Signage is one of the most important parts of a commercial building project, but it is often treated as an afterthought. Whether you are constructing a new building, renovating an existing property, or updating a space for a new tenant, signage plays a major role in how people find, experience, and remember your business.
A strong signage plan does more than display a name on the outside of a building. It supports branding, improves navigation, enhances safety, creates a professional first impression, and helps the entire property feel complete. The best results happen when signage is considered early in the planning process, not rushed in at the end.
At SignArt Inc., we help businesses plan, design, fabricate, install, and maintain custom signage that supports their brand from every angle. With nearly 50 years of experience in the signage industry, our team brings the craftsmanship, technology, and project management needed to make commercial signage feel seamless from concept to completion.
Start With the Purpose of Each Sign
Before choosing materials, colors, sizes, or locations, begin by identifying what each sign needs to accomplish. Most commercial buildings require several types of signage, each with a different purpose.
Exterior building signs help people identify your business from the street or parking lot. Monument signs create visibility near entrances or along busy roadways. Window graphics can promote services, hours, or branding. Interior signs guide visitors through the building, identify offices or departments, and support accessibility. Safety signs, room labels, restroom signs, and directional signs all help create a better experience for employees, customers, and guests.
By defining the purpose of each sign first, you can avoid clutter, duplication, and confusion. Every sign should have a clear job.
Plan Signage Early in the Project
For new commercial buildings and major renovations, signage should be discussed during the early design phase. This allows architects, contractors, designers, property managers, and signage professionals to work together before critical decisions are finalized.
Early planning helps answer important questions. Where will electrical connections be needed for illuminated signs? Are there structural requirements for wall-mounted signage? Will the sign placement interfere with windows, landscaping, lighting, or architectural features? Are there local code restrictions that affect sign size, height, or placement?
When signage is delayed until the final stages of a project, businesses may face avoidable issues such as limited mounting options, added construction costs, permitting delays, or signs that feel disconnected from the overall building design.
Working with SignArt early in the process helps simplify these decisions. Our team can help evaluate your building, brand, budget, visibility needs, and installation requirements so your signage is planned with the full project in mind.
Understand Local Sign Codes and Permits
Commercial signage is often regulated by city, township, county, landlord, or property management requirements. These rules may affect the size, height, location, illumination, colors, and installation methods of your signs.
Before finalizing your signage plan, review all applicable codes and approval processes. Some properties, especially shopping centers, office parks, medical complexes, and mixed-use developments, may also have specific sign criteria that tenants must follow.
SignArt provides full-service signage support, including help with permitting and regulatory compliance. This is especially valuable for exterior signs, illuminated signs, monument signs, and multi-location projects where each site may have different requirements.
Prioritize Visibility and Readability
A sign only works if people can see it, read it, and understand it quickly. Visibility should be evaluated from multiple viewpoints, including the road, parking lot, sidewalks, building entrance, and interior traffic flow.
For exterior signs, consider the speed of passing traffic, viewing distance, lighting conditions, landscaping, and surrounding buildings. A sign that looks large up close may be difficult to read from the road. Fonts should be clean and legible, colors should provide strong contrast, and the message should be simple.
For interior signs, readability matters just as much. Visitors should be able to move through the space with confidence. Directional signs, department signs, room signs, and restroom signs should be placed where people naturally look for guidance.
At SignArt, our process combines creative design with real-world function. Every sign should look great, but it also needs to perform in the environment where it will be installed.
Match Signage to Your Brand and Building Design
Your signage should feel like an extension of your brand. Colors, typography, materials, finishes, and lighting should align with your visual identity while also complementing the building itself.
A modern office building may call for sleek dimensional lettering, brushed metal finishes, or clean acrylic signs. A healthcare facility may need a calm, professional look with clear wayfinding and accessible design. A retail business may benefit from bold exterior signage, window graphics, and promotional displays that attract foot traffic.
SignArt works with local businesses, national brands, retail spaces, schools, financial institutions, healthcare organizations, commercial properties, fuel stations, and more. Our custom signage solutions are tailored to each industry, helping every space communicate clearly while reinforcing the brand experience.
Consider the Full Customer Journey
Effective signage supports the entire customer journey, from the moment someone approaches the property to the moment they reach their destination. Think through the experience step by step.
Can visitors identify the building from the street? Is the entrance easy to find? Are parking areas clearly marked? Once inside, can people locate reception, restrooms, elevators, exits, departments, or meeting rooms without asking for help?
This is especially important for medical buildings, schools, offices, apartment communities, shopping centers, and multi-tenant commercial spaces. Good wayfinding reduces frustration, improves accessibility, and creates a smoother experience for everyone.
Account for Accessibility, Safety, and Long-Term Maintenance
Accessibility and safety signage should never be overlooked. ADA-compliant signage may be required for restrooms, exits, permanent rooms, accessible entrances, elevators, and other areas. These signs often need specific features such as proper mounting height, tactile lettering, Braille, contrast, and non-glare finishes.
Safety signs, emergency exit signs, fire route signs, parking signs, and regulatory signs also need to be part of the overall plan. Including these requirements early helps ensure compliance and avoids last-minute corrections.
It is also important to plan for maintenance. Exterior signs are exposed to weather, sunlight, temperature changes, and everyday wear. Illuminated signs may eventually need lighting updates or repairs. SignArt offers ongoing support and maintenance to help keep your signs looking sharp and performing properly long after installation.
Choose a Signage Partner That Can Handle the Full Process
Planning signage for a new commercial building or renovation involves design, code review, permitting, fabrication, installation, and coordination with other project teams. A professional signage partner can help connect all these pieces so your signs are attractive, compliant, durable, and installed correctly.
SignArt Inc. provides custom signage design, installation, permitting support, and maintenance services for businesses of all sizes. Whether you are a local business planning one location or a national brand preparing for a multi-site rollout, our team is built to deliver signage with quality, consistency, and care.
By planning early and thinking strategically, signage becomes more than a finishing touch. It becomes a key part of your building experience, helping people find you, trust you, and remember you.
Whether you are opening a new location or refreshing an existing property, SignArt can help you create a signage plan that makes your commercial space more functional, more professional, and more welcoming from day one.
