Signs & Signage in Hertfordshire

What does a Hertfordshire business usually need?

It depends on the premises. A shop needs a fascia that reads from across the road and, often, a projecting sign that catches people walking along the pavement. An office needs a building name, a clear entrance and something in reception. An industrial unit needs its name and number visible from the estate road, plus safety and directional signs inside the yard.

Starting from how customers actually arrive, on foot, by car or by van, is the quickest way to decide which signs matter most and which can wait.

Market towns and commuter centres

Older town centres tend to favour traditional finishes: painted timber, individual metal or acrylic letters and slim lighting. Newer centres and retail parks allow bolder, illuminated signs. If you are unsure which applies to your street, ask the council whether the property is listed or in a conservation area before ordering anything lit.

Getting the materials right

Choosing the right material is mostly about where the sign will be and how long it needs to last.

• Aluminium composite: flat, light and good value for fascias and panels
• Built-up letters in metal or acrylic: depth and shadow, can be halo-lit
• Timber: suits period buildings and is easy to repaint
• Toughened glass or acrylic: clean look for receptions
• Laminated vinyl: windows, vans and temporary messages

Planning, surveys and fitting

Some small unlit signs on business premises can go up without an application, but illuminated signs and signs in sensitive locations frequently need advertisement consent. We point out the likely route during the free site survey. After you approve the mock-ups, we have been making signs in our own workshop since 1982, and our own team carries out the installation.

Signs for offices and industrial units

Offices in towns such as Watford, Hatfield and Stevenage often share a building, which means a directory board at the entrance, a name on your own door and branded glass inside. On industrial estates around Hemel Hempstead and Hoddesdon the priorities are a clear unit name and number, visitor parking and delivery signs, and safety signs for the yard and loading area.

Planning all of these at once, from the same design, keeps the site tidy and avoids paying for several separate installations. Our own team can fit everything in a single visit where the site allows.

If you are moving into a new unit, it helps to bring us in before the fit-out finishes. Cables for any lit signs can then be run before walls and ceilings are closed up, which keeps the result neat and avoids extra work later.

Signs for shared buildings usually need the landlord's approval first, so ask early.