What is a CAT scan before digging?

A CAT scan uses a cable avoidance tool, often with a signal generator, to locate buried electricity cables and metal pipes before excavation. Combined with utility records, it reduces the risk of striking a service, and hand digging around anything located is normal practice.

How soon after I approve the proof can the work on totem and pylon signs happen?

Typically within a few weeks, depending on what has to be made. Printed and cut graphics are typically produced sooner than fabricated letters, trays or illuminated signs, which need more fabrication time. If the job needs advertisement consent, fitting waits for the council's decision. We confirm an expected date for Fulham once materials are ordered.

Can I get a fixed price for totem and pylon signs in Fulham before committing?

Yes. We start from the guide range, £1,950 to £9,800 per totem 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.

Why does a totem need structural calculations?

A totem acts like a sail. Wind pressure on its face creates a large overturning force at the base, so the frame, base plate, bolts and foundation must be designed for the site's wind exposure. The calculations set the foundation size and give you a design record.

Who maintains a totem sign?

The site owner or managing agent usually does. Clean the panels a few times a year, check that inserts are secure and base bolts tight, and look for vehicle damage. Lit totems also need the LEDs, drivers and time switch checked, with electrical faults dealt with by an electrician.

Do you work across Greater London or only in Fulham?

Across all of Greater London, and the rest of the UK too. Fulham is simply one of the places we list, and enquiries from anywhere nearby follow exactly the same steps: photos or a survey, a scaled proof, a written price, then making and fitting once you sign off the design.

Totem and pylon signs in Fulham

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.

Totem and pylon signs in Fulham: the practical benefits

On an industrial estate around Fulham with several entrances, directional totems at each junction point deliveries to the right unit.
When a business park near Fulham hides its units behind landscaping, an entrance totem tells visitors which turning to take.
Retail units sharing a Fulham car park can use one multi-tenant pylon instead of a cluster of boards competing for attention.

What totem and pylon signs cost in Fulham

Below is the guide pricing we use for totem and pylon signs: from £1,950 up to £9,800 per totem, before VAT. These are not fixed quotes. A written price follows once measurements are taken and your artwork has been checked.

Totem & pylon signs in Fulham: guide prices, supplied and fitted
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

Guide prices, supplied and installed with foundations and excluding VAT, are £1,950 to £3,950 for a non-lit totem 1.5–2 m tall and £3,950 to £7,500 for a non-lit totem 2.5–4 m tall. An illuminated totem with lit panels or letters is guided at £4,950 to £9,800.

Options for your Fulham project

Directional totem

Smaller site signs pointing visitors to receptions, bays and buildings.

Multi-tenant totem

A header panel plus slide-in tenant inserts changed as units are let.

Illuminated totem

Internally lit panels or routed and push-through letters with LED modules.

Totem and pylon signs in Fulham: 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.

Covering Fulham and Greater London

Smart Signs works throughout Greater London, Fulham included, and across the rest of the country. A survey visit is arranged for fitted and illuminated signs so nothing is guessed. Window, wall and vehicle graphics can usually be priced remotely from good photos and accurate measurements. Addresses in SW6, SW10, SW5 and W14 are all within our Fulham coverage. Fulham lies around 3.6 miles south-west of central London.

Neighbouring towns

Get in touch about totem and pylon signs for your business in Fulham. Share photos, measurements and any artwork you already have; we will send a free quote and a proof to check, and nothing is made until you say yes.

More signs in Fulham

All sign types in Fulham · Totem and pylon signs across Greater London

Typical lifespan	Many years for the structure; tenant inserts and graphics replaced as needed
Typical lead time	typically 4–8 weeks after proof approval, plus any consent period
Consent	Usually needs express consent, especially when lit; decisions usually take up to 8 weeks