehicle. In that case, update the colour on the V5C log book with DVLA and tell your insurer. Lettering, logos and part wraps that leave the main colour unchanged usually do not need a DVLA update, though it is sensible to tell your insurer about any graphics.

On sound factory paint, a quality cast wrap can usually be removed later with heat and care without harming the paint. Problems come from poor resprays, stone chips, rust or failing lacquer, which can lift when the vinyl is peeled off. Uncovered paint keeps weathering, so a faint outline can sometimes show after removal. We check the paintwork and flag any risk before fitting.

Often, yes, but check your agreement first. Lease and finance agreements commonly allow graphics but set conditions on what can be applied and how it must be removed before the vehicle goes back. Wraps go on sound factory paint, and full wrap removal is £450–£795 + VAT as a guide, with lettering removal from £245 + VAT.

Quality cast wrap films are commonly rated by manufacturers for around 5–7 years on vertical surfaces such as doors and sides. Horizontal surfaces like the bonnet and roof age faster, and colour, climate, parking and washing habits all make a difference. Hand washing and keeping pressure washers away from edges help a wrap look good for longer.

Yes. Once it is dark outside and the lights are on inside, the effect reverses and people outside can see in. One-way vision works best when it is brighter outside than inside, so by day you see out while passers-by see the printed design. If you need privacy after dark, blinds or frosted film are the usual answer.

In England, Approved Document K suggests manifestation in two zones: 850–1000 mm and 1400–1600 mm above floor level. Two bands help people of different heights notice the glass. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 also require transparent surfaces to be marked where necessary for safety, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own guidance with the same aim.

Yes. Window vinyl, frosted film and one-way vision can be removed with gentle heat and scrapers, and any adhesive left behind is cleaned off the glass. As a guide, removing old graphics is £6–£15 + VAT per m². Films that have been up for many years can come away in small pieces, which takes longer.

Often not, but it depends on the council and the building. Councils treat window graphics differently, and in conservation areas or on listed shopfronts large graphics covering the glass can be restricted. Door lettering and opening hours are less likely to be an issue. We check the rules for your building before you commit to a design.