For the Waitaki, Clutha and Queenstown Lakes District Councils, the cost is more than $169,000 over budget for the 2008-09 year.
Clutha District Council district assets manager Jules Witt said the number of signs damaged by people shooting holes in them, spray painting them, pulling them out of the ground and running over them with cars had increased in the past two months.
Vandalism had contributed to the budget for maintenance and replacement of damaged signs being blown by $45,000 to $155,000 in the past financial year.
"It's a case of a small minority ruining it for the majority.
In the end, it's the ratepayers who are having to pay for it," he said.
Vandalism is also proving costly for the Waitaki District Council, which has overspent its sign renewal and replacement budget by $64,283.
The council had budgeted to spend $33,650 on signs during the 2008-09 financial year, but spending reached almost $100,000.
Assets group manager Neil Jorgensen said most of the extra expenditure was to replace or repair signs damaged by vandals.
However, he was unable to provide an exact figure.
The council had faced a similar issue in the past, but had not found a solution to reduce the cost.
Mr Jorgensen said all types of signs, including street signs, road markers, road signs, tourist and information signs, were targeted.
Costs could range from $3000-$5000, which was met by a mixture of rates, depreciation and subsidy from the New Zealand Transport Agency.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council has an annual budget of $140,000 for repairing and replacing signs.
Roading manager Ian Marshall estimated the council had been forced to spend more than $60,000 over that figure.
While the Waitaki, Clutha and Queenstown Lakes District Councils had recorded budget overspends, the Dunedin City Council, the Central Otago District Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency had managed to stay within their budgets.
The DCC budget for replacement of signs is $155,000, which is split almost equally between urban and rural sectors.
The Central Otago council has a budget of $175,000 for repair and replacement of signs, and the New Zealand Transport Agency's budget for sign replacements on Otago's state highways is $20,000 a year.
Road signs
The cost of repairing and replacing damaged signs in Otago. -
Waitaki District Council: $100,000Clutha District Council: $155,000
Central Otago District Council: $175,000
Queenstown Lakes District Council: $200,000
New Zealand Transport Agency: $20,000
Dunedin City Council: $155,000
Total: $805,000
