Custom neon sign studio from a home workshop

Small businesses, bars and restaurants, event and wedding clients, interior designers and private customers wanting a personal sign.

A quoted price per custom sign based on size, colors and complexity, plus extra for transformers, mounting and shipping. Repair and restoration jobs add smaller steady income.

• Glass bending (learned through training)
• Basic design and lettering
• Careful, patient hand work
• Customer communication and quoting

• Check zoning, home occupation permit and HOA or lease rules before running a workshop at home
• Fire safety, ventilation and handling of high-voltage transformers
• Neon filling can involve argon and small amounts of mercury, so check handling and disposal rules with your state environmental agency
• General liability and product liability insurance, since signs are electrical products
• Shipping glass is fragile, so plan packaging and insurance
• Check whether you need a local business license and sales tax registration with your state

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $4,000 to $15,000, depending on equipment, workshop setup and training. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many signs you sell and the size of each job.

Check zoning, home occupation permit and HOA or lease rules before running a workshop at home. Also check handling and disposal rules for neon filling gases and mercury with your state environmental agency, plus any local business license and sales tax registration.

Estimates suggest a minimum of around 10 hours a week, depending on how many commissions you take on. Useful skills include glass bending learned through training, basic design and lettering, patient hand work, and clear customer quoting.