Totem Signs
When you are set back from the road, in a retail park or on a forecourt, a fascia sign is useless — nobody is close enough to read it. Totem signs stand on their own foundation out by the entrance and do the job at driving speed, and BD Signs builds them from the ground up.
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Totem Signs, made properly
BD Signs handles the whole thing: groundworks, foundation, fabrication and installation, plus the electrical supply if it is illuminated. Multi-tenant totems can carry several occupiers on interchangeable panels, so a change of tenant does not mean a new sign.
- Legible at road speed and after dark
- Groundworks and foundations included
- Interchangeable panels for multi-tenant sites
- Built to withstand permanent exposure
What should you know before ordering totem signs?
How tall should a totem sign be?
Tall enough to be seen early enough for a driver to react — and that depends on the site, not a brochure. BD Signs looks at road speed, the approach and whatever is in the way, such as trees, parked cars or a neighbour's sign, and sizes the totem from that.
What foundation does a totem sign need?
One worked out for the sign's size and the ground it stands in. A totem is a tall, flat surface standing in the wind, so the base and fixings matter as much as the panels. Underground services are checked before anyone digs, and BD Signs carries out the groundworks as part of the job.
Should a totem sign be illuminated?
If you trade after dark or through winter afternoons, usually yes. A lit totem is read when an unlit one disappears, but it needs power run out to it. That is cheapest done at the same time as the groundworks, so BD Signs asks you to decide early rather than dig twice.
How does BD Signs make totem signs?
Designed in-house, manufactured in our own factory, fitted by our own teams. 30 years in the industry.
- Step 1
Site survey
BD Signs looks at the road, the approach and the sight lines, agrees the position with you and checks for underground services before any digging is planned.
- Step 2
Design and consent drawings
You approve the size, faces and panel layout on a visual of the site. The drawings for the advertisement consent application are produced from the same design.
- Step 3
Fabrication and groundworks
The totem itself comes out of our own factory, with LEDs fitted if it is illuminated. On site, the foundation is prepared and any power cable is laid while the ground is open.
- Step 4
Installation
Our own teams stand the totem on its foundation, fix it and connect the lighting. Multi-tenant panels go in last, so they can be swapped later without touching the structure.
Single-sided or double-sided totem?
It comes down to where the traffic is coming from. A totem facing one way is only doing half a job on a road with traffic in both directions.
| Compare | Single-sided | Double-sided |
|---|---|---|
| Read from | One direction | Both directions |
| Usual position | Against a wall or boundary, or facing a single approach | At right angles to a road with traffic both ways |
| Lighting | One face to light | Both faces lit |
| Multi-tenant panels | One set | A set on each face |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher — two faces to make and light |
What should you check before a totem sign goes in?
The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 cover freestanding signs too, and a totem, particularly a lit one, will generally need express consent under them. Councils can only judge an application on amenity and public safety — and for a roadside totem, public safety includes whether it could distract drivers or block the view at a junction or access.
Digging the foundation is where much of the risk sits. Buried electricity cables, gas pipes and other services should be located from plans and on site before excavation starts, as set out in the HSE guide Avoiding danger from underground services (HSG47).
An illuminated totem also needs a buried supply, and the cable run and its connections need to meet BS 7671. BD Signs carries out the groundworks and the electrical supply as part of the job, and draws up what the consent application needs.
Totem Signs we've made
Four roadside and freestanding signs from BD Signs: a totem for Fourstones Filling Station, a post-mounted totem alongside the fascia for TIH Fish & Chips, an illuminated totem photographed at dusk, and a hanging pub sign for Liverards. Each is built to be read from a distance rather than from the doorway.
From bare shopfront to finished fit-out
A few of our shop refurbs, start to finish.
What do people ask about totem signs?
Do totem signs need planning permission?
Usually. Freestanding signs, and illuminated ones especially, generally need advertisement consent, and road safety is part of what the council looks at. BD Signs prepares the drawings for the application, showing the position, size and lighting, so the council has what it needs to make its decision.
Can tenant names be changed later?
Yes. Multi-tenant totems from BD Signs use interchangeable panels, so a new occupier means a new panel, not a new sign. That makes them a sensible choice for landlords and managing agents on retail and business parks, where the line-up changes more often than the structure needs to.
Can you re-panel our old totem?
If the structure is sound, yes. BD Signs checks the frame and the foundation before recommending it, because new panels on a tired structure only postpone the problem. Where both are in good order, re-panelling is a straightforward way to bring a roadside sign in line with a new brand.
Other types of sign we make
“Used BD Signs Design and Print services to design a new logo for my company and to design and print some large labels to use on my jobs. Professional service from start to finish. Highly recommended.”
“Excellent service as always. Friendly staff. Highly recommend.”
Need totem signs?
Tell us about the site and what you want it to say. We will survey, design and quote the whole job as one price.
Or email info@bdsigns.co.uk — we answer everything the same working day.