A one-faced billboard can sometimes contain a second income stream that nobody has bothered to develop. But before assuming that the empty side is easy money, you need to figure out why it is empty in the first place.
Start With the Permit
The first question is whether a second advertising face is legal. Billboard regulation can involve state transportation rules, local ordinances, zoning, and the original permit.
Never assume that because the structure already exists you can simply bolt another face onto it. This is particularly important with older or nonconforming signs, where modifying the structure could create permitting problems.
Get the regulatory answer before spending money.
Make Sure the Structure Can Handle It
Adding another face is not just a matter of installing plywood or steel panels.
The existing pole, foundation, framing, catwalks, ladders, and attachment points may need to be evaluated for the additional structure and wind loads. On an older billboard, this may require an engineer.
You also have to consider how workers will safely install posters or vinyls and service the new face. Modern fall-protection requirements make safe access part of the economics of the project.
Does Anybody Actually See It?
Sometimes there is an excellent reason a billboard only has one face.
Look at the missing side from the driver's perspective. Check:
- Traffic direction and volume
- Viewing distance and angle
- Trees, buildings, bridges, and other obstructions
- Whether motorists have enough time to read the message
Conditions also change. A building may have been demolished, vegetation removed, or a highway configuration altered since the sign was originally built. A face that was worthless twenty years ago may be useful today.
Can You Rent It?
Visibility does not automatically equal demand.
One direction may serve commuters entering a city while the other reaches motorists heading into an area with few businesses. Talk to potential advertisers and study competing signs before investing.
A vacant second face earning nothing is not an asset.
Run the Numbers Backwards
Estimate realistic rent, vacancy, commissions, maintenance, installation costs, insurance, permitting, engineering, and any additional ground rent.
Then determine how long it takes to recover your investment.
The attraction of adding a second face is that much of the expensive infrastructure is already there. But the deal only works when the additional net income comfortably justifies the cost and risk.
Conclusion
One-sided billboards are worth investigating because occasionally the missing face is simply an overlooked opportunity. But there may also be a very good reason it was never built.
Verify the permit, structure, visibility, advertiser demand, and economics. When all five work, adding that second face can turn an existing billboard into a substantially more productive asset.
