Custom Sign Cabinets in St. John's, NL

What Is a Sign Cabinet?

A sign cabinet — also called a lightbox or illuminated sign box — is a rectangular or custom-shaped enclosure that houses lighting and displays your business graphics on one or both faces. The cabinet body is typically fabricated from aluminum extrusions and sheet aluminum, and the face is made from acrylic or polycarbonate that allows light to pass through, making your signage visible day and night.

 

Sign cabinets are one of the most versatile and widely used forms of commercial signage. You'll find them mounted flush to building faces, on pylon sign structures, on canopies and awnings, and as standalone illuminated signs in countless commercial applications across St. John's.

Fast food counter with black tile wall, a wooden section on the left, and a red, white, and yellow sign that reads "Pizza Delight." Menu boards with fries, chicken strips, wings, and other options are displayed above the counter. The counter has a me
A food kiosk named Pizza Delight and Just Fries inside a mall, with a menu board displaying food options. The kiosk features black, white, and wood paneling with a worker behind the counter.
A blue sign on a brick building displaying the words 'Sequoia' with a circular logo.
Night view of a building with illuminated signs for Anchor Orthodontics, Sun Life, and Ignite Financial Consulting, with parking lot nearby.

Single-Face vs. Double-Face Cabinets

Single-face cabinets display graphics on one side only and are typically mounted flat against a wall or building surface. Double-face cabinets display graphics on both sides and are commonly used when the sign will be seen from two directions — mounted perpendicular to a building face, on a pylon structure, or suspended from a canopy.

A blue sign with white lettering reading 'sequence bio' on a brick building. There is a yellow and red pedestals sign, a gray car parked nearby, and colorful houses in the background.
Building with a sign that reads 'Connections for Seniors, Housing Support Centre,' surrounded by grassy land and trees, under a partly cloudy sky.
The storefront has two signs: one for Benjamin Moore paint and another for Paintshop wall, floors, and windows. The building has glass doors and windows with blinds, snowy pavement, and a 'For Lease' sign in one window.
Sign for the Health Innovation Acceleration Centre at 66 Pippy Place, part of Eastern Health, with trees and a brick wall outside the building.

Sign Face Options

The face of your sign cabinet has a significant impact on its appearance and longevity. Flat acrylic faces are the most common and cost-effective option. Flexible polycarbonate faces can be fabricated in larger sizes without the risk of cracking. Push-through acrylic — where individual letters or shapes are cut from the face and replaced with a slightly larger acrylic piece — creates a distinctive dimensional look with premium backlit depth. We fabricate all of these in-house at our St. John's shop.

A white car with a 'Leamon Signs' logo parked in front of a salon and barber shop called 'The Headquarters' with a large sign on the building. The sky is overcast, and there are a few houses and trees in the background.
Exterior view of a gray industrial building with a large sign that reads 'Epiroc' and features a yellow hexagon logo. There are two parking signs and several parked cars visible in the background.
Exterior view of Healey's Auto Body building with a large sign on the roof, showing a bright blue sky with clouds.
Storefront with a sign that reads 'The Natural Emporium'. The window displays an 'Open' sign and holiday lights.

LED Illumination

All of our new sign cabinets are built with LED illumination. LED modules are energy-efficient, long-lasting, and perform well in Newfoundland's cold temperatures — a genuine consideration given how cold our winters get and how much time our signs spend operating in freezing conditions. Compared to older fluorescent tube illumination, LED cabinets are brighter, more even, and far cheaper to operate over the long term.

Storefront with signs reading 'The Hair Strand' and 'Nourish Bakery', a grey SUV parked in front, and a clear blue sky above.
Exterior view of a commercial building with blue and white brick walls, featuring signs for Ziebart, Uniglass Plus, and a red awning above the entrance, under a partly cloudy sky.
Sign advertising Gander Massage Therapy & Spa and Tiffany Aesthetics, with snow, trees, houses, and power lines in the background on a winter day.
down-net_http20260222-440-6wzi9i.jpg

Installation and Permitting

Wall-mounted sign cabinets require proper attachment to the building structure — not just the cladding — and electrical connection. We handle both, including pulling the required electrical permits. Larger cabinet signs may also require a sign permit from the City of St. John's. We manage that process for you.

Why Local Fabrication Matters

Leaman Signs fabricates sign cabinets in our own shop on Blackmarsh Road. This means faster turnaround, better quality control, and the ability to build non-standard sizes and shapes that catalogue sign suppliers can't accommodate. If your building has an unusual facade, a curved surface, or a specific size requirement, we can build it. Contact us to discuss your project.

Contact us to get your sign cabinet project started.

info@leamansigns.ca
(709) 753-7545

77 Blackmarsh Road
St. John’s, NL, A1E 1S6