Bid Evaluation Report
Illuminated monument sign: Cypress Creek Plaza
- Client / property:
- Cypress Creek Plaza
- Site address:
- 2101 Cypress Creek Rd, Cedar Park, TX 78613
- Bids compared:
- 3
- Service:
- Electrical
1Summary
| Vendor | Price | Score | Timeline | Warranty | Posture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrightWorks Sign Co. | $24,680 | 85/100 | 6–8 weeks fabrication after permit approval; 2-day installation | 3-year workmanship; 5-year LED modules and power supplies; 1-year on paint finish | — |
| Skyline Signs & Lighting | $31,900 | 76/100 | 8–10 weeks fabrication after permit approval; 2-day installation | 5-year full sign warranty, parts and labor; 7-year LED modules; annual inspection in years 1–2 included | — |
| Alamo Sign Works | $18,750 | 52/100 | 4 weeks fabrication; 1-day installation | 1-year parts and labor | — |
2Recommendation
BrightWorks Sign Co.
BrightWorks is the recommended value choice at $24,680. Its proposal is the only one at a mid-market price that covers the complete scope a permitted monument sign requires: removal and disposal of the existing sign ($1,450), PE-sealed foundation and wind-load engineering with city sign and electrical permits ($1,880, including a $600 permit-fee allowance), cabinet fabrication in 0.125-inch aluminum ($13,900), an engineered concrete footing ($2,750), crane installation ($3,200), and electrical tie-in to the existing sign circuit ($1,500). It states UL 48 labeling and backs the work with a 3-year workmanship and 5-year LED warranty. Alamo's $18,750 headline price evaporates once its exclusions are priced: footing, final electrical connection, permits, engineering, and sign removal add roughly $6,700–$8,200 at the other bidders' rates, and the association would still hold a 1-year warranty, a 60% deposit, and no stated UL listing or TDLR license. Skyline's proposal is genuinely stronger than BrightWorks' (longer warranty, dedicated circuit, richer design package), but at $31,900 the board would pay $7,220 for upgrades that matter mainly if the existing circuit fails inspection or the property wants the premium fabrication. The award should be conditioned on BrightWorks documenting its TDLR license, confirming the tie-in circuit is within the included 10 feet, and defining what happens if permit fees exceed the $600 allowance.
3Bids at a glance
BrightWorks Sign Co.
$24,680
Timeline: 6–8 weeks fabrication after permit approval; 2-day installation
Warranty: 3-year workmanship; 5-year LED modules and power supplies; 1-year on paint finish
Materials: 0.125-inch aluminum cabinet with polyurethane finish, white LED modules with UL-listed power supplies, photocell control, flat polycarbonate faces with translucent vinyl graphics. LED module brand is not named.
Pros
- + Only mid-priced bid covering the full build: demo, engineering, permits, footing, install, and electrical tie-in.
- + PE-sealed foundation and wind-load engineering included, as required for a permitted monument sign.
- + States UL 48 fabrication and labeling.
- + Itemized phase pricing makes the draw schedule auditable ($1,450 demo / $1,880 engineering & permits / $13,900 fabrication / $2,750 footing / $3,200 install / $1,500 electrical).
Cons
- – Electrical tie-in assumes the existing sign circuit is within 10 feet and reusable; trenching beyond that bills at $18 per linear foot.
- – Permit-fee allowance is capped at $600; overage passes through to the owner.
- – LED module and power-supply brands are not named.
- – 50% deposit is high, though the remaining draws are milestone-based.
Skyline Signs & Lighting
$31,900
Timeline: 8–10 weeks fabrication after permit approval; 2-day installation
Warranty: 5-year full sign warranty, parts and labor; 7-year LED modules; annual inspection in years 1–2 included
Materials: Highest-specified fabrication: routed aluminum faces with push-through acrylic letters, Samsung LED modules with dimmable drivers, photocell plus astronomical timer, masonry cladding on the base to match plaza architecture.
Pros
- + Strongest warranty of the three: 5-year full parts and labor plus 7-year LED coverage.
- + New dedicated 20-amp circuit with up to 150 feet of trenching removes all reliance on the aging existing circuit.
- + Premium fabrication (push-through acrylic, dimmable drivers, masonry base cladding) with three design concepts and photometric renderings.
- + All permits and fees included with no allowance cap; handles a variance if one is required.
Cons
- – Highest price: $7,220 above BrightWorks and $13,150 above Alamo as bid.
- – Longest lead time at 8–10 weeks after permitting.
- – The dedicated-circuit and premium-fabrication scope may exceed what this location needs if the existing sign circuit passes inspection.
- – Rock excavation beyond 24 inches carries an unpriced surcharge, the only open-ended item in the bid.
Alamo Sign Works
$18,750
Timeline: 4 weeks fabrication; 1-day installation
Warranty: 1-year parts and labor
Materials: Least specified. The cabinet is quoted at the same 10 ft × 4 ft size but without material gauge or finish system; illumination is stated only as 'LED lighting' with no brand, driver, or control specified.
Pros
- + Lowest headline price and fastest stated schedule (4 weeks to install).
- + One-day installation minimizes disruption at the plaza entrance.
- + Quoted cabinet dimensions match the other bids, making the fabrication line roughly comparable.
Cons
- – Footing, final electrical connection, permits, engineering, and existing-sign removal are all excluded: roughly $6,700–$8,200 of necessary work at the other bidders' rates.
- – No UL 48 listing stated and no TDLR electrical sign contractor license number provided; both are compliance requirements for an illuminated sign in Texas.
- – No PE-sealed engineering; Cedar Park requires engineered drawings for a permitted monument structure.
- – 60% deposit with the balance due on install day, before any inspection.
4Side-by-side comparison
| BrightWorks Sign Co. | Skyline Signs & Lighting | Alamo Sign Works | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total price | $24,680 | $31,900 | $18,750; excludes footing, electrical, permits, demo |
| Numbers add up | Matches: The six phase prices sum exactly to the stated $24,680 total. | Not verifiable: The $31,900 turnkey quote has no printed line items to verify. | Not verifiable: The $18,750 lump-sum quote has no line items to verify; a conditional $1,200 removal charge sits outside the total. |
| Design & engineering | Design proofs plus PE-sealed foundation and wind-load engineering | Three design concepts, PE-sealed engineering, night photometric renderings | One design proof; sealed engineering excluded ('by others if required') |
| Permits & code compliance | City sign + electrical permits included; $600 fee allowance | All permits and fees included; variance handled if required | All permits excluded; owner responsibility |
| Existing sign removal | Removal and disposal included: $1,450 | Removal, disposal, and recycling included | Not included; $1,200 if required |
| Cabinet fabrication | 10 ft × 4 ft double-face, 0.125-in aluminum, polyurethane finish: $13,900 | 10 ft × 4 ft double-face, routed aluminum faces with push-through acrylic letters, masonry base cladding | 10 ft × 4 ft double-face; material gauge and finish not stated |
| Illumination | White LED modules, UL-listed power supplies, photocell control; brand not named | Samsung LED modules, dimmable drivers, photocell + astronomical timer | 'LED lighting'; brand, drivers, and controls not stated |
| UL 48 listing | Fabricated and labeled to UL 48 | UL 48 labeled; dedicated fused disconnect at the sign | Not stated |
| Foundation & footing | Engineered concrete footing, excavation and haul-off: $2,750 | Engineered footing with rebar cage; soil verification included | Footing by others; excluded |
| Electrical scope | Tie-in to existing sign circuit within 10 ft: $1,500; trenching beyond at $18/lf | New dedicated 20A circuit from house panel; up to 150 ft of trenching included | Final connection by owner's electrician; excluded |
| Installation | Crane set over 2 days; traffic protection included: $3,200 | Crane set over 2 days; site protection and as-built photos | Crane set in 1 day; equipment and protection not stated |
| Timeline | 6–8 weeks fabrication after permit approval; 2-day install | 8–10 weeks fabrication after permit approval; 2-day install | 4 weeks fabrication; 1-day install (no permitting in schedule) |
| Warranty | 3-year workmanship; 5-year LED modules and power supplies | 5-year full parts and labor; 7-year LED; years 1–2 inspections included | 1-year parts and labor |
| Payment terms | 50% deposit, 40% before install, 10% at completion | 40% deposit, 40% at fabrication complete, 20% net 15 after final inspection | 60% deposit, balance due on install day |
| Key exclusions / open items | Trenching beyond 10 ft at $18/lf; permit fees above $600; landscape restoration | Rock excavation below 24 in carries an unpriced surcharge | Permits, engineering, footing, electrical connection, sign removal |
Best value in that category
5Reputation & verification
BrightWorks Sign Co.
BrightWorks maintains a strong review record for a Central Texas sign fabricator of its size. Reviewers, several identifying as property managers and retail tenants, repeatedly mention accurate design proofs, clean installs, and signs passing city inspection on the first visit. Its Google profile carries photos of completed monument and channel-letter projects around Williamson and Travis counties.
- + 12 years in business with an in-house UL-certified fabrication shop
- + Multiple reviews describe city permitting handled start to finish, including sealed engineering
- + BBB accredited since 2018 with no unresolved complaints in the last three years
- − A few reviews mention fabrication slipping a week or two during peak season
Skyline Signs & Lighting
Skyline's reviews skew toward larger commercial clients (shopping centers, hospital campuses, and national franchise rollouts) and consistently praise its project management, permitting work, and post-install service program. Its LinkedIn company page is active with named project managers and completed-project write-ups.
- + Regional footprint with dedicated permitting staff; reviewers mention variance requests handled without owner involvement
- + Service contracts and warranty response are recurring positives in property-manager reviews
- − Several reviewers note premium pricing and longer fabrication lead times than smaller shops
Alamo Sign Works
Alamo's review record is thin and mixed. Satisfied reviewers cite price and fast turnaround on simple cabinet signs; critical reviews describe post-install permit problems (including one reviewer whose city required removal of an unpermitted sign) and slow warranty responses. Its web presence is a single-page site and a lightly maintained Facebook page; no LinkedIn company page was found.
- + Fast fabrication and competitive pricing on simple cabinet signs are recurring positives
- − Two reviews describe city permit disputes after installation, one requiring sign removal
- − Warranty callbacks reportedly slow, with one dispute over LED module replacement
- − BBB lists the company as not rated, with no accreditation on file
6Market & pricing analysis
All three bids quote the same structure: a double-faced, internally illuminated 10 ft × 4 ft monument sign (about 40 square feet per face) replacing the existing plaza sign at the Cypress Creek Road entrance. Installed pricing for LED-illuminated monument signs in Central Texas typically runs $400–$650 per square foot of single-face area for a complete, permitted project, roughly $16,000–$26,000 for this size. That range assumes the full scope: engineering, permits, footing, electrical, and installation.
BrightWorks at $24,680 (~$617/sq ft) sits in the upper part of the range, explained by the included demolition, sealed engineering, permits, engineered footing, and electrical tie-in, the components that low bids typically shed. Skyline at $31,900 (~$798/sq ft) is about 23% above the range ceiling; the premium is real scope rather than padding (a new dedicated 20-amp circuit with up to 150 feet of trenching, masonry base cladding, push-through acrylic faces, and a 5-year full parts-and-labor warranty), but the board should confirm the existing circuit actually needs replacing before paying for it. Alamo at $18,750 (~$469/sq ft) looks mid-range as bid but is not a complete project: adding the footing (BrightWorks carries $2,750), final electrical connection ($1,200–$2,000 by a licensed electrician), permits and sealed engineering ($1,500–$2,200), and existing-sign removal ($1,200) brings its effective cost to roughly $25,400–$26,900, above BrightWorks, with one-third the workmanship warranty.
Two compliance items apply regardless of bidder. First, Texas regulates illuminated-sign work through TDLR: the installing contractor should hold an electrical sign contractor license, and the electricians connecting the sign should hold sign-electrician licenses; Alamo states neither. Second, the City of Cedar Park requires a sign permit with engineered drawings for a monument structure of this size, and an electric sign should carry a UL 48 label to pass electrical inspection. A bid that excludes permits and engineering is not just cheaper; it moves code-compliance risk onto the property owner, and an unpermitted sign can be ordered removed after the fact.
7Red flags & warnings
- Alamo Sign Works: All permits and sealed engineering are excluded. Cedar Park requires a sign permit with engineered drawings for a monument sign; installing without one exposes the property to removal orders and fines, a risk pattern that also appears in the vendor's reviews.
- Alamo Sign Works: No TDLR electrical sign contractor license and no UL 48 listing are stated for an internally illuminated sign; both are Texas compliance requirements. Require the license number and UL labeling in writing before considering this bid.
- Alamo Sign Works: The $18,750 price excludes the footing ('by others'), final electrical connection, and existing-sign removal, roughly $6,700–$8,200 of necessary work. The bid is not comparable to the others as written.
- Alamo Sign Works: A 60% deposit with the balance due on install day, before any inspection, is the most owner-exposed payment structure of the three, on top of the shortest warranty (1 year).
- BrightWorks Sign Co.: The electrical tie-in assumes the existing sign circuit is reusable and within 10 feet; trenching beyond that bills at $18 per linear foot, and the permit-fee allowance is capped at $600. Confirm the circuit condition and expected fees before signing.
- Skyline Signs & Lighting: Rock excavation below 24 inches carries an unpriced surcharge, the only open-ended cost in the bid. Ask for a not-to-exceed price given the site's soil conditions.
- BrightWorks Sign Co.: LED module and power-supply brands are not named, which matters for the 5-year LED warranty. Require the manufacturer and model in the contract.
8Questions to ask
BrightWorks Sign Co.
Subject: Clarifications needed: Illuminated monument sign: Cypress Creek Plaza proposal
Hello BrightWorks Sign Co. team, Thank you for your proposal. Before we complete our review, please respond to the following: 1. Provide your TDLR electrical sign contractor license number and the sign-electrician licenses of the crew performing the electrical tie-in. 2. Confirm in writing that the sign will be fabricated and labeled to UL 48, and name the LED module and power-supply manufacturers covered by the 5-year warranty. 3. Verify the existing sign circuit's condition and distance: is the tie-in within the included 10 feet, and what is the expected total if trenching is required at $18 per linear foot? 4. What happens if City of Cedar Park permit fees exceed the $600 allowance, and who attends inspections? 5. Provide the PE who will seal the foundation and wind-load engineering, certificates of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and photos of three comparable monument installs. Please send your response within 5 business days of receiving this email. Our award timing depends on receiving complete responses. Thank you,
Skyline Signs & Lighting
Subject: Clarifications needed: Illuminated monument sign: Cypress Creek Plaza proposal
Hello Skyline Signs & Lighting team, Thank you for your proposal. Before we complete our review, please respond to the following: 1. Provide a not-to-exceed price for rock excavation below 24 inches given this site's soil conditions; it is the only unpriced item in the bid. 2. Is the new dedicated 20-amp circuit necessary if the existing sign circuit passes inspection, and what is the credit if the tie-in can be reused instead? 3. Confirm the masonry base cladding matches the plaza's existing stone, and provide a sample or mockup before fabrication. 4. Detail the annual inspections included in years 1–2 and the warranty-claim process for the 5-year full parts-and-labor coverage. 5. Provide your TDLR electrical sign contractor license number, insurance certificates, and references from two comparable retail-center monument projects. Please send your response within 5 business days of receiving this email. Our award timing depends on receiving complete responses. Thank you,
Alamo Sign Works
Subject: Clarifications needed: Illuminated monument sign: Cypress Creek Plaza proposal
Hello Alamo Sign Works team, Thank you for your proposal. Before we complete our review, please respond to the following: 1. Provide your TDLR electrical sign contractor license number and confirm in writing that the sign will be fabricated and labeled to UL 48. 2. Re-quote the project as a complete scope: city sign and electrical permits, PE-sealed engineering, the concrete footing, final electrical connection, and removal of the existing sign, so the bid is comparable to the others. 3. State the cabinet's aluminum gauge, finish system, and the LED module, driver, and control specifications. 4. Who obtains the Cedar Park sign permit under your current proposal, and what happens if the city requires engineered drawings you have excluded? 5. Reduce the 60% deposit or restructure payment so a meaningful balance is due after final inspection rather than on install day. 6. Provide certificates of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, and references from two permitted monument-sign projects. Please send your response within 5 business days of receiving this email. Our award timing depends on receiving complete responses. Thank you,