Monument Signs in Charleston and Summerville, SC
Imperial Sign Crafters designs, builds and installs custom monument signs for businesses, churches, apartment communities and neighborhood entrances across the Charleston Lowcountry. Monument signs typically start around $12,000.
- Monument signs start around $12,000
- Business and community entrances
- 30+ years in the sign industry
- 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 custom monument signs across the Charleston area. Monument signs typically start around $12,000, with cost driven by size, lighting, facing material, foundation and permitting. Local projects include Bayer Heritage and Southern Cosmetic Laser in Charleston, Millers Crossing on Johns Island, Tides in Park Circle in North Charleston, and Aster Towns for Starlight Homes in Summerville.
What does a monument sign cost?
Monument signs typically start around $12,000. Even a small monument involves engineering, a foundation, fabrication and installation, so there is a floor below which the job cannot be done well. From there, five things move the price:
- Size. Overall height and width, and how many faces carry copy.
- Lighting. Internally lit cabinets, halo-lit letters or ground lights, plus the electrical run to reach the sign.
- Facing material. Aluminum, HDU (high density urethane), routed panels or dimensional letters.
- Base and foundation. Masonry, stucco or stone bases, and the footing the site and wind load require.
- Permitting. What the city or county requires for drawings and review.
A large illuminated multi-tenant monument with a masonry base sits well above the starting point. Every project is quoted individually and in writing before any fabrication begins.
How does a monument sign project run?
In four stages. The order matters because each one depends on the one before it.
| Stage | What happens | What you provide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Design and approval | Drawings showing size, materials, colors, lettering and lighting | Logo files, site photos, any HOA or landlord criteria |
| 2. Permitting | The design goes to the city or county with jurisdiction | Property owner sign-off where the office requires it |
| 3. Fabrication | The sign is built to the approved drawings | Nothing, unless a change comes up |
| 4. Installation | Foundation, setting the sign and any electrical | Site access and a clear location |
Permitting is the least predictable stage because it depends on the jurisdiction rather than on us. We give you a realistic schedule with your quote once we know the site and which office reviews it.
Who buys monument signs?
Most of our monument work falls into three groups.
Businesses, offices and medical properties
A monument at the entrance drive tells drivers where to turn before they pass you. Bayer Heritage and Southern Cosmetic Laser in Charleston are two examples in our gallery, and West Union Bank is another account we have built for.
Neighborhoods, HOAs and builders
Entrance monuments set the first impression of a community. We have built Millers Crossing on Johns Island, Tides in Park Circle in North Charleston, Windward Townes and Aster Towns for Starlight Homes in Summerville, and we build for Hunter Quinn Homes, Dreamfinders Homes, Ashton Woods and Center Park Group. Pair the entrance with community mailbox kiosks and the community reads as one place.
Churches and apartment communities
Churches often want a monument that matches the building and carries service times. Apartment communities like Brighton Square in Charleston need identification that works for residents, visitors and leasing traffic.
What monument signs have we built?
Every project below is in our project gallery.
What should you decide before you call?
A few decisions shape the design more than anything else:
- Where the sign goes. It has to be readable from the road and keep sight lines clear at the drive. Most jurisdictions set a vision clearance area at driveways.
- Single or multi-tenant. Shared parcels need panels that can change when tenants do.
- Lit or unlit. And whether power is available at that spot.
- Coastal exposure. Salt air, sun, humidity and storm season all work on a sign. Fasteners, coatings and the footing should be chosen for the site.
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
Where do we install monument 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. Community entrances in growing areas like Summerville, Goose Creek and Johns Island make up a large share of this work.
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 monument 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.
Monument sign questions
How much does a monument sign cost in Charleston?
Monument signs typically start around $12,000. Even a small monument involves engineering, a foundation, fabrication and installation. From there, cost is driven by size, whether the sign is illuminated, the facing material, the foundation the site requires, and permitting in that jurisdiction. Call (843) 926-7446 and we will quote your site in writing before any fabrication starts.
How long does a monument sign take?
A monument sign runs in four stages: design and approval, permitting, fabrication and installation. Timelines vary by project, and permitting is the least predictable stage because it depends on the jurisdiction. We give you a realistic schedule with your quote once we know the site.
Do I need a permit for a monument sign?
Almost always. Freestanding signs are reviewed by the city or county that has jurisdiction over the parcel, and lit signs usually add an electrical permit. Our Summerville sign permit guide covers the Town of Summerville process, and our location pages cover Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek and the rest of the metro.
Should my monument sign be illuminated?
If people need to find you after dark, yes. A lit sign costs more and needs power at the sign location, so plan for it at the start rather than adding it later. If the site has no power nearby, that trench and electrical run become part of the project.
Do you build neighborhood and HOA entrance monuments?
Yes. Community entrances are a large share of our work, including Millers Crossing on Johns Island, Tides in Park Circle in North Charleston, Windward Townes and Aster Towns for Starlight Homes in Summerville. We also build for Hunter Quinn Homes, Dreamfinders Homes and Ashton Woods.
Can you match a monument to our building?
Yes. A monument should look like it belongs to the property. We can carry the building's masonry, stucco or stone into the base and match colors and lettering to your brand.
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
Planning a monument sign?
Send the address, a photo of the entrance and your logo, and we will put together a design and a written quote.