Totem and monolith signs
Freestanding identification for business parks, car parks, retail parks and industrial estates, including groundworks, foundations and tenant panel systems. See our guide for more detail.
Freestanding signage is a groundworks job
A totem is the sign people see before they reach the building, which makes it the most important sign on a business park or retail estate. It is also the most involved to install, because it needs a foundation, a service search and often a power supply.
Where multiple tenants share a site, the panel system matters more than the sign itself. A totem built around interchangeable slides means a tenant change is a panel swap; one built as a single fabricated face means a remanufacture every time.
Before you order
Freestanding signage almost always needs advertisement consent, and the foundation needs a service search before anyone digs. Underground services are the commonest cause of a totem install being abandoned on the day. We arrange both as part of the survey.
What we need to quote
- Position on site, ideally marked on a site plan
- Overall height you have in mind, and any sightline constraints
- Number of tenant panels now and likely in future
- Whether the sign is to be illuminated
- Ground conditions if known
Construction options
Fabricated aluminium monolith
Powder coated, single or double sided, clean edges. The standard commercial specification.
Tenant panel system
Interchangeable slides in a framed carrier so tenant changes are a swap rather than a rebuild.
Illumination
Face lit panels or edge lit acrylic. Needs a supply and an accessible isolator at the base.
Foundation
Concrete pad or post set, sized to the height and wind loading. Service search first.
Height
Typically 1.8m to 4m. Above that, wind loading and consent both become more involved.
Common questions
How much does a totem sign cost?
More than a wall mounted sign of the same size, because a totem needs a foundation, a service search and often a power supply. Height, illumination and the number of tenant panels drive the figure.
Do totem signs need planning permission?
Freestanding signage almost always requires advertisement consent, and the foundation needs a service search before anyone digs.
Can tenant panels be changed later?
Yes, if the totem is built around an interchangeable slide system. Built as a single fabricated face, every tenant change is a remanufacture.
See how three business identities were organised into one clear freestanding arrival sign.
Need a totem or monolith?
Send a site plan with the position marked and we will confirm the foundation and consent requirements.
Middle Barn, Fairclough Hall Farm, Halls Green, Weston, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 7DP
Ten minutes from Stevenage. Visitors welcome.