# Billboard Renewals: When to Start and How to Raise Rates

URL: https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-renewals
Type: How-to · Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08 · By: Gabie Research

Short answer: Start billboard renewal talks 60 to 90 days before the flight ends. Bring dated proof of posting and any results the advertiser tracked. Offer the renewal before you offer the face to anyone else. If you raise the rate, give a clear reason and a deadline. If they don't renew, start backfill the same week, so the face doesn't sit empty.

Key takeaways:
- Start 60 to 90 days before the flight ends.
- Bring dated proof of posting, not promises.
- Raise rates with a reason. US prices rose 3.7% in the year to September 2026.
- Offer a rate lock in return for a longer term.
- If they leave, start backfill the same week.

The easiest billboard sale is the one you already have. A renewal needs no new prospect and no new site visit. It often needs no new vinyl. But it still needs a plan and an early start.

## When should you start a renewal?

Start 60 to 90 days before the flight ends. That gives time to agree on terms and make new art. It also gives you time to find a new buyer if they leave.

Flights vary in length. [Lamar's](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090425/000109042526000008/lamr-20251231.htm) contracts run "from one week to one year," per its 10-K. Lamar bills them every four weeks. For a short flight, start the talk as soon as it begins.

| Days before the end | What to do |
|---|---|
| 90 | List every flight ending soon. Pull the proof of posting for each. |
| 60 | Send the renewal note with photos and the new rate. |
| 45 | Call. Answer questions and send the renewal contract. |
| 30 | Ask for a final yes or no. Start backfill if it's no. |
| 0 | The flight ends. A renewed ad stays up, or new copy goes up. |

## What should you bring to the renewal?

- **Proof of posting.** Dated photos of the ad on the face. For digital, a play report if your system makes one.
- **The flight record.** Start and end dates, plus any days the face was down and how you made them up.
- **Their results, if they have them.** Ask about calls, web visits or codes used only on the board. Don't invent results.
- **Next-flight options.** The same face, a longer term, or a second face.

## How do you raise the rate at renewal?

Give a reason, a number and a deadline. Good reasons are real ones:

- The face sold out this year, or has a waitlist.
- The traffic count went up.
- Costs went up. US consumer prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months to September 2026, per the [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm).
- The market grew. US out-of-home ad spending rose 3.6% in 2025, per the [OAAA](https://oaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/YE-2025-Top-Ten-OOH-Product-Category-Industries-2.pdf).

Here's an example from Riverbend Outdoor, an invented company. Kessler Plumbing pays $1,700 per 4 weeks for B-114 S. The renewal is $1,770, about 4% more. If Kessler signs for 13 periods by November 15, the rate holds for a year.

Don't fake demand. If no one else is waiting for the face, don't say so.

## What should the renewal note say?

Keep it short. Thank them, show the proof, give the new rate and ask one question.

> Hi Hank,
>
> Thanks for a good year on B-114 S. Kessler Plumbing's flight ends December 27, and dated photos of your ad are attached. I'd like to keep the face for you. A 13-period renewal is $1,770 per 4 weeks, locked for the year.
>
> Can I send the renewal for you to look over?

## What if they push back on the new rate?

Listen first. Ask what changed for them. Then offer a trade, not just a cut. Keep the old rate for a longer term. Or move them to a face that fits the budget. If you do cut the rate, put an end date on it.

## What if they don't renew?

Ask why, and write it down. Price, results and timing each need a different fix. Then start backfill that week.

1. List businesses near the face that fit. See [how to find billboard advertisers](https://gabie.ai/learn/how-to-find-billboard-advertisers).
2. Send a short note with the open dates and the rate. Template 5 in our [sales email templates](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-sales-email-templates) is built for this.
3. Take down the old ad on time, unless your contract says otherwise.

An empty face earns nothing. Our [empty face cost calculator](https://gabie.ai/tools/empty-face-cost-calculator) shows what each empty week costs. It's also a good number to know before you offer a discount to keep someone.

## How do you make renewals a habit?

Put every flight's end date where the whole team sees it. Review the list every Monday. Give each renewal an owner and a due date. Track how many flights renew each quarter. A falling rate is an early warning about price, results or service.

> How Gabie handles this: Gabie's Today screen lists renewals at risk. These are booked flights that end within 60 days with no renewal or next booking. Gabie also alerts you 30 days before a booking ends. Its Renewal Save plan lists an email, a call on day 3 and a task on day 7. The rep works each step. Proof of posting is attached to each booking. When a face opens up, Scout can start finding buyers for it. See [Gabie Today](https://gabie.ai/platform/today).

## Questions people ask
### When should you start a billboard renewal?
60 to 90 days before the flight ends. That leaves time to agree on terms, make new artwork and backfill the face if the advertiser leaves.

### How much can you raise a billboard rate at renewal?
There's no set rule. Tie it to demand for the face and to real costs. US consumer prices rose 3.7% in the year to September 2026, which is a useful reference point.

### What is proof of posting?
Dated photos that show the ad up on the face during the flight. For digital faces, it's a play report. It's the first thing to bring to a renewal.

### Should I give a discount to keep a billboard advertiser?
Try a rate lock for a longer term first. If you do discount, compare it to what an empty face would cost you.

### What should I do when an advertiser doesn't renew?
Ask why and write it down. Then start backfill that week by pitching businesses near the face with the open dates and rate.

## Sources
1. Lamar Advertising Company Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025, Lamar Advertising Company, via SEC EDGAR. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1090425/000109042526000008/lamr-20251231.htm (accessed 2026-10-08)
2. Consumer Price Index News Release, September 2026, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm (accessed 2026-10-15)
3. 2025 January–December OOH Advertising Expenditures Ranked by Total Spending, OAAA (data by MediaRadar). https://oaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/YE-2025-Top-Ten-OOH-Product-Category-Industries-2.pdf (accessed 2026-10-08)