Vancouver Signage Shop brokers projects between Metro Vancouver businesses and trusted sign shops for blade and projecting signs. Tell us about your project once and get matched with local sign shops for free, no-obligation quotes.
A blade sign, also called a projecting sign, mounts perpendicular to the building and reaches out over the walkway so people approaching on foot can read it long before they reach the door. That pedestrian angle is exactly why blade signs suit Vancouver’s walkable retail streets. Gastown, Main Street, Commercial Drive, and Chinatown are full of shops, cafes, and pubs where a projecting sign does far more work than a flat fascia sign ever could. In heritage districts a well-made blade sign also reads as part of the streetscape rather than a bolt-on.
Construction ranges from a simple double-sided printed or routed panel hung from a decorative bracket, through dimensional shaped signs, to illuminated cabinets and halo-lit blades for night visibility. Common materials are aluminium, high-density urethane, and acrylic, with a steel bracket engineered to carry the weight and wind load.
The Vancouver angle matters here more than on most sign types. Because a blade sign extends over the sidewalk, it sits above City property, so its projection and clearance are regulated. Under the City of Vancouver Sign By-law, projecting signs generally cannot hang lower than about 8 feet, roughly 2.4 metres, above grade, and the encroachment over public space needs City approval. Heritage areas can carry extra design review. A local shop that pulls these permits weekly will size and place the sign to pass the first time.
Vancouver Signage Shop is a signage broker, not a sign shop. We match you directly with vetted local fabricators, our service is free, and we never add a markup to your quote.
Projecting signs generally must clear about 8 feet, or 2.4 metres, above the sidewalk, and the portion that extends over City property needs approval under the Sign By-law. A matched shop confirms the exact clearance for your frontage.
Yes. Because the sign encroaches over public space, the City reviews the projection and clearance in addition to the standard sign permit. Sign permits in Vancouver typically take about 2 to 6 weeks.
It can, as an illuminated cabinet or a halo-lit design, but lit signs also need a separate electrical permit. See our illuminated and lightbox signs page for lit options.
Often yes, and they frequently suit these districts, though heritage guidelines can shape the design. A local shop familiar with those streets will steer the shape and mounting.
Blade signs pair well with storefront and fascia signs and awning signs. See the custom business signs hub, the Vancouver sign permit guide, and our Vancouver and heritage New Westminster areas. Get matched with a vetted Vancouver sign shop.
Front-lit, back-lit and halo illuminated letters for high-impact storefront ID.
Retail and restaurant fascia signage that meets the Vancouver Sign By-law.
Tall freestanding signs for roadside and multi-tenant visibility.
Ground-level entrance signs for strata, office parks and retail centres.
We broker signage projects to local sign shops right across Metro Vancouver. Pick your city to see the services available in your area.
Tell us about your project and we’ll match you with vetted local sign shops for free, no-obligation quotes.
