Illuminated projecting signs

Your fascia faces the road, but most pedestrians don't. People walking along a street see shopfronts at a sharp angle, which is why a sign sticking out at right angles can often do more for footfall than a bigger fascia. Lighting it keeps it working through the long winter evenings, which matters most for pubs, restaurants, pharmacies, clinics and late-opening shops.

Projecting signs also hang over a public pavement, so they come with more rules than most: height clearance, highway permissions, sound structural fixing and, nearly always, advertisement consent. This guide walks through shapes and lighting styles, how the cable gets from the wall into the box, the clearance councils usually look for and all the paperwork involved before anything is made.

What shapes and lighting styles are there?

The classic is a round box, often called a roundel, lit through opal faces on both sides. Square and rectangular boxes give more room for a name and short strapline, and shaped signs follow the outline of a logo, symbol or product, with LEDs laid out to fill the shape evenly.

How the light shows is the other choice. A fully lit face glows all over; a routed metal face with push-through acrylic lets only the lettering and logo glow; and a halo-lit design puts solid letters or a disc in front of a backing plate so light spills out around them, softer in historic streets.

• Round, square, rectangular or shaped
• Face-lit, routed push-through or halo-lit
• Typically up to about 800 mm across

How high must the sign be?

Councils usually expect at least about 2.1 m clear between the pavement and the underside of a projecting sign, often more, so check the council's requirement before the design is fixed. The sign should also sit well back from the kerb edge, clear of high-sided vehicles, street lights, trees and CCTV.

Height cuts both ways. A sign high enough to clear the footway still needs to look like part of the shopfront, and councils often prefer it no higher than the first-floor window sills. The survey measures the pavement width, clear height and wall construction so the drawings reflect what's really there.

• Set well back from the kerb edge
• Clear of street lights, trees and cameras
• Below first-floor sills where possible

How are the bracket and cable fitted?

The bracket carries the box's full weight plus wind load, so it's fixed with a wall plate into solid masonry using resin anchors or through-bolts, not into render, timber boarding or an old fascia alone. Stainless steel fixings avoid rust streaks, and the box is fixed rigidly to the arm so it doesn't swing.

The cable runs inside the hollow bracket arm, into the box, and back through the wall behind the wall plate, so nothing trails down the frontage. The driver sits inside the building or in a weatherproof enclosure within reach. An electrician makes the final connection to BS 7671 and issues the certificate.

• Solid masonry behind the wall plate
• Cable concealed in the bracket arm
• Stainless fixings throughout

What permissions are needed?

Often more than one. Besides advertisement consent from the planning department, a sign projecting over the highway may need a licence from the highway authority, usually the council's highways team. If an access platform or scaffold must stand on the pavement during fitting, a separate council licence may be needed for that too.

Check your lease as well, because landlords and freeholders commonly control signs on the outside of the building. On a listed building, listed building consent is usually needed, and fixings into mortar joints rather than brick or stone faces are usually preferred. We can prepare the drawings and photos for these applications, or submit them for you.

• Advertisement consent from the planning department
• A highway licence, where required
• Landlord's written approval

What maintenance is needed?

Because it hangs over a public footway, a projecting sign deserves a periodic check. Look at the bracket and wall plate for rust, cracked render or loose fixings, and at the box for water marks, cracked faces or failing seals. Any movement in the bracket is a good reason to have it inspected promptly.

The faces are removable, so the LEDs and any internal driver can be reached for cleaning or replacement without taking the sign down. Keep the drawings and electrical certificate from handover, and make sure your own insurance covers signs that overhang the pavement.

• Check fixings and seals at least once a year
• Clean faces gently with mild detergent
• Replace a failed driver before replacing the box

Options and finishes

How much do illuminated projecting signs cost?

Guide prices: £695–£1,450 + VAT for a round or square lit projecting sign, and £1,250–£2,250 + VAT for a shaped or halo-lit design, each up to about 800 mm with a bracket. Prices exclude VAT and are confirmed after survey and artwork check.

Shape, lighting style and bracket design make the biggest difference. Wall construction, cable route, access equipment, pavement or highway licences and council fees are listed separately.

Guide prices exclude VAT and are confirmed after survey or artwork check. Basis: double-sided LED projecting box sign up to about 800 mm, with bracket.

Specification at a glance

Before you ask for a quote

• Measure pavement width and height to first-floor sills.
• Photograph the wall from along the street.
• Note the wall construction: brick, stone, render or timber.
• Check whether the building is listed.
• Ask your landlord about signs on the building.