Frequently Asked Questions: Custom Signs in Calgary
Straight answers to the questions business owners ask us most often.
Each answer links to a guide or service page if you want the details. If your question is not here, send it with your logo and a photo of the building.
- Free site visit & measurement
- Design included
- 2-year warranty
- Own workshop in Calgary
Ordering and Process
Fill out the quote request form or email creondesignca@gmail.com with your logo and a photo of the building. We will get back to you to discuss the details.
Yes. The site visit and measurement are free. See free site visit and measurement.
Yes. You get a visual concept of the sign on your building before starting. The detailed design with exact fonts and dimensions is produced after the work agreement is signed.
Yes, estimating your project is completely free.
Production takes about two weeks on average, counted once the details are confirmed and the 50% deposit is received. The exact timeline is stated in every quote.
With Creon Design directly. We design, build and install every sign in-house, so you have one point of contact for the whole project. Read more about Creon Design.
Pricing and Payment
The sign’s size, materials, design complexity, and whether it includes illumination or an electrical connection. The guide how much channel letters cost in Calgary shows worked examples.
Standard front-lit letters start from CAD $12 per inch of letter height, per letter, plus GST, with a black body and a white 3 mm milky acrylic face. Other options are calculated individually.
A new single-sided light box costs CAD $350 plus CAD $65 per square foot of the face, plus GST. For example, a 2 × 4 ft light box comes to about CAD $870, a 4 × 8 ft one to about CAD $2,430 and a 4 × 17 ft one to about CAD $4,770. A new face with graphics in an existing cabinet costs CAD $450 plus CAD $30 per square foot, plus GST, and new graphics only CAD $450 plus CAD $20 per square foot, plus GST. See the light box calculator.
No. Installation of a new sign is quoted separately, at about CAD $100 per hour plus GST. For a new face or new graphics in an existing light box, removal and reinstallation are included.
No. The design concept is included in the price of the sign. There is no separate design fee.
A 50% deposit is due once you approve the design and sign the work agreement; production begins after that. The remaining 50% is due after all work is completed. Payment is made by invoice.
Yes, the online calculators give a quick estimate. The written quote after the site visit gives the exact figure.
Permits and Documentation
We handle all the sign permit paperwork: we prepare the drawings, specifications and documents and submit the application on your behalf. If you prefer to apply yourself, you get the complete package from us, ready to submit.
The drawings and technical details needed for a permit application: sign dimensions, materials, and mounting or electrical specifications. See sign permit support.
No. According to calgary.ca, some signs, for example small fascia signs that meet all the rules, or a copy change on a legally existing sign, do not need a development permit, while all new canopy and projecting signs do. We check your sign during the free quote. The guide how to get a sign permit in Calgary explains the details.
No. All the permit paperwork is included in the service: we prepare the documents and submit the application for you. Any application fee charged by the City is paid by you.
In plazas and leased buildings, the landlord’s sign criteria apply as well. The design is made to fit them, and the drawings are prepared for the landlord’s approval. See landlord sign criteria.
Design and Logo Files
Any format is accepted; SVG is preferred. If you only have an image, we will prepare the production file for you. See what logo files to send.
Yes. A clear name and the colours you like are enough to start a design concept. See custom sign design.
It depends on your logo, your building, the landlord’s rules and how often your branding may change. Read channel letters vs light box.
Big enough for the distance people see the sign from. A common rule of thumb is one inch of letter height for every 25 feet. See how to choose letter height.
Installation and Electrical
Installation can be done by us or by you. We install across Calgary and the surrounding areas. See the service area. Installation is priced separately, at about CAD $100 per hour plus GST.
The electrical connection can be completed by our licensed electrician, or by your own electrician if you have one. The licensed electrician’s service is charged separately.
Yes, Calgary and the surrounding areas. See the service area for details.
Materials, Lighting and Durability
Every sign is produced in our own workshop in Calgary. We do not import or resell finished signs. Every sign is our own work.
Bodies are aluminum or a special impact-resistant plastic for outdoor use, with 3 mm milky acrylic faces. Colours come from coloured acrylic or translucent film. See 3D channel letters.
The LED modules used in channel letters are rated for up to 50,000 hours. LEDs mainly age by dimming slowly rather than failing suddenly. See how long LED signs last.
Front-lit letters are the brightest and read furthest; halo-lit letters give a calmer glow. Read front-lit vs halo-lit.
No. LED neon recreates the look with LEDs under a diffuser; glass neon is a sealed gas-filled tube. See LED neon vs glass neon.
Warranty and Service
A new sign has a 2-year warranty covering the LED lighting, power supply, sign structure, materials and installation. For a new face, new graphics or new lighting in an existing light box, the 2-year warranty covers the new parts and our work; the existing cabinet and wiring are not covered.
The warranty does not cover severe weather, accidental damage and vandalism.
We first determine the cause. If it can be repaired, we fix it. Damage from causes outside our control (such as weather events or accidental damage) is not covered by the warranty.
Often not. New graphics or a new face can be enough. See light box re-face vs a new cabinet.
Still have a question?
Send it with your logo and a photo of your building. The site visit, measurement and design concept are free.