Plaza and Strip-Mall Signs That Follow the Rules, and Still Stand Out
In a plaza your sign sits in a row of others, often in a band of the same height, sometimes with a required sign type. The challenge is to fit the landlord’s criteria and still be the sign people notice.
We design, build and install tenant signs in Calgary plazas and strip malls, working from the landlord’s sign rules from the first sketch.
- Free site visit & measurement
- Design included
- 2-year warranty
- Own workshop in Calgary
Why Plaza Signs Are Different
Most plazas have sign criteria: rules in the lease or a separate document that set where signs go, how big they can be, the sign type (letters, light box), lighting, colours and how they are fixed. The City may also require signs on a building to follow a comprehensive sign program set out in a development permit (Land Use Bylaw 1P2007, s.70, unofficial online copy).
Within those rules, your sign competes with every neighbour. Customers scan a row of similar signs from a parking lot or a passing car, so contrast, letter size and a clear message matter more than anywhere else.
Signs Typically Allowed in Plazas
Light boxes (cabinet signs) in the sign band
A single-sided light box sized to the band is the most common requirement.
Channel letters on a raceway
Where letters are allowed, a raceway keeps penetrations to a minimum, often preferred by landlords.
Face or graphics replacement
Taking over a unit with an existing cabinet? A new face or new graphics may be all you need.
Pylon panels
If the plaza has a shared pylon sign, your panel needs to match its size and format.
How to Stand Out Within the Rules
- Use the full height allowed: larger letters within the band read further
- Strong contrast between the letters and the background
- A short message: name plus one word about what you do
- Even, bright lighting: no dark patches beside your neighbours’ signs
- Window neon or graphics, often less restricted than the facade
Working With the Landlord
Ask the landlord or property manager for the sign criteria before the design starts. Most landlords want to approve drawings before a sign is made, so we prepare drawings that show the sign on your unit with dimensions and mounting, the same drawings used for the permit.
Taking over a unit from a previous tenant? Check whether the existing cabinet belongs to the landlord or was left behind; reusing it can save a lot. The guide landlord sign criteria in Calgary plazas covers the details.
Plaza Sign Checklist
- Get the landlord’s sign criteria in writing
- Check whether an existing cabinet can be reused
- Confirm the sign band size and position on site
- Landlord approval of the drawings before production
- Permit for the exterior sign: documents prepared for you
- Power to the sign location
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.
Moving into a plaza unit?
Send the landlord’s sign criteria and a photo of the unit. We will design a sign that fits the rules.
How a Plaza Sign Project Runs
Request
Send us your logo, a photo of the wall and approximate sizes through the form or by email. We reply with a rough price.
Free site visit & measurement
We come to the location, measure the wall, check the surface, power and access, and note anything the landlord or City may ask about.
Design concept
Drawings follow the landlord’s criteria and show the sign on your unit with dimensions, ready for landlord approval. Design is included.
Permit documents
If your sign needs a permit, we prepare the drawings, dimensions and specifications for the application and walk you through it.
Fabrication
The sign is built in our Calgary workshop and, if it is illuminated, lit for testing.
Installation & warranty
Installed in the sign band per the criteria. 2-year warranty.
Plaza Sign Questions
Then a non-illuminated sign such as a printed ACM panel may be the option, with window neon inside to add presence after dark where allowed.
It varies by landlord. Sending complete drawings with dimensions and mounting details from the start usually avoids back-and-forth, so we prepare them early in the project.
Rules set by the property owner for tenant signs: usually size, position, sign type, lighting and fixing. Ask your landlord for them before ordering.
Often yes, if it is in good condition. A new face or new graphics is usually much cheaper than a new cabinet.
In most plazas, yes. We prepare drawings for the landlord’s approval.
Often yes. 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.