When signs come down
Signs come down for a handful of reasons: a tenant vacates, a business rebrands, a property is being sold or repositioned, a sign has been damaged and is now a hazard, or a new sign is going up in its place. In every case the job is the same three parts: take the sign down without damaging the building, make the electrical safe, and leave the wall or site ready for what comes next.
It’s unglamorous work, and it’s easy to do badly. A sign pulled off a fascia in a hurry leaves torn EIFS, live wires in a hole and a stain where the letters used to be. We treat removal as a proper job with a survey, the right equipment and a finished patch.
What we remove
- Channel letters and raceways from fascias and parapets, including the wiring behind them.
- Cabinet signs from walls, canopies and building faces.
- Blade and projecting signs and their brackets.
- Pylon and pole signs, cabinets and structure, with the foundation cut below grade or removed.
- Monument signs, including masonry bases.
- Awnings, canopy fascia graphics and window vinyl as part of a tenant turnover.
- Interior signs and lobby letters, with drywall patched.
How a removal goes
- Survey. We look at how the sign is attached, what’s behind it, where the power comes from, and what the surface will need. We note any lane, sidewalk or parking closure the lift will require.
- Make it safe. Power off, the sign disconnected, conductors capped in a junction box at the wall or pole and labeled.
- Take it down. Bucket truck for wall signs, crane for pylons and heavy cabinets. Letters and cabinets are lowered, not dropped.
- Patch and paint. Fastener holes filled with the right material for the wall, primed and painted to blend. Raceway shadows are painted out.
- Haul away. The sign is disposed of, or recycled where aluminum and steel can be. If you want the sign kept, we crate it.
For pylons, the pole is cut and lifted in sections, and the foundation is handled as agreed: cut below grade and covered with soil or concrete, or excavated and removed when a new sign or paving is going in.
Property managers and tenant turnover
For a multi-tenant property, removal is the first step of every turnover. We keep a file per property so we know the fascia type and the patch color, we can put up a blank panel or “Available” sign on a vacant pylon position, and we can schedule the removal and the new tenant’s installation as one visit when the timing works. Our tenant panel service covers the pylon side.
Storm and hazard removals
A sign hanging loose after a storm needs to come down before it comes down on its own. We prioritize these, make the sign safe first, photograph the damage for your insurance claim, and quote the repair or replacement after.
What we need from you
Very little. The address and a photo of the sign are enough to quote most wall removals. For a pylon or monument we survey in person. Beyond that:
- Authorization. If you are the tenant, the landlord usually has to approve the removal and the patch specification, because the wall is theirs. If you are the property manager, we need a contact for site access.
- Power access. The disconnect or breaker for the sign circuit. If nobody knows where it is, we find it.
- What to do with the sign. Dispose of it, recycle it, or crate it for you. Some brands require their sign elements returned or destroyed when a franchise or fuel-brand agreement ends; tell us and we document it.
- Timing. Retail properties often want removals done before opening or after closing so the lot stays clear. Nights and weekends are available.
Removal as part of a rebrand
A rebrand is a removal and an installation on the same wall. We survey once, permit the new sign while the old one is still up, and on install day the old sign comes down, the wall is patched where the new sign won’t cover it, and the new sign goes up. One lift, one day, no period with a bare wall.
What affects the cost
The installed range below covers typical wall sign removals. The drivers are the sign’s size and height, whether a crane is needed, the wall material and the extent of patching, and, for freestanding signs, what happens to the foundation. Removal combined with a new installation is priced as one visit.
Safety
Sign removal puts people on lifts under loads, near power, over sidewalks and parking. Our crew barricades the work zone, de-energizes before touching wiring, and rigs cabinets and pole sections so nothing free-falls. If a removal needs a lane or sidewalk closure, we pull the closure permit and set the traffic control.
Timelines
Wall sign removals are usually scheduled within a week or two and finished in a few hours. Pylon and monument demolition depends on crane scheduling and any permit for the foundation or lane closure.