How much does an LED sign cost in Australia?
5 min read
Ask ten suppliers what an LED sign costs and you'll hear "it depends" ten times. That's true, but it isn't much help. The price comes down to a short list of things, and you can work most of them out before you call anyone.
This guide covers what drives the price, the costs that often get left out, and a checklist for comparing quotes. If you'd rather see real numbers first, every standard screen in our shop shows its price, ex GST. Browse screens for sale.
The five things that set the price
1. Size
LED signs are built from modules that fit into cabinets, and the price climbs with the area of LED you buy. Area grows faster than people expect: a screen twice as wide and twice as tall has four times the LEDs.
Start from what the sign has to do. A shopfront screen read from the footpath can be small. A sign read from a passing car needs to be much bigger, because drivers see it for a few seconds from a long way back.
2. Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch is the gap between LEDs in millimetres, written as P2, P3, P6, P10 and so on. A smaller pitch means more LEDs in every square metre, a sharper picture up close, and a higher price. A P2 panel has 25 times as many pixels per square metre as a P10 panel.
The trick is to buy the largest pitch that still looks sharp from where people will stand. Paying for P3 on a roadside billboard wastes money, because nobody reads it from 3 metres away. Our pixel pitch guide walks through the maths.
3. Indoor or outdoor
Outdoor screens cost more per square metre than indoor ones. They're sealed against rain and dust, they run many times brighter so they can compete with the sun, and they need tougher power supplies and cooling. An indoor screen can't simply be moved outside.
A shop window sits in between. Sun through glass can wash out a standard indoor screen, so window displays often need a brighter semi-outdoor panel, such as our P2.9 semi-outdoor LED.
4. Mounting and structure
How the sign is held up can cost as much as the screen on some jobs:
- Wall-mounted: usually the simplest, if the wall can carry the weight.
- Free-standing or pylon: needs footings and, for larger signs, structural engineering.
- Trailer or ute: the structure comes with the sign, so there's nothing to build on site. See our trailers and utes.
5. Installation and power
A fixed sign needs a licensed electrician and a power supply at the sign. Free-standing signs may need an excavator for the footings, and high signs may need a crane or an elevated work platform on the day. Ask whether a quote includes these or leaves them to you.
Costs that are easy to miss
- Council approval. Many permanent outdoor signs need a development application. Budget for drawings, fees and time. Our council approval guide explains the process, and our development application service can handle it for you.
- Content. Someone has to design what goes on the screen. We can design ads for you, or give you the exact screen resolution so your own designer can.
- Running costs. LED signs draw the most power at full brightness showing white. Real-world use is lower, especially with automatic dimming at night. Ask for both the maximum and the typical power draw.
- Maintenance. Plan for a yearly check and a few spare modules. See how long LED screens last.
- Delivery. We deliver Australia-wide (T&Cs apply). Remote sites and tight access can add cost, so mention them early.
How to compare quotes like for like
Two quotes for "a 3 m by 2 m outdoor LED sign" can describe very different products. Line them up on these points:
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Pixel pitch | Sets sharpness and most of the price |
| Resolution in pixels | Confirms the pitch and tells your designer what to build |
| Brightness in nits | Outdoor signs need enough to stay readable in full sun |
| Ingress protection (IP) rating | Outdoor cabinets should be sealed against dust and water jets |
| Power draw, maximum and typical | Drives your electricity bill |
| What's included | Controller, software, installation, freight, footings, approvals |
| Warranty | What it covers, for how long, and who does the repair |
| Spare modules | Whether spares from the same production batch are supplied |
If one quote is far cheaper than the rest, it's usually missing something on this list.
Buy outright or rent?
If you only need a screen for an event, a sales campaign or a trial run at a new spot, renting can make more sense than buying. Our rental plans run from 10 days to 12 months, and the longer you commit, the less you pay per day. Rent or buy an LED screen? goes through the trade-offs.
Common questions
Is an LED sign worth it for a small business?
It depends on the spot and how many people pass it. A sign facing steady foot or car traffic works every hour it's on, and you can change the message whenever you like. If you're unsure, renting a trailer screen for a few weeks is a low-cost way to test the idea.
Why do outdoor LED signs cost more than indoor ones?
They're sealed against the weather, run many times brighter to compete with the sun, and need tougher power supplies, cooling and structures.
Do your prices include GST?
No. Every price on our site is ex GST, and 10% GST is added at checkout.
About our prices
Every price on our site is ex GST, and 10% GST is added at checkout. Standard screens can be bought online. Custom LED is priced per square metre, so you can see the cost before you talk to anyone. Start with indoor screens or outdoor signs.