Can a tray sign cover an old fascia completely?

Yes, in most cases. A tray can be sized to the full fascia board with folded ends that wrap the corners, hiding the old timber. We still check the board is sound and fix through to solid structure, because hidden rot can loosen fixings over time.

Can I change the lettering later?

That depends on the lettering method. Vinyl can be removed and replaced on site. Raised acrylic letters can be unscrewed and swapped, leaving holes to fill. Routed letters are cut into the face, so a change normally means a new tray face, which is worth knowing before you choose.

What is the typical timescale for tray signs from enquiry to fitting?

A quote typically follows once we have your photos or have surveyed the site, and making and fitting is typically booked a few weeks after you approve the proof. Where advertisement consent applies, that decision has to come through before anything goes up, which can add several weeks. We give you an expected timescale with your quote for Inverness.

Does the price of tray signs in Inverness include VAT?

No. Our guide range of £1,250–£3,450 per sign excludes VAT, which is added to the quote. The final figure depends on size, materials, access, removal of existing signage or graphics and the artwork needed, and we confirm it in writing after a survey or once we have checked your files.

Do you work across the Highlands and Islands or only in Inverness?

Across all of the Highlands and Islands, and the rest of the UK too. Inverness 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.

How deep is a tray sign?

Returns are usually 50–75 mm, enough to hide a fixing rail and give a visible edge. Deeper trays are possible where you want room for LED modules later or need to cover an uneven fascia, and we set the depth at survey based on what is behind.

Tray signs in the Highlands and Islands

Tray signs are fascia signs folded from aluminium sheet so the face turns back at the edges into returns, typically 50–75 mm deep, then powder coated and hung on concealed fixings.

Why choose tray signs in the Highlands and Islands?

Businesses moving into a refurbished Inverness building can use a wrap-around tray to hide an uneven old fascia without stripping it out.
Shoppers walking along an Inverness pavement see a sign side-on first, and tray returns give it a solid edge from exactly that angle.
If your Inverness premises might open into the evening one day, a light-ready tray avoids paying for a second sign later.

Guide prices in the Highlands and Islands

How much? Expect a guide range of £1,250–£3,450 per sign, VAT excluded. The rows below show what moves a job up or down that range, and the figure becomes firm once the survey or artwork check is done.

Tray signs in the Highlands and Islands: guide prices, supplied and fitted
Item	Guide, ex VAT	Inc. VAT (20%)
Tray sign up to 3 m, vinyl lettering	£1,250 – £2,100	£1,500 – £2,520
Tray sign 3–5 m, raised acrylic lettering	£1,850 – £3,450	£2,220 – £4,140
Push-through or routed letters (non-lit)	£350 – £950	£420 – £1,140

Length matters most, because longer trays need joints, more coating and more fixing rail. Then come the lettering method, letter count, special or metallic powder coats, access height and removal of the old sign. Every figure is confirmed after survey and an artwork check.

Do you need permission for a sign in the Highlands and Islands?

Scotland runs its own advertisement rules, set out in the 1984 Control of Advertisements (Scotland) Regulations as amended. An unlit sign on your own premises may not need an application, but that depends on its size, its position and whether the building is listed or sits in a conservation area. If consent is needed, the council receives the application, typically submitted online through eDevelopment.scot. On a listed building, listed building consent usually applies too, and fixings into mortar joints are generally preferred. We check the position with you before anything is ordered, and we can draw up and submit the paperwork if you would like us to.

Options worth considering

Routed tray with push-through letters

Letters cut through the face with acrylic pushed through, ready to light.

Wrap-around tray

Sized to the whole fascia with folded ends, hiding the old board.

Tray with vinyl lettering

Cut-vinyl text on a powder-coated tray: the entry point.

Towns in the Highlands and Islands

Your town not here? We still cover it. These are the main towns in the Highlands and Islands with their own page for tray signs, each one setting out the same survey, proof and fitting steps.

Parts of the Highlands and Islands involve long journeys or a ferry crossing, so surveys and fitting are arranged case by case and travel is itemised on your quote.

Photos of the building, window or vehicle, plus approximate sizes, are enough for us to quote tray signs anywhere in the Highlands and Islands. There is no charge for the quote and no commitment until you approve the proof.