CONSTRUCTION 8 MINUTE READ

How to Design an Awesome Construction Logo: Ideas, Tips & Free Logo Making Tools

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Tradie Digital

Your logo is your construction company’s calling card.

Whether your business is just getting off the ground, or you’ve been building your brand for years, a logo is how you showcase your professionalism and values, while helping you stand out in a crowded space.

Don’t have a design bone in your body? No problem, read on to learn the colors, symbols, fonts and images that make up the building blocks of an awesome construction logo.

50% of consumers are more likely to work with you if they recognize your logo.

That’s a pretty good reason to create a construction company logo. But it’s not the only reason.

The right logo is an ad for your business.

It helps you stand out from the crowd when other construction companies offer the exact same services. It makes a strong first impression so customers will think of you for their next build or renovation project. And it fosters brand loyalty, because people love hiring construction companies they can trust.

Oh, and 60% of consumers will AVOID your business if they find your logo unappealing or unattractive.

If the thought of losing customers (and their money) over your logo design is giving you a headache, we’ve got good news – it’s easy to design a logo for your construction company.

Whether you hire a freelancer, outsource the gig to a logo-making agency, or jump behind the wheel of a logo-making software and do it yourself, we’ll show you what makes a great logo, what pitfalls to avoid, and leave you with a few striking examples to inspire you.

Read on for a crash course in logo design.

planning a construction logo

You’re keen to run a profitable construction company, right?

On average, a loyal customer is worth 10x as much as their first purchase.

When you build a connection with a customer and deliver an awesome new build, renovation, or demolition, you’re more likely to get repeat business. And that crucial (and profitable) loyalty starts building with one of the earliest interactions they have with your business – your logo.

That’s why a professional construction logo is your foot in the door with potential customers, and your way of sticking in the minds of current customers.

It’s common for builders and contractors to skip making a logo, or think their name is a suitable alternative to stick to the side of a truck. But with 90% of information transmitted to the brain coming as images, and humans processing images 60,000 x faster than text, you’re working against the way your customer’s brains are wired.

As a construction company owner or home improvement expert, you want to make a strong first impression on people and be the first business they think of when it’s time to remodel, knock-down, or rebuild.

A logo provides a memorable way for you to stand out from your competition, builds brand loyalty with current customers, and helps attract attention from future customers.

making a great construction logo

In a word? Trust.

Too many construction companies focus on flashy colors or the latest typography and think the job is done. But people don’t choose your company because you used the right shade of orange in your logo, they choose you because they trust you.

Think about it, your customers trust you to:

  • Complete their projects on time
  • Complete their projects without going over budget
  • Comply with building codes and all local regulations
  • Deliver a stylish and professional structure that stands the test of time

Construction projects are a long, well-researched process. Whether your customers are after a small renovation project or an entire new-home build, they don’t part with their money at the first construction company they see.

The best construction logos project a sense of professionalism and quality that makes customers (both current and future) trust you – and hire you.

A great construction logo will also reflect your skill as a builder or construction contractor. After all, you’re an expert at making shapes fit together, so your logo should do the same.

If you offer deluxe home building services, a basic logo made on an iPhone app won’t project the qualities you’re after. When your logo instills a sense of trust and projects your ability to build, you’ll have the foundations for successful branding.

A great construction logo builds trust by expressing the following features:

  • Simplicity
  • Relevance
  • Originality

Nail those elements and your logo will act as an extra salesperson for your company. Read on to discover how.

Your logo should reflect your construction company identity

There’s no single “best” type of logo for your construction business.

Instead, your logo should reflect the type of construction company you are.

Do you work in residential construction and offer a no-frills service at an affordable price? Or, do you specialize in future-focused construction with an emphasis on technology?

The logos for these two hypothetical companies would look extremely different and shape everything from the color palette to the fonts and overall shape.

The takeaway here? Match your logo to your audience and your industry. If you create garden sheds for retirees you’ll want to communicate a certain message (for example quality, cost-effective, and speedy), while a company that builds malls would project a different message (for example professionalism, compliance, and revenue-generating projects).

TRADIE DIGITAL TIP: Unsure what message your logo should send? Try writing down keywords that capture the essence of your construction company. These could be terms like ‘affordable, ‘deluxe’, ‘national’, ‘local’, ‘demolition’, ‘renovation’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘teamwork’, ‘equipment’ etc. Once you have your keywords you’ll be able to start designing a logo that represents those terms.

Color adds personality and style to your logo, and in a crowded industry that can help you stand out.

Unfortunately, there’s no definitive “best” color for a logo.

It would be great if orange logos led to a spike in bookings, but then every construction company from here to Timbuktu would have an orange logo and they’d all look the same.

The “best” color for your construction company logo is one (or several) that stands out and helps establish the trust and credibility we keep banging on about.

If you’re unsure what colors are right for your new logo, start by checking out the competition. If you see all of your competition are using similar colors you’ll have the chance to zig when they zag and design a logo that stands out thanks to a more unique color scheme.

Once you’ve scoped out the competition, consider the psychology of colors. Colors are an emotional cue, and the shade you pick has the power to make your customers “feel” something. For example:

White Red Blue Green Yellow Orange
Cleanliness, Hygiene, Simplicity Power, Determined, Passion Control, Security, Logical Balance, Nature, Calmness Optimism, Confidence, Wealth Energy, Change, Action

If choosing a color based on how you want your logo to make a potential customer “feel” is still leaving you uncertain, check out the color wheel below and see what shades jump out at you.

color wheel

Choosing cool and warm colors on opposite sides of the color wheel will help your logo stand out. For example, a green and red combo pops and is nice to look at (think logos like Heineken or 7/11). Or, red and yellow for a popular color-combo (think logos like McDonald’s or Lego).

In short, there’s no “best” color for a construction logo, but there are best practices you can follow to make the design process easier.

TRADIE DIGITAL TIP: Keep your choice of colors between 1 and 3. 95% of the world’s leading brands use one or two colors in their logo. Adding more color will make your logo tougher to identify, especially when it’s scaled down (we’ll touch on this shortly) so keep things simple and opt for 1 to 3 colors in your final design.

How to choose your construction logo font

The font you choose will affect how your logo is perceived.

A fun and silly hand-written font might work for a party planning business, but as a construction company you don’t want to be perceived as casual or silly. Instead, test out different straight and clean fonts – for example Europe, Garamond, and MagistralC.

The features you want to look for in a construction logo font are:

  • Readability (on all screen sizes)
  • Simplicity (don’t use more than two or three fonts in the same logo)
  • Contrast (make sure your text is readable on your colored background)

OK, let’s unpack each of these features.

To start, avoid choosing small fonts or overly complicated ones as these will be difficult to read when your logo is resized. It’s easy to put together a complicated design on a laptop or desktop computer, but your logo will be seen on your website, on social media, on your invoices, etc.

Keep your choice of fonts to one (or two at most) as your logo will end up looking disjointed and unappealing to potential customers. If you want to change up your fonts, try using different fonts for your name and your slogan (if you have one).

For example, ‘John Smith Construction – We Build It Better’ could utilize two different fonts.

Finally, choose a font that has enough contrast to be read easily. Too little weight or a lack of differentiation between font and background can make your text impossible to read – and your company forgettable.

creating a logo for your construction business

“How do I create a logo for my construction business?”

That’s the million dollar question (thankfully creating a logo is much cheaper than that).

The three primary methods of designing your logo include:

  • Use an online logo maker (DIY)
  • Hire a freelance logo designer
  • Partner with a logo-making agency

If you fancy your DIY design skills, there are countless logo makers available online that you can use to design your own logo. With the tips and tricks from this guide you’ll know what to include (and what to avoid). And because logo makers are created for business owners with minimal, or zero, design experience, you can be done in a few hours.

But if you’d prefer to focus on your business you can outsource the job to either a freelancer, or a full agency.

Check out the pros and cons of each option below.

Use an online logo maker

Not looking to spend big on a new logo? Not a problem.

There are a range of online logo making tools, both paid and free, so you can design your own logo. Even without design experience, these logo-making tools are designed for beginners, offering simple walkthroughs and plenty of logo templates to choose from.

Here’s a few of the leading online logo makers you can test out right now:

Offering simple drag-and-drop features, or fully finished logos to choose from, you don’t have to stress if you can’t tell the difference between an old style serif and a transitional serif font (we wouldn’t know the difference either).

All you need is an idea.

Do you want a logo that relies on traditional housing or construction site images? Are you looking for a logo that’s striking and orange? Would you prefer a construction logo that’s simple and minimalist?

Once you have a rough idea of your “theme” you’ll be able to browse existing templates, modify existing templates, or create your own logo from scratch.

Be careful picking a templated logo without making changes though. Although it’s tempting to pick and stick, you could end up choosing the same logo as hundreds of other construction companies, which won’t help you stand out.

To avoid this problem, apply some of the tips you learned in this article to create a unique construction company logo. Using a ready-made template will have done the heavy lifting for you, all you need to do is apply the finishing touches.

Pros of using an online logo maker Cons of using an online logo maker
✔ Cheapest logo making option available (can even be free)

✔ Logo makers are fast and can deliver a finished logo in minutes

✔ Easy to use and available 24/7 so you can design a logo on your timeline

✘ Generally generic and lacking the originality of a pro logo

✘ Potentially hundreds of contractors using the same style, color, icon or font

✘ Not all logo makers give you the files you need to use your logo online

Hire a freelance logo designer

Not keen on designing your own logo? No problem.

Just because you can build with your hands doesn’t mean you have to build your logo. There are thousands of freelance web designers and logo makers online who will jump at the chance to design a logo for you.

The challenge is separating the good from the bad.

Your best bet to find affordable logo making help is the online marketplaces that have popped up in recent years. We’re talking about:

Although these sites offer countless options, it’s up to you to figure out who’s legit.

You can pay someone $50 for a logo, but will that logo help express your brand values? Will it stand out among your competition? Will it look great when resized? Will it come with the file types you need to use it everywhere online? Will it be ripped from a template website and sold to you without changes?

It helps to have a clear idea of the direction and style you’re after, and be sure to read as many reviews as possible to avoid hiring a dud. Oh, and don’t hire the first freelancer you meet, always take some time to compare your options.

Pros of hiring a freelancer Cons of hiring a freelancer
✔ Affordable options available

✔ Choose a freelancer specializing in the construction industry

✔ More direct communication than an agency

✘ No guarantee of quality, communication or reliability

✘ May have design or software limitations compared to an agency

✘ No say in the logo-making process

Hiring a freelancer because you’re short on time? Check 35 TIME-SAVING apps exclusively for construction companies

Hire a logo design agency

A logo design agency will be the most expensive option, but you’re paying for expertise.

Logo design is an entire speciality within graphic design. Outsourcing your logo means you get expert help across branding, composition, typography, color theory and customer psychology.

With so many specialties going into one logo, the finished version is likely to be one-of-a-kind and tailor-made to stand out from the crowd. That means no risk of any other construction company’s truck pulling up with your logo on the side, and a branding asset that makes you hard to forget.

It’s up to you whether this advantage is worth the higher price, or whether you want to go for a cheaper logo-making option and save your money.

Pros of hiring an agency Cons of hiring an agency
✔ Get the combined skills of designers, branding experts, color experts, etc

✔ One-of-a-kind logo that no other company will have

✔ Peace of mind knowing you’ll be able to make edits and changes if needed

✘ The most expensive logo-making option available

✘ Likely not the only client, so may run into delays or communication issues

✘ Less control over each step of the logo-making process

Best construction logo design tips

Alright, you know so much about color and fonts that you’re practically a trained logo designer (go ahead and add it to your LinkedIn, it’s pretty much official).

If you’ve decided to hammer away on your own logo, here are a few of the best construction logo design tips you’ll want to keep in mind. These tips will help you avoid the common pitfalls of bad construction logos (i.e. boring, confusing, and generally crap).

Experiment with triangles and squares

Triangles and squares work for construction logo design because they represent stability and organization – essential characteristics of a good construction company. Using geometric shapes helps convey a sense of order and power, and gives people confidence that you’re a builder or home improvement specialist who works to a set strategy to create strong, stable buildings.

Control eyelines with straight lines

Straight lines draw the eye from side to side, or up and down. This helps project a feeling of completion, as line-based logos reflect construction companies who are organized and efficient. There’s a reason you rarely see curved lines in construction company logos. Unlike straight lines, curved lines are more ‘playful’ and ‘casual’, which are not qualities most construction companies are looking to project.

Tell a story with construction imagery

Using images of houses and buildings is a classic construction logo design choice – and for good reason. Using a picture of a structure is the quickest and easiest way to convey what you do, so it’s easy for customers to see your logo and think “hey, I’ve been looking for a local builder, and it’s obvious this company works in construction”. This recognition can get your foot in the door and help you generate leads from people who saw your logo and wanted to learn more.

5 construction logo ideas to inspire you

Looking for a little logo inspiration?

We’ve rounded up 5 striking construction logos for you to check out, plus what makes them special. We’re not suggesting you steal these as they are, but if there’s a feature or color scheme you like, go ahead and incorporate it into your own design.

Example #1 – Smart Home Connect

smart home connect logo
Logo Credit

Why We Love It: One look at this logo and it’s obvious what this construction company specializes in. If you were after a business to help you build a smart home, this logo establishes their credibility and expertise. The addition of the tagline, ‘Simple – Secure- Smart’ shows how you can use text to make your logo into an ad and showcase your values.

Example #2 – Geo Gradel

geo gradel logo
Logo Credit

Why We Love It: The use of one color and white space makes this an eye-catching logo that’s easy to read even when scaled down. Adding their founding year helps build trust because potential customers instantly learn this company has over one hundred years of experience, which helps put people at ease. The construction equipment imagery tells us that this company has the tools to work on tough landscapes too.

Example #3 – The Gutter Guy

the gutter guy logo
Logo Credit

Why We Love It: Not every contractor or construction logo needs to use machinery or tools. The Gutter Guy shows how a unique imagery can convery originality and makes their business seem approachable to the little guy. It’s obvious what this business does based on their logo, and it’s impossible to forget this fun, quirky design in a hurry.

Example #4 – Garage Buildings

garage buildings
Logo Credit

Why We Love It: Where do we start! Not only does the Garage Buildings logo make it clear what they do (we think it’s something to do with garages) but they managed to include their domain address in their logo. People can jump online and be on their website in seconds. On top of that, the founding date tells us they have only 20+ years of experience, with the yellow and blue colors contrasting because they come from opposite sides of the color wheel we showed you.

Example #5 – Arizona Piping

arizona piping
Logo Credit

Why We Love It: It’s fun and memorable, which will help this logo stand out against other piping businesses. The creative design to turn a cactus (which is a well known image from Arizona) into pipes is the type of creative approach that will help this logo stand out.

Ready to transform your construction company’s digital image?

Congrats, you’ve got all the skills you need to make a kick-ass logo.

Whether you’re the one behind the wheel, or you’ve outsourced the job with strict instructions re: style, imagery, font and color, you can feel confident knowing your company’s logo isn’t random, and is working towards building trust.

Since you’ve transformed your branding, it sounds like you’re keen to take the next step and turn your digital presence into a money-making machine.

Looking to build a construction website? Learn the industry secrets behind profitable construction sites

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