Sign Company Serving West Ashley, SC
Looking for a West Ashley sign company? Imperial Sign Crafters builds building signs, monument signs, window lettering and interior signs for West Ashley businesses, from shopping center tenants on Savannah Highway to offices and Avondale storefronts.
- Re-tenanting and sign updates
- Founded in 2017 by Matt Harris
- 30+ years in the sign industry
- Charleston projects in our gallery
Imperial Sign Crafters is a sign company founded in 2017 and based in Summerville, South Carolina that serves West Ashley in Charleston, SC. The company designs and produces monument signs, exterior business signs, interior business signs, vinyl signage, custom signage, vehicle wraps and community mailbox kiosks. Most of West Ashley is in the City of Charleston, where the Zoning Division handles sign approval; some pockets are unincorporated Charleston County.
What sign work does West Ashley need?
West Ashley is Charleston's first suburb, and much of its commercial space is older shopping centers, office buildings and strip retail along Savannah Highway, Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, St. Andrews Boulevard and Ashley River Road. Avondale adds a walkable district with smaller storefronts. That age shapes the work:
- Re-tenanting. When a space changes hands, the new tenant needs a building sign, window lettering and usually a panel on the center's shared sign.
- Updating tired signs. Older monuments and building signs often need replacing or refacing to match a current brand.
- Interior build-outs. Medical, dental and professional offices moving into older buildings need lobby and suite signage.
How should a West Ashley sign be designed?
The right sign depends on where the business sits.
| West Ashley setting | Signage that usually fits | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping center tenant | Building sign, window lettering, panel on the shared center sign | The center's sign criteria and landlord approval |
| Standalone building on a corridor | Monument at the drive plus building identification | Sight lines at the drive and lettering sized for traffic speed |
| Avondale storefront | Smaller building sign, window and door lettering | Pedestrian scale and any district review that applies |
| Medical or professional office | Exterior identification plus interior lobby and suite signs | Matching branding inside and out |
| Neighborhood entrance | Community monument and mailbox kiosk | HOA approval alongside city or county review |
Who approves a business sign in West Ashley?
For most properties, the City of Charleston. The city routes sign approval through its Zoning Division. An illuminated sign adds an electrical permit, a sign over the public right of way adds an encroachment permit, and properties in designated districts also go before the Board of Architectural Review or the Design Review Board. The city lists a City of Charleston business license and a South Carolina contractor license among the requirements on a sign permit application.
Some West Ashley pockets are unincorporated Charleston County instead. There, Charleston County Zoning and Planning reviews sign permits through its online portal, with a scaled site plan, sign drawings, construction drawings for wind and dead load, and a signed sign regulation affidavit. We do not publish fees, size limits or timelines here. See our Charleston page for more on city review.
What signs do we make for West Ashley businesses?
We build the sign types on our sign services page:
- Monument signs for businesses, churches, offices and community entrances
- Exterior business signs for storefront and building-mounted identification
- Interior business signs for lobbies, reception walls and offices
- Vinyl signage for windows, doors, walls and vehicles
- Custom signage built for a specific site or brand
- Vehicle wraps, partial wraps and lettering for trucks, vans and trailers
- Community mailbox kiosks and pavilions for HOAs, apartments and new developments
Our project gallery is mostly Charleston work, the same city most of West Ashley belongs to.
What should you send a West Ashley sign company for a quote?
- The property address, so the right jurisdiction and zoning district can be identified
- Vector artwork or a logo file, or brand standards if you are a franchise or national tenant
- Photos of the building, the entrance drive and the view from the road
- Whether the sign needs to be lit
- Any landlord, HOA or property management sign criteria that already apply
- Your real deadline, such as an opening date or move-in
- Photos of the existing sign or shared center sign, if you are replacing or adding a panel
- The shopping center's tenant sign criteria, if you lease
Owner Matt Harris has more than 30 years in the sign industry and founded Imperial Sign Crafters in 2017. For a re-tenanting project with a tight opening date, the fastest path is getting the landlord criteria and the city requirements settled in the same week. More about Matt.
West Ashley sign questions
Does Imperial Sign Crafters serve West Ashley?
Yes. Imperial Sign Crafters is based at 709 Miles Jamison Rd, Suite 2, Summerville, SC 29485 and works in West Ashley along with the rest of Charleston.
Who approves a business sign in West Ashley?
Most of West Ashley is inside the City of Charleston, where the Zoning Division handles sign approval and an illuminated sign adds an electrical permit. Some pockets are unincorporated Charleston County, which reviews signs through its own Zoning and Planning department. Check your parcel first.
Can you replace a tenant panel on a shared shopping center sign?
Ask us with photos of the existing sign. Many West Ashley centers have a shared sign with tenant panels, and the center's sign criteria usually controls the size, colors and lettering. A face change on an existing sign is often handled differently than a new sign, so confirm with the reviewing office.
What sign works best on Savannah Highway or Sam Rittenberg Boulevard?
On busy corridors, legibility beats detail. A monument at the drive or clear building identification with lettering sized for traffic speed does more than a crowded design.
Do you make interior signs for West Ashley offices and medical suites?
Yes. Interior business signage is one of our core services, and medical and professional tenants often handle exterior and interior signage together so the branding matches.
Our shop in Summerville
West Ashley customers work with us out of our Summerville shop. Send photos of the building and any existing sign to get started.
- Imperial Sign Crafters
- 709 Miles Jamison Rd, Suite 2, Summerville, SC 29485
- Phone
- (843) 926-7446
- imperialsigncrafters@gmail.com
Opening or updating a business in West Ashley?
Send the address, photos of the building and any existing sign, and your logo. We will tell you what will work and who has to approve it.
