7 Common Facade Sign Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Why Costly Facade Sign Mistakes Are So Common

You might order a facade sign once or twice in the lifetime of your business. You have no experience to draw from, and you have no idea what works and what doesn't.

The result? We see the same mistakes again and again. Signs too small to read. Signs that disappear in the dark. Signs that violate municipal regulations. All of these mistakes cost money, either directly through wasted investment or indirectly through lost customers.

Here are the seven mistakes we see most often, and what to do instead.

Mistake 1: The Sign Is Too Small

This is by far the most common mistake. The business owner looks at the sign from three metres away in the design software and thinks "that looks great." But customers see it from 50 metres.

The rule is simple: 1 cm letter height per metre of viewing distance. If the business is on a road with a 60 km/h speed limit, you need at least 60 cm tall letters. A driver at 60 km/h has only a few seconds to notice the sign.

For pedestrians in a shopping street, 10-15 cm works, but remember they also need to notice the sign among many others.

How to avoid it: Measure the distance from the road or pavement to the facade. Multiply by 1 cm per metre. That gives you the minimum letter height.

Mistake 2: The Sign Is Poorly Placed

A sign behind a tree, under an awning, in a blind spot, or too high up on the facade loses most of its effect.

We often see signs placed where they "fit best" on the facade, rather than where they are actually most visible. A sign on the second floor pointing at a dead-end wall helps nobody. A sign hidden behind summer foliage is invisible from May to October.

How to avoid it: Go outside and look at the facade from every angle your customers approach. Take photos. Note where the eye naturally falls. Place the sign there, not where the facade has the most empty space.

A site survey from an experienced sign maker reveals placement options you might not have considered. We offer free consultations where we assess the facade and recommend optimal placement.

Mistake 3: No Lighting

Norway. A country where the sun sets at 3 PM in November. Yet many choose an unlit sign to save money.

Let's put it in perspective. From October to March, it's dark for most of the working day. That means an unlit sign is effective only half the year. You're paying for a sign that's invisible in the dark. That's like an employee who only works every other day.

LED lighting uses roughly the same amount of electricity as a regular light bulb. The cost of adding lighting is typically 50-100% of the sign price, but you double the effective exposure.

How to avoid it: Always choose lighting. Backlit LED letters create an elegant halo effect. Front-lit letters provide maximum visibility. Even external spotlighting is better than nothing. Read more about LED letters vs. light boxes.

Mistake 4: Wrong Material for the Norwegian Climate

We've seen signs in cheap PVC that cracked after two winters. Vinyl signs that faded in three summers. Wooden letters that rotted in the rain.

Norway is tough on outdoor materials. The combination of salt, rain, frost, UV radiation, and temperature swings requires materials that can handle it.

Material	Expected outdoor lifespan	Weakness in Norwegian climate
Aluminium (powder coated)	15-20 years	Very good. Coating may need refreshing after 10+ years
Stainless steel	20+ years	Handles everything. Most expensive option
Acrylic	10-15 years	Yellows somewhat over time from UV exposure
Dibond (aluminium/PE)	10-15 years	Good, but vinyl/print fades after 5-8 years
PVC/Forex	3-5 years	Cracks in frost, yellows in sun. Avoid outdoors

A PVC sign at NOK 8,000 that needs replacing after four years costs NOK 24,000 over twelve years, plus installation three times. An aluminium sign at NOK 15,000 that lasts the entire period is cheapest over time.

How to avoid it: Use aluminium or stainless steel for the supporting structure. Acrylic works well for translucent fronts. Avoid PVC and other plastic materials for permanent outdoor signage. Read more about materials and prices for facade signs.

Mistake 5: Design Doesn't Match the Brand

Wrong colours. Wrong typeface. Outdated logo. Or even worse: the sign looks like it belongs to a completely different business from what the customer finds inside.

We've seen businesses with a modern website and stylish business cards, but a facade sign that looks like it was made in the 1990s. That lack of consistency creates confusion and undermines trust.

A facade sign should be an extension of your visual identity. Same colours, same logo, same style. When a customer sees your sign, website, and business cards, it should feel like the same company.

How to avoid it: Always send your updated brand guidelines to the sign producer. Ask for a photomontage showing the sign on your facade. And update the sign when you update your brand. A sign with an old logo does more harm than good.

Mistake 6: Skipping the Building Permit

"It's just a sign." That sentence has cost many businesses extra money.

Most Norwegian municipalities require a building permit for facade signs. Unlit signs under 3 m2 mounted flat on the wall are often exempt, but rules vary. In Stavanger, the exemption limit is just 0.7 m2. In Sandnes, light boxes are not permitted in certain areas.

Installing a sign that requires a permit without having one risks:

• Removal order from the municipality
• Coercive fines if you don't comply
• 50% surcharge on the application fee if you apply retroactively
• No guarantee of approval, meaning you've wasted the money

How to avoid it: Check with the municipality before ordering the sign. Or choose a supplier that handles the building permit for you. We manage the entire application process as part of the sign project. Read our complete guide to building permits for facade signs.

Mistake 7: Zero Maintenance

A facade sign is not "set up and forget." It's exposed to Norwegian weather 365 days a year. Over time, it collects dust, moisture, and grime. Brackets can loosen. LED modules can fail. Vinyl can peel.

A sign with a dead letter in the business name communicates something entirely different from what you intend. It says "we don't care enough to fix it." For existing customers, it's annoying. For potential customers, it's a reason to choose someone else.

Many sign producers require maintenance for the warranty to remain valid. Using a pressure washer on the sign can actually damage it and void the warranty.

How to avoid it: Inspect your sign twice a year: once in autumn before the dark season, and once in spring after winter. Look for:

• Dead or flickering lighting
• Faded or peeling vinyl
• Loose brackets or mounting points
• Dirt or discolouration on the sign surface
• Damage from storms or snow

Fix problems immediately. A well-maintained sign lasts 10-15 years. A neglected sign can look terrible after just three.

Bonus: Mistakes People Make When Ordering

Here are three additional mistakes we see in the ordering process itself:

Choosing based solely on price. The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest over time. Ask about materials, warranty, and what's included.

Ordering the sign separately from installation. Some buy the sign from one supplier and get a general contractor to install it. The result is often a crooked sign and no warranty from anyone.

Forgetting power supply for lit signs. Lighting needs electricity. Check if there's an outlet nearby, or whether an electrician needs to run cabling. Plan this early, or you'll get a surprise bill.

Let Us Help You Get It Right

We've been producing facade signs for over 20 years, and we've seen all these mistakes at other businesses. At Show Off, you get the full package: site survey, design, building permit, production, and installation, with advice that ensures you avoid costly errors.

Get in touch for a free consultation, or browse our sign gallery for inspiration.

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