custom work charges

[jdogg]

What are the going prices to hang a TV, fish all the wires hook up surround sound. I am getting a lot of people asking me to do these extra things what should i charge? is there some base price? Thanks

[Mertzen]

What are the going prices to hang a TV, fish all the wires hook up surround sound. I am getting a lot of people asking me to do these extra things what should i charge? is there some base price? Thanks

Wallfish is about $65 each. TV mount I wouldn't do for under 150, surround depends on how it has to be run..fished or stapled.

[tcusta00]

Better get insurance for hanging big expensive TVs on walls :D

[jdogg]

Wallfish is about $65 each. TV mount I wouldn't do for under 150, surround depends on how it has to be run..fished or stapled.

is that just the labor charge? I know that the wall mount brackets are expensive.

[TigersFanJJ]

Depends on where you are and who you get to quote you. I charge $300 for a tv above 32" if you supply the mount. $425 with a tilting mount included.

Sounds expensive, I know but Bestbuy around here charges $500 for that size.

[AlbertZeroK]

Mounting brackets range from $500 down to under $100. I have a 50" plasma on a scissor type mount in the living room that cost me $350, but in the bedroom, the 42" Plasma is on a $75 flush wall mount.

As for what to charge, I'd gladly pay $100-$200 for it to be done, but it also all depends on how much you've done it and I'd want to see a couple pictures of other installs - but that's just me.

[joe diamond]

You might want to try it on your own home. Get some mounts. Cut the wall and try hanging a set.

Sometimes the wall fish just won't cut it so you need to run cable outside under the siding. Sheetrock finishing skills come in handy and sometimes paint matching. Every job is different and you will need more building trade related skills. Hitting the 101 will be helpful but that is just the beginning.

As mentioned, your insurance issue is going to be different. You may even need a home improvement license or similar in some states.You are going into a different profession. Consider working for home theatre company for awhile to gain some experience.

It is worth the investment to diversify.

Joe

[BattleZone]

Installing a flat-panel TV on a normal wall and fishing the AV cables straight down the wall isn't so hard... but that isn't what most people want.

What they want is the TV installed over the fireplace, which is usually in the center of the room. In most cases, this greatly complicates the running of cables, and in my experience almost always means multiple holes in the drywall and notching out studs to run the cables (and when doing this type of install, you should run cables for EVERY input to the TV, because adding additional cables would otherwise mean doing all the work over again.) Holes in the wall means making a big mess, having to patch and texture-match the drywall, and match the paint.

PLUS, unless you are a licensed electrician, you cannot relocate the power outlet, and in no case can you run the power cord inside the wall.

In California, you'll need a BEAR license minimum to do this work (power NOT included; you need a C10 for that).

The idea here is that if you aren't prepared and experienced, you can get yourself in over your head real fast, or end up having to turn down the majority of your leads. Most of the time, you will be in the true realm of "custom" work.

But I agree wholeheartedly with Joe; it *is* worth it to get this work, because unlike satellite installations, people EXPECT to pay, and are mostly willing to pay reasonably to have good work done.

[JAYHAWKER2]

I just did a wall mount and cable fish of a 52 inch lcd for a friend of mine. If you are considering charging for it you should check out the mounts at monoprice. They are as good as the omni mounts I use to sell at an electronics store and are about one fifth the price.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082807&p_id=4114&seq=1&format=2

[jdogg]

I just did a wall mount and cable fish of a 52 inch lcd for a friend of mine. If you are considering charging for it you should check out the mounts at monoprice. They are as good as the omni mounts I use to sell at an electronics store and are about one fifth the price.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082807&p_id=4114&seq=1&format=2

is there a difference where i buy my mounts? i see them on ebay for 25 and walmart has them for 125 is there any difference i dont want some cheap import. i have all the necessary experience expect i need to hang a few more TV's. i just want to have a good price range to work with. i want to make a labor sheet that i can give to people with estimates in stead of being unprepared. i need to find a place where i can get long HDMI wires and others so i can install the receiver in another room if asked or on the other side of the room.

[TigersFanJJ]

I just did a wall mount and cable fish of a 52 inch lcd for a friend of mine. If you are considering charging for it you should check out the mounts at monoprice. They are as good as the omni mounts I use to sell at an electronics store and are about one fifth the price.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10828&cs_id=1082807&p_id=4114&seq=1&format=2

That mount isn't bad but I don't recommend using a mount unless it at least has a tilt function. I did a wall mount over a fireplace once using a fixed mount that my custmer had purchased on his own. I tried to talk him out of it but he already had the mount so he told me to go ahead and do it. He called me a couple of weeks later and told me that he'd be glad to pay me to come back and reinstall it on his new tilting mount.

I've used that $26 tilting mount that is listed on the bottom of that page. Good mount.

[joe diamond]

is there a difference where i buy my mounts? i see them on ebay for 25 and walmart has them for 125 is there any difference i dont want some cheap import. i have all the necessary experience expect i need to hang a few more TV's. i just want to have a good price range to work with. i want to make a labor sheet that i can give to people with estimates in stead of being unprepared. i need to find a place where i can get long HDMI wires and others so i can install the receiver in another room if asked or on the other side of the room.

Your supplier list will be a valuable tool.
In your proposal you list what you are going to do and you list a price. This is based upon what the customer has requested.
Before you can do this you measure and plan and perhaps note work to be done by others. The other valuable tool will be your list of costs. How far can you drive...work,, and return in one day?

It goes on like that. Every piece work is different here.

Joe

[TigersFanJJ]

i need to find a place where i can get long HDMI wires and others so i can install the receiver in another room if asked or on the other side of the room.

I have a company I buy from that sells most, if not all, of what you will need. You will need a tax id number or a business license to set up an account with them. PM me if you are interested and I'll send you some info.

[jdogg]

I have a company I buy from that sells most, if not all, of what you will need. You will need a tax id number or a business license to set up an account with them. PM me if you are interested and I'll send you some info.

sent a pm

[JAYHAWKER2]

That mount isn't bad but I don't recommend using a mount unless it at least has a tilt function. I did a wall mount over a fireplace once using a fixed mount that my custmer had purchased on his own. I tried to talk him out of it but he already had the mount so he told me to go ahead and do it. He called me a couple of weeks later and told me that he'd be glad to pay me to come back and reinstall it on his new tilting mount.

I've used that $26 tilting mount that is listed on the bottom of that page. Good mount.

I agree , fireplace mounts really need to be able to tilt to get a good angle. The mount I did was on a wall so it could go a little lower and the viewing distance was 15 feet. The reason I like that mount is that it hugs the wall really tight so it looks cleaner. The big downside is sometimes the connections stick out so far it is hard to clear the wall.