How many yard signs does a local campaign need?
Start from your list, not a rule of thumb
There is no reliable formula for yard signs per voter, and anyone quoting one is guessing. What you do have is a list of real places a sign can go, and that list is the honest starting point.
Count four groups, add a spare allowance and you have an order you can defend to your treasurer. The rest of this guide walks through each group.
Keep the count in a shared spreadsheet with one row per sign location. It doubles as your placement map and, after the election, as your pickup list.
Group 1: supporters who asked for a sign
A sign in a neighbor's yard says more than a sign on a pole, because people see someone they know backing you. Start a sign request list on day one and keep it going at every event and door you knock.
Count only confirmed yards, with an address and a name. Enthusiastic maybes on a clipboard tend to shrink when the sign arrives, so treat them as part of the spares instead.
Group 2: busy spots where signs are allowed
Next, list the high-traffic places where a sign is permitted. That usually means private property with the owner's permission, such as a supporter's business on a main road.
Check your local ordinance before adding public land. Many cities ban signs on medians and in the right-of-way, and a sign removed by code enforcement is money spent for nothing.
Groups 3 and 4: events and the campaign office
Set aside signs for the places you will be in person. Forums, festivals, farmers markets and canvass launch points all look more organized with your name behind the table.
Add a few for the headquarters or a volunteer's garage that serves as one. These signs get reused across many events, so a small number goes a long way.
Add spares for wind, weather and theft
Signs disappear. Wind flattens them, mowers clip them and some simply walk away, so plan a reserve to replace losses without a rush reorder.
Put your maybes from the supporter list into this reserve too. If they convert, the signs are already in the trunk.
A sign has about three seconds
Most people read a yard sign from a moving car, so it has to work at a glance. Make the candidate's last name the biggest thing on the sign, then the office, and stop there.
Use two strong contrasting colors and skip photos, slogans and web addresses, which turn into clutter at a distance. Our 24″ × 18″ signs print on 4mm Coroplast, the corrugated plastic that stays rigid in rain, on both sides so drivers in either direction see your name.
A worked example for a council seat
Picture a candidate with 26 confirmed supporter yards, 8 permitted business frontages and 4 regular events. That adds up to 38 signs before spares.
Add a reserve of about a dozen and the order rounds to 50 signs, which cost $750 with stakes included. If the list keeps growing, another pack of 10 costs $150.
Order in two waves, not one
Most campaigns do better ordering a first wave early and topping up later. The first wave covers confirmed yards and events, and the second follows the requests that come in as the race heats up.
Our signs come in packs of 10, and every pack is priced the same, so a later order costs no more per sign than the first. Leave enough time before Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 for printing and delivery, and call 512-573-1977 with your dates.
Putting signs out and bringing them home
Always get the owner's permission before placing a sign on private property, and keep a list of where every sign went. That list is also your collection route after the votes are counted.
Many towns set a deadline for removing campaign signs after an election, and some fine campaigns that miss it. Pulling your own signs promptly also leaves a good impression with the neighbors who hosted them.
Store the signs flat if you plan to run again. Coroplast holds up well, and a sign without a date on it can serve a second race.
Pair signs with door hangers
Signs build name recognition, but they cannot tell a voter why to choose you. A door hanger left on every door your volunteers knock does that job, and 2,500 4.25″ × 11″ hangers cost $409.
See prices and sample orders for both on our campaign printing page, or go straight to yard signs.
Quick answers
How much do campaign yard signs cost?
Ten two-sided 24″ × 18″ signs cost $150 with H-wire stakes included, and fifty cost $750.
Should I order all my signs at once?
Usually not. Order for confirmed yards and events first, then top up as requests come in. Every pack of 10 is priced the same.
Can you design the sign?
Yes. Yard sign design costs $89, and you approve a proof with your paid-for-by line before anything prints.
Are the signs printed on both sides?
Yes. Every 24″ × 18″ sign prints full color on both sides of 4mm Coroplast, so drivers coming from either direction see your name, and the H-wire stakes are included.
