House Number Signs

Why Your House Number Sign Matters 

A house number sign does two jobs at once. It sharpens your home's curb appeal, and it makes your address easy to read for delivery drivers, guests, and emergency responders who may have only seconds to find you. Budget Mailboxes carries house number signs and address plaques from several trusted brands, so you can match the look of your home instead of settling for whatever a single manufacturer happens to make. You'll find cast aluminum plaques, lighted styles, lawn-mount options, and wall-mount designs in a range of shapes and finishes. 

Browse the products above, or read on for help choosing the right material, size, mounting, and visibility.

How to Choose a House Number Sign That Fits Your Home

Picking the right sign comes down to four decisions: material, shape and orientation, how it mounts, and how visible it stays after dark. Some want a custom house number sign with the family name; others just need a ready-made plaque. The sections below cover each one, then you can explore the full address plaque collection to compare options.

Material: Cast Aluminum, Brass, Granite, and Stone Options

Among metal house number signs, cast aluminum is the most popular: it won't rust, holds a powder-coated finish for years, and comes in the widest range of styles. Whitehall cast aluminum plaques and Gaines are strong picks. Solid brass numbers and accents suit a more traditional look. For near-maintenance-free, a granite address plaque such as QualArc's Ridgecrest series won't rust, rot, or crack, with engraved numbers that stay sharp for decades. Budget Mailboxes doesn't stock wood or hand-carved signs; if that's your style, the FAQ below points you elsewhere.

Shape and Orientation: Rectangle, Arch, Oval, and Vertical

Rectangle is the most versatile shape, which makes a horizontal address plaque the safe default for siding and wide wall space. An arch house number plaque adds traditional character above a doorway or garage. Oval suits Victorian, cottage, and Cape Cod homes. Vertical house number signs fit narrow spots: a porch column, a door frame, or a slim strip of brick by the entry. Match orientation to the surface, vertical for columns and narrow trim, horizontal for open wall space.

Mounting: Wall, Lawn, Hanging, and Mailbox Post

Where the sign goes determines how it mounts. Wall mount is most common: the plaque attaches to siding, brick, or stucco with the included hardware. At the curb, lawn-mount plaques use heavy-duty stakes that handle mowing and weather. Hanging house number signs suspend from a bracket, often on a post. If you have or plan to add matching mailbox posts, a hanging address plaque for mailbox posts keeps the address and mailbox together, and a mailbox address plaque mounts straight to the mailbox body. Mounting hardware is included.

Visibility: Lighted, Illuminated, Reflective, and Solar

These four terms get mixed up constantly, so here's the short version. Lighted house number signs are wired and glow on their own, readable from about 100 feet; QualArc lighted address plaques in the Edgewood line are a good example. Illuminated house number signs are the same thing, just a different word. Reflective house number signs have no power: a coating bounces back vehicle headlights, so they glow only when a car's beams hit them, which is why fire districts often require them on rural roads. Solar house number signs run on a small daytime-charged battery, no wiring needed. Go lighted for a long driveway, reflective for a rural road or 911 compliance, and solar where wiring isn't practical.

Weather Resistance: UV-Resistant, Rust-Free Finishes

A house number sign lives outside year-round, so its finish matters. Rust-free, die-cast aluminum won't corrode in any climate, and all-weather, powder-coated, UV-resistant finishes resist fading, chipping, and scratching, so a black plaque stays black instead of chalking out. Granite and stone skip the worry entirely, since they won't rust, rot, or crack. The payoff is longevity: quality cast aluminum plaques routinely last 15 years or more, and Whitehall points to some of its signs still in service after 50 years. Durable house number signs like these are a buy-once purchase.

What Size House Number Sign Do You Need?

Most homeowners pick numbers that are too small. The right house number sign size depends on how far your home sits from the street. For most homes, 4-inch numbers are readable from 30 to 50 feet; 5 to 6-inch numbers cover 50 to 100 feet; and setbacks over 100 feet call for 6 to 8-inch numbers or a lighted sign.

A quick guide by setback distance:

• 30 to 50 feet: 4-inch numbers

• 50 to 100 feet: 5 to 6-inch numbers

• 100 feet or more: 6 to 8-inch numbers, or a lighted plaque

For new construction, International Building Code §502.1 sets a 4-inch minimum, and some municipalities require reflective 911 house number signs. On a rural road or long driveway, size up and check local code first. Large house number signs cost only a little more and are far easier to read at speed.

Customizing Your House Number Sign

Most plaques here can be personalized. Custom house number signs are made to order, so you choose the details before it ships:

• House number: most plaques hold up to five characters; some accept letters and half-numbers

• Lines of text: add a family or street name on a second line

• Color: Gaines offers gold, bronze, or silver vinyl; Whitehall offers several finish-and-lettering combinations

• Finish: Whitehall options include French Bronze, Oil Rubbed Bronze, Black, and Pewter

• Size tier: Whitehall plaques come in Petite, Standard, Estate, and Grand

• Orientation: horizontal or vertical to fit your mounting spot

• Number style: QualArc's granite plaques offer deeply engraved or adhesive-backed raised polymer numbers

Because personalized house number signs and custom address plaques are made to spec, double-check spelling before submitting; made-to-order plaques generally can't be returned.

How to Install a House Number Sign

Installing a house number sign is a basic DIY job. Plaques arrive with pre-drilled holes and mounting hardware, and many include a paper drilling template that makes spacing foolproof.

To install an address plaque on a wall:

1. Hold the plaque (or template) level where you want it.

2. Mark the screw holes with a pencil.

3. Drill pilot holes for brick, stucco, wood, or hard siding. To mount a house number sign on brick, use a masonry bit and wall anchors.

4. Line up the plaque and drive in the included screws.

Lawn signs are simpler: the stakes push straight into the ground, no tools needed. A lighted plaque has three wiring options: an existing doorbell system, a plug-in transformer into a wall outlet, or a hardwired J-box transformer.

House Number Display Ideas to Boost Curb Appeal

A few simple house number ideas can make your numbers stand out:

• Pair a lawn-mount plaque with low landscape lighting at the end of a long driveway.

• Mount a vertical plaque on a porch column where there's no flat wall space.

• Match a wall plaque's finish to your front-door hardware and mailbox for a pulled-together look.

• Use contrasting colors, like dark numbers on a light plaque, for street readability.

• Add an illuminated plaque by the door for nighttime visibility.

• Hang a bracket-mounted plaque on a mailbox post for homes set well back from the curb.

Clean, modern house number signs suit contemporary homes, while arched or oval plaques flatter traditional ones. For more inspiration, see our top house number sign picks.

Coordinating Your House Number Sign with Mailbox and Post Hardware

Here's something most signage sellers can't help with: the rest of your curb. A house number sign rarely stands alone, there's usually a mailbox, post, or column nearby, and it all looks best when finishes match. Because Budget Mailboxes carries the mailboxes and the signage, you can coordinate the whole entrance in one place.

Three common scenarios:

• Curbside mailbox and post: pair a Whitehall mailbox and post with a matching arched plaque by the door.

• Column-mounted mailbox: set a QualArc Manchester column mailbox with a matching Edgewood lighted plaque.

• Full refresh: replace a faded sign as part of a broader mailbox update.

A matching mailbox address plaque keeps your numbers, mailbox, and post reading as one look, something single-product competitors can't offer. 

Ready to coordinate? 

Browse our mailbox and post combo sets and column mounted mailboxes.

Top Brands for House Number Signs

Budget Mailboxes carries house number signs from several established American brands.

Whitehall Products has made cast aluminum home accents for more than 80 years (founded in 1941). A Whitehall house number plaque offers the widest range of shapes, finishes, and size tiers on this page, from petite wall plaques to large estate signs.

QualArc is the brand for lighting and stone: a QualArc lighted address plaque in the Edgewood line stays readable from about 100 feet, and its granite Ridgecrest and Executive series hold engraved numbers for decades.

Gaines Manufacturing is known for coordinated curb sets; a Gaines address plaque in the Housemark line matches the brand's mailboxes and posts.

Imperial Mailbox Systems makes cast aluminum mailboxes, plaques, and reflective yard markers in the U.S., while Special Lite focuses on rust-free, low-maintenance designs.

Not sure which fits? Browse all mailbox and plaque brands to compare them in one place.

Why Buy Your House Number Sign from Budget Mailboxes

Budget Mailboxes brings together address plaques and house numbers from multiple brands in one catalog, so you choose the right sign for your home, not the only one a manufacturer offers. Orders over $99 ship free, backed by a price-match guarantee and U.S.-based customer service. Years of selling mailboxes and signage together mean we help you get the size, finish, and mounting right the first time.

Buying for more than one property? HOAs, builders, and property managers can request a bulk quote for HOAs and builders on larger orders.