Fix a house number sign where it reads clearly from the road, near the entrance. With Bolot Studio’s Address Sign you choose one included kit at no extra cost: four standoffs with wall plugs for compatible brick, render, masonry or insulated render, about 20 mm off the wall, or mounting adhesive for flush, no-drill fixing on smooth, compatible exterior render or a compatible indoor surface.
Fixing a house number sign goes more smoothly if you take it in order: choose the spot, identify the wall, decide between drilling and adhesive, then check the result from the road. Whether you call it a house number sign, a house sign, a house number plaque or a door number, the same order applies on render, pebbledash, brick and insulated render, and on a masonry gate pier.
We use Bolot Studio’s personalised house number sign as the example, but the advice on placement applies to any outdoor house number.
Choose the spot from the road, not from the doorstep: that is where a courier, a guest or the emergency services will look for your number. Find the most visible part of the front wall, usually beside the front door or on the corner that faces the drive or path.
Before you decide, check that nothing will hide the sign:
Also avoid spots where water runs down from a gutter or windowsill, or where an outside light reflects off the sign’s glossy surface towards the reader.
If your home is listed or in a conservation area, or you rent or share the building, check with your local council, landlord or managing agent before you drill.
If the house sits well back from the road or behind a tall hedge, a number on the front wall may not be readable from the street. A masonry gate pier or a brick boundary wall at the entrance can then carry the number as well, fixed with the standoffs and wall plugs. Fence panels, close-board, mesh and pickets are not suitable for either kit.
The mounting adhesive is for smooth, compatible exterior render or a compatible indoor surface, never for a fence, a gate pier or a boundary wall, even in masonry. On a pier or a wall at the gate, choose the standoffs.
We don’t give a height in centimetres: what matters is the line of sight from the road, not the distance from the ground. The sign should stay visible above the hedge, the gate and the roof of a parked car, without climbing into the shadow of the porch or the eaves.
The simplest test: cut a piece of cardboard to the size of the sign, 30 × 30 cm or 46 × 34 cm, ask someone to hold it against the wall and look at it from the road, then from the other direction of approach. Repeat at dusk if the entrance is lit. Drill or apply adhesive only once you are happy with the spot.
In the UK, house numbers are usually assigned through your local council’s street naming and numbering service. If you are unsure of your number, or you are building a new home, the council is the place to ask, and it can also tell you about any local rules on displaying the number. In Ireland, ask your local council what applies to your address.
This guide doesn’t cover the law itself. For the legal question, see the FAQ in our guide on how to choose a house number sign, which links the official sources.
Bolot Studio supplies every Address Sign with exactly one mounting kit, chosen when you order and included at no extra cost: four standoffs with wall plugs, or mounting adhesive. You never receive both, so identify your wall before you order.
| Wall or surface | Four standoffs (about 20 mm off the wall) | Mounting adhesive |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth render on brick or blockwork | Yes | Yes, if the render is smooth and compatible |
| Pebbledash, roughcast or textured render | Yes | No: the adhesive needs a smooth surface |
| Insulated render (external wall insulation) | Yes | Only on a smooth, compatible render finish |
| Brick or concrete | Yes | No |
| Masonry gate pier or brick boundary wall | Yes | No |
| Front door or gate (timber, composite or uPVC) | Only after an installer has checked the door or gate, its movement and the fixing | No |
| Timber, uPVC or metal cladding | Not intended: contact us before ordering | No |
| Fence panels, close-board, mesh or pickets | No | No |
| Compatible indoor surface (hallway, entrance) | — | Yes |
On natural stone, an older house or a wall you don’t know, ask a professional before you order.
You will need a drill, a spirit level, a pencil and a tape measure. The wall plugs come in the kit. The same steps apply on render, pebbledash and other masonry.
The standoffs come in black, a stainless-steel colour or gold. Black blends into a dark wall, and gold picks up the gold lettering of the Gold marble and Warm marble patterns.
The plugs in the standoff kit are intended for a compatible façade, external wall insulation or masonry. Follow the supplied instructions and, if the wall has an unusual build-up, have it checked before drilling by the firm that installed the insulation. If the wall is clad in panels of timber, uPVC or metal, contact us before ordering.
If you would rather not drill, choose the mounting adhesive instead of the standoffs when you order. The sign then sits flush against the wall. No-drill house numbers need the right surface behind them, so check yours first.
Don’t replace the kit’s adhesive with another adhesive or with double-sided tape. Bear in mind, too, that removing the sign later can mark the surface.
There is no single material that suits every house. Compare the complete sign: how it is made, how it is fixed, how it reads from the road, and what the seller says about outdoor use and care. Our comparison of house sign materials sets the common options side by side.
Bolot Studio’s Address Sign combines a 2 mm DIBOND panel with a 0.55 mm printed aluminium plate, 2.55 mm in total, with a glossy protective UV laminate as standard.
It comes in two formats: a 30 × 30 cm square and a 46 × 34 cm landscape. The square sits neatly beside a front door and suits a short address; the landscape gives more room to the second line and reads better on a wall set back from the pavement.
In the configurator the house number is required, up to six characters (for example 12A), and a second line is optional: it can hold the street, town or family name. You choose from three fonts for the house number; the second line is always set in a bold sans-serif, so pick a sans-serif number font if you want the two lines to match. Check the preview before you order.
Six printed patterns are available: Classic anthracite, White marble, Gold marble, Warm marble, Raw concrete and Natural wood. They are always printed effects on a metal sign, not real marble, concrete or wood. On light render, Classic anthracite with its white numbers tends to stand out; on red brick or a dark wall, a light marble pattern creates contrast.
With the street name under the number, the sign also helps where neighbouring houses have similar numbers or the entrance faces a different road from the address. To see every pattern and both formats side by side, open our metal address sign with the street name.
Enter the house number and, if you like, a second line with the street, town or family name, then choose a printed pattern, a format and one mounting kit: four standoffs or mounting adhesive.
Design yoursPick a spot that reads clearly from the road, close to the entrance, then choose the fixing that suits the wall. With Bolot Studio’s Address Sign you choose one included kit at no extra cost: four standoffs with wall plugs for a compatible brick, rendered, masonry or insulated wall, about 20 mm off the wall, or mounting adhesive for flush, no-drill fixing on smooth, compatible exterior render or a compatible indoor surface. Either way, follow the supplied instructions.
Hold the sign in place, level it and mark its position before you fix anything, and check for hidden cables and pipes wherever you plan to drill. On brick, masonry, pebbledash or textured render, use a drilled fixing such as standoffs with wall plugs; mounting adhesive suits only smooth, compatible exterior render or a compatible indoor surface. Use the fixings supplied with your sign and follow its instructions.
On brick, a house number sign is fixed rather than hung: for Bolot Studio’s Address Sign, choose the four standoffs, which are fixed into drilled holes with the supplied wall plugs and hold the sign about 20 mm off the brick. The mounting adhesive is not for brick. Check the wall for cables and pipes before drilling and follow the supplied instructions.
Not with our kits: the mounting adhesive for Bolot Studio’s Address Sign is for smooth, compatible exterior render or a compatible indoor surface, not brick, and the standoffs need drilled holes. If you would rather not drill, look for a smooth, rendered section of wall near the entrance where the adhesive is suitable; otherwise choose the standoffs for the brick.
No single material suits every house: compare how the complete sign is made, how it is fixed, how it reads from the road and what the seller says about outdoor use and care. Bolot Studio’s Address Sign is a glossy printed metal sign made for exterior use, with a protective UV laminate as standard, in two formats: 30 × 30 cm and 46 × 34 cm.
You can design your own. In the configurator for Bolot Studio’s Address Sign you enter the house number and, if you like, a second line with the street, town or family name, then choose one of six printed patterns, a format and one of three fonts for the number. You check the preview before ordering, and the sign is then printed to order from your design.
It depends on where you live. In the UK, house numbers are usually assigned through your local council’s street naming and numbering service, and the council can tell you about any rules on displaying them; in Ireland, ask your local council what applies to your address. Our guide to choosing a house number sign covers the legal question in more detail.
