Advertising signage

Hey ya’ll! I have put in a few commercial bids lately and didn’t put anything in my paperwork about allowing me to put up yard signs advertising my business at where ever the work is being done. How do you add that verbiage into your contracts? I am just about to send in a quote to my town to clean about 8,000 sqft of concrete at our Town Square and want to put up a few signs for a couple weeks once the work is complete. What is the best way to build that into the contract? I also use the term contract loosely since its just them signing my quote saying they will pay for the work once it’s completed.

I wouldn’t add it to a contract, just ask if they would mind…at least while you’re doing it.

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Man I’m going to honest that’s a fine line to walk. You really want to establish a relationship with them first. I would stick to social media for this one. Then on the next one when you are more prepared to present them with a idea of what the sign would look like and the location you are placing them will look so much more professional and will secure your next job with them I promise

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Agree with @dcbrock, just ask. Tell them you are trying to get some more exposure.
Keep in mind it’s not their property so it might have to get asked up the chain so there might be a delay.
Commercial plan in advance for sure but keep it conversational. The quotes and such are sometimes reviewed by a few other people, and it’s a line item like that which someone has an issue with and rejects the contract, have seen it and done it. When you run it by your contact conversationally they will relay it the same way and tone, and now everyone is just talking abstracts and it’s usually more positive. In quote/contract mode its more formal and if it doesn’t have anything to do with the actual work don’t put it in there.

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I agree with @Firefighter4hire . I don’t think I would even ask this time around. Take a look at their city ordinance first. Most don’t even allow yard signs. Sure, people always do but they don’t ask. Some towns around me are super harsh about them and some don’t care. If it’s an ordinance they can’t allow you to do it no matter how you put it to them. I definitely wouldn’t put it in a contract or writing as @dcbrock said. If they let you do it they’ll have to let everyone so I wouldn’t even put it out there. If you left a sign up for a job that was paid with taxpayer dollars for a few weeks on public property I guarantee someone from around town will throw a fit. We all have those people in our towns who don’t have anything better to do.

I think you’d be okay with having one up while you’re there working but take it with you at the end of the day. You could probably do that without asking but I would keep it close to your truck or trailer.

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@marinegrunt and @Firefighter4hire are you guys following all of my threads? :slight_smile: I appreciate ya’ll answering my questions. I will have a casual talk with my contact (the head of the Department of Public Works) and see if I can have a couple yard signs up while im doing the cleaning. If I get the job thought. I walked in and asking if they were planning on having the concrete cleaned around the town square (its my small town) and he had no problem with me providing a quote. Since this cleaning wasn’t on the docket, I may not even get the job.

Just a thought, what’s your setup like? Truck, or truck and trailer? How’s your branding on it? It’s your biggest yard sign, and if it’s catchy it grabs people eyes and they remember it easier.
I find for myself, if it’s a good looking trailer I will try and read it, but if the truck has advertising I remember that one more.

I drive a mini van and pull a trailer. My main day job is as a finish carpenter and the van is my work vehicle. The trailer is 6x10ish. Its not ideal but its what I have at the moment to work with. My buddy is working on some vinyl “stickers” for my van for advertising at the moment for both my van and my wife’s Ford Edge. I tried the big magnets but after a couple weeks, I took them off and found a bunch of rust spots forming so I got rid of them. I don’t want to keep this van so I don’t really want to drop a bunch of money on a wrap for it. My buddy has a 34 inch vinyl cutter so we should be able to do some cool things with it.

That’s plenty of real estate for some big panel signs, at least on the sides. With a little ingenuity, you can have them lift up on struts like @SchertzServicesLLC has on his flatbed.

As far as the van goes, some basic, cheap vinyl lettering on the glass should be sufficient to look professional and get the message across for when you’re not pulling the trailer.

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I sent @SchertzServicesLLC a message asking about his signs. I think that would be a good idea for me.

I can’t wait to have a truck set up to say the least… but here’s my trailer signage if it gives you any ideas.

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Another thought, and this is dependant on if your trailer is enclosed.
If you go to a sign shop you can get a large scale yard sign done pretty cheaply, here a 4x8 sign might cost $30. It’s that thickish corrugated sign material. You could have just one made and when you are washing stick it on the traffic side of your trailer. Then when you pack up take the sign down and keep in trailer or van. Gets you through to when you get a setup that you are happy with and then commit the cash to getting your final stuff done.

This is my trailer. Not much to look at but it works. This weekend I put my battery and electric pump inside my tool box and am picking up a 100 gallon tank for $50. I’ll mount that over the axle and it will be my batch mix tank for roof washing. I guess i will have to build some sides for the trailer and get signs for it.


@WiscoWashPros Bill brother, sorry not sorry but the fact that you left the barcoded stickers on all your pvc and even on the u-bolts bugs me to no end. Even on the barb/insert fitting you just slid your hose over the sticker. You got to me kidding me, come on now! You even probably burned a hole straight through your drop hose heating it up. You should have had the integrity to cut that few inches off and start over. You do not have permission to wash my house based on my findings of your work. :slight_smile:

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@dperez thank you for those kind and uplifting words of advise. I appreciate your criticism and I will fix a couple of things. But if you want to talk about my integrity because a clear hose got a little to warm, then you obviously have nothing better to do then be a keyboard warrior. This is a place for everyone to come together, learn, and grow their businesses. Not nit pick other peoples work and claim they can’t wash a house because something isn’t to your liking. Now, if you had said that you believe that the barcode stickers look unprofessional or that the darker spot on the hose is at risk for leaking and you recommend me fixing those for sake of my business or something like that. Then all would be fine. But since you want to attack my integrity, then you my good sir, can go pound sand.

It’s all the same. Love you bro

Yankees don’t have a sense of humor :grinning:

I hope he comes around

He must have been in the Air Force. I hear their feelings get hurt a little quicker than the other dudes.

@Racer I haven’t been called a Yankee in years :smile:
I just dont like my integrity called into question. Especially over something so small.
@sgb If only I was so lucky to be Air Force. Army for 6 years.