Signage: shop signs, illuminated signs and exhibition stands

Flat fascia panels with applied vinyl lettering are the simplest option. Built-up letters, fixed individually to the wall or a panel, look more substantial and can be lit from behind to create a halo, or from within. Lightboxes and projecting signs are common on high streets. Window graphics, from frosting to full printed displays, are quick to change. Banners suit temporary use and events.

Price depends on size, material, the method of illumination, how the sign is fixed, and the access needed to install it. A first-floor fascia over a busy pavement may need scaffolding or a powered access platform and a traffic management plan, which can cost more than the sign. A site survey before the final quote avoids surprises about the wall construction, existing fixings and where power can be brought in.

Signs are controlled under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007, separately from ordinary planning permission. Some advertisements need no consent at all, others have deemed consent if they meet the conditions of their class, and everything else needs express consent from the local planning authority. Displaying an advertisement without the necessary consent is a criminal offence.

Illuminated signs on business premises can have deemed consent, but the conditions are strict. They do not apply in a conservation area, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a National Park or the Broads. The illumination must be static, without flashing or intermittent lights or moving parts, and there are limits on the size, projection and height of the sign. Outside these conditions, you need to apply for express consent, and your council can also restrict deemed consent in sensitive areas.

If the building is listed, a sign fixed to it may also need listed building consent, even where advertisement consent is not required. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own advertisement regulations, so the conditions differ there. A signage company that works locally should know the council's approach, but the responsibility for displaying a sign lawfully rests with the business displaying it.

Source: legislation.gov.uk

If you rent your premises, the lease will almost certainly require the landlord's consent for signs on the exterior. A projecting sign that overhangs the pavement may also need the agreement of the highway authority, and shopping centres and business parks usually have their own signage rules. Ask about all of these before paying a deposit on a sign made to measure.

Installing signs is work at height, often above a public footway. The sign company should give you a risk assessment and method statement for the installation, explain how the area below will be protected, and hold public liability insurance. Fixings must suit the wall: a heavy illuminated sign on old brickwork or a render finish needs a different approach from one on a steel frame.

Illuminated signs need a safe electrical supply, installed and tested by someone competent to do so under the wiring regulations, BS 7671, with a way to isolate the sign and a timer if you want it off at night. Ask who does the electrical connection and whether you will receive a certificate for it. Planning conditions may also limit how bright the sign may be.

• survey of the wall, access and power supply
• drawings with dimensions, materials, colours and method of illumination
• who applies for advertisement or listed building consent, if needed
• access equipment, pavement protection and any permits
• electrical connection and certification
• removal and disposal of the old sign
• warranty on materials, lighting and vinyl

Supply your logo as a vector file and your brand colours in a reference system such as Pantone or RAL, and ask for a proof mock-up on a photo of your premises before production. Colours on screen and on vinyl or acrylic never match exactly, so approving a physical sample is worthwhile for a large order. For window graphics, consider how much daylight you want to keep, how the view in from the street will look at night, and whether the vinyl can be removed later without damaging the glass.

Exhibition stands follow the rules of the venue and organiser rather than planning law. Check the deadlines in the exhibitor manual, the requirements for flame-retardant materials, and who is allowed to connect electrics on site. Decide early whether you want a stand built for one show or a modular system you can reuse, and where it will be stored between events.

Tell us what you need, whether it is indoors or outdoors, the approximate size, whether installation is included and whether your design is ready. Once your phone number and email are confirmed, signage companies in your region see the request without your contact details. Just one company can buy it, after which it is removed from our marketplace, and we email you the company's name, address and phone number before your details are passed on.

Offrano is free for you, and there is no guarantee that a sign maker will take the request; if nobody does within 21 days, it is withdrawn. We check that buyers are registered businesses but do not inspect their work, so ask for photos of installed signs and whether they have handled consent applications with your council before.