Brandon Industries

Sign Pole Installation

Before placing your order you need to contact your local authorities about all applicable ordinances and codes to make sure that the installation will comply. The clearance height to the bottom of the lowest sign is typically 7 feet. Your location may have additional requirements and specifications with regard to sign dimensions, vinyl types and more.

Before you begin your installation you must contact your local utility companies. Wait the required amount of time for them to survey. Respect the locate marks and dig with care. Failing to do so may result in property damage, injury or even death.

1. Sign Pole Installation
2. Dig your hole according to local codes and soil conditions.
3. Insert the pole with the holes or channels properly aligned with the roadway.
4. Level and brace the pole in place.
5. Create a form for the cement footing to be slightly above grade. This will serve to protect the finish of the pole from soil and lawn equipment. See Example A
6. Fill the hole with cement according to manufacturer’s instructions.
7. Recheck with level and adjust as needed.*
8. Return after the concrete is sufficiently cured to install signs and other components to the pole.

NOTE: At this time it may be wise to install regulatory signs such as STOP signs and YIELD signs as a matter of public safety. Weather conditions may dictate that other components not be installed until after the cement has had time to cure.

Fluted Sign Pole and Smooth Sign Pole installations require holes to be drilled for mounting the signs, trims and brackets. Be sure to include the thickness of the sign trim when determining the clearance height of the lowest sign. When using a hand drill it is recommended that the holes be measured and drilled from each side of the pole for better alignment.

Channel Sign Pole (Patent Pending) installations do not require drilling. Traffic signs and trims are attached to a channel by sliding the nut or bolt into the channel and tightening.

Installing Street Sign Blades Into Sign Trims
Slide Double-sided street sign into trim and use set screw to hold into place.

New guidelines for traffic sign retroreflectivity are starting to kick in, and this might mean it’s time for you to consider upgrading your signage and streetscapes. We can show you how:

What traffic sign requirements have changed?

Retroreflectivity, according to the recent Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), measures how well a material can reflect light back to the light’s original source. This quite obviously is a critical element for nighttime driving safety, as effectively illuminated signage both improves visibility and decreases accidents regardless of the time of day. The FHWA is simply installing a uniform standard of retroreflectivity (as well as design, placement, operation and maintenance standards), ensuring maximum safety across the nation.

The new rules apply to public roads, as well as private property where the public is “invited to travel.” It’s the most far-reaching guideline of this type to date, and applies to most regulatory, warning, street name, and both ground-mounted and overhead guide signs — whether permanent, temporary or portable. This means stop signs, yield signs, and speed limit signs — all of the custom traffic and street signs that we provide and that you need to create a safe environment in your community.

For the technical details about the required retroreflectivity levels, check out our Traffic Sign Retroreflectivity fact sheet.

What’s the timeline for implementing new traffic sign retroreflectivity requirements?

• 2012: A method to maintain retroreflectivity must be in place and in use.
• 2015: Both warning and ground mounted guide signs must be in compliance.
• 2018: Street name signs and overhead guide signs must be in compliance.

At Brandon Industries, these new guidelines will be factored into all of our streetscape products, and we already provide multiple sign sheeting types that exceed these MUTCD requirements.

If you think your current neighborhood or community signage might be out of date and not meet these new rules, contact us. Our Dallas-Ft. Worth area experts will help you out.

For more information, view our retroreflectivity fact sheet.