Free checklist
Lease Timeline Compliance Checklist for Retail Hoarding Graphics
Everything a retail project manager has to clear between lease signing and an installed hoarding wall — landlord submission pack, artwork approval, fire ratings, insurance, after-hours access, install, and the removal obligation most teams forget until the store opens. Production takes 1–2 days; approvals and access booking are what actually decide whether you hit the lease date.
By Bryce Mitchell · Updated September 2026 · About Rapid Retail Graphics
The Checklist, Stage by Stage
Requirements vary by property — always confirm the specifics with the landlord or property manager. See the survey-to-install process for what each stage needs from your side.
1. Lease signed / possession confirmed
Day 0
- Confirm the landlord's hoarding standard and any property-specific design criteria package
- Confirm who supplies the structural hoarding: general contractor, landlord, or graphics vendor
- Record the required hoarding height, setback, and any door, hatch, or viewing-window requirements
- Note the trading-hours restriction and the after-hours access window for the property
2. Site survey booked
Within 1 business day of brief
- Laser-measured templates for every hoarding wall run
- Obstruction map: columns, sprinklers, power outlets, service doors, floor transitions
- Photos of adjacent storefronts for finish and sightline reference
- Confirm panel break positions before artwork begins
3. Landlord submission pack assembled
5–15 business days before target install
- Scaled artwork proof laid out to survey templates
- Substrate and fire-rating certificates (Class A / equivalent as the property requires)
- Certificate of insurance naming the landlord and property manager as required
- Installer crew list, credentials, and WSIB/WCB or equivalent coverage
- Hot-work or ladder/lift permits where applicable
- Requested install date and crew arrival/departure times
4. Artwork approval
1–5 business days (operator dependent)
- Brand team sign-off on adapted panels before submission, not after
- Landlord marketing sign-off on content, tenant naming, and opening-date claims
- Written approval logged with date and approver name — verbal approvals stall installs
- Any revision round re-submitted with the same pack so the clock does not restart
5. Production
1–2 business days after approved artwork
- Print, laminate, and cut to survey-accurate panel sizes
- Match panel numbering to the install drawing
- Confirm freight arrival ahead of the booked install night
6. Installation
Typically one night, after trading hours
- Confirm dock, freight elevator, and security escort booking 48 hours ahead
- Confirm the loading and staging area with mall operations
- Photo proof of completion issued the same night
- Site left clean and clear before the property opens
7. Removal obligation
Scheduled to store opening
- Check the lease for who owns removal and make-good of the hoarding line
- Book deinstall as its own access window — it is a separate mobilisation
- Adhesive clean-down and disposal of panels
- Final condition photos for the landlord file
How Far Ahead to Start
Lead times below assume the 1–5 business day production and install window documented in the cost & timeline guide, with the rest of the calendar going to approvals and access booking.
| Scenario | Start before install | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Single storefront, artwork ready | 7–10 business days | Survey, submission, approval, print, one install night |
| Single storefront, artwork from scratch | 12–15 business days | Adds design origination and an extra brand approval round |
| Strict-approval landlord | 15–20 business days | Assume a full week of landlord review plus one revision round |
| Multi-location rollout | 3–6 weeks per wave | Per-site surveys and staged install nights across markets |
| Rush, print-ready artwork approved | 24–48 hours | Only where landlord approval is already in hand |
On a tight lease deadline? See how to manage hoarding graphics during a lease renovation on a tight timeline.
How This Checklist Was Built
The stages and lead times come from Rapid Retail Graphics project records for mall hoarding programs across 25+ metros across the United States and Canada, including single-unit fit-outs and multi-location rollouts. Individual landlords set their own submission requirements, so treat this as a baseline to confirm against the property's design criteria package rather than a substitute for it.
Free to use and cite with attribution to Rapid Retail Graphics and a link to this page. For the underlying detail or a comment, see the press kit or email bryce@rapidretailgraphics.com.
Pair It With the Spec Sheet
Retail Hoarding Graphics Spec Sheet (PDF)
Panel sizes, substrates, bleed and resolution, and install requirements — the technical half of the submission pack.
Compliance FAQ
Want us to run the submission for you?
We assemble landlord packs, fire-rating documentation, COIs, and after-hours access bookings as part of every install. Send your lease dates and we'll work backwards from them.
Vancouver, British Columbia — serving the US and Canada
+1 (604) 220-7700
bryce@rapidretailgraphics.com