Exterior Business Signs in Charleston, SC
Imperial Sign Crafters designs, builds and installs storefront signs, channel letters, sign cabinets, pylon signs and dimensional lettering for businesses across the Charleston Lowcountry, specified for coastal weather.
- Storefronts, channel letters and pylons
- Lit and unlit options
- Built for salt air and storm wind
- All work is warrantied
Imperial Sign Crafters is a sign company founded in 2017 at 709 Miles Jamison Rd, Suite 2, Summerville, SC 29485 that designs, builds and installs exterior business signs across the Charleston area, including storefront signs, channel letters, sign cabinets, pylon signs and dimensional lettering. Signs are specified for coastal salt air and wind. Exterior accounts include Meridian Metal Management, Coastal States Bank and West Union Bank. Owner Matt Harris has more than 30 years in the sign industry.
What exterior business signs do we make?
We design, build and install exterior signs for retail, restaurant, office, medical, bank and industrial buildings. The common types:
| Sign type | What it is | Good fit when |
|---|---|---|
| Channel letters | Individual letters mounted to the wall, lit from inside or behind | You want your logo shape on the building and need to be seen at night |
| Dimensional letters | Cut letters in metal, acrylic or PVC, unlit or lit with lights | A clean, finished look on a facade or entry wall |
| Sign cabinets | A single box with a printed or routed face, often lit | Multi-tenant buildings or signs that change over time |
| Pylon signs | Tall freestanding signs, often with tenant panels | Highway or arterial frontage where height matters |
| Building and wall signs | Flat panels or blade signs mounted to the building | Storefronts close to the sidewalk or parking |
What does an exterior sign cost?
Exterior sign pricing varies too much by project for a published range to be useful. Five things drive it:
- Sign type. A set of unlit letters is a very different number from an illuminated pylon.
- Size. Driven by what the building allows and how far away people read it.
- Lighting. Face-lit, halo-lit or unlit, and the electrical run to reach it.
- Mounting. Brick, EIFS, metal panel and tilt-up concrete each mount differently, and high work needs a lift.
- Permitting. What the city or county and any design review board require.
Send the address, a photo of the wall and your logo, and we will quote it in writing. All work is warrantied.
Why does installation matter so much?
Installation is where an exterior sign is made or ruined. Mounting has to suit the wall construction, electrical has to be run and terminated properly, and high work needs the right lift. We manage the installation as part of the project rather than handing you a sign in a crate.
On the coast, a sign also has to stand up to salt air, humidity and storm wind. That shapes the materials, the fasteners and the way the sign is attached, not just how it looks on day one.
What exterior signs have we built?
Meridian Metal Management, Coastal States Bank and West Union Bank are among the accounts we have built exterior signage for. More is in our project gallery.
Who has to approve an exterior sign?
Usually three parties, and it helps to line them up in this order:
- Your landlord or property manager. Many centers have tenant sign criteria that control size, colors and lighting.
- The city or county. The office with jurisdiction over the parcel reviews the permit. In the City of Charleston, the Zoning Division handles sign approval, and designated districts add the Board of Architectural Review or Design Review Board.
- Electrical. Lit signs usually add an electrical permit.
We plan the drawings around what the reviewing office asks for. Our Summerville permit guide and our Charleston page cover two of the most common processes.
What to send with a quote request
- The property address, so the right city or county and zoning district can be identified
- Your logo as a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF), or brand standards if you are a franchise or national tenant
- Photos of the building, entrance or wall, plus a wide shot from the road
- Whether the sign needs to be lit
- Any landlord, HOA or property manager sign criteria that already apply
- Your real deadline, such as an opening date or move-in
- Who owns the building, if you lease
Where do we install exterior business signs?
Our shop is at 709 Miles Jamison Rd, Suite 2, Summerville, SC 29485, and we work across the Charleston metro: Summerville, Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Goose Creek, Ladson, Hanahan, Moncks Corner, Johns Island, James Island, Daniel Island, West Ashley. Corridors like Rivers Avenue, Savannah Highway, Dorchester Road and US 52 call for signs sized for traffic speed, while downtown Summerville and Charleston storefronts work at pedestrian scale.
Who approves a sign depends on the parcel, not the mailing address. Our guide to business sign permits in Summerville covers how the Town reviews signs, and each location page covers that area's city or county process.
Who designs your sign?
Owner Matt Harris has more than 30 years in the sign industry, including production and design lead work at Signs Now in New York on national accounts such as Prudential, Exxon and BP, and fleet wrap and large fabrication work before that. He appeared on Shark Tank in 2015 with a product he invented and patented, and founded Imperial Sign Crafters in 2017. All work is warrantied. More about Matt.
Exterior sign questions
What kinds of exterior business signs do you make?
Storefront signs, channel letters, sign cabinets, pylon signs and dimensional lettering, lit or unlit, for businesses across the Charleston Lowcountry. If you need a freestanding sign at the drive, see our monument signs page.
How much does an exterior business sign cost?
It varies too much by project for a published range to be useful. The main drivers are the sign type, size, whether it is lit, how it mounts to the building, and the permitting involved. Send us the site and the sign you have in mind and we will quote it in writing.
Do I need a permit for a storefront sign?
In most of the Charleston area, yes. Permanent signs are reviewed by the city or county with jurisdiction, lit signs usually add an electrical permit, and some districts add design review. Check with your landlord too, since many centers have their own sign criteria.
What is the difference between channel letters and a sign cabinet?
Channel letters are individual letters mounted to the building, usually lit from inside or from behind. A sign cabinet is one box with a printed or routed face. Letters read as more finished and follow the shape of your logo. A cabinet is often simpler to permit, install and update.
Will my sign hold up to coastal weather?
It should if it is specified for it. Salt air, humidity, sun and storm winds work on every exterior sign here, so materials, fasteners, coatings and mounting are chosen for the site.
Can you work with our franchise brand standards?
Yes. Matt Harris spent years in production and design for national sign franchises and accounts, so working to a brand manual is familiar. Send the standards with your quote request.
Our shop in Summerville
Call ahead and we will set aside time to walk through your project, or send photos and your logo and we can start from there.
- Imperial Sign Crafters
- 709 Miles Jamison Rd, Suite 2, Summerville, SC 29485
- Phone
- (843) 926-7446
- imperialsigncrafters@gmail.com
Need a sign on your building?
Send a photo of the wall, the address and your logo, and we will show you what fits and what it costs.
