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.

  1. 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).

  2. 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.

  3. Priming: We spot-prime rusted areas with a Zinc-Rich or Macropoxy primer that halts corrosion and galvanizes the steel.

  4. 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.