Questions to ask before you order a custom sign

Before you order a sign, ask about five things: what it is made of and how it lights, what the price includes, what your landlord and city allow, who installs and wires it, and how it will be serviced later. Get the answers on a drawing or in the quote, not only on the phone, and compare quotes line by line. Below are the questions, why each one matters, and how we answer them for our own signs.

About the sign itself

Ask	Why it matters	Our answer
What are the returns and face made of?	Most of the industry builds letters from aluminum; the material sets corrosion resistance, finish and stiffness	304 stainless steel returns on every letter, and a stainless face on halo-lit and non-lit letters; translucent acrylic on front-lit faces
Which lighting style, and how deep?	Style sets the night look and how far the sign reads; depth changes the look from the side	Front-lit, halo-lit, front-and-back lit, open-face with LED neon; front-lit usually 3 in or 5 in, halo-lit 2 to 3 in
Which light color?	Cool, neutral and warm white change how the face color looks	White (6500 K), neutral white (4000 to 5000 K) or warm white (2700 to 3000 K)
Is it built for outdoors?	Indoor parts do not belong in the rain	Outdoor builds use IP65-rated LED modules and outdoor power supplies
Which electrical parts are listed?	Inspectors and landlords ask	A UL-listed power supply and LED modules
How does it get power?	Decides whether you need an electrician	12 V DC LEDs; indoor signs usually plug in, outdoor signs are hard-wired by a licensed electrician
How does it mount, and what comes in the box?	You need to know before you book an installer	Flush to the wall, with a full-size paper template and the mounting hardware; raceway optional; standoffs only on request
Will I see the sign before it is built?	A drawing is where mistakes are cheap	A free drawing with a lit preview and an exact price; nothing is built until you approve it

What “listed” means. A listing says a product was tested to a safety standard by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL). UL is the best known; OSHA recognizes others, such as Intertek (ETL) and CSA. Ask which parts carry a listing, and if your inspector needs specific documents, ask before you order. Sign permits: what cities ask for explains when that comes up.

About the price

• Is this an exact price or an estimate? A range is fine for budgeting; the order should rest on an exact price for a drawn sign. Our price estimator gives a range from our recent quotes, and the drawing gives the exact price.
• What is not included? For us: installation, sign permits and the electrician who connects a hard-wired sign. Ask every supplier the same question.
• What else will the job need? A lift for a high wall, a new circuit, a raceway the landlord requires, removing the old sign and patching its holes. How much do channel letters cost lists the costs around the sign.
• How do I pay? Ours: by card through a Stripe invoice or payment link, and larger orders can pay by ACH bank transfer.

About your site and the rules

• Have I read the landlord’s sign criteria? They can set letter height, colors, lighting style and whether a raceway is required.
• What does the city allow? Size limits, lighting rules and how sign area is counted. See how cities measure sign area.
• Who prepares the permit drawings, and who files? We do not file permits. Your approved drawing shows the sizes and mounting most applications ask for, and our permit drawing package adds the sheets many cities want. You or your installer file.
• Is there power where the sign goes? If not, the electrician needs to plan it. See sign electrical requirements.
• Have I measured the wall? How to measure your wall for a sign shows what to send.

Questions for your installer

Installation is not part of our price, so these go to the installer you hire:

1. Are you licensed and insured for this work? Rules vary. Some states license sign contractors; California has a sign contractor classification, and Texas licenses electrical sign contractors. Many cities only issue sign permits to registered contractors with insurance.
2. Will you file the sign permit? Many installers do it as part of the job.
3. Have you mounted letters on a wall like mine? Brick, stucco, EIFS and drywall each need different anchors. See mounting letters on brick, stucco and drywall.
4. Do you bring the lift or ladder the wall needs?
5. Will you remove the old sign and patch the wall?
6. Who coordinates with the electrician, and when?
7. What does your workmanship cover, and for how long?

How to install channel letters shows the job, so you can talk it through with them.

Questions for your electrician

Ask whether there is a sign circuit, where the power supply and disconnect will go, and whether a timer or photocell should go in at the same time. Sign electrical requirements has the full list.

About service later

• Can I buy parts for this sign later? LED modules, power supplies and faces wear on any lit sign. We sell repair parts such as LED modules and replacement acrylic faces, and power supplies.
• How do I get into the letter? On front-lit letters with a trim cap, the face comes off; halo-lit letters usually come off the wall. How to replace LED modules explains each.
• What is the light color of the modules? Write it down. Replacement modules should match.
• How do I clean it? Channel letter maintenance and cleaning covers stainless and acrylic.

Comparing two quotes

Line item	What to check
Material	Returns and face: stainless, aluminum or acrylic
Lighting	Style, depth, light color, number of colors
Electrical	Which parts are listed; plug-in or hard-wired; power supply included
Controls	Timer, photocell, dimmer: included or extra
Mounting	Flush, raceway or panel; template and hardware included
Drawing	To scale, with a lit preview, before anything is built
Not included	Installation, permits, electrician, lift, old sign removal

If you are ordering for several locations, or you are a sign shop or designer, see our trade page. When you are ready, send your logo or text and wall size through get a free drawing.