Face replacement

Definition

Swapping the printed panel inside an existing sign cabinet, which is the trade's repeat work.

Why It Matters

A new sign is a permit, a survey, a structure and a wait; a face replacement is a panel and a lift, and the same customer buys one every time they rebrand or a tenant changes. It is the fastest and most profitable work in the shop, and a company with national accounts is usually living on it. Ask what share of jobs are faces and not new installations, and which of those come from a standing account. A shop that only sells new signs starts from zero every month and is exposed to whatever slows permitting down.