How much will our sign cost? Cost is always a large issue in a sign project. The answer is, of course, difficult. In some ways your sign can cost whatever you want. Like a car or a house it is a combination of what you want, what you can afford, and what you can find. If you have a large budget, you can get a larger sign, more expensive materials, get lots of design assistance, a longer warranty, among other things. If you have a very limited budget then the sign will be smaller, use less expensive materials, or not be built to last very long. Signs are like any other purchase, you get what you pay for. In some cases, the lower cost is justified, such as for temporary signs that don't need to last very long and it may not matter as much whether they look great. For printed or cut vinyl sings, the type of material can impact cost and sign life. Economy vinyl will look good for a while but will fade and peel more quickly than high performance vinyl. For larger signs, such as lobby signs, monument signs, or channel letters, cutting costs can lead to problems in the short and long term. Since there are a million ways to make a sign, there are many good and not so good methods. It is typically impossible for the client to tell the difference between materials. Do you think you can tell 3 year vinyl from 9 year vinyl by looking, do you know which LED brand lasts longer, can you tell the thickness of a channel letter return, the UV resistance of an acrylic face, or the quality of a paint job? A year or two down the road you will know because the corner cutters sign won't hold up. There are also some intangibles that impact the cost of a sign. Do you need design services, are there volumes of paperwork required by the landlord or owner, need help with permits? All of these add cost to the sign. How long of a warranty do you get with your sign? Longer warranties cost more. Another area is insurance. Does your sign manufacturer carry enough insurance to cover their workers and you should something happen at your site when the sign is being installed? For electrical signs, is the manufacturer U/L certified to make sure you get a safe sign. Some people get three bids and take the lowest bid, often to have to buy a replacement sign much sooner than they would if they had made a slightly larger investment. The challenge for the sign buyer is to understand everything that goes into a sign design, production, and installation. For most people this is an impossible task and very time consuming. The best solution is to pick a sign company that you can trust and let them help you make the best decision for your circumstances. Give the team at 360 Signs a call to help you through this process.