Bayan Signage carries out a signage site survey before any custom sign is drawn or cut. Our team measures the sign zone at several points, identifies what the wall is built from, locates power and driver positions, photographs the approach and checks the landlord's rules. The visit is free in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, and its record feeds the drawing, permit and quote.
A signage site survey is a visit to record everything that affects how a sign is designed, made and installed: the exact size of the sign zone, what the wall is built from, obstacles, power, sightlines, sun orientation and access. It is for anyone ordering a custom sign, from a single clinic fascia to a tower name, a mall unit or a wayfinding scheme, and for owners planning a rebrand, refresh or move of a sign we made and installed for them earlier.
Most problems that appear on installation day were visible weeks earlier to anyone who looked. A sprinkler head in the middle of a bulkhead. A fascia 30 mm narrower at one end than the other. A wall that sounds solid but is gypsum on studs. No power within 15 m. Our surveyors measure every critical dimension at least three times, check what is behind the finish, and photograph the zone from where customers actually approach, so these things are found while they are still a line on a sketch.
Bayan Signage surveys with the same people who will build and install the sign. Our technical draftsmen turn the survey into shop drawings and authority submissions, our fabricators cut to its dimensions in our Ajman factory, and our installation crew works from its notes on access and power. Since 2016 we have surveyed sites for more than 500 clients across the UAE, and the record stays on file for maintenance, permit renewals and future replacement.
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The depth of the survey follows the sign. We suggest the lightest one that removes the risk, and say so when photos will do.
You send photos and key measurements; we review them and tell you whether they are enough to quote. Suits small indoor signs and simple face replacements.
View details →On-site measurement, substrate check, power and driver location, access and landlord criteria. The survey behind most fascias, receptions and mall units.
View details →A second visit after dark to judge light, contrast and competing signs. Worth it for illuminated and halo signs on busy or very dark frontages.
View details →Tower names, rooftop frames and large facade letters, recording approach distances, structure, access equipment and coordination with the building's engineer.
View details →Every branch surveyed to one template, producing a register of fascia sizes, substrates, power and condition before a rebrand or maintenance contract.
View details →Fixings, power, frame size and condition rechecked on a Bayan sign against our original drawings, so reuse, a new face, relocation or replacement can be priced properly.
View details →Before visiting we gather the landlord's design criteria, any architectural drawings, the trade licence name and your brand files, so the visit checks the real site against what the sign is meant to be.
Width, height and depth are measured at the top, middle and bottom, or at each end. We record bulkhead depth, soffit heights, mullion spacing and distances to edges, openings and neighbouring signs.
We find out whether the substrate is concrete, render on block, ACP on a frame, gypsum, stone or glass, and ask to drill a small test hole or open a hatch where it is unclear.
We locate the nearest supply and a ventilated, accessible driver position, and record how our crew will reach the zone, whether by ladder, tower, boom lift or rope access, and when.
Photos are taken from the pavement, car park and road, noting sun direction, trees, columns and competing signs. We record which way the facade faces, because it changes our material advice.
Back at the office, everything goes into a survey sheet, then into dimensioned sketches and annotated photos that our draftsmen use for shop drawings, the permit submission and your quote.
This is the record we take on a standard outdoor survey. Indoor and repeat-layout surveys use a shorter version of the same sheet.
| Item | What we record | Extra on complex sites | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign zone dimensions | Width, height and depth at several points | Laser measurement and CAD elevation | Fascias out of square by 10 to 20 mm are common and matter on a full-width sign. |
| Substrate | Wall type and finish, test hole where needed | Opening hatches, input from the engineer | The wall decides the anchor, the frame and sometimes whether the sign is possible. |
| Obstacles | Sprinklers, CCTV, AC units, lights, joints, canopies | Services drawings checked on site | An obstacle found on installation day forces a redesign or a compromise. |
| Power and drivers | Nearest supply, isolator, driver position, cable route | Load check by our electrician | Without a known supply and driver position, the crew has to improvise on the day. |
| Sightlines | Photos from foot and vehicle approaches | Night visit, approach distances measured | Customers rarely see a sign head-on; obstructions can hide the key part. |
| Orientation and exposure | Facade direction, shade, coastal or dusty location | Sun-path notes for halo and colour choices | West and south faces take intense sun that affects fading and driver heat. |
| Rules and access | Landlord criteria, permitted hours, access method | Permit and NOC requirements listed | The installation plan and the permit both depend on these. |
These are lessons our surveyors have learned on real sites. Most of them cost nothing if you know them before the visit.
On a unit still in fit-out, bulkheads, ceilings and cladding commonly change by tens of millimetres between bare blockwork and the final finish. We often survey from drawings first so design and permits can start, then come back to re-measure once the bulkhead is clad and before anything is cut. A second short visit costs far less than remaking a fascia sign that is 40 mm too long for its zone.
The previous sign may have been the wrong size, squeezed in, or simply what the last tenant could afford. Measuring it repeats its mistakes. We measure the zone the landlord allows and the wall that is physically there, then compare the two, because mall criteria and the real bulkhead do not always agree. When they differ, we raise it with the landlord before design, not after fabrication.
A young palm beside a fascia looks harmless on survey day and can cover half the sign two summers later. A neighbour's projecting sign or a new canopy can hide the logo from the main approach. We note planting, columns and neighbouring signs within the sightline, and where it matters we shift the sign or raise the letters within the landlord's zone. It is a small observation that has kept many frontages visible.
A west-facing fascia in Dubai takes full afternoon sun, which fades some colours faster, heats drivers and washes out a halo in daylight. A north-facing one sits in shade and may need more light to compete with its neighbours at night. We note orientation on every outdoor survey, and it changes our advice on finishes, stainless grade, illumination and where the drivers should sit.
For small jobs, your photos can replace a visit. Take one square-on shot of the whole zone, one from the pavement and one from the road or car park, a close-up of the wall finish and one of the nearest power point, with a tape measure in shot across the width. With those, we can usually tell you quickly whether a visit is needed or whether we can quote straight away.
The visit itself is free in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. Elsewhere, or where special access is needed just to reach the zone, we confirm any charge when we book, so there are no surprises. Your sign quote follows the survey, itemised and usually within 24 hours.
Surveys in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman are free. Visits to other emirates are confirmed at booking and are often combined with other work in the area.
One shopfront is a short visit. Multi-branch audits across several emirates take longer and are planned as routes to keep travel per site down.
A ground-level fascia can be measured from a ladder. Signs at height may need a tower, a lift, rope access or a building management escort.
An evening visit to judge lighting and competing signs adds a second trip, but is worthwhile for illuminated signs on busy or dark frontages.
A dimensioned sketch is quick. A full survey pack with CAD elevations and a site register for each branch takes more office time.
Test holes, opening a ceiling hatch or coordinating with the building engineer adds time, but avoids a far more expensive surprise later.
Authority and landlord submissions usually need site photos and dimensioned elevations that show the sign in context. Dubai Municipality, Sharjah and Ajman municipalities and free-zone authorities such as JAFZA, DMCC and TECOM each have their own formats, and malls and communities add their own design criteria. A proper survey provides the photos and dimensions directly, so the submission is built on measured facts.
On site we also check the landlord's sign zone, maximum depth, illumination type and colour temperature against the real facade, and note anything that might need a variation, such as a projecting sign or a raceway. Our draftsmen then prepare the submission from the survey record. Requirements vary and change, so we confirm the current rules for your exact address during the visit.
The site visit is free in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman, and any charge elsewhere is confirmed before we book, not added afterwards.
The survey is done by the team that will draw, fabricate and install your sign, so nothing is lost passing it between companies.
Every critical dimension is measured at several points, because real UAE facades are rarely square and a few millimetres matter on a full-width sign.
Our technical draftsmen turn the survey into shop drawings and submission packages for Dubai Municipality, RTA, the municipalities and free zones.
You receive dimensioned sketches and annotated photos that stay useful long after installation, for maintenance, permit renewals and any future replacement.
If your photos are enough to quote a small job, we say so and save you the appointment rather than booking a visit by default.
Yes, in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman the site visit is free. For other emirates, or where special access equipment is needed just to reach the sign zone, we confirm any charge when we book. Your itemised sign quote follows the survey, usually within 24 hours.
For any custom outdoor sign, building name or illuminated sign, yes. It is the only reliable way to confirm the real dimensions, wall build-up, obstacles and power before fabrication. For simple indoor signs or like-for-like face replacements, your photos and measurements are often enough, and we will tell you so.
A single shopfront usually takes one to two hours on site, depending on access and how much of the building needs checking. A tower name, a site with pylons and wayfinding, or a survey with a night visit takes considerably longer. Multi-site audits are planned as routes, and we agree the visit plan with you in advance.
A dimensioned record of the sign zone with annotated photos, notes on substrate, obstacles, power, driver position, access and orientation, and any concerns we spotted on the day. It feeds the shop drawings, the permit submission and the quote. On multi-site work you also receive a register comparing all branches.
Yes, and it often helps. An early survey from drawings and the partial site lets design and permits start sooner. We then re-check the critical dimensions once the bulkhead or facade is finished and before fabrication, because finishes routinely change sizes by tens of millimetres. We coordinate visits with your fit-out contractor.
Yes, for smaller jobs. Send a square-on photo of the zone, photos from the approach, the overall width and height, a close-up of the wall and a photo of the nearest power point, ideally with a tape measure in shot. We review them and tell you whether they are enough to quote or whether a visit is needed.
Yes. For signs we made and installed, we revisit the site with our original shop drawings and records, recheck the fixings, power, frame and condition, and photograph the sign at close range. That makes a rebrand, new face, relocation or replacement straightforward to price, and the new drawings build on what we already know about the wall.
We survey across Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah from our factory in Ajman. Visits run Sunday to Thursday, 08:00 to 18:00, with evening visits arranged for illuminated signs and for sites that are only accessible after trading hours.
Send your logo, the fascia size and a site photo. Our estimating team replies with options and an itemised price, usually within 24 hours.