Question 1

How long does it take to get a commercial sign made and installed?

Accepted Answer

For a straightforward non-illuminated sign, the shop time is usually the short part of the schedule — approvals and permits take longer than fabrication. A typical sequence runs: site survey, drawings and proof, your approval, permit application if one is needed, fabrication, then installation. Illuminated signs add wiring and an electrical connection. Anything with a footing or engineering adds a review cycle. The two things that most often stretch a timeline are slow artwork approval and a municipal permit queue, so start earlier than feels necessary if you have an opening date to hit.

Question 2

How long does a vehicle wrap take?

Accepted Answer

Plan on the vehicle being with us for a few working days, not a few hours. Design and proofing happen before the vehicle arrives, then printing and laminating, then installation. Installation itself takes the longest: the vehicle is washed and degreased, hardware and trim come off where needed, the panels go on, and the vinyl is post-heated in every recess so it stays down. We book vehicles in so the shop time is committed, and we tell you the drop-off and pick-up days in advance so you can plan around losing the vehicle.

Question 3

Do you design signs, or do I need to supply artwork?

Accepted Answer

We design in-house, and most customers come to us with nothing more than a logo. Our designers lay out the sign to the building or vehicle, set letter heights against real viewing distances, and send you a proof showing the sign in place before anything is cut or printed. If you already have brand artwork, a designer or an agency, we work from their files and supply production-ready drawings back to them. If you have nothing at all, we can develop the wordmark and layout from scratch. Either way you approve a proof before fabrication starts.

Question 4

Do you install the signs you make?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Installation is our own crew and our own equipment, including bucket trucks, so lift access is not sub-contracted out and your schedule does not depend on someone else having a truck free. The same team that surveyed the site and built the sign is the team that hangs it, which means the mounting detail on the drawing is the mounting detail on the wall. We handle the fixings, the electrical connection on lit signs, and the clean-up, and we walk the finished work with you before we leave.

Question 5

Do I need a permit for a business sign in Halifax or Dartmouth?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes. Most permanent business signs in the Halifax Regional Municipality need a sign construction permit, which at the time of writing carries a $200 fee. Signs in downtown Halifax may additionally require non-substantive site plan approval, at the time of writing a further $500. Fees, rules and which zone you fall in do change, so confirm the current requirements with HRM before you budget. We prepare the drawings the application needs and can handle the submission for you, and we will tell you at survey stage whether we expect your sign to need one.

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60 Williams Avenue, Dartmouth

Pulse Signs & Design

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