Guide

What to Ask Before You Hire an AV Installer

The useful questions are about process, not products. Ask these before anyone is on site.

Most people evaluate an installer by the equipment they recommend, which is the least informative thing about them. The install is where the outcome is decided, so the questions worth asking are about how the work gets done.

Will you pull wire before drywall goes up?

If you are mid-construction, this is the first question. An installer who wants to come out during rough-in is thinking about the finished result. One who is happy to wait until the walls are painted is thinking about their schedule.

How do you decide where speakers go?

The answer should involve the room and the seating, not a diagram from a box. Ask what they would do differently if the couch moved, or if the ceiling were lower. Someone who has thought about the space will have an immediate answer.

Is calibration included, and who does it?

Ask whether the system gets measured and adjusted after installation or left at factory settings, and whether that is in the quote or added later. This is the step most often skipped, and it is the difference between the room sounding fine and sounding right.

Who programs the control, and what happens after you leave?

Ask who sets up the remote or app, whether the household gets shown how to use it, and what it takes to get something changed when a source is swapped in two years. Also ask what happens on the power and outlet side, because that portion belongs to a licensed electrician and should be named as such rather than absorbed quietly.

Can I see a room you finished, not just equipment you sold?

A finished room shows placement, cable management and mounting height. An equipment list shows nothing about any of them.

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Get the Wiring Right the First Time

Tell us about the room and the stage the project is at, and we will match you with an installer who works this way.

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