Customer put my road sign on a 40' pole

[Stacey K]

I had a gal opening a cafe bring me her logo and ask me for a sign replacement for a large lighted sign that is 30-40' in the air. I told her I don't do that so she called another shop and couldn't afford it. She came back in and her father-in-law made her a nice 4'x6' wood frame. I met her and it was made already and would go about 10' from the road right at eye level, location is hard to see from a distance so you only really see it as you drive past or a couple car lengths ahead. I said great, and told her I can make the sign but she needs to get the permit.

I just drove past. They cut the 4'4' wood posts off the bottom of the sign and stuck it on a 40' pole. It looks terrible and it's a little hard to read from a distance because the way her logo is. If I had known this was going on a 40' pole now visible from a distance, I would have ditched her coffee cup and made the words larger (IDK, something different). You can't read it from a distance and it looks like a tiny little blob on a huge pole. Maybe I should have ditched the coffee cup anyways...but like I said, in the location she had it you have to be right up on it to read it. I also made her a building sign which is very readable from a distance since the building is set off the road and it was long and horizontal so we just used the words only.

Do I say something or just let it go? I feel like I messed this up now ugh

 

[Jay Grooms]

I had a gal opening a cafe bring me her logo and ask me for a sign replacement for a large lighted sign that is 30-40' in the air. I told her I don't do that so she called another shop and couldn't afford it. She came back in and her father-in-law made her a nice 4'x6' wood frame. I met her and it was made already and would go about 10' from the road right at eye level, location is hard to see from a distance so you only really see it as you drive past or a couple car lengths ahead. I said great, and told her I can make the sign but she needs to get the permit.

I just drove past. They cut the 4'4' wood posts off the bottom of the sign and stuck it on a 40' pole. It looks terrible and it's a little hard to read from a distance because the way her logo is. If I had known this was going on a 40' pole now visible from a distance, I would have ditched her coffee cup and made the words larger (IDK, something different). You can't read it from a distance and it looks like a tiny little blob on a huge pole. Maybe I should have ditched the coffee cup anyways...but like I said, in the location she had it you have to be right up on it to read it. I also made her a building sign which is very readable from a distance since the building is set off the road and it was long and horizontal so we just used the words only.

Do I say something or just let it go? I feel like I messed this up now ugh

View attachment 158435

Good god I don't miss working in Wisconsin. Lol.
if you got paid, let it go.

 

[2B]

You are WAY overthinking this.
They provided specs and you made for the specs provided, got paid and all are satisfied.

If they change AFTER the product is made, that is on them.
There is NO way a sign 10' above grade can be used 40' above grade. the overall size must be increased in size to be visible regardless of the design

 

[Stacey K]

You are WAY overthinking this.
They provided specs and you made for the specs provided, got paid and all are satisfied.

If they change AFTER the product is made, that is on them.
There is NO way a sign 10' above grade can be used 40' above grade. the overall size must be increased in size to be visible regardless of the design

OK, thank you, I don't do signs high in the air so I'm happy to hear of some input on the subject!

 

[Scotchbrite]

If they didn't tell you it was going to be put on a 40' pole, I wouldn't worry about it.

We have this discussion with customers all the time. People just don't realize how much smaller the sign will appear once it's placed 40' in the air. Just like when I have people call wanting a price for a new face in an existing freestanding sign. They'll say it's 4'x8' but I know it's probably closer to 5'x10' because it's up on a pole.

 

[Bradley Signs]

Once they buy it, it's theirs to do with as they please.

 

[De.signs Nanaimo]

I agree with the rest, and oh do I dislike round logos, they are hard to use in any format!

 

[jfiscus]

I would be more worried about a sign that was made to sit close to the ground being incorrectly affixed to a pole 40' up in the air.
Be sure you keep a photo of it mounted on the ground so that if it falls they don't try to blame you.

 

[DAVID MARSHALL]

Any time we start the design process for external signage, the first questions we ask is what distance will it be READ from and at what speed will the reader be travelling. There are many empirical guides that will show the minimum font sizes in each of these situations. As a guide, simple fonts are the most legible, and contrast is king.

 

[binki]

Let it go. We have customers do silly things all the time. I just try not to look at those if I drive by.

 

[ProSignTN]

I had a gal opening a cafe bring me her logo and ask me for a sign replacement for a large lighted sign that is 30-40' in the air. I told her I don't do that so she called another shop and couldn't afford it. She came back in and her father-in-law made her a nice 4'x6' wood frame. I met her and it was made already and would go about 10' from the road right at eye level, location is hard to see from a distance so you only really see it as you drive past or a couple car lengths ahead. I said great, and told her I can make the sign but she needs to get the permit.

I just drove past. They cut the 4'4' wood posts off the bottom of the sign and stuck it on a 40' pole. It looks terrible and it's a little hard to read from a distance because the way her logo is. If I had known this was going on a 40' pole now visible from a distance, I would have ditched her coffee cup and made the words larger (IDK, something different). You can't read it from a distance and it looks like a tiny little blob on a huge pole. Maybe I should have ditched the coffee cup anyways...but like I said, in the location she had it you have to be right up on it to read it. I also made her a building sign which is very readable from a distance since the building is set off the road and it was long and horizontal so we just used the words only.

Do I say something or just let it go? I feel like I messed this up now ugh

View attachment 158435

Stacey, years, diligence, and love of the trade have granted me a smidgen of wisdom. At my station, I am professional, I know what I'm doing. I'm not saying this to pump my chest. From that posts she share, I believe you could become a professional. Please adapt this mindset: I am an expert. I will consult my clients/prospective clients to the best of my ability. When I don't know, I will tell them. When I do, I will tell them. The client has a problem and you have a solution. Material is not the cost, time and expertise is the cost. Nobody wants to hear their baby is ugly, but a good midwife is professional in the way he lets them know.

 

[crgrove]

As someone else mentioned, you are WAY over-thinking this!
HOWEVER, over my decades as a sign guy, I've come to realize that sometimes customers will be disappointed in the results of their OWN approval. So ALWAYS have people either initial a hard copy "Go-By" OR, if via email, ALWAYS put a disclaimer at the bottom of the email that what they approve is on them... and have them reply with said approval. (better wording of course.) IF THEY approve via telephone ask them to approve the email.
Lastly, keep in mind THIS word, "Anaphasia"! Anaphasia is the LACK of a "Mind's Eye". And this is a REAL thing. Some customers, for real, cannot picture the end result in their mind's eye (because they don't have one). You have to cover yourself by thinking of as many contingencies as possible.
If they don't like the result, you give them a MODEST break in price to redo it that you can STILL make a bit of a profit on.

 

[Stacey K]

Thanks guys! I’m in a small
Town of only 7,000 so every sign I make is known by everyone in town. A lot of people know I made the sign so that’s why it makes me mad. My friend asked me about it yesterday and said it looks horrible way too small and I made sure to remind him it wasn’t supposed to be on the pole. I have plenty of other jobs to move on to so I guess I better just forget about it and move on


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[unclebun]

A 4'x6' on a 40' pole? Can you even see the sign, much less read it, when you are driving down the street?

 

[Stacey K]

A 4'x6' on a 40' pole? Can you even see the sign, much less read it, when you are driving down the street?

NO! It's horrifying! And it's boxed in with wood...I'll try and take a picture of it this weekend.

 

[Gino]

Someone said about one of the first things discussed is the distance of the sign to be read ?? That's a 'must'. Almost right after that, we'll ask, how/where is this going/being mounted or installed ??

That would tell ya that this sign will not meet codes.

My real question is, what's all those back lines on it ?? What are the for ??

 

[Stacey K]

Someone said about one of the first things discussed is the distance of the sign to be read ?? That's a 'must'. Almost right after that, we'll ask, how/where is this going/being mounted or installed ??

That would tell ya that this sign will not meet codes.

My real question is, what's all those back lines on it ?? What are the for ??

Yes, when we met she had the sign stand already made and in place 10' from the road - I measured the stand so I knew what size panels to make. In this particular spot you would need to be right up on the sign within 1-2 car lengths to see it. She was talking to the city about the permit (and I know this because I know the guy), she said the city said it would be fine and she should submit to the county and there shouldn't be a problem. She told me she had a guy coming to cut the pole off. It all seemed legit and moving forward in my eyes so I made the panels as she wanted them ASAP to start advertising. She's opening Monday and I dropped the panels off about 20 days ago.

When I dropped the panels off she said the county was taking forever. She mentioned cutting the pole down to 10' but then said she might do that down the road they were putting the panels in the stand right away. I dropped them off and I left, she was running in 12 different directions. She's having her dad or father-in-law do all this work to save money.

Inside she has white washed wood so it matches the wood inside...IDK.

When you say it won't meet codes, what do you mean by that? Is it because it's made of a wood frame?

 

[Gino]

Unless I didn't follow along correctly, you have 2 faces to sandwich that single pole. Putting that framework up there with solid faces in it, does not meet code with how that pole was originally intended. I know codes may vary from location to location, but I don't see how that thing is gonna be safe up there, unless it's in a vacuum. Air flow is much greater 40' up than on the ground. Plus, that sign was made to be securely made for basically a ground type structure. Not sway i the wind. A 40' tall pole is most likely 6" or 8" in diameter, unless it narrows as you go upward. How wide is the frame and how is being secured to this pole. Are they making some makeshift saddle/cradle for the top ??

I feel you're free and clear of any wrong doing as you have signed paperwork for an entirely different approach. She could be in a lotta trouble for deviating from the initial program.

NOW, what are those black lines ??

 

[Scotchbrite]

I think they are seams in the wood panel. It's probably something like Hardie board that's pressed to look like natural wood grain and individual planks.

 

[Stacey K]

Unless I didn't follow along correctly, you have 2

Unless I didn't follow along correctly, you have 2 faces to sandwich that single pole. Putting that framework up there with solid faces in it, does not meet code with how that pole was originally intended. I know codes may vary from location to location, but I don't see how that thing is gonna be safe up there, unless it's in a vacuum. Air flow is much greater 40' up than on the ground. Plus, that sign was made to be securely made for basically a ground type structure. Not sway i the wind. A 40' tall pole is most likely 6" or 8" in diameter, unless it narrows as you go upward. How wide is the frame and how is being secured to this pole. Are they making some makeshift saddle/cradle for the top ??

I feel you're free and clear of any wrong doing as you have signed paperwork for an entirely different approach. She could be in a lotta trouble for deviating from the initial program.

NOW, what are those black lines ??

Actually - it's one panel. I'm getting confused as I dropped also made 6 aluminum ones for the building.

Anyway - the funny thing is the frame design is yours LOL I showed them this one I made from your picture a couple years back (mine's slightly different than yours).

Instead of screwing it on like we did he made a frame around the panel so the panel is held in with 1x1's? How this wood thing is being held up on top of a pole is beyond me!

I can't believe the county wouldn't make you have metal up there and have an engineer drawing made. The local roofers put it up in their bucket truck.

It's like this kinda, minus the legs and with the panel framed in.