How long does the process take?

Making and fitting typically takes 3–5 weeks after you approve the proof. Where express advertisement consent is needed, allow for the council's decision too, usually up to 8 weeks, and plan for production to start once the decision is in.

Why is there a price range for illuminated built-up letters rather than one figure?

Because jobs vary. The guide of £140 to £360 per letter + VAT spans small, simple work at one end and larger, more involved work at the other. Size, material, finish, access, design time and any consent drawings push the figure up or down. A survey or artwork check lets us fix the price for your job in Crawley.

Can our non-lit letters be converted?

Rarely in a way that's worth paying for. Solid built-up or flat-cut letters have no translucent face or space for LEDs, so converting them means rebuilding them. Lighting the existing letters from outside with a trough light or spotlights usually costs less.

Can you work to an opening date in Crawley?

Tell us the date when you enquire and we will say plainly whether it looks realistic. Timescales typically depend on how soon the proof is approved, how long production takes and whether consent is needed, which can take several weeks on its own. We plan around your date where we can, but we do not promise one we cannot control.

Do you cover smaller places near Crawley as well?

Yes. Our coverage is not limited to Crawley itself: nearby towns, industrial estates and business parks across West Sussex 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.

Can we see the night-time look first?

Yes. The design proof shows the letters to scale on a photo of your building, and a night-time visual can show the lit effect. Where colour is critical, a sample letter or face can be lit for you to check before the full set is made.

Illuminated built-up letters in West Sussex

Illuminated built-up letters are fabricated 3D letters with translucent opal acrylic faces and LED modules inside, so each face glows and your name reads clearly after dark.

Why choose illuminated built-up letters in West Sussex?

Set back on a retail park outside Crawley? Lit letters help drivers pick out the right unit after dark.
Corner units in Crawley can carry matching lit letters on both elevations, wired back to a single time switch.
A clinic, showroom or office in Crawley or across West Sussex can match its online brand with lit letters.

Guide prices in West Sussex

The table shows guide prices for illuminated built-up letters, starting from £140 and reaching about £360 per letter. All figures exclude VAT. Your own price is confirmed after we have seen the site or the artwork, so treat these as a starting point.

Illuminated built-up letters in West Sussex: guide prices, supplied and fitted
Item	Guide, ex VAT	Inc. VAT (20%)
Face-lit letter, 300–600 mm	£140 – £360	£168 – £432
Typical business name (10–14 letters)	£2,400 – £8,900	£2,880 – £10,680
Final electrical connection by an electrician	£150 – £350	£180 – £420

Guide price: £140–£360 + VAT per face-lit letter 300–600 mm tall, or £2,400–£8,900 + VAT for a typical 10–14 letter name. The electrician's final connection is a guide £150–£350 + VAT. All prices exclude VAT and are confirmed after survey and artwork check.

Consent for illuminated signs in West Sussex

Plan for express consent. In England most internally illuminated and halo-lit signs on a fascia or projecting bracket need it, and deemed consent does not cover illuminated signs in conservation areas, National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads or areas of special control. The council usually decides within 8 weeks, and consent normally lasts 5 years. Expect questions about brightness: many councils refer to ILP guidance PLG05, which sets maximum luminance by zone, and they expect steady light rather than flashing. We prepare scaled drawings and photo mock-ups for the application, or submit it for you, and an electrician completes the connection to BS 7671 and gives you the certificate.

Options worth considering

Day/night faces

Film that looks black by day and glows white once lit.

Trimless

Faces sit inside a fine metal lip for a sharper edge.

Raceway mounted

Letters on a slim box that hides the drivers.

Towns in West Sussex

Below: towns across West Sussex where Smart Signs handles illuminated built-up letters. The service, the process and the guide prices are the same in each, and places missing from the list are covered as well.

Tell us where you are in West Sussex and what you need. We quote for illuminated built-up letters free of charge, and the design proof always comes before any making or fitting.