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Signage survey template
A site survey form for sign makers and installers. Add each sign with its location, type, size, height above ground, mounting surface, whether an old sign comes off and whether it needs power, with photos that have a tape measure in shot. The form works out each sign's area and the total, and records access, landlord, advertisement and listed building consent, hazards and installation time. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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What should a signage survey record?
A signage survey should record each sign's location, type, width, height and depth, its height above ground, the mounting surface and its condition, any existing sign to remove and making good, whether it is illuminated and where the power is, and photos with measurements. It should also record site access, landlord consent, whether advertisement consent is needed, access equipment and hazards.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 17 October 2026 against the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007, GOV.UK: Outdoor advertisements and signs, a guide for advertisers and section 7 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
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Answer a few questions and watch it adapt. Your answers are not saved, and any photos you add are deleted within the hour.
Open the completed example to see fictional readings, notes, photos and calculations. Choose Blank form to try entering your own answers.
Want to see one filled in? See a completed signage survey report (PDF), made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit.
Every question in the signage survey template
A signage site survey: every sign with its location, type, size, height, mounting surface, removal, power for illumination and photos, plus access, consents and installation needs. 4 sections and 57 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
Make it your own: every question is editable
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Details you only enter once
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Client: the project's customer
- Site: the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Site address: the site address, from the space or the project
Site and access
- ProjectShort answerFills in from the project name
- ClientShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Site*Short answerFills in from the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Site addressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- Survey date*Date
- TimeTime
- Surveyed by*Short answer
- Site contact and phoneShort answer
- Access hours and restrictionsNotes
- Is a site induction or permit needed to work here?Yes or No
- Landlord or freeholder consentChoose one
- Obtained
- Needed, not yet obtained
- Not needed
- Not known
- Advertisement consentChoose one
- Not needed (deemed consent confirmed)
- Application needed
- To check with the local planning authority
- Is the building listed or in a conservation area?Yes or No
- Listed building consent, if the building is listedChoose one
- Not listed
- Obtained
- Needed, not yet obtained
- Not needed
- Not known
Shown when “Is the building listed or in a conservation area?” is Yes - CheckOutdoor signs in England are controlled by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Some classes of sign have deemed consent, each with its own limits on size, position and illumination; others need express consent from the local planning authority. Rules are stricter in conservation areas: for example, the deemed consent for illuminated signs does not extend to them. If in doubt, check with the planning authority before ordering. Works to a listed building that affect its character also need listed building consent.
- Walk Cam: signage survey walkWalk Cam video with voice-to-text
Optional. Film a guided walk-through on the SiteSurvey app.
Signs
- SignsRepeat for each sign. Each one asks:
- Sign reference*Short answer
- Location or elevation*Short answer
- Interior or exteriorChoose one
- Interior
- Exterior
- Sign position (GPS)Short answer
Mark current location in front of the sign position, so the fitters find the right elevation.
Shown when “Interior or exterior” is “Exterior” - Type of sign*Choose one
- Fascia or tray sign
- Built-up letters
- Flat panel
- Projecting or hanging sign
- Post mounted
- Totem or monolith
- Wayfinding
- Window graphics or manifestation
- Vinyl lettering
- Directory board
- Safety sign
- Other
- What type?Short answerShown when “Type of sign” is “Other”
- QuantityNumber
- Width (mm)*Number
Use a tape where you can reach. From the ground, photograph the position square on with a door or a known length in shot and use Measure from photo. It is an estimate for the quote: check with a tape before manufacture.
- Height (mm)*Number
- Depth or projection (mm)Number
- Height from ground to the bottom of the sign (mm)Number
The clearance under a projecting sign matters to people walking past: measure it, or estimate it from a photo the same way.
- Sign area (m²)Worked out by the formShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Mounting surfaceChoose one
- Brick
- Block
- Render
- Cladding
- Glass
- Timber
- Metal
- Existing frame or tray
- Post or ground
- Other
- Condition of the surface and fixing notesNotes
- Is there an existing sign here?Yes or No
- Does it need removing?Yes or NoShown when “Is there an existing sign here?” is Yes
- Making good after removalNotesShown when “Does it need removing?” is Yes
- Illuminated?Yes or No
- Power for the signChoose one
- Supply within 1 m
- Supply further away
- No supply
Shown when “Illuminated?” is Yes - Will an electrician be needed?Yes or NoShown when “Illuminated?” is Yes
- Content, branding and coloursNotes
- Photos of the position, with a tape measure in shotPhotos
- Sign positionsWorked out by the form
- Signs to makeWorked out by the form
- ExteriorWorked out by the form
- IlluminatedWorked out by the form
- Needing an electricianWorked out by the form
- Old signs to removeWorked out by the form
- Total sign area (m²)Worked out by the form
Installation
- Access equipment neededTick all that apply
- Ladder
- Podium or tower
- MEWP
- Scaffold
- None
- Other (describe)
- Will the work use the pavement or road (licence or traffic management)?Yes or No
- Hazards near the workTick all that apply
- Overhead cables
- Traffic
- Public footfall
- Fragile roof or canopy
- Possible asbestos in the fixing surface
- None seen
- Estimated installation time (hours)Number
- Installation notesNotes
Actions and sign-off
- Are further actions needed?Yes or No
- Further actionsRepeat for each action. Each one asks:Shown when “Are further actions needed?” is Yes
- What needs doing?*Notes
- Who will do it?Short answer
- Due dateDate
- StatusChoose one
- Open
- In progress
- Completed
- Inspector name*Short answer
- Position or companyShort answer
- Inspector signatureSignature
- CheckSigning records what was found on the day. It does not make unsafe equipment safe or replace a thorough examination, design check or service by a competent person.
See it filled in
A completed signage survey report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Signage survey FAQs
Can I survey several signs in one form?
Yes. Each sign is its own entry with its own reference, type, sizes, surface, removal, power, content and photos. The form works out the area of each sign from its width, height and quantity, and adds up the total area across the survey.
Does a shop sign need planning permission?
Outdoor signs in England are controlled by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Some classes of sign have deemed consent, each with its own limits, and others need express consent from the local planning authority. The rules are stricter in conservation areas, and works to a listed building that affect its character also need listed building consent. The form records each consent so it is checked before manufacture.
What about the landlord?
Check whether the lease needs the landlord's or freeholder's consent for new signs. The form asks whether consent has been obtained, is still needed, is not needed or is not known, and the actions section can track who is getting it.
What should I photograph?
Each sign position from far enough back to show its surroundings, with a tape measure in shot, plus the mounting surface close up and the power source for illuminated signs. The optional Walk Cam film in the app records the approach, each position and the fixings in one take.
What installation details does it record?
Access equipment such as a ladder, tower, MEWP or scaffold, whether the work uses the pavement or road, hazards like overhead cables, traffic, public footfall, fragile canopies or possible asbestos, an estimated install time and notes for the fitters.
Who uses this survey?
Sign makers, sign installers, shopfitters and print and display firms surveying shopfronts, offices, wayfinding schemes and window graphics before design and quote.
Related
Related templates
Templates that go with the signage survey form
A signage installation sign-off: each sign installed against the survey with its fixings, height, level, illumination and photos, removal and making good, consents and the customer's sign-off.
A store fixture survey: store location, every fixture by zone with its tag, type, size, shelves, material, condition, damage and recommended action, with shelf length, floor space and counts worked out.
A job quote site survey: the customer, what they want, measurements and photos for each item, access and working conditions, priced options with VAT, and the cancellation information for quotes agreed at home.
General purpose visit: purpose, who was there, findings with photos, actions and follow-up.
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