Everything You Want to Know Before You Order a Plaque

Three ways, all free:

1. Instant online quote. Add the plaque to your cart, choose your options, and go to checkout. At the end you’ll see a SUBMIT QUOTE button — no payment or credit card required. Our website generates real prices for most standard jobs.

2. Quote & Proof request. For custom layouts, donor lists, logos, or anything you’d rather talk through, use our Quote & Proof page. A representative reviews it and replies within 1–2 business days.

3. Email us. Send your text, size, and any artwork to sales@americancastbronzeplaques.com.

Yes. Every custom plaque receives a proof before production, and standard proofs are free. In some cases, very complicated layouts — long donor lists, multiple design concepts, extensive artwork cleanup — carry a $100 design fee, which is credited toward your purchase when you order. Address plaques and home/garden products are made with hand-placed letters using a different process and do not receive a proof.

Cast plaques are priced by overall size (square inches), not by how much text is on them. More words don’t cost more — a bigger plaque does, and price climbs quickly with size because larger plaques must also be cast thicker. Logos, photos, specialty finishes, and some mounting options add to the base price. Any price shown automatically on the website is not final until a representative confirms it.

Yes. 10% off for nonprofits, charities, public schools, religious organizations, government agencies, and first responders. 15% off for military. Mention your eligibility when you request a quote.

Use our free American Plaque Designer. Type your text, pick a border and finish, and it lays out a plaque and suggests a size in real time. You can also send us your wording and we’ll recommend a size — as a rule of thumb, letters should be at least 4 inches tall to read from 100 feet away, and most dedication plaques read comfortably at arm’s length with 1/2- to 3/4-inch letters.

Most plaques ship about three weeks after you approve the proof. Here’s the typical flow:

Day 1–2: Design and proof begin the next business day after your order.
Proof approval: Revisions usually come back same day or within 24 hours.
Production: 8–12 business days once approved, depending on complexity.
Shipping: About one day to pack and ship, plus transit.

Exceptions: bas-relief photo plaques take about six weeks because an artist sculpts the portrait in clay and there is a second proofing stage. Etched and photo plaques run about 15 business days after final approval. Large architectural signage programs typically run 4–6 weeks from approved design.

No. Precision casting doesn’t allow for rush production, and we’d rather tell you that now than miss your date. Our honest advice: don’t schedule a dedication or ceremony that depends on the plaque if it’s less than 6 weeks away. If your event is close, ask us about a facsimile. Order early, approve the proof promptly, and you’ll have margin to spare.

Free on most orders to the 48 contiguous United States. Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii is billed at actual carrier cost — request a quote and we’ll include it.

No. We ship only within the United States.

Both are solid cast metal, lead-free, made in the USA, and carry the same lifetime warranty. The difference is look, weight, and cost.

Cast bronze has warm golden raised letters on a dark background — the traditional, prestigious choice for memorials, dedications, and monuments. It develops a natural patina over generations.

Cast aluminum has silver raised letters on a dark background. It’s lighter, costs less, and pairs especially well with gray granite or modern architecture.

Not sure? If tradition and permanence matter most, choose bronze. If budget or a contemporary look leads, choose aluminum. Either way you get a solid cast plaque handcrafted by skilled artisans.

Cast plaques have raised metal letters on a textured, colored background — depth, dimension, and the classic sculpted look. Etched plaques are the reverse: a smooth metal face with letters and artwork recessed and color-filled. Etching holds much finer detail, so it’s the better choice for intricate logos, seals, fine-line drawings, and photographs. Cast is the better choice for outdoor permanence and traditional style. We can also combine them — an etched insert set into a cast plaque gives you a detailed logo with a cast frame.

Cast plaques start at 2″ × 2″. Cast bronze can be cast up to 96″ × 96″; cast aluminum up to 60″ × 96″. Any plaque larger than 72″ × 72″ requires special attention and a custom quote. Any shape is possible — rectangles, ovals, circles, arches, shields, and fully custom outlines.

Thickness is set by plaque area so the casting stays flat and rigid: 5/16″ for plaques up to about 323 sq in (roughly 18″ × 18″), stepping up to 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″, and 1-1/2″ as the plaque grows.

Background colors: Black (standard), duranodic bronze, dark oxidized, and brown. Custom colors such as red, blue, green, or white are available for a nominal color-match fee.

Background textures: Stipple (standard), leatherette, pebble, and sand.

Clear coat: Satin (standard), gloss, semi-gloss, or matte.

Specialty finishes: Chemical oxidized (light, standard, or dark), polished bronze or aluminum, painted raised copy, and multi-color plaques are available at additional cost. Ask when you request your quote.

Standard borders are included in the price: no border, single line, inset single line, double line, and inset double line. Single line and double line are the most popular. Beveled border styles are available as well. Preview them all in the Plaque Designer.

Yes. Send your logo as a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF) for the cleanest casting; a high-resolution image works for simpler marks. We stock a wide library of emblems — military branches, first responders, religious symbols, and more. Photos can be reproduced as a sculpted bas-relief portrait or a printed photo insert. Very fine detail that won’t cast cleanly can be produced as an etched insert instead. We’ll tell you at the proof stage if artwork needs adjustment.

For cast plaques, letters must be at least 1/4″ tall in all caps, or 3/8″ tall when using upper- and lowercase. Etched and precision plaques can go down to 3/16″. If your text won’t fit at those sizes, the fix is a slightly larger plaque, fewer words, or an etched plaque — we’ll advise at the proof stage.

Choose based on the surface:

Stone, brick, or concrete: Blind stud mount (studs cast into the back — no visible hardware) or solid-wall mount.
Drywall or hollow walls: Hollow-wall mount.
Wood: Wood mount.
Garden or lawn: Stake mount.
Freestanding or park setting: Post mount.
Interior only: Double-face tape on some plaque types.

Mounting hardware and a paper drilling template ship with the plaque. Tell us where it’s going and we’ll recommend the right method. See our mounting options guide for details.

Most wall-mounted plaques are a straightforward job for a handy person or local contractor: mark the holes with the supplied template, drill, and set the studs with the supplied hardware. Larger or heavier plaques and anything mounted overhead should be installed by a professional. Our installation guide walks through it step by step.

Yes. Solid cast bronze and aluminum are weather-resistant and corrosion-proof, and every plaque is sealed with a protective clear coat. Cast plaques have stood on buildings and monuments for well over a century. Two notes: flash-bronze finished aluminum is for interior use only, and plaques mounted on stakes, posts, or benches with an exposed back should request the free harsh-environment clear coat. If you’re mounting to stucco, the plaque needs studs and a standoff of at least 1/4″ — stucco chemicals can react with the finish.

Less is more. Rinse with clean water and wipe with a soft cloth; for grime, use warm water with a little mild dish soap. Never use abrasives, wire brushes, or harsh chemicals — they damage the clear coat that protects the finish. The full care routine is in our bronze plaque cleaning guide.

Yes — a lifetime warranty on all cast, precision, and etched plaques installed on walls, posts, or monuments. If the plaque breaks or is found to be defective in materials or workmanship, it is refinished or replaced at no charge as long as it remains in its original location. Note that fading is not a warranty issue — every plaque finish gradually softens and develops a natural patina over time, which is part of the character of cast metal. Plaques set flat in the ground carry a one-year warranty (memorial markers) because of constant moisture and mower contact. Plaques mounted directly to stucco without a standoff are not covered.

Everything — and then have a second person check it. Once you approve a proof, production is authorized and the plaque is cast exactly as shown. Read every name and date letter by letter, confirm spelling and punctuation, check line breaks, alignment, border, color, and the mounting method. Even if you supplied your own artwork, review the proof; we frequently make small adjustments for casting. Small corrections like typos or adding a few words are free and unlimited, and you get up to two additional design or layout renditions at no charge; further renditions are $20 each. Approval must be given in writing — by email or through the approval link we send — and proofs must be approved within 5 days so your order keeps its place in production.

Every plaque is custom cast to your approved proof and has no resale value, so we cannot offer refunds or exchanges once production begins. This is why the proof stage matters so much.

Inspect your plaque within 5 days of delivery. Open the box and check it as soon as it arrives — even if the installation is months away. If it was damaged by the carrier, email us photos of the plaque and the packaging within 5 days and we’ll file the freight claim and remake it at no charge to you. Problems reported after that window cannot be claimed against the carrier. Full terms are on our Terms & Conditions page.

Email is fastest: sales@americancastbronzeplaques.com — we reply within one business day, and it gives us a written record of your text and specs. Prefer to talk? Call 1 (844) 927-6693, Monday–Friday, 10 AM–4 PM Eastern, or email first and request a callback. We’re a nationwide service business based in New Hampshire; visits are by appointment only.

Yes. Alongside cast bronze plaques, we supply the full range of architectural signage specified under CSI MasterFormat Division 10, Section 10 14 00: dimensional letters and logos, ADA tactile and Braille signs, room and door identification, directories and wayfinding, code and egress signage, and exterior monument and building-mounted signs — in bronze, aluminum, and a range of architectural materials and finishes. If it belongs in a building’s spec book, we can most likely provide it.

Yes. Download our free CSI 3-part specification, Section 10 14 26 — Cast Bronze Plaques, formatted to drop directly into your project manual, from our Architect & Specifier Resources page. We also provide shop drawings, product data, finish samples, and artwork proofs for submittal, and we’ll review your draft spec at no charge before bid.

Absolutely. Many customers come to us for one bronze plaque and stay for the entire program. Sourcing all your signage from a single supplier keeps finishes matched and submittals simple. We work backward from your substantial-completion date to schedule shop drawings, approvals, and production so signage lands when the building is ready for it.

Yes. American Cast Bronze Plaques is SBA Veteran-Owned Certified and owned by a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper. We are registered in SAM.gov (UEI: ULKHHNYPPJR9 · CAGE: 9X1T2). Government agencies, municipalities, and prime contractors with veteran-owned set-aside goals are welcome to request our certification documents and W-9 with their quote.