Before Install Day: How to Prepare Your Office or Site for Sign and Graphics Installation

A smooth install day is decided weeks earlier. The site is surveyed and measured, walls and glass are checked, old graphics come off cleanly, power is ready for lit signs, and access, lifts and building rules are sorted before the crew arrives. Here is how we prepare a site, and a checklist for the facility manager on your side.

At a glance

1. Survey: measure, photograph and check every wall, window and mounting surface.
2. Approvals: drawings signed off, permits issued, landlord and building rules confirmed.
3. Surface prep: paint cured, glass clean, old graphics removed.
4. Power and access: electrical in place for lit signs; lifts, parking and building access booked.
5. Install: scheduled around your business, after hours if the office is occupied.
6. Walkthrough: every item checked against the sign schedule.

What happens at the site survey?

We walk the space or the vehicles, measure, photograph, and review floor plans, brand standards, landlord rules and permit needs. Everything after that is drawn from real measurements. The survey is also where we check what is behind each wall, how high the work is, and whether a lift, crane or after-hours access is needed.

How should walls and glass be prepared?

• Fresh paint needs time to cure before wall graphics or bonded signs go on; ask your painter for the cure time of the paint used.
• Walls should be smooth and sound; repairs and patching are done and painted before install.
• Glass should be clean and free of old adhesive; we prep it on install day.
• Textured or wallpapered walls may need a different graphic material or mounting method, decided at the survey.

Why does removal matter?

Old graphics come off first. Vinyl and frost removal is slow work that can damage glass and paint if it is rushed, so we strip, clean and prep every surface before anything new goes on. Budget time for it in the schedule, especially in a rebrand.

What about lit signs?

Illuminated signs need power at the right spot before install day: a dedicated circuit or a junction box where the sign or its power supply will be. Coordinate with your electrician early, and confirm the sign’s electrical needs with the drawings.

What should the facility manager line up?

• Building access and after-hours entry for the crew.
• Parking or loading space for the install vehicle, and lift or crane access for exterior work.
• Notice to tenants or staff about the work areas and times.
• A cleared work area: furniture moved away from feature walls and glass.
• A contact on site, or reachable, during the install.

What can delay an install?

• Paint that has not cured, or wall repairs that are not finished.
• A permit that has not been issued for an exterior sign.
• No power at the sign location for a lit sign.
• Rain, wind or cold for exterior work and outdoor vinyl.
• Access problems: locked areas, no lift access or no parking for the crew.

Interior or exterior: what changes?

Interior installs are mostly about scheduling around the people in the building and protecting finished floors and furniture. Exterior installs add weather, height and safety: lifts or cranes, traffic and pedestrian control, and inspections where the permit requires them. Exterior work is scheduled with a weather window and a backup date.

How long does an install take?

It depends on the scope: a single logo wall can be a short visit, while a full office or a multi-location rollout is scheduled over days or in waves. Vehicle wraps go on indoors in our Kennesaw shop whenever we can, where the film and the vehicle surface stay clean and at the right temperature. The schedule is set at the survey so there are no surprises.

What happens after install?

We walk the finished job with you, close out every item on the sign schedule, and keep your files so the next location or vehicle matches. See our process from survey to walkthrough.

Planning signs or graphics for your space?

See branded environments, architectural signage, window and wall graphics and recent projects. Ready to plan yours? Start a project or call (678) 861-7446.