Remove my Sign; Pretty Simple, Right?

Overview

There are many reasons for removing a sign and not replacing it. The business moved. The lease wasn’t renewed. The owner retired and moved to Boca Raton. You tell your signage partner to take down the sign and you expect a quote for a couple hundred bucks. I mean, how long can it take to “unscrew it” from the building?

Key Challenge

Property managers and landlords don’t like holes in their fascias. Also, a phenomenon called “ghosting” leaves the outline of the sign on the wall. Remove your sign and they may have strict rules on what you must do. Typically, these are the options:

• Remove sign, no patch & paint
• Remove sign, patch holes & no paint
• Remove sign, patch holes & paint penetrations
• Remove sign, patch holes & paint entire fascia

Proposed Solution

Sign removal procedures may be included in your lease or rental agreement. If not, make sure you clarify the issue before you sign on the dotted line. It won’t change your plans for Boca but will make that first umbrella drink taste a lot better.

Lessons Learned

Nobody likes surprises; especially costly ones. You may be responsible for a lot more than you think when removing your signs. Also, your signage partner may not be able to throw your sign in a dumpster or local landfill. If the signs contain hazardous materials, (neon contains toxic mercury) the disposal procedure may add more to your final bill.