What drawings does the council need for a totem?

Councils usually ask for a location plan, a site plan showing the sign's position, and scaled elevations with dimensions, materials, colours and height above ground. For a lit totem, the illumination method and brightness are usually requested too. We can prepare these drawings and photos for you.

What makes totem and pylon signs more or less expensive?

Size and quantity come first, then the material or film, any lighting, the height of the work and the equipment needed to reach it, and the state of the surface or old sign being replaced. Against that, the guide for a job in Liverpool is £1,950–£9,800 per totem + VAT, confirmed after a survey or artwork check.

Can you handle totem and pylon signs for a business in Liverpool?

Yes. Smart Signs covers Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside as part of a UK-wide service. You send photos and rough sizes, we arrange a survey if the job needs one, then you receive a proof to scale and a fixed written price. Nothing is made or fitted until you have approved both.

Is there a typical lead time for totem and pylon signs in Liverpool?

Yes, though it varies with the job. The lead time typically runs from the day you approve the proof, not from the first enquiry, and is typically a few weeks. Survey visits, artwork changes and any consent application sit before that point, so getting photos, sizes and logo files to us early typically shortens the overall timescale.

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.

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.

Totem and pylon signs in Merseyside

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 Merseyside?

Evening guests arriving at Liverpool hotels, restaurants and leisure venues find the entrance more easily when the totem is lit.
Landlords letting units in Liverpool can keep totems current with spare blank inserts, so a new tenant's panel slots straight in.
Schools, surgeries and community buildings in Liverpool can use smaller totems at the gate to show names, opening hours and the way in.

Guide prices in Merseyside

Use these figures to budget: £1,950 to £9,800 per totem is the guide range, with VAT added on top. Each line in the table is indicative only, and your exact price is confirmed after a survey or once we have looked over the artwork.

Totem & pylon signs in Merseyside: 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.

Totem and pylon signs in Merseyside: 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

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.

Non-lit pylon, 2.5–4 m

A taller structure readable from a road, on a larger foundation.

Towns in Merseyside

The towns below are all part of our coverage of Merseyside. Each link opens the totem and pylon signs page for that town, with guide prices, consent notes and how to get a quote.

Tell us where you are in Merseyside and what you need. We quote for totem and pylon signs free of charge, and the design proof always comes before any making or fitting.