Hire a stand builder
Requested
Trade show stand / fabric frame assemblyFrame and construction assemblyRoll-up banner installation
Hire a stand builder to build and dismantle exhibition stands
A self-employed stand builder builds and dismantles exhibition stands, fabric frames and system stands. In most cases, expect €40 to €55 per hour. On Signborn you work with self-employed stand builders and sign installers. Handy for stand builders, sign companies and agencies with a peak in trade-fair season.
Start free
No subscription. You can start with your own sign installers today, in any region.
Where stand building gets stuck
- Three trade fairs in the same week, and your regular build crew can only be in one place at a time.
- A build-up window that ends at six, and a frame that doesn't fit.
- Fabric graphics full of creases, because nobody has experience with silicone edges.
- Dismantling on a Sunday evening and nobody available.
A stand builder through Signborn
- Built for stand buildingExhibition stand and fabric frame, frames and structures, roll-ups and floor graphics are separate skills.
- Your own network for the busy seasonInvite your regular build crew and plan them in per fair. You'll find new sign installers by region as soon as matching opens there.
- Own rate, visible upfrontThe stand builder sets their own rate. You see the total including the Signborn fee and VAT before you confirm.
- Handover on recordPhotos of the finished stand with time and location, plus a signature from your contact person.
Types of work
- Trade show stand / fabric frame assembly
- Frame and construction assembly
- Roll-up banner installation
- Apply airtex / photo wallpaper
- Floor sticker
- Interior signing
- Apply full colour prints
- Removal of old signage
Outsourcing stand building to a self-employed professional
What a self-employed stand builder does
- Building and dismantling system stands made of aluminium profiles.
- Stretching fabric frames with printed silicone-edge graphics.
- Covering walls with vinyl or Airtex, applying floor graphics and fitting lettering.
- Setting up counters, displays, lighting and roll-ups.
- Dismantling, packing and loading for transport or storage.
Working within exhibition hours
Exhibition centres work with fixed build-up and dismantling times, access rules and sometimes a compulsory safety briefing. Build-up often starts one or two days before opening. Dismantling starts straight after closing and sometimes goes on into the night. Put the exact times, the hall and the stand number in your job, and sort out access passes in advance. The stand builder plans their own work within those times. You agree on the result.
Fabric frames and system stands
With fabric frames, it's all about a taut graphic without creases: the silicone edge has to sit evenly in the groove and the fabric needs to be at the right temperature. System stands need a good drawing with dimensions and a logical build order, so lighting and cabling are in the profiles in time. In your job, ask for experience with the system you use.
A good stand-building brief
- Fair, hall, stand number and the exact build-up and dismantling times.
- Stand drawing with dimensions, and the system or frame type.
- What's going along: fabrics, vinyl, counters, lighting, flooring.
- Who arranges transport and where the materials will be ready.
- Contact person at the fair and who signs off the handover.
- Whether dismantling, packing or storage is needed as well.
Self-employed means self-employed
A self-employed stand builder isn't an extra employee for the week. They work under their own name, with their own tools, their own insurance and their own rate, and can turn a job down. You agree on the result: a finished stand at the agreed time. Rosters, your company workwear or a fixed crew schedule don't fit with a self-employed professional under the Dutch DBA Act (Wet DBA).
Planning for trade-fair season
Spring and autumn are the busy trade-fair months. Good build crews are booked up weeks in advance. Invite your regular people in good time and post the job as soon as the stand drawing and the times are known. A small system stand is often up within half a day. A large custom stand with lighting and flooring takes several days and several pairs of hands. Plan dismantling and transport as carefully as the build-up: after closing, every hour counts.
How does Signborn work?
From job to invoice, in five steps.
Post your job
Address, date, sizes and what needs doing. You choose who sees it: everyone who fits, or only your own network.
New jobExample Window lettering
- Prinsestraat 41, The Hague
- Thu 15 Oct · 07:30
- 1200 × 300 mm · cut vinyl
Who sees this job?
Installers respond
Installers who fit by trade, certificates, region and calendar see your job and say yes or no. Saying no has no consequences.
You choose
Compare the responses, with your own network at the top, and choose one or more installers. Then the chat opens. With more than one installer, it's a single group chat.
Do the work and hand over
GPS check-in on site, handover with photos and location. You approve within 48 hours, or raise an objection.
HandoverExample Job sheet: 3 of 3 done
All done as briefed
Before During Done - On site07:24–11:38
- Signed off by your client11:41
Approve within 48 hoursBy Sat 17 Oct at 11:42- Job sheet for your own client: no amounts, in your own branding.
Invoice
The installer invoices you directly, pre-filled from the job, and you pay within 14 or 30 days. Signborn sends a separate fee invoice. No money runs through Signborn.
The five best-matching installers get a notification, ranked on seven factors with fixed weights. Matching with new installers opens region by region. Until then, your job reaches your own network and approved installers nearby.
Window lettering
- Prinsestraat 41, The Hague
- Thu 15 Oct · 07:30
- 1200 × 300 mm · cut vinyl
Who sees this job?
Job sheet: 3 of 3 done
All done as briefed
- On site07:24–11:38
- Signed off by your client11:41
Approve within 48 hoursBy Sat 17 Oct at 11:42
- Job sheet for your own client: no amounts, in your own branding.
Frequently asked questions about stand building
What does it cost to hire a stand builder?
The stand builder sets their own rate, per hour or per job. Night and weekend work and travel time can come on top. As the client you also pay the Signborn fee through Signborn: 8% for a match, minimum €15 and maximum €150 per sign installer per job. With your own network there is no fee.
Can I hire several stand builders for one fair?
Yes. One job can ask for several sign installers. Each one enters into their own contract for services with you and sends their own invoice.
Does Signborn also design or produce exhibition stands?
No. Signborn connects clients with self-employed sign installers for the work on site. You arrange design, production and transport yourself or with your own suppliers.
Does a stand builder need VCA?
That depends on the fair or venue. Some exhibition centres require a safety briefing or VCA for build-up. Ask for the certificate in your job if the venue requires it.
Do stand builders also work nights and weekends?
Many do, because dismantling often starts straight after closing. Put the times in your job. The stand builder only responds if they're available.
Who signs off the handover at the fair?
Your contact person or the exhibitor signs digitally at handover. You'll find that in your dashboard, together with the photos showing time and location.
Choose a specialism
Trade fair coming up?
Post your stand-building job for free. You can invite your own build crew today.