A building wrap is a large printed covering fitted over a facade, scaffold, hoarding or temporary structure. It carries advertising or branding across a surface that would otherwise be bare or unsightly, and it is one of the few formats that can cover the whole side of a building.
Billboards Africa produces and installs building wraps for property developers, retailers, brand campaigns and building owners. We print the wrap, install it with the access method the site requires and remove it when the period ends.
Where wraps work best
Wraps suit places where people already look: buildings under construction in busy districts, scaffolded facades during renovation, shopping centre frontages being refurbished, and hoardings around development sites. A wrap can also be used on a building that is not being worked on, as an advertising facade.
They are particularly useful for property developers, who can promote a project on its own site while it is built. See our property developers page for how this fits a development programme.
Materials and design for wraps
Most building wraps are printed on mesh, because perforated material lets wind pass through and reduces the load on the scaffold or building. The perforations also let some light and visibility pass through windows, although how much depends on the material and the image. Solid materials are used on hoardings and flat panels where wind loading is less of a concern.
Artwork for a wrap must be planned against the building itself, with windows, edges, columns and signage in mind. Faces, text and logos should sit where they will not be lost behind a mullion or a corner. Our billboard design team can prepare artwork from measured drawings or photographs.
Colour and finish also matter on large surfaces. A wrap seen from across a street or a car park is judged as a whole, so we proof colours carefully and check that joins between panels fall in sensible places.
- Mesh wraps for scaffolds and facades where wind passes through
- Solid panels for hoardings and flat surfaces
- Edge finishing and eyelets for the fixing system
- Artwork planned around windows, columns and corners
Installation methods
The right access method depends on the building. Scaffolded structures are wrapped from the scaffold itself. Tall facades without scaffolding may be installed using rope access, which suits work on high-rise buildings and awkward positions. Lifts and cranes are used where large panels or frames must be positioned.
Installation follows the applicable health and safety requirements, with the area below controlled as the site requires. The method, and any structural checks on the host building or scaffold, are confirmed on the quotation after a survey.
Removal needs the same care as installation. Wraps are taken down in sections, and fixings are removed so the facade or scaffold is left as it was found.
Approvals and building owner consent
A wrap is advertising, and it needs the relevant approvals. The local municipality usually controls outdoor advertising, and consent from the building owner or landowner is required. Wraps on scaffolding or buildings next to roads may also involve roads authorities.
We assist with the application and supporting documents through billboard approval assistance. Approval rests with the authority, and we do not start installation before the permissions needed are in place.
Quoting a building wrap
To quote a wrap we need the building address, photographs, the dimensions of the surface to be covered (or drawings), the access situation and the period the wrap should stay up. If you have artwork or a campaign idea, send that too. Where the surface is large or complex, we arrange a site visit.
Wraps are available across Gauteng and all South African provinces, and in Southern and wider Africa. Outside Gauteng and outside South Africa, work is done by our teams travelling or through approved local partners, confirmed at quotation. Smaller projects might be better served by mesh banners or large format banner printing.
At a glance
Building wraps from Billboards Africa turn facades, scaffolds and hoardings into large advertising surfaces. We print wraps on perforated mesh for scaffolds and facades, or on solid material for hoardings and flat panels, with edge finishing and eyelets suited to the fixing system. Wraps suit property developers promoting projects on site, retailers refurbishing a shopping centre frontage, and brands that want to cover the side of a building in busy districts such as Sandton, Rosebank and Johannesburg CBD.
Our building wraps are designed around windows, columns and corners, installed from scaffolding, with rope access or with lifts and cranes as the building requires, and removed at the end of the period. Wraps are advertising, so they need approval from the local municipality, roads authority where relevant and the building owner, and we assist with the application although approval rests with the authority. We install building wraps across South Africa and Southern Africa. Send the address, photographs and surface dimensions through the quote form. Colour proofing and panel joins are checked before printing, and removal is handled carefully so facades and scaffolds are left clean.
Common questions
What is a building wrap?
A large printed covering fitted to a facade, scaffold or hoarding to carry advertising or branding.
Can people see out through a wrap?
Mesh wraps allow some visibility from inside, depending on the material and image. We discuss this with you at quotation when windows are involved.
Do building wraps need approval?
Yes. They are advertising and need approval from the relevant authority and the building owner. We assist with the application; approval rests with the authority.
Can you wrap a scaffolded building?
Yes. Scaffold wraps are among the most common, and are installed from the scaffold or using rope access.
How long does a wrap stay up?
The period is agreed per project and confirmed on your quotation, and depends on approvals and the site.
Do you remove the wrap afterwards?
Yes. Removal is part of the service, and is confirmed in the quotation.
