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Sign licences

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GypsyGraphics

New Member
HEY RICK... they're singing your song!

here comes the chorus again... join in and sing next time it come's around on the guitar.

Does your town you operate out of require that you have a certified license to install signs.
Do you have to obtain a permit to hang any type of commercial sign to a building.
Do you abide by these rules or do you break em?

chime in anytime!
:popcorn:
 
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C

CentralSigns

New Member
Bob you hit it right on nothing about safety or installation. Dan you were on it as well but few sign companies ever have the opportunity to get involved. You can use screws made out of corplast, to put a sign up here. I always used stainless. Mostly aesthetics and in fact nothing more. No lights all signs must now be wood, that's cause the other guy does sandblasting go figure. It would be nice to see installation rules. I guess the insurance companies will steer that as more hacks put up signs unsafely, and lawsuits arise out of damages. Maybe that will put the hacks out of business. I don't think many companies carry general liability insurance for the installs.
 
signmeup

signmeup

New Member
We don't have licencing. I tell the customer to get a permit.... could care less if they do or not.
The county requires permits. Towns are hit and miss. Some want you to get a permit, others don't know what you're talking about. I have made a lot of signs for my hometown and they have yet to get a permit for any of them. I thought that was funny.

Also up here, if you have a hammer.... you're a carpenter.
 
D

davidcarr87

New Member
I have told the customer about the permits, and have installed signs after telling them i an not responsible for permits/approvals if they want me to get them i charge for the permit and labor to get them..but the permit is useless pretty much, nothing is ever done..
all signs within the city limits have to be "approved" by the city counle--but all that is is a simple phone call..saying" hey were putting up a new sign" they just need stuff to talk about at their monthly meetings, and then they send you a letter after the install date you give them saying it looks good, even if the sign was not installed yet due to weather and not being able to finish the foundation...bahahahaha
 
J

Just Another Sign Guy

New Member
look at caifornia...sign codes and licensing are simply nuts...like most other things in one way or another in time it seems as most states follow their lead..it just takes time. Change is coming,our industry is very unregulated nationwide..i can not think of another industry like ours...things will change and I fear that if we do not get involved we will not like the changes...well we won't like them either way but without input from those in the trade it will be a trainwreck.

there are states where you need to prove your knowledge to get a license, there are states you need to prove you have x yrs in the trade. Myself I think it should be a national standard combine examples (not necessarily the same info obviously) likra general contractor unless you are a shop that only does corro,banners,etc and no installs. And then model part of it after something like realtors where it is sign ppl watching and ensuring minimal standards...electrical is a whole other topic.

and don't get me going on sign codes or historical areas where the sign can only be wood lol...where I ve seen mdo plywood approved and the refusal to approve hdu..i hav probably helped at least 20 sign companies get that change made in their local codes...and it is so obvious but it has never been easy.
 
OldPaint

OldPaint

New Member
just wait till you get a business that want to open in a "historic area."
then they really get expensive and more stupid!!!!!!!! we have one here in pcola, and i was not aware of its boundaries. a mexican restaurant........decided to open there, ordered signs BEFORE checking with city permit office. wrong sizes, wrong colors, wrong fonts(even though it was the COMPANY LOGO FONT for their other locations!!!!!!!! i changed out 2 plastic faces IN EXISTING LIGHTED FRAMES, mounted on the building...........and i got a call from them wanting me to pay for a permit, andi was told unless i registered with the city i could not do any work there. i asked what the fee was and it was $400.00!!!!!!! bullcrap!!
i built my building on my property. county had to ok buleprints. got that doen and cost me $275.00 for a building permit. iam putting up a METAL BUILDING, ok......remember that. after digging the footer, setting forms and before i could pour...........i had to have a CERTIFIED EXTERMINATOR spray a $15 dollar can of insecticide o all the earth area i was gona cover with concrete to the price of $200.00...AND then after it was sprayed i had to cover it all with clear plastic...........BEFORE they would slap a sticker so the concrete people could see it to pour the concrete. and the most hilarious one was THE HEALTH BOARD FEE..........i paid them $75 so they could locate my septic tank and make sure i wasnt building on top of it!!!!!! how stupid do they think i am? guy shows up couple days later, knocks on the door, i open it and he shows me his badge, say he was here to locate the septic tank. i said ok and shut the door! he knocks again, i said what ya need, he says........"you gona show me where the septic tank is.? i said you gona give my $75 check back? he said no.........i said do your job and go find it and shut the DOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
skyhigh

skyhigh

New Member
visual800 said:
Here you need permits for anything, new signs, refacing, temp signs...it matters not. Thats why I put my signs up on the weekend.
Click to expand...

LOL.....On the weekend, when the city manager and every other city official is out-n-about? Stick to a week day when you know he will be in the office.

Perhaps it would be best if you do installs on the hoot-owl shift? :rolleyes:
 
P

Perks

New Member
I need a Pa license. I'm also not a big booster of the Historic Brand of signs. My preferred genre is more influenced by the 50s 60s and 70s. Funky stuff. Hang up what ever you want.
 
B

blueben

New Member
skyhigh said:
LOL.....On the weekend, when the city manager and every other city official is out-n-about? Stick to a week day when you know he will be in the office.

Perhaps it would be best if you do installs on the hoot-owl shift? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

About 6 years ago when everyone was doing the work and applying for permits later. I had the one inspector help me put up a sign that was not permitted yet. Paperwork wasn't even turned in.

Of course I had a city official once tell me that if a sign was put up over the weekend, they usually look the other way until someone brings it to their attention or something happens to it.
 
B

blueben

New Member
I ran across this the other day on a door sign. If you are lettering a door, pretty much anyone can do this with no permits as long as it is under $1000. However. If you put the address on the door/window or even on the side of the building, it must be permitted and be installed/applied by a licensed contractor.

Not a big deal to me but I know I could turn in so many people in on this.
 
signmeup

signmeup

New Member
blueben said:
I ran across this the other day on a door sign. If you are lettering a door, pretty much anyone can do this with no permits as long as it is under $1000. However. If you put the address on the door/window or even on the side of the building, it must be permitted and be installed/applied by a licensed contractor.

Not a big deal to me but I know I could turn in so many people in on this.
Click to expand...
There were many deaths before the city implemented this rule of having a licenced contractor do window lettering on doors. Can't be too careful. :rolleyes:
 
fmg

fmg

New Member
This morning I was driving past a new business that I noticed just had an electrical back lit light box installed to the facade of the building.
The conduit running from the box to the power outlet was of a plastic type conduit that will not hold up to codes here in CT.
The graphics were misaligned to the lexan face in the box.
It was Installed on an angle and was not straight.
The art layout was completely awful, Colors did not combine.The vinyl used was not translucent as I drove past tonight on my way home and noticed this.
And i bet ya on close inspection I could find a few more slap ass crappy install methods that would raise a few eyebrows in the building and zoning dept.
That Sir is my definition of a HACK!!!!
I bet ya there was no permit pulled
 
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