Hire an illuminated sign fitter
Requested
Lightbox installationFacade letter installationFacade signage installation
Hire an illuminated sign fitter: light boxes and LED letters
An illuminated sign fitter installs, connects and maintains light boxes, LED built-up letters and illuminated facade signage. A self-employed illuminated sign fitter usually charges €55 to €75 per hour. On Signborn you work with fitters who have NEN 3140 and experience working at height.
Start free
No subscription. You can start with your own sign installers today, in any region.
Where illuminated signs go wrong
- A light box that’s up but doesn’t light, because nobody was allowed to connect the power supply.
- Moisture in the power supply from a badly finished entry through the facade.
- LED modules that fail after one winter.
- A fault at the end client’s site, and nobody knows what was connected back then.
Illuminated sign fitters through Signborn
- NEN 3140 as a requirementRequire NEN 3140 on your job and only fitters who listed the certificate can respond. Ask to see it before you choose.
- Installation and electricsMany illuminated sign fitters combine work at height, facade installation and electrical connection. You filter on the skills the job needs.
- Own rate, clear up frontThe fitter sets their own rate. You see the total including the Signborn fee and VAT before you confirm.
- Recorded at handoverPhotos stamped with time and location, plus the end client’s signature: handy if there’s a fault later on.
Types of work
- Lightbox installation
- Facade letter installation
- Facade signage installation
- Height work (aerial platform / scaffolding)
- Drilling and screwing
- On-site measuring
- Removal of old signage
Illuminated signs: installation with electrics
What an illuminated sign fitter does
- Installing light boxes: single or double-sided, on the facade or as a projecting sign.
- Installing and connecting LED built-up letters and illuminated cut letters.
- Fitting power supplies, running cables and making watertight entries through the facade.
- Fixing faults: replacing faulty LED modules, power supplies or photocell switches.
- Isolating and removing old illuminated signs.
NEN 3140: who may connect what
Anyone working on or near an electrical installation falls under NEN 3140. This standard covers safe operation: who may carry out work, how to work with the power off and how to record it. Fitters train for this as an instructed person (VOP) or skilled person (VP). Installing a new circuit or connection in the fuse box is installation work under NEN 1010. That’s often done by the building’s electrician.
State exactly in your job what needs doing: just connecting the sign to an existing supply, or also cabling and a new circuit. Then the fitter knows whether it’s within their competence.
Outdoors, moisture and heat
Illuminated signs hang outside for years. Power supplies and connections need an IP rating that suits where they are, and entries through the facade must be finished watertight. LED modules need space to get rid of their heat. An experienced fitter pays attention to this during installation, and flags it if the design or production hasn’t allowed for it.
Light box or LED letters
A light box is a cabinet with an illuminated acrylic or fabric face. For maintenance you replace the face or the LED strips. LED built-up letters are separate letters, each lit individually, sometimes with a halo effect on the facade. Letters take more installation time and more connection points, but give a cleaner look. For the fitter, the main differences are the cabling and the number of power supplies.
A good illuminated sign brief
- Address, a photo of the facade and the position with measurements.
- Type: light box, LED letters or illuminated sign, with dimensions and weight.
- Where the power supply goes, and whether there’s an existing connection or switch.
- Whether a new circuit is needed, and who the building’s electrician is.
- Working height and who arranges the cherry picker.
- Whether old illuminated signs need isolating and removing.
- Whether the permit and the building owner’s consent are sorted.
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 illuminated signs
Does an illuminated sign fitter need NEN 3140?
Yes, as soon as they work on or near the electrical installation. Require NEN 3140 on your job. Then only fitters who listed the certificate can respond. Ask to see it before you choose.
What’s the difference between a light box fitter and an illuminated sign fitter?
It’s the same trade. Illuminated signs is the broader term: besides light boxes it also covers LED letters, illuminated facade panels and projecting signs.
Can the fitter add a new circuit in the fuse box?
Not always. Installing a new circuit is installation work under NEN 1010. That doesn’t always fall within a sign fitter’s competence. Ask for it explicitly in your job, or have the building’s electrician prepare the connection.
Does an illuminated sign fitter also do maintenance?
Yes. Replacing LED modules, power supplies, photocell switches and faces are common jobs. Put the brand and type in your job if you know them.
What does an illuminated sign fitter cost?
The fitter sets their own rate. Work with electrics and at height costs more than simple installation. See the rates page for indicative rates per specialism. On top of that, as the client you pay the Signborn fee: 8% for a match, minimum €15 and maximum €150 per sign installer per job.
What if the sign doesn’t light up later?
The fitter is self-employed and has their own public liability insurance. The photos, time and signature at handover show what was installed and connected. You report a fault to the producer or the fitter, depending on what you agreed.
Choose a specialism
Got illuminated signs to install?
Post your job for free and require NEN 3140 if the job needs it.