Quite a bit of money......... I'd guess a few $1000's depending on the quality and experience of workers to do it all professionally and properly.
-
Our native mobile app has a new name: Fora Communities. Learn more.
What is a fair price for a local dealer/AV business to help you install, set up, calibrate, etc?
No idea what section to post this in, so I apologize if this is the wrong place. It fits 1/3 of the section description, "setup," which is more than it seemed to fit any other section, lol.
Say I bought some speakers or other AV gear locally, and also wanted help putting 4-5 in-ceiling speakers in the ceiling, mounting the screen on-ceiling, running the wiring on the ceiling with tracts, cable management, and setting up and calibrating the speakers and subs? What is a fair price for that amount of work? Maybe 7-12 hours, just to take a guess, of installation and setup plus calibration, with maybe 90 mins of that requiring two people to mount the screen, and the rest maybe only requiring one person? There are actually 2 scenarios so let me break that question into two.
1. What is a fair price for those services if I purchase no gear from the dealer/AV business, just the installation a la carte? I wouldn't do this purposefully but some of my gear I buy used, other stuff they may not carry, etc.
2. What is a fair price for those services added to a package where you're already spending say $1,000 on gear from a local dealer or AV business?
I've never had a HT with gear that required installation like this before, so I have no idea the costs, and am just trying to get a very general idea so I know what to expect.
Say I bought some speakers or other AV gear locally, and also wanted help putting 4-5 in-ceiling speakers in the ceiling, mounting the screen on-ceiling, running the wiring on the ceiling with tracts, cable management, and setting up and calibrating the speakers and subs? What is a fair price for that amount of work? Maybe 7-12 hours, just to take a guess, of installation and setup plus calibration, with maybe 90 mins of that requiring two people to mount the screen, and the rest maybe only requiring one person? There are actually 2 scenarios so let me break that question into two.
1. What is a fair price for those services if I purchase no gear from the dealer/AV business, just the installation a la carte? I wouldn't do this purposefully but some of my gear I buy used, other stuff they may not carry, etc.
2. What is a fair price for those services added to a package where you're already spending say $1,000 on gear from a local dealer or AV business?
I've never had a HT with gear that required installation like this before, so I have no idea the costs, and am just trying to get a very general idea so I know what to expect.
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Any business that works in your home like that will likely charge $ 100 per hour, per man.
I wouldn’t pay over $7.15 minimum wage and yell about them trying to touch you inappropriately if they try to protest.
I needed my rack to be cleaned up and everything installed on a new rack. This took two days and a couple of thousand dollars. It is not cheap. I am in the 95051 zip code.
Hoping your rack is two stories tall or something, otherwise I'm in troubleI needed my rack to be cleaned up and everything installed on a new rack. This took two days and a couple of thousand dollars. It is not cheap. I am in the 95051 zip code.
I can post a picture. My rack houses - Lyngdrof MP-60, Emotiva XSP-1 (Gen 2), Kaleidescape Disc Vault, Starto, Alto, Co-Star, 4K Sony Disc Player, Roon Nucleus, Apple TV, Roku, Nakamichi Tape Deck, Control- 4 EA, 24 port network Switch, Router, Modem etc.Hoping your rack is two stories tall or something, otherwise I'm in trouble
It doesn't matter if you buy the equipment from them - installers will have their own rate sheet for customer provided and installer supplied equipment. The rate can easily be over $100 an hour for the skilled technician, while being $50 for the muscle (per hour per person) and apprentices.
Note that if you supply your own equipment the rate and estimates will be higher because if a piece of equipment doesn't work, they will spend time diagnosing the issue on the clock. They may want to also do a test set up before installation to verify it works.
Any good installer will give you an in person quote, looking at what you want done, the equipment, etc. It's all labor charge so $1000+ a day wouldn't be unusual.
Note that if you supply your own equipment the rate and estimates will be higher because if a piece of equipment doesn't work, they will spend time diagnosing the issue on the clock. They may want to also do a test set up before installation to verify it works.
Any good installer will give you an in person quote, looking at what you want done, the equipment, etc. It's all labor charge so $1000+ a day wouldn't be unusual.
What about calibration? I think I got it covered for video, but I don't know jack about speaker and subwoofer calibration or set up. I can measure the first and second reflection points, but don't know what type of acoustic materials to put different places, and I can run audyssey, but that's it. I've never set up a speaker in my life, let alone surround sound or a subwoofer, and I have too much going on to learn how to use a miniDSP or REW. I'm sure I can get it all "working" with the help of the internet, but I doubt I can get it working very well on my own.It doesn't matter if you buy the equipment from them - installers will have their own rate sheet for customer provided and installer supplied equipment. The rate can easily be over $100 an hour for the skilled technician, while being $50 for the muscle (per hour per person) and apprentices.
Note that if you supply your own equipment the rate and estimates will be higher because if a piece of equipment doesn't work, they will spend time diagnosing the issue on the clock. They may want to also do a test set up before installation to verify it works.
Any good installer will give you an in person quote, looking at what you want done, the equipment, etc. It's all labor charge so $1000+ a day wouldn't be unusual.
In our area for calibration (not installation), I'd contact @Kris Deering. He's probably the most capable person on the west coast. I don't think we have any professional calibrators in the area otherwise.What about calibration? I think I got it covered for video, but I don't know jack about speaker and subwoofer calibration or set up. I can measure the first and second reflection points, but don't know what type of acoustic materials to put different places, and I can run audyssey, but that's it. I've never set up a speaker in my life, let alone surround sound or a subwoofer, and I have too much going on to learn how to use a miniDSP or REW. I'm sure I can get it all "working" with the help of the internet, but I doubt I can get it working very well on my own.
Installers can calibrate as well, and often a basic calibration is included.
If you want more, either have someone calibrate it after install or ask for it on the quote.
Installers will give you estimates for the work to be done. Make sure when they're making the quote you provide them with a list of all the equipment you want to have installed, what furniture or other things you want done (e.g., are you needing a rack installed? Do they have to provide a rack? What kind of rack? Where will the rack be installed, etc. etc. etc.), and of course, what services you want them to do - usually they will align the projectors and do basic calibration to make sure everything works, but if you want them to install baffling or other things, they can do that as well.
Get several quotes, and you'll often find most will omit something on your list - either the company doesn't offer that service, or they forgot it, or they are purposefully ignoring it hoping you'll add it at the last minute at a much higher rate.
Make a list of what you want done and provide it as well as sketches or blueprints of the room you want it done so you don't forget something and they can provide you the best estimate possible.
And make sure when they provide the estimate to tell you how long it's good for.
The harder question is to find well recommended installers to come over and provide the estimates. There are plenty of shady dealers out there,
If you want more, either have someone calibrate it after install or ask for it on the quote.
Installers will give you estimates for the work to be done. Make sure when they're making the quote you provide them with a list of all the equipment you want to have installed, what furniture or other things you want done (e.g., are you needing a rack installed? Do they have to provide a rack? What kind of rack? Where will the rack be installed, etc. etc. etc.), and of course, what services you want them to do - usually they will align the projectors and do basic calibration to make sure everything works, but if you want them to install baffling or other things, they can do that as well.
Get several quotes, and you'll often find most will omit something on your list - either the company doesn't offer that service, or they forgot it, or they are purposefully ignoring it hoping you'll add it at the last minute at a much higher rate.
Make a list of what you want done and provide it as well as sketches or blueprints of the room you want it done so you don't forget something and they can provide you the best estimate possible.
And make sure when they provide the estimate to tell you how long it's good for.
The harder question is to find well recommended installers to come over and provide the estimates. There are plenty of shady dealers out there,
You don't like Kris much I'm guessing. 😉In our area for calibration (not installation), I'd contact @Kris Deering. He's probably the most capable person on the west coast. I don't think we have any professional calibrators in the area otherwise.
There's an old adage, "if you have to ask, you probably......"
Make a list of what you want done and get 2 proposals. The internet doesn't know.
Make a list of what you want done and get 2 proposals. The internet doesn't know.
I mean I don't have personal emotional feelings for the guy. I have high respect for his skills. He calibrates hollywood screening rooms and mastering booths. Who would be more qualified?You don't like Kris much I'm guessing. 😉
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
AVS Forum
A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, TVs, projectors, screens, receivers, speakers, projects, DIY’s, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
WilliamR
858 Replies
BASSAHOLIC
472 Replies
bass addict
396 Replies
Recommended Communities
