Bad idea to be a companies 1st C4 install?

The two systems are pretty different. No two control systems are programmed the same.

That said, C4 programming is not difficult so assuming your dealer is competent, then they should be able to learn it. The hardware capability side is a bit more iffy in that a regular dealer may know the limitations of that better than they would. If your project is not very complicated then this risk is manageable too.

Ultimately you need to decide in addition to them being nice and responsive, how smart they really are about technical matters. If they are smart, they can figure things out quickly. If they are not, they have high chance of having problems with the new system and even the ones they currently install.

I agree with Amir. The big, BIG question here isn't whether it's their first install, it's whether it comfortably falls within their area of expertise. What type of HAI installations do they perform? Fully automated systems, or, as is more common, basic security systems? Do they have A/V experience?

Another question to ask is if they will possibly consult/partner with another C4 integrator or consultant since it's their first project? That is often done the most easily if the other dealer is in another area of the country so it's not a direct competitor. That could be as simple as paying another highly experienced C4 integrator for a few hours of their time and asking them to review the plans and proposal and make sure they haven't missing anything.

If I were you I would get references from the dealer's customers that are similar to what you are doing.

A friend of mine built his dream home (5,500 Sq Ft) and went with a very large dealer and for the last 7 months the system has never performed and had numerous probs where the dealer is out there every week trying to
make things work properly. The first prob they ran into was after a power outage the C4 system is dead and requires a service call to bring back up. The list of issues over the last 7 months is huge and this is the first month where
things are working OK (except outdoor TV still has no volume).

I'm willing to bet if you asked my friend if he would go with C4 again it would be a big no.

Good luck to you.

Any C4 dealer who has been around for any length of time knows to put the controllers on battery backup.