An Audio/Video Installation Cost Overview

Audio/Video is a broad term which refers to all specific systems and devices that create high-quality or even professional level audio and video. While Home Theatres are a popular audio/video installation you can find solutions which are a lot more affordable. A key element of audio/video installations is the hardware, with some devices ranging from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. This makes it hard to provide a clear set of cost guidelines for people who would like to install an audio/video system or home theatre in their home. While this can make it hard for someone who is new to audio/video to determine what quality of system they would like to install it also means there is an abundance of options available for any budget. While hardware is important, it’s also crucial to hire an experienced, qualified audio/video installer to set-up the system. On average, audio/video installers cost around $100-$150 AUD per hour. In addition to hardware costs for the system itself people who are looking for a larger set up like a Home Theatre have to consider additional costs such as proper lighting devices and cinema furniture. Below you can find a rough guide to an audio/video installation in Australia, although remember, high-end prices can potentially cost as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it really depends on your budget and the quality you’d like.

Tips for Audio/Video Installation

1. Ensure that the hardware you choose is compatible with each other. Some audio/video brands are compatible with one another while others aren’t when researching and choosing the devices for your audio/video set-up remember to check their compatibility options.
2. Ensure you work with an experience and qualified audio/video installer before committing to a project. Audio/Video hardware can be extremely expensive and requires experience and know-how to set up correctly. When choosing an installer for the job make sure to check their references and if they have worked with your devices or similar in the past.
3. Be prepared to run wires. With audio/video devices, in particular speaker systems you may need to run wires through your walls for a cleaner look. Make sure your installer is experienced with this so they don’t damage anything in the process.
4. You don’t need the most expensive audio/video system to still get a great experience. The audio/video market is large and ever-growing, this means there are plenty of options for almost any budget. While Home Theatres are impressive you can start with adding devices to your current television system for an enhanced experience.

Tips for Hiring a Professional

1. Doing a bigger project, e.g. multiple solutions or tasks, is more cost efficient than doing multiple small home improvements. It’s more affordable to do one big home improvement project with one professional rather than hiring different professional at different times. By bundling these solutions and tasks together you can receive bulk discounts on hardware and negotiate better installer costs.
2. We highly recommend spending time to plan a project well. If you carefully design the project you will not only have a clear plan for the installer but can also save money through an efficient installation or by fixing potential problems that may cost money to fix in the future.
3. Budget for a little bit extra. While you may get a rough guide to the costs involved online or from the quote, we recommend that you always budget for around 30% more than you expect any project to cost you. While this may not be necessary in the unfortunate situation of problems occurring or upgrades being required you may need this extra 30%.
4. We recommend you always ask potential installers and professionals to provide you with references of their previous work. Experienced professionals should always have a website or portfolio of previous work to show you. This will give you a better understanding of the quality of work that you can expect.
5. Remember to discuss with the installer or professional about who will pay for the hardware costs. If you decided that you’d like the installers to source the hardware then expect that most installers will charge you the recommended retail price for this hardware. Alternatively, if you’d like to save money you could try to find a retail store what will give you a bulk order discount for bigger projects, this way you could save some money by getting the hardware yourself.
6. If you’re unsure about how to do a Home Improvement project we recommend you hire a professional. While you could attempt to do it DIY style this takes time, energy and often frustration. Additionally, if you try to do it yourself and end up damaging something you may create a second problem that requires a professional to fix.