Cost guide
How Much Does a Business Sign Cost in Los Angeles?
8511 Lankershim Blvd, Sun Valley · Open daily 7 AM–10 PM
The range is a national reference, not our price. Send a photo for a quote for your building.
The short answer
A business sign's cost is set first by its type, then by its size, its lighting and the building it goes on. Nationally, business signs cost $50 to $200,000 depending on the type, according to HomeAdvisor's guide, updated June 2026. A spread that wide is why one number tells you very little.
For a single storefront, the usual choice is between lit channel letter signs, a lightbox, non-lit dimensional letters and window graphics. Storefront signs cost the most when they light up, sit high on the wall or need a new power run. Freestanding monument signs and pylon signs add a footing and engineering, which puts them in a higher range.
We don't publish our own prices. Every dollar figure on this page is a national reference, not our price and not a Los Angeles price.
Business sign cost by type, side by side
| Sign type | National reference (not our price) | What moves it most | Often quoted separately |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lit channel letters | $4,000 to $20,000, installed. Reverse (halo-lit) letters can run up to 30% more. | Letter height and count, front-lit or halo-lit, raceway or direct mount. More in the channel letter sign cost guide. | Power to the sign, the permit, taking down the old sign. |
| Lightbox (cabinet) sign | No lightbox line of its own. The nearest is outdoor lighted signs, $500 to $5,000. | Box size, one or two faces, wall or pole mount. | Power to the sign, the permit, a bracket or pole. |
| Monument sign | $5,000 to $20,000. An unusually tall or broad one lands at the top. | Height and width, the base (stucco, stone veneer or aluminum), lit or not. | Footing, engineering, trenching for power, landscape repair. |
| Pylon or pole sign | $20,000 to $100,000. The high end includes LED lighting. | Height, number of tenant panels, one or two sides, lighting. | Engineering, foundation, crane time, sometimes a conditional use permit. |
| Non-lit dimensional letters | No line of its own in the guide. Unlit signs cost less than lit ones. | Material and thickness, letter count, stud mounting. | Wall patch and paint, lift time. |
| LED neon (indoor) | $50 to $800 for a neon sign that plugs into an existing outlet. LED neon isn't listed separately. | Total length of the lines, number of colors, backer size and shape. | Wiring, if there's no outlet near the spot. |
| Vinyl window lettering | $10 to $100 for vinyl lettering, often without installation. | Glass area, cut or printed vinyl, number of colors. | Removing old graphics, installation, a ladder or lift for high glass. |
National references from HomeAdvisor's commercial sign cost guide, updated June 2026. They are not our prices and not Los Angeles prices.
The range is a national reference, not our price. Send a photo for a quote for your building.
What a complete quote includesCost notes for each sign type
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Illustration
Storefront signs
The main sign over your door. Lit or not is the biggest price decision. See storefront signs
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Illustration
Channel letters
Lit 3D letters. Letter height, lighting style and mounting set the number. See channel letters
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Illustration
Monument signs
Low freestanding signs. The base, the footing and power to the sign drive the cost. See monument signs
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Illustration
Pylon signs
Tall signs for drivers. A new pylon and a panel reface are very different jobs. See pylon signs
Sign-type photos are illustrations, not our projects.
What moves the price of any sign
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Type and size
The type sets the scale and the size sets the number inside it. A bigger face takes more material, more hands and often a lift. -
Lighting
Illuminated commercial signs cost more than unlit ones. LED modules, power supplies and a circuit at the sign all go on the bill. In the City of LA, the permit for a lit sign also has to go through a licensed electrical or sign contractor. -
Materials and finish
Painted aluminum, brushed metal, acrylic, PVC or foam. Custom paint colors and mirror finishes add steps. -
Design detail
Script logos, thin strokes and many colors take longer to cut, paint and assemble than a few block letters. -
The wall or the ground
Stucco, brick or glass. Raceway or direct mount. A second-story fascia needs a lift, and a freestanding sign needs a footing. -
Rules and approvals
City permit fees, engineering when the city asks for it, and landlord sign criteria that fix size, color and lighting before you choose.
Choose with samples
Price it with samples in hand
Material and finish move the price, and they're easier to judge in your hand than on a screen. Our shop at 8511 Lankershim Blvd in Sun Valley, in the building we share with Angels Print, keeps 3D letter samples like the two in this photo. Bring your logo and a photo of your wall, and compare finishes before you ask for a number.
Open daily, 7 AM to 10 PM.
Commercial sign installation cost, and the other lines
Installation is where national figures disagree most. HomeAdvisor's headline range for commercial sign installation is $181 to $804, with $464 as the average. The same guide puts installation for most sign styles at $2,000 to $5,000, and as little as $100 for simple signs with no electrical parts. The gap is the type and the site: a vinyl decal and a lit sign on a second-story fascia are both "a sign".
Two more lines often sit outside the sign price: electrical wiring and the building permit (HomeAdvisor, updated June 2026). Each city sets its own permit fees, so the national figure is only a reference.
At Angels Signs, installation and permit filing are done by a licensed sign-contractor partner. Our part is the design, the fabrication, the drawings and the coordination between you, your landlord, the city filing and the installer. Your quote lists the installer's CSLB license number.
What a complete sign quote includes
Free: 1 mockup + 1 round of changes per location for business-sign requests. Extra rounds are billed. No payment details. No obligation to order.
- The sign itself: size, materials, colors and lighting, written out so two quotes compare like for like
- Design: the mockup, how many rounds of changes come with it, and what an extra round costs
- Landlord drawing: a dimensioned drawing of the sign on your building, if your lease needs the landlord's approval
- Permit drawings and city fees: who prepares them, who files, and whether resubmittals after city corrections are covered
- Structural engineering: stamped plans and calculations, when the city asks for them
- Power at the sign: electrical work to bring a circuit to the sign location, or a note that one is already there
- Installation: who installs, with the installer's CSLB license number
- Removal: taking down the old sign, hauling it away, and patching and painting the wall
- Equipment and timing: lift or crane time, and after-hours work if your landlord requires it
- Payment terms: the deposit, when the balance is due, and what happens if the city asks for changes
Some lines won't apply. Swapping only the face of an existing cabinet skips the City of LA sign permit, and a non-lit sign needs no electrical work.
What adds cost in Los Angeles
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Lit signs
LADBS issues permits for illuminated signs only to a licensed C-10 electrical contractor or C-45 electrical sign contractor. Plan for that licensed filing on any lit sign. -
Engineering
Stamped structural plans and calculations are required, except for wall signs under 100 sq ft and code-compliant projecting signs. Freestanding signs need foundation details. Unreinforced masonry buildings get no exception. -
Near a freeway
Non-digital wall signs more than 2,000 ft from a freeway skip the Sign Pre-Inspection. Closer than that, only wall signs within set size limits do, so the address alone can add a step. -
Pole and projecting signs
For automotive uses, and in mini-shopping centers and commercial corner developments, these need a conditional use permit from City Planning first. -
Taking an old sign down
Removing an existing sign needs a permit too, so removal belongs on the quote as its own line. -
Face changes
The one that saves money: new copy or a new face on an existing cabinet needs no sign permit. If the cabinet comes down, the new sign has to meet today's code.
Outside the City of LA? Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena have their own sign codes. Information, not an approval.
Los Angeles sign permits, step by stepSign cost questions
Still deciding? Call (818) 806-9006 or text a photo and ask.
How much does a business sign cost?
How much does commercial sign installation cost?
How much does a storefront sign cost?
How much do signs cost per square foot?
Why are two sign quotes so far apart?
Do illuminated business signs cost more?
How can I keep a new storefront sign's cost down?
Why don't you publish prices?
Get a number for your sign, not a national range
Free: 1 mockup + 1 round of changes per location for business-sign requests. Extra rounds are billed. Or bring your logo to the shop, open daily 7 AM–10 PM.
What helps the quote
- A straight-on photo of the wall or the spot for the sign.
- The address, which tells us whose sign code applies.
- Your landlord's sign criteria, if you rent.
A rough size helps, but it isn't required.
8511 Lankershim Blvd, Sun Valley, CA 91352Open daily 7 AM to 10 PMGet directions