Most custom sign projects take about 6 to 12 weeks from the first conversation to installation. The part that surprises people is that building the sign is rarely the slow step. Approvals are. Each one has to wait for the one before it, and none of them can start until the design is final.
Gogi Signs designs, builds and installs signs across New Jersey and New York City. This guide breaks a custom sign project into its stages, gives a published time frame for each one, and shows where you can save weeks.
In this guide
The Short Answer
The New York State Small Business Development Center says the sign process may take 6 to 8 weeks depending on the size and type of signage, in its guide What Is Your Signage. A simple unlit sign with no permit can be much faster. A sign that needs a variance can take months.
Stage 1: Survey and Quote
It starts with what the sign must do, where it goes and which rules apply. Photos and measurements from you can get a first price moving within days. A site survey then confirms sizes, the wall and the power. Our checklist of what to prepare before requesting a sign quote shortens this stage more than anything else.
Stage 2: Design and Proofs
Design moves at the speed of decisions. A first concept usually follows the survey within days, and most signs need one or two rounds of changes. One decision maker with a clear logo can approve a proof in a week. Three partners who each want a say can take a month. The final proof should show sizes, materials, colors, lighting and mounting, because it becomes the drawing for the landlord and the town. Our guide to working with a sign designer explains how to read a proof.
Stage 3: Landlord Approval
In a shopping center or managed building, the landlord checks the drawings against the lease sign criteria. Some reply in days. Others review once a month. Brixmor, a large shopping center owner, says in its storefront sign guide that no sign can be installed without its written approval. Many towns also want the owner’s signature on the permit application, so this step usually comes before the permit.
Stage 4: Permits
Permits are the stage that varies most and the one a sign company controls least. New Jersey and New York City work differently.
New Jersey
Most signs need zoning approval from the town and then a construction permit, plus an electrical permit if the sign is lit. State law says the zoning officer must issue or deny a zoning permit within 10 business days of the request, under the 2001 zoning permit law. The construction official must then approve or deny a complete permit application within 20 business days, under the state permit rule.
Those clocks only start once the application is complete. A missing signature or a sign over the size limit sends it back. If you need a variance, the board hearing adds more time. Board decisions can take up to 120 days after a complete application, as Salem’s town code spells out under state law. Our guide to avoiding permit delays covers the common mistakes.
New York City
Sign permits are filed with the Department of Buildings through DOB NOW, and a sign that needs power also needs a separate electrical permit filed by a licensed electrician, according to the DOB’s sign permit requirements. Signs over 75 square feet or 25 pounds must be hung by or under a licensed sign hanger, and lit signs past the building line may need an annual permit. The DOB does not publish a set review time for sign permits.
Stage 5: Fabrication
Once the permit is issued and the drawings are released, the shop builds the sign. Printed panels and vinyl graphics are quick. Channel letters, light boxes and fabricated metal take longer because every letter or cabinet is cut, formed, finished, wired and tested.
Published lead times give a sense of scale. In a GRAPHICS PRO interview with channel letter wholesalers, one said its production time for LED lit letters is typically two to three weeks after final art approval, and another said jobs take three days to four weeks depending on size, with longer lead times from April to November. Our sister shop in New York walks through every part that goes into a lit letter in the anatomy of a channel letter.
Starting fabrication before the permit is a gamble. If the town approves a smaller sign or a different spot, anything already built may be wasted. Ordering long lead materials early is a safer way to save time. See our sign fabrication page for how work moves through our Linden shop.
Stage 6: Installation and Inspection
Installation is usually the shortest stage, often one day for a storefront sign. It still needs the right conditions: a lift or ladder booked, dry weather and, in some shopping centers, work outside trading hours. In New Jersey, inspections must be done within three business days of the request, under the state inspection rule. Lit signs get an electrical inspection before the job closes. See our sign installation page for how we plan install days.
A Sample Timeline for a New Jersey Storefront
Here is how a typical lit storefront sign comes together when everything goes to plan. Your project may run faster or slower, depending mostly on the landlord and the town.
| Week | What happens | Who it waits on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Photos, measurements and a first price. Site survey booked. | You and the sign company |
| 1 to 3 | Concept, proof and one or two rounds of changes. | Your approval |
| 2 to 4 | Drawings sent to the landlord for written approval. | The landlord |
| 3 to 8 | Zoning approval, then construction and electrical permits. | The town |
| 6 to 10 | Fabrication of the letters or cabinet, wiring and testing. | The shop |
| 10 to 11 | Installation, electrical inspection and final sign off. | Weather and the inspector |
The longest gaps are usually waiting for approvals, not work. That is why the projects that open on time are the ones that start early.
What Speeds a Project Up and What Slows It Down
- Start when the lease is signed, not when the build out is finished.
- Send everything in the first email: photos, measurements, artwork and the lease criteria.
- Agree who approves the design and collect everyone’s comments before the proof is signed.
- Design inside the rules, so you avoid a variance.
- Get power to the sign location while the walls are still open.
For a new business, building the sign into the opening plan from day one is the biggest help. Our guide on why every new business needs a signage plan shows how to sequence it.
When You Need It Sooner
Design and fabrication can sometimes be sped up. Approvals usually cannot. A vinyl banner or window graphics, within your town’s temporary sign limits, can cover the gap until the permanent sign is up. Our guide to temporary sign rules explains the limits. Vehicle graphics are faster still: Pixel Wraps, our sister graphics shop, explains why a wrap usually takes days, not weeks, in how long it takes to wrap a truck.
Common Questions About Sign Project Timelines
How long does a custom sign take from order to installation?
Usually about 6 to 12 weeks for a lit storefront sign. A simple unlit sign with no permit can be much faster, while a sign that needs a variance can take months.
How long does a sign permit take in New Jersey?
By state rules, a zoning permit is decided within 10 business days and a complete construction permit application within 20 business days. Missing documents or a variance add time.
Can fabrication start before the permit is approved?
It can, but it is risky. If the town approves a different size or location, work already done may be wasted. Ordering long lead materials early is a safer way to save time.
How long does sign installation take?
Most storefront signs install in one day, weather permitting. Lit signs also need an electrical inspection, which New Jersey requires within three business days of the request.
Can a sign be rushed for an opening?
Sometimes. Design and fabrication can be sped up, but approvals usually cannot. A temporary banner or window graphics within the town limits can bridge the gap.
When should a new business start the sign process?
As soon as the lease is signed and you have the landlord’s sign criteria. That leaves time for design, approvals and fabrication before opening day.
Plan Your Sign Timeline
Tell us your opening date when you request a free quote. We will tell you honestly whether it works, give you a written schedule with the approval and production steps, and help with the permits.
Sources and further reading
- New York State Small Business Development Center: What Is Your Signage
- New Jersey zoning permit law, 2001
- N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16: construction permit review time
- Brixmor: ordering your storefront sign
