A sign quote is only as good as the information behind it. Send a logo and a rough idea, and the sign company has to guess your wall size, your power, your town’s rules and your landlord’s criteria. Every guess turns into padding in the price or a change order later.
Gogi Signs quotes signs for businesses across New Jersey and New York City. This guide shows exactly what to gather before you request a sign quote, based on what towns and landlords actually ask for, so the first number you get is accurate and easy to compare.
In this guide
Why the Details Change the Price
Four things move a sign price the most: size, sign type, lighting and installation conditions. Size depends on your wall and the town limit. Lighting depends on whether power is there. Installation depends on height, wall material and access. If the sign company has to assume any of these, the quote either includes a cushion or leaves something out.
A good estimator starts with the same short list of questions: your goal, indoor or outdoor use, night visibility and your deadline. Answer those up front and you skip a round of emails.
Photos That Help the Most
Good photos let a sign company see most of what it needs without a visit. Take them in daylight with your phone held level.
Include something of known size in one photo, such as a standard door, so the designer can check proportions. Garfield’s sign permit checklist asks for a picture of the sign superimposed on a picture of the building, according to the city’s permit page. Your photos are what that mockup is built on.
How to Measure Your Storefront
For a wall sign, measure three things: the width of your frontage, the height and width of the sign band or clear wall area, and the height from the sidewalk to the bottom of that area. These numbers matter twice. They set the size of the sign, and most New Jersey towns calculate the allowed sign area from your frontage. Lawrence Township, for example, asks for the width and height of the building front on every sign application.
If you cannot measure safely, say so. A site survey records exact sizes, the wall material and where the power is. At Gogi Signs the survey is part of the price, so you never pay extra to get it right.
Your Landlord's Sign Criteria
If you lease, ask for the sign criteria before you ask for quotes. Shopping centers and office buildings often set the sign type, letter height, colors, lighting and even the installers they allow. A quote that ignores them is a quote you will have to redo.
Here is what one large shopping center landlord requires. Brixmor’s storefront sign guide says a sign cannot be installed until the tenant has written approval, asks for drawings to scale with colors, materials and wattage, and says the sign company must field verify all measurements. It also requires a permanent sign within 60 days of opening and may charge $150 a day if the building sign is missing.
In New York City, the owner’s written authorization is needed before a tenant can get an illuminated sign permit, according to the Department of Buildings. Find out early who signs for the landlord and how quickly they respond. Our sister shop in New York explains another common landlord rule in raceway vs flush mount channel letters.
What Your Town Will Ask For
Tell the sign company your exact address, because the town sets the size limit, the permit steps and the fees. Here is what three New Jersey towns ask for with a sign application:
| Town | What the application asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Township | Signed by the installer and the property owner, three sketches drawn to scale, building front size, color photos of existing signs | Sign application |
| Bloomfield | Sketch showing placement, sign design with all dimensions, materials, colors, lighting type, $40 fee per sign | Zoning sign application |
| Garfield | Construction permit forms, electrical permit if needed, sign shown on a photo of the building, contractor license | Sign permit checklist |
Mention it if your building is in a historic district or a special improvement district, since those can add a design review. Our guide on whether business signs need a permit in New Jersey explains the steps.
Power and the Old Sign
A lit sign, such as channel letters or a light box sign, needs power at the sign location. If an old sign was lit, note where its wiring comes through the wall. If there is no power, the quote should include running it, and that work needs a licensed electrician.
If an old sign is coming down, send photos of it and the wall behind it. Removal, capping the wires, patching holes and painting the sign band are real costs that belong in the same quote.
Your Logo, Deadline and Budget
Send the best version of your logo you have, ideally a vector file. Our guide to working with a sign designer covers file types and brand colors.
Give the date the sign must be up and the reason, such as an opening or a lease deadline. Signs Now’s guide to the process of signage suggests coming in with a firm budget and a proposed timing. A budget range lets the sign company recommend the best sign within it instead of quoting options you would never choose. Our guides on how long a custom sign project takes and how to budget for commercial signage help you set both.
It also helps to decide what the sign should say before you ask. Pixel Wraps, our sister graphics shop, makes the same point for vehicles in what should be included on a truck wrap.
Add Everything Else You Need
If you also need interior signs, door lettering, window graphics or vehicle graphics, say so in the same request. Quoting them together usually costs less than separate visits, and everything comes out in the same colors and finishes. A list of rooms and doors helps price ADA room signs, and a photo of each door is even better.
What Happens After You Send It
A good sign company replies with a first price and a list of anything still unknown. Then it books a site survey, prepares a proof drawn on a photo of your building and confirms the final price. At Gogi Signs, that price covers the survey, design, fabrication and installation. Work starts with a 50 percent deposit, and the balance is due at installation. If the town or landlord asks for changes, the proof is updated before anything is built.
Your One Email Quote Packet
- Photos. The whole front, the approach, the wall close up, the old sign and a night shot.
- Measurements. Frontage width, sign band size and height above the sidewalk.
- Landlord criteria. The document, plus the name of whoever signs for the owner.
- Address. The exact address, and any historic or special district.
- Artwork. Vector logo files and brand colors.
- Power and the old sign. Where the wiring is, and what is coming down.
- Deadline and budget. The date, the reason and a range.
Send the same packet to every company you ask. Identical information is what makes quotes comparable. Once they arrive, our guide on understanding business sign quotes shows how to compare them line by line, and our list of questions to ask before ordering custom signs helps you choose.
Common Questions About Requesting a Sign Quote
Can I get a sign quote without a site visit?
Often, yes, for a first price. Good photos and measurements usually allow a reliable estimate. A site survey then confirms sizes, the wall and the power before final drawings.
What photos should I send for a sign quote?
The whole front straight on, the view customers see as they approach, the wall close up, the old sign and its wiring, a night photo and anything in the way such as trees or awnings.
How do I measure my storefront for a sign?
Measure the width of your frontage, the height and width of the sign band, and the height from the sidewalk to the bottom of the sign band. Towns often use the frontage to set the sign size you are allowed.
Do I need landlord approval before getting quotes?
Not before asking, but you need the landlord’s sign criteria, because they often decide the sign type, size, colors and lighting. Written approval of the final drawings comes before the permit and fabrication.
Why does the sign company ask which town I am in?
Because each New Jersey town sets its own size limits, permit steps and fees, and some districts add a design review. The town can change both the design and the schedule.
Should I include a budget in my request?
Yes. A range lets the sign company recommend the best sign within it and explain the trade offs, instead of quoting options you would never choose.
Ready to Request Your Quote?
Send us whatever you have so far. We will tell you plainly what is missing and how it might change the price, and our survey fills in the rest before final drawings. Request a free quote or see how our site survey works.
