Most bad sign projects go wrong before anything is built: the wrong contractor, no permit, a face that fades in two summers, a crew that cannot get on the roof. Here are the nine questions to ask any sign maker in Los Angeles before you sign, with the answers you should expect. We are a sign company ourselves, so read this as the checklist we would want a customer to hold us to.
1. Are you licensed for electrical signs?
In California, anyone who installs illuminated signs needs a C-45 Electric Sign Contractor license from the Contractors State License Board. Ask for the license number and check it on the CSLB website. A print shop or a handyman can hang a banner; they cannot legally wire a channel-letter sign to your building.
2. Who pulls the permit?
Almost every permanent exterior sign in the City of Los Angeles needs a permit from LADBS, and illuminated signs need an electrical permit as well. The right answer is “we do, and the permit is in your name as the property’s sign.” The wrong answer is “you don’t need one” — an unpermitted sign can be red-tagged and removed at your cost. See how our sign permit service works.
3. Do you fabricate in-house or broker it out?
Brokers add a margin and a delay, and problems get passed along a chain. A shop that builds its own signs can show you the equipment and a job in progress. Ours is in Pacoima; you are welcome to visit.
4. Can I see installed work, not renderings?
Renderings are easy; installed signs on real buildings are the proof. Ask for addresses you can drive past, and for photos taken after installation, at night for illuminated signs. Our gallery shows installed work across Los Angeles.
5. What materials, and what is the warranty?
For exterior work the answers should include aluminum (not steel that rusts), UV-rated vinyls and paints, UL-listed LED modules and power supplies, and a clear answer on what warranty comes with the vinyl and the electrical parts. Ask what fades first in Los Angeles sun — a good sign maker will tell you and design around it.
6. Does the quote include everything?
A complete quote lists design, permit fees and drawings, fabrication, installation with lift or bucket truck, electrical connection, and any landlord-required insurance certificate. If any of those is “extra” or “TBD”, the price is not the price.
7. How do you handle the landlord and the city?
Shopping centers have sign criteria: letter heights, colors, illumination type, sometimes a required sign contractor. A sign maker who has worked with your landlord’s criteria before will save you weeks. Ask.
8. What is the real timeline?
Typical Los Angeles timelines: banners and window graphics in days; non-illuminated dimensional letters in one to two weeks; illuminated channel letters or monument signs in four to eight weeks, most of it permit time. Anyone promising an illuminated building sign “next week” is skipping something.
9. Who installs, and are they insured?
Installation is where people get hurt and buildings get damaged. Ask whether the installers are the company’s own crew, whether they carry liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and whether they own the lift equipment. Get the certificate of insurance before install day; most landlords will ask for it anyway.
Red flags
- No license number on the quote or the website.
- “No permit needed” for a permanent exterior sign.
- Stock photos instead of installed projects.
- A deposit of more than 50% before drawings are approved.
- No mention of the landlord’s sign criteria.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a sign cost? Anything from a few hundred dollars for a banner to five figures for a large illuminated monument. Compare quotes only when they include the same items (question 6).
Can a sign maker help with design? Yes — most do, and a mock-up on a photo of your building should be part of the quote. See sign design.
Do you serve all of Los Angeles? We do — from Pacoima to Downtown, the Westside and the San Fernando Valley; see sign installation.
Want to run this checklist on us? Call (818) 723-4047 or request a quote.