A channel letter sign with three letters out spells a different word after dark. We find the part that failed and fix it from a bucket truck. When the part is on hand, the sign comes back on during that visit.
We repair signs because we build them. The same Laredo shop that makes our custom signs in Laredo makes the faces and parts we replace on yours.
| What usually causes it | What we do |
|---|---|
The whole sign is dark | |
| Cause A tripped breaker, a failed power supply, or a timer that never switched on | Action Test power at the sign, then each part in order until one fails the meter |
Some letters are out, the rest light up | |
| Cause One power supply feeds a group of letters; when it fails, that group goes dark together | Action Open the letters, find the dead run, replace the power supply or the LED modules |
It flickers | |
| Cause A loose connection, or a power supply or ballast near the end of its life | Action Tighten and test every connection, then replace the part that's fading |
It's on at noon and off at 9 p.m. | |
| Cause A photocell that's dirty, aimed wrong or dead, or a timer that reset after a power outage | Action Clean or replace the photocell and set the timer |
A cabinet sign is dim or blotchy | |
| Cause Old fluorescent tubes and ballasts, or LED modules that aged unevenly | Action Relamp it, or convert the cabinet to LED |
The face is cracked or yellow | |
| Cause Sun, hail, and plastic that's been outside for ten summers | Action Make a new face in our shop and swap it on site |
The pole leans or the base is rusting | |
| Cause Wind load and corrosion where the steel meets the ground | Action Inspect the structure and repair or replace the pole and brackets |
The first person to notice a dead letter in your sign is usually a customer, so our scheduled sign maintenance helps preventing these situations by cleaning sign faces, testing photocells and timers, tightening connections, and replacing fading lamps or LED modules before they go dark. Ideal for property managers, multi-location franchises, churches, and gas stations across South Texas, simply call us with your list of addresses and we’ll set up your routine maintenance visits.
Call (956) 722-7690 or send a photo with the address.
We book the service call and tell you when the truck will be there.
A technician tests the sign and tells you what failed.
If the part is on the truck, the sign is back on that day. If it isn’t, we order it or make it in our shop and come back.
Call (956) 722-7690 or send a photo with the address.
We book the service call and tell you when the truck will be there.
A technician tests the sign and tells you what failed.
If the part is on the truck, the sign is back on that day. If it isn’t, we order it or make it in our shop and come back.
Three things move the price more than anything else: how high the work is, which part failed and how long the truck stays. A power supply swap on a storefront you can reach with a ladder is a small bill. The same part 30 feet up on a pylon needs the bucket truck, and the truck is most of the bill.
In short, it depends on the size, materials and type of repair, but don’t worry, our team will give you a quote in the same day.
Repair when the structure is sound and the problem is one part. Replace, or rebuild, when the faces are sun-damaged, the cabinet is rusting through and the lighting is fluorescent, because then you’d be paying three separate repairs on a sign that’s near the end anyway.
If it’s time for a new sign, we make that too: lighted signs and channel letters, LED message centers and exterior building signs, all built in Laredo.
A handyman can change a lightbulb. Opening a sign cabinet and rewiring a power supply is licensed electrical work in Texas, regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A company doing it needs an Electrical Sign Contractor license, and you can check any contractor’s license on TDLR’s license search. Ask for the license number before anyone opens your sign, us included.
Permits are local. In Laredo, sign permits go through Building Development Services and require a sign contractor with active registration with the City. If a repair turns into a new or relocated sign, it needs a permit, so ask about it when you get the quote.
Electric signs are installed under Article 600 of the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), and factory-built signs are listed to UL 48. We repair to the same code the sign was built to.
Our trucks leave from 6420 Polaris Dr. in Laredo, and we take repair calls across Webb County, Zapata County and South Texas.
If your sign is outside Laredo, give us the address when you call and we’ll tell you when we can get there. A business with several locations can send the whole list in one request.
Yes. Signs from different makers use the same families of parts: LED modules, power supplies, ballasts and photocells. We don’t need the original builder to fix one.
The address, a photo taken at night, and what you see: dark, flickering, or some letters out.
If the cabinet is solid, usually yes. LED modules have no ballast, and the ballast is the part that keeps sending fluorescent signs dark. If the sign is already LED, the fix is almost always a single part.
Replacing, enlarging or moving a sign needs a sign permit, and in Laredo it goes through Building Development Services. For a repair, ask us when we quote whether your job needs one.
Yes. Call and give us the list of addresses.
Call (956) 722-7690 or send us a photo and the address.
