A totem sign is a free-standing sign on its own foundation, typically 1.5–4 m tall, used at site entrances and car parks to show a business name, tenants or directions where a wall sign won't be seen.
Why choose totem and pylon signs in Buckinghamshire?
- When a business park near Milton Keynes hides its units behind landscaping, an entrance totem tells visitors which turning to take.
- Landlords letting units in Milton Keynes can keep totems current with spare blank inserts, so a new tenant's panel slots straight in.
- Schools, surgeries and community buildings in Milton Keynes can use smaller totems at the gate to show names, opening hours and the way in.
Guide prices in Buckinghamshire
Pricing for totem and pylon signs is worked out job by job, but the guide range is £1,950 to £9,800 per totem + VAT. The table lists typical options. Your figure is confirmed only after a site survey or a check of the artwork you send.
| Item | Guide, ex VAT | Inc. VAT (20%) |
|---|---|---|
| Totem 1.5–2 m, non-lit | £1,950 – £3,950 | £2,340 – £4,740 |
| Totem 2.5–4 m, non-lit | £3,950 – £7,500 | £4,740 – £9,000 |
| Illuminated totem (lit panels or letters) | £4,950 – £9,800 | £5,940 – £11,760 |
Height and face area drive the structure, foundation and wind-loading design, so they move the price most. Lighting, tenant panels, built-up letters, surfacing to break out and reinstate, ground conditions and consent drawings follow. Every figure is confirmed after a site survey and services check.
Totem and pylon signs in Buckinghamshire: permission and rules
A free-standing totem usually needs express advertisement consent from the council's planning department, especially if it is illuminated, tall or close to a road. In England, decisions usually take up to 8 weeks and consent is normally granted for 5 years. Illuminated totems cannot rely on deemed consent in conservation areas, National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads or areas of special control. Councils also look at highway safety, so a site plan showing sightlines helps. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own advertisement regulations and application routes. We can prepare the drawings, site plan and photos for an application, or submit it for you.
Options worth considering
Non-lit pylon, 2.5–4 m
A taller structure readable from a road, on a larger foundation.
Non-lit totem, 1.5–2 m
A compact entrance or forecourt sign in powder-coated aluminium.
Illuminated totem
Internally lit panels or routed and push-through letters with LED modules.
Towns in Buckinghamshire
Below: towns across Buckinghamshire where Smart Signs handles totem and pylon signs. The service, the process and the guide prices are the same in each, and places missing from the list are covered as well.
- Totem and pylon signs in Milton Keynes
- Totem and pylon signs in High Wycombe
- Totem and pylon signs in Aylesbury
- Totem and pylon signs in Bletchley
- Totem and pylon signs in Amersham
- Totem and pylon signs in Chesham
- Totem and pylon signs in Gerrards Cross
- Totem and pylon signs in Chalfont Saint Peter
Ready when you are. Request a free quote for totem and pylon signs in Buckinghamshire and attach whatever you have: snapshots, dimensions, a logo file. We send a scaled drawing, and nothing goes ahead without your sign-off.

