Nationwide Light Pole & Sign Painting Contractors

Professional Refinishing for Parking Lot Lights, High-Mast Towers & Pylons

RSP Painting preserves the assets that light your business. Rusted, faded light poles are more than just an eyesore—they are a liability. Corrosion at the base of a pole can lead to structural failure, posing a danger to vehicles and pedestrians.

We are the largest self-performing light pole painting contractor in the USA. Whether you have a single parking lot in Chicago or need a national rollout for 500 retail locations across all 50 states, RSP has the logistics, the equipment, and the skilled labor to get it done.

The RSP Difference: Zero Overspray Guarantee

The biggest fear property managers have is paint ending up on a customer’s car.

Wind Management: We monitor wind conditions constantly. If it’s too windy, we don’t spray.
Containment: We utilize “sock” containment methods and shield vehicles to ensure paint only lands on the metal, nowhere else.
Night Work: We perform the vast majority of our light pole painting at night when parking lots are empty, eliminating risk to your customers.

Comprehensive Pole & Sign Services

We restore every type of vertical metal asset on your property.

1. Parking Lot Light Poles

The standard square or round poles found in every retail center.

Corrosion Control: We descale rust using power tools or abrasive blasting, focusing heavily on the base plate and anchor bolts where salt and dog urine cause the most damage.
Color Matching: We match your corporate branding colors or standard bronze/black/white architectural finishes.
Numbering: We can stencil inventory numbers on poles to help you track maintenance and security.

2. High-Mast & Highway Lighting

The massive towers found at interchanges, airports, and stadiums.

High-Reach Rigging: We utilize 135-foot boom lifts and specialized climbing gear to reach the top of high-mast structures.
Aviation Safety: We paint towers in FAA-compliant Aviation Orange and White where required.

3. Decorative Street Lights

Cast iron or ornamental poles found in HOAs, Lifestyle Centers, and Downtowns.

Detail Work: These require hand-painting to preserve intricate details. We restore the “period correct” look while using modern industrial coatings.
Base Covers: We repair or replace cracked fiberglass or cast aluminum base covers (skirts).

4. Sign Pylons & Flag Poles

Sign Poles: We paint the massive steel supports for highway signs and retail pylons.
Flag Poles: We refurbish rusted or oxidized flag poles, including gold ball (finial) restoration and re-roping services.

The Process: Industrial Rust Remediation

We don’t just paint over rust; we kill it.

Preparation: This is 80% of the job. We power wash to remove dirt and guano, then power tool clean rusted areas to bare metal (SSPC-SP3 standards).
Concrete Base Repair: If the concrete pedestal is cracking (spalling), we patch it with structural concrete repair mortar and can paint it Safety Yellow for visibility.
Priming: We spot-prime rusted areas with a Zinc-Rich or Macropoxy primer that halts corrosion and galvanizes the steel.
Finish Coat: We apply a high-gloss, UV-resistant Aliphatic Urethane. This coating sheds dirt, retains its gloss for years, and resists fading from the sun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to move all the cars in the parking lot? A: Not necessarily. We typically work at night or section off the lot one row at a time. We use car covers and shields to protect any vehicles in the vicinity.

Q: Why are my poles rusting at the bottom? A: This is usually due to road salt, irrigation sprinklers hitting the pole, or dog urine (which is highly acidic). We apply extra corrosion protection to the bottom 2 feet of every pole we paint.

Q: Can you fix the concrete base? A: Yes. We repair crumbling concrete bases (sonotubes) and can apply a waterproof coating to stop water from rusting the anchor bolts inside.

Q: How long does the paint last? A: With our industrial Zinc/Urethane system, you can expect 10-15 years of protection, compared to 2-3 years with standard oil-based paint.