Yard signs fail in three places: the substrate buckles in heat, the stake bends in lawn soil, or the wind levers the sign out of the ground. Spec the right combo of all three and a yard sign lasts an entire campaign cycle.
4mm coroplast is the standard for a reason
Coroplast is corrugated plastic. 4mm thickness handles wind without flexing; 2mm or 3mm versions you find on cheap online stores will warp in direct sun within weeks. Both sides print full-color via UV ink.
H-stakes vs. wire stakes
Heavy-gauge H-stakes are a single piece of welded wire bent into an H — they slide through the corrugated channels and grip the sign by friction. They take a hit from a lawn mower and pop back. Wire stakes are cheaper but bend the moment they hit a rock or sprinkler head.
Common sizes and what they're for
- 18×24 — real estate, political, garage sale. Most popular.
- 24×36 — open house corner directionals, larger event wayfinding.
- 12×18 — small-lot yard sale, neighborhood announcements.
Design tips
- Big sans-serif type. Test legibility from 50 feet.
- Phone number bigger than the address.
- High contrast. Yellow + black wins by a mile.
- Limit copy to 6–8 words. Drivers won't read more.
