How to Budget for a National Signage Maintenance Program
Learn how you can best prepare to roll out a signage strategy that reaches from coast to coast.
As a facility or construction manager for a large company, you already know the critical role signage plays in your business.
You could be managing a fleet of retail stores, bank branches, or industrial facilities that span across different states and regions. And with that larger footprint comes the need for cohesive branding.
While many companies invest in their plans to roll out signage across their service areas, far fewer think about how to best maintain those signs over time.
Signage can fade, break, or malfunction without proper upkeep, leading to costly repairs and negatively impacting your brand’s image. So, how do you create a cost-effective signage maintenance program that ensures consistency across all locations?
Why You Need a National Signage Maintenance Program
Signage maintenance isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about ensuring your signs are functioning properly and effectively representing your brand.
Think about it – inconsistent, broken, or poorly maintained signage can send the wrong message to your customers.
Ultimately, this negligence can make your brand appear neglected or unreliable. It also affects the customer experience, making it harder for them to navigate your business and engage with your services.
But it can be hard to know where to begin with strategizing a massive maintenance program for your signs. Do you hire teams in each state or locality? Do you need a dedicated team that can travel around – always ready to address issues?
A national signage maintenance program gives you a clear, organized system to track the condition of your signage, handle repairs promptly, and keep everything consistent across all locations. This means you’re not just responding to problems as they arise – you’re proactively preventing them.
7 Steps to A National Signage Maintenance Strategy
1. Start with a Comprehensive Signage Audit
The first step in budgeting for signage maintenance is a thorough audit of your current inventory. You need to know:
- The type of signage at each location (e.g., illuminated, digital, static).
- The age of the signage.
- Any recurring issues (e.g., electrical problems, weather-related damage).
- The frequency of maintenance performed at each location.
This audit will help you identify which signs need immediate attention, which are performing well, and how often maintenance is required. You’ll also want to keep track of warranties—knowing which signs are still covered can save you significant money on repairs.
2. Prioritize Based on Signage Type and Location
Not all signs are created equal – and not all locations have the same needs. High-traffic areas, flagship stores, or locations exposed to harsher weather conditions may require more frequent maintenance.
For example, illuminated signs in northern states facing extreme winters will likely need more frequent upkeep than in temperate climates. You may find that certain locations need emergency signage repairs more often due to a higher likelihood of severe weather or other natural disasters.
3. Break Down Your Budget by Category
With your audit in hand, it’s time to break down your maintenance budget into key categories:
- Routine Inspections: Include the costs of regular checks to ensure signage is functioning properly, especially for digital or illuminated signs that may have electrical components at risk of failure.
- Repairs and Replacements: Set aside a portion of your budget for unexpected repairs. Signs exposed to weather elements or in high-traffic areas may need frequent repairs. Also, consider a replacement fund for signs nearing the end of their life cycle.
- Cleaning and Upkeep: Even signs in good working order need regular cleaning and maintenance. Dirt, grime, and weather conditions can impact the visibility and attractiveness of your signage, especially illuminated or LED signs.
- Emergency Repairs: Factor in emergency repair costs, especially if you manage locations in areas prone to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes or tornadoes. An emergency repair fund will ensure you can quickly address any issues and avoid costly business disruptions.
- Technology Upgrades: If using digital signage, allocate funds for periodic software updates or upgrades. Outdated systems can malfunction or fail to display current information, leading to frustration for both employees and customers.
4. Create a Flexible, Scalable Budget
As with any financial operations, your national signage maintenance program must be flexible.
Your budget should be scalable based on changes in your company’s growth, the addition of new locations, or shifts in customer traffic patterns. This will help you avoid growing pains if your business expands and give you the ability to adjust if there are any unexpected changes.
A practical method is to set up a quarterly or annual review process to assess your maintenance needs – one tied to your budget planning cycle. This allows you to make necessary adjustments and allocate resources accordingly.
For instance, you may find that one location requires more frequent upkeep while another has lower repair costs than anticipated. Adjusting your budget periodically helps ensure you’re not overpaying for services you don’t need while still covering critical maintenance tasks.
5. Work with a National Signage Partner
A national signage maintenance program requires consistency, and that’s hard to achieve with multiple local vendors.
Instead, consider partnering with a national signage company that can manage all your signage needs across locations. Working with a single, experienced team across your entire signage strategy will help keep everything aligned.
National signage companies, like Atlas Sign Industries, offer the advantage of nationwide service coverage, industry expertise, and cost-effective solutions.
Best of all, a national partner can often secure long-term maintenance contracts, resulting in discounted rates for routine services and repairs.
6. Budget for the Unexpected: The Role of Preventative Maintenance
A lot of maintenance is seen as reactive – fixing problems with your signage when they arise. But why only address problems once they’ve occurred? What if you could save time, money, and headaches with early response maintenance?
Preventative maintenance is one of the most important aspects of a national signage maintenance program. This type of maintenance stops problems at the source by:
- Checking for electrical issues in illuminated signs.
- Replacing outdated components before they fail.
- Cleaning and sealing signs to protect against weather damage.
- Inspecting sign mounts and structures to prevent accidents.
These proactive steps keep your signage looking its best and help prevent costly emergency repairs down the road.
For example, a small crack in an LED sign may seem like a minor issue, but if left unchecked, it could lead to water damage and a total system failure, resulting in a much more expensive repair or full replacement.
7. Opt for Energy Efficiency
If your signage includes illuminated or digital components, energy efficiency should be a key consideration in your budgeting process. It may seem like a pinch to invest in a slightly more expensiev upfront signage option, but your budget will thank you down the road.
Switching to LED or energy-efficient lighting options can reduce your electricity bill and lower the long-term maintenance costs associated with traditional lighting methods. When you invest in energy-efficient signage, you’re not only saving money but also reducing your environmental impact. Win-win!
Plan & Budget Now to Save Later
When you take the time to plan ahead for your national signage, you can do the right things now to avoid paying more later.
Budgeting doesn’t have to break the bank – but you should expect that anything less than a robust maintenance plan will lead to unexpected costs that you haven’t planned for! So why not take the risk out of the equation?
Remember, your signage is a direct reflection of your brand. Well-maintained signs communicate professionalism, reliability, and attention to detail—qualities that resonate with customers and keep them coming back.
Let’s Build A National Signage Maintenance Plan Together
Ready to set up a signage maintenance program that works for your business? Contact Atlas Sign Industries today, and let us help you create a tailored maintenance plan that meets your budget and keeps your brand shining bright.