LED channel letters, illuminated cabinet signs, and halo-lit dimensional logos built for New England weather. Signs East designs, fabricates, and installs everything in-house from our Kingston, NH shop. Owner Tor Larson runs every project, so you get it done in weeks, not the three-plus months other shops quote.
Fabricated in Kingston, NH · 100+ Five-Star Google Reviews · Serving Southern NH, Seacoast, and North Shore MA Since 2012
An illuminated sign is a lit cabinet, channel letter set, or backlit logo that keeps your business readable around the clock. Signs East builds them with energy-efficient 12V LED modules, impact-resistant Lexan polycarbonate faces, translucent vinyl graphics, and welded steel frames rated for New England snow loads and coastal wind. We design, fabricate, and install in-house from our Kingston, NH shop, handle installs up to 80 feet, and offer LED retrofits for older fluorescent or neon signs. Most projects finish in weeks, not the multi-month waits common in the trade. Call (978) 818-1740 for a free quote.
An illuminated sign cabinet is a lit box sign that keeps your business visible around the clock. Whether customers drive by at noon or midnight, the sign is working, pulling attention and making your location easy to find.
Signs East builds custom illuminated cabinets using 12V LED modules with Lexan polycarbonate faces and translucent vinyl graphics. The result is a bright, even glow that showcases your logo and helps your business stand out from the street. Our LEDs draw 30 to 60 watts per section, far less than the 180 to 300 watts that legacy neon tubes pull, and they light up instantly even at minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Every cabinet we build uses welded steel frames made to handle New England weather: heavy snow loads, coastal winds, and freeze-thaw cycles that crack cheaper aluminum-only frames. We design, fabricate, and install the whole thing in-house, so one team owns your project from concept drawing to the final electrical hookup.
Each illuminated sign type suits different buildings, budgets, and brand styles. Here is what we fabricate and install.
Heavy-duty aluminum cans with acrylic faces and internal LED modules. Light shines forward through the face, which makes your name readable from across a parking lot or highway. We CNC-route each letter from .063 aluminum returns and weld them to a raceway that mounts flush against the building.
Best for: Retail centers, strip malls, standalone storefronts
Solid aluminum faces mounted about an inch and a half off the wall on standoff pins, with LEDs projecting light backward. That creates a soft glow or "halo" behind each letter. The look is upscale and works well at night on masonry or darker facades where the contrast really pops.
Best for: Restaurants, professional offices, hotels, medical buildings
The classic lit sign box. Extruded aluminum or welded steel frames hold a translucent polycarbonate face with your graphics printed on vinyl. LEDs behind the face light the whole panel evenly. Cabinets are the go-to for highway-visible signage because the large face area carries well at distance, and the sealed frame protects the internals from rain, snow, and road salt.
Best for: Highway-facing businesses, gas stations, plazas, multi-tenant buildings
CNC-routed aluminum cabinet faces with raised acrylic letters pushed through half an inch to a full inch. LEDs inside the cabinet light the raised letters from behind, creating a three-dimensional effect that combines the mass of a cabinet sign with the letter-by-letter detail of channel letters. The result is a premium look that reads well both day and night.
Best for: Banks, corporate campuses, medical centers, dealerships
If your sign runs older fluorescent tubes or high-voltage neon, we can convert it to low-voltage 12V or 24V LED modules. That typically cuts power usage by 50 to 70 percent and eliminates the flickering and slow starts that fluorescent tubes develop in cold weather. We reuse the existing cabinet and faces when they are in good shape, replace only what needs replacing, and handle the electrical tie-in. Most retrofits are done in a single day. If the sign has cracked faces, wiring issues, or storm damage, our sign repair crew handles that in the same visit.
Business owners ask us this every week. Here is a side-by-side look at the three lighting technologies we work with.
| Feature | Modern 12V LED | Legacy Neon | Old Fluorescent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Energy Usage | 30-60 Watts per section | 180-300 Watts | 150-250 Watts |
| Lifespan | 50,000+ hours (~10 years) | 10,000-20,000 hours | 12,000-15,000 hours |
| Cold Weather Performance | Instant-on down to -30°F | Flickers and fades in freeze | Slow start in sub-zero temps |
| Maintenance | Minimal (modular power supply swap) | High (fragile glass tube replacement) | Frequent bulb and ballast swaps |
| Operating Voltage | Low 12V DC (UL Class 2) | High 2,000V-15,000V | Standard 120V line |
| Weather Durability | Excellent (sealed modules) | Moderate (glass breakage risk) | Moderate (moisture intrusion) |
All Signs East illuminated signs use UL-Listed 12V LED modules that meet NEC (National Electrical Code) requirements, so your installation passes municipal inspection the first time.
Almost always yes. Every municipality sets its own rules for illuminated signage, and the requirements vary more than most business owners expect.
Most towns regulate three things: sign size (maximum square footage), brightness (measured in foot-candles or nits at the property line), and placement (setback from the road, height above grade, proximity to residential zones). Some towns also restrict hours of illumination or require timers that dim or shut off lit signs after a certain hour.
On the electrical side, every illuminated sign in NH must meet NEC standards, and the installation typically requires a licensed electrician sign-off. Signs East handles the electrical tie-in as part of every install, and all of our illuminated signs use UL-Listed components, which means the building inspector has a clean path to sign off on the work.
We have pulled permits and installed illuminated signs across Southern NH and North Shore MA. Here are the municipalities we work in most often:
For a detailed walkthrough of what to expect, read our Complete Guide to Sign Permits in New Hampshire.
Not sure what your town requires? We will check the zoning code and pull the permit application for you as part of the project.
Ask About PermittingIlluminated sign cabinets and channel letters built and installed by Signs East across Southern NH and North Shore MA.
From your first call to the finished installation, here is what to expect.
You talk directly with Tor. We look at your location, discuss what you want the sign to accomplish, and measure the mounting area. Our designer Kiernan produces a vector proof showing exactly how the sign will look on your building, with colors, fonts, and dimensions locked down before any material gets cut.
We check your town's sign ordinance, prepare the permit application, and submit it with the required drawings and specifications. Most towns in our area process sign permits in two to four weeks. If a variance or ZBA hearing is needed, we walk you through the process.
Channel letters are CNC-routed from aluminum sheet in our Kingston shop. Cabinet frames are welded from steel. LEDs, power supplies, and wiring harnesses are assembled in-house. Nothing is outsourced to a third-party manufacturer.
Our crew mounts the sign, runs the electrical, and does the final power-on test. We handle installs up to 80 feet with our own lift equipment. After the sign is lit, we clean up the site and make sure you know how to reach us if anything ever needs attention.
Our sign cabinets are designed to perform year-round in harsh conditions.
Strong, durable construction that stands up to heavy snow loads and high winds. Steel welds hold where riveted aluminum joints loosen over repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Energy-efficient LED modules provide bright, even lighting at 50 to 70 percent less operating cost than fluorescent or neon. Low voltage also means safer installation and lower fire risk.
Impact-resistant polycarbonate that will not crack or yellow. Lexan handles temperature swings from 100 degrees in summer to minus 20 in winter without warping.
Your logo glows evenly through high-quality 3M and Avery vinyl that maintains color accuracy and clarity for years without fading or peeling.
Plenty of shops can order a light box. Fewer will build it, wire it, install it, and still pick up the phone when you call. Here is how we compare.
100+ five-star reviews on Google. Here are a few from business owners we have worked with.
Tor and co have been my go-to for all of our vehicle and business lettering for years now. Fast turnaround, great price, and the quality of his work speaks for itself.
Always been exceptionally professional and communicated well throughout the process. I felt totally comfortable that things were well in hand. Will always come back.
LED modules typically last 50,000 to 100,000 hours of operation, which works out to over 10 years even if the sign runs 24/7. They also use 50 to 70 percent less electricity than older fluorescent or neon options, so operating costs drop immediately after a retrofit or new install.
Size is the biggest driver. A 4-foot light box costs less than a 12-foot channel letter set. Other factors: the sign type (cabinets vs. channel letters vs. halo-lit), mounting height, electrical requirements, and whether your town needs a permit or variance. We break out fabrication, permitting, and installation as separate line items on every quote so there are no surprises.
Lexan is a brand of polycarbonate, a tough, impact-resistant material that will not crack like acrylic. It holds up in New England weather and resists yellowing over time, keeping your sign bright and clear. We use Lexan on cabinet faces and push-thru letter applications where durability matters most.
Almost always yes. Most NH municipalities require permits for illuminated signs, and requirements vary by town. Some limit size, brightness, or hours of operation. We check the local ordinance, pull the application, and submit it with the required drawings as part of your project. Read our NH sign permit guide for a detailed walkthrough.
Yes. We work on signs up to 80 feet in the air with our own lift equipment. Height does not change the approach, we have the tools and experience to handle elevated installations safely. For pole and pylon signs, we handle the structural mounting and electrical from the ground up.
Yes. If your sign runs older fluorescent tubes or neon, we can convert it to 12V or 24V LED for lower energy bills and fewer service calls. We reuse the existing cabinet and faces when they are still in good shape. If the sign has electrical issues, cracked faces, or storm damage, our sign repair crew handles that in the same visit.
Channel letters are individual three-dimensional characters, each with its own LED module inside. A cabinet sign is a single rectangular box with your full graphic printed on a translucent face and lit from behind. Channel letters give a higher-end individual-letter look. Cabinets offer maximum visibility from a distance and work well for highway-facing locations. We build both in our Kingston, NH shop.
Most illuminated sign projects are finished in weeks from design approval, not the three-plus months that larger shops typically quote. Because we design, fabricate, and install in-house, there is no waiting on third-party manufacturers or subcontracted install crews. If you have an emergency sign repair need, we can often respond within days.
Tell us about your project and we will get you a free estimate. Tor handles every quote personally.
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