FLAG THAT SIGN!

“Flagging a sign” is an imperfect art that allows you to get a read on the height of your proposed billboard visually from the street.  It is normally done one of two ways”

By Crane

To accomplish this, you need a tape measure (100’ fiberglass) and a red towel.  You also need a 75’ or so skyhook crane.  You attach the skyhook crane ball to the tape measure, and tie a red towel around the cable just above the ball. You then lift up the crane until the ball is at the bottom of the proposed sign face.  What you have done is to create a fairly accurate indication of the sign face in mid air – so that you can see if the sign is tall enough.

You now get in your car and drive by the imaginary sign from both directions several times, to study the height.  You also take pictures that you can then use to stick a scales white rectangle on the show potential advertisers what the sign will look like.

By Fiberglass Surveying Pole

To do this, you need to buy a 50’ fiberglass surveyor’s extension pole at a survey equipment store.  You telescope the pole vertically in sections that snap in place, about 5’ at a time.  Before you begin, you tie a red rag to the top of the pole, and then extend it vertically to the bottom of the sign face.

You then have someone hold it while you drive by it several times in you car, all the while taking pictures.  The pole is bound to flex, so the measurement is not nearly as accurate as the crane.

It is critical that the pole be of fiberglass construction since it might hit the power lines and you could be electrocuted if it is of a material that conducts electricity.  You also need to put you foot beside te pole to reinforce it from slipping when the wind blows.  Many an amateur pole holder has had a bad accident when the pole slips and, like a giant lever, hits you in a very sensitive spot with a lot of force. 

Now what do you do if the sign is too low?  First, see if it is legal to make tit higher.  Some states allow you to exceed the legal height when it is starting from below the grade of the road.  Is it possible to make it too high?  Absolutely,  if the sign is too high, it will be above your windshield just when it is meant to be read.

Flagging the sign also will help uncover and tree or other obstructions that you need to negotiate now before the sign is built.  If the neighbor has a tree that blocks you, call them and ask if you can trim it, or pay them to trim it.  You don’t want to make tat call after the sign is built.  The sign is always bigger in real life and will probably make the neighbor mad.  Further, once the sign is up, you have less negotiating room and the neighbor may want to blackmail you.

So remember, Flag That Sign!

About the Author:

Frank Rolfe started his billboard empire from his coffee table, as a fresh graduate from Stanford University.  It began as a resume builder for graduate school applications, and ended with a sale to a public company 14 years later.

Using unique strategies he developed from desperate competition with much larger adversaries, Rolfe eventually owned more billboard units than any private individual in Dallas/Ft. Worth.  Along the way, he fine-tuned the techniques to find billboard locations, rent advertising space, and sell signs and leases.

Rolfe is the author of the Billboard Home Study Course and has also put together the only bootcamp for those looking for a crash course on the billboard industry.  The Billboard Bootcamp is held twice a year in St. Louis, MO.