Dekalb Il Home Theater Installation | Dekalb Home Theater Install

Dekalb Il Home Theater Installation | Dekalb Home Theater Install

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DeKalb IL Home Theater Systems Installation


How To Find The Best Home Theater Installation Company In The DeKalb, IL Area


OK, so for example, you just purchased your flat panel television. You realize that your new 50" is going to be rather heavy to put on the wall yourself. You think to yourself that perhaps a home theater installation company would be the best option herefor you and your back! Finding a professional home theater installer could prove to be the toughest part of your project. Here are some tips that should help you out:

Steps to Finding the Best Home Theater Installer:


1. It is always best to select someone that is local. There are thousands of professional home theater installation companies across the country. Search for a home theater installer that is within a 50-mile range of your home or commercial installation. You are more likely to have an installer come by and tweak your system, if need be, when you are within a reasonable distance.


2. Ask for references on finished projects that are similar to what you have in mind for your home theater and are relatively within the same cost range. Home theater installation companies may refer you to a website. This is a great starting point and should be used in connection with speaking to at least one customer with a similar installation project and ask
how satisfied they are with the finished results.


3. Ask how long they have been in business. While references are typically your best insight into how someone works on their installation projects, ask the professional home theater installer for a general background of their training. Many home theater installation companies have licensed electricians on their teams and may have additional trade certifications as well.

4. Get at least one other bid for the job to make sure they are not totally ripping you off. Before you invite the installer to your home, gauge their pricing estimates. If the home theater installation company primarily works on home theater and multi-room home automation systems for all-star athletes, they may not be competitive when you want some wires hidden
and your flat panel mounted on the wall. You should be able to obtain a general cost range estimate over the phone. Also get flat rate estimates so you know the total you will pay beforehand.


The best place to start asking about DeKalb IL home theater installers is your family and friends. Other good sources of referrals include contractors, real estate agents and your local electronics store. Your city may even be able to provide a list of recommended home theater installation companys who are familiar with the codes in your area. When asking for referrals, be sure to check the type of job the installer was called in to accomplish. Also, determine if they specialize in residential or commercial work.


In addition, many custom home theater and home automation installers only work through architects, interior decorators or custom home builders. If you are already working with some of these professionals, you may also want to look here for a recommendation. Ask outright if the recommending professional is receiving a commission or other benefit from the home theater installation professional. If they are, you may want to consider other options for finding your installer.


5. Find Out What They Specialize In - Find out if your home theater installation company specializes in commercial or residential installations. While similar skill sets are required for home and office home theater
installations, adding wiring to an office building is typically easier than adding to your home, although commercial home theater or automation installations tend to be more technically challenging. If you live in a historic or older home and want to retain its antiquity, you and the home theater installation company you choose will need to find solutions to overcome any obstacles found when 'peeling' back the onion of your home's walls.


How to Hire a Home Theater Installation Company:


Think about the last time you purchased a car. Chances are you didnt go to the yellow pages, choose a dealership at random, and buy your car from the first lot you visited. Many times, though, this scenario describes the way homeowners find a home theater installer -- they look in the phone book and call the installation company with the largest ad or the first one listed. But much like purchasing a car, finding a qualified home theater installation company requires research and comparison shopping.


Ask For A Quote
Invite the home theater installation company to look at the job and ask for a quote in writing. In the quote also ask then to specify the time it will take to complete the job. Make sure the installers are quoting on the same specifications. Before beginning the work that both of you agreed upon.


Execute A Contract
The home theater installer should provide you with a complete signed contract that details pricing, equipment specifications, including connecting cables, deliverable dates if your project runs in phases and a payment structure. Final payment should always occur upon completion of the project.


Things to Look For in a Qualified Home Theater Installer


There are a number of qualifications which can set a professional DeKalb IL home theater installer apart.


* Insurance - Ask the home theater installation company for a copy of their liability insurance policy to cover you and the installer if something should go wrong. A minimum $500,000 policy is typically best for everyone involved. It's rare, but we have heard of displays tipping over and breaking by accident during an installation. These issues would be covered under the home theater installation company's policy. If you accidentally break your plasma TV, it's typically covered under your homeowner's policy. (It is also recommended that you consider purchasing an extended warranty which covers any outages of your plasma TV, LCD, DLP or similar display unit. Its money well spent, as maintenance costs remain high despite the reduction in product prices.)

* Better Business Bureau -- Contact your local Better Business Bureau to ascertain if any complaints have been filed against your potential candidate.


* Use Angies List - www.angieslist.com to see what others have to say about this person. If an installer has good reviews on Angies List, then it is a good bet they will do good work for you too. Find out how an installer works. If you have a several room installation and your plasma TV installer is an early bird and is at your home by 7am and you typically wake up at 9am, it's going to be a tough couple of mornings. If you are a neat freak and your installer is very proficient in plasma and audio technologies but can seem a little scatterbrained, your working styles may not connect.


* Website or Pictures of Completed Projects - Ask for a link to the home theater installation company's website or for some images of recently completed installations. Occasionally, home theater installers will keep a showroom to provide you with living examples of their workmanship. Home theater showrooms can sometimes result in increased overhead and charges to you, which is why it is always good to get a price range upfront. Today, most professional home theater installers are collecting images of completed projects anyway.


FINAL TIPS


* Small business home theater installation companies will be much more affordable because their overhead is lower.


* If it's a big job, ask a number of home theater installers and discard the cheapest and most expensive options. The cheapest will have underestimated and will sting you for it later and the most expensive doesn't really want your business, probably because they have work up to their eyeballs already.



About the Author:
By the way, are you interested in finding the best home theater installer in DeKalb IL?

If so, get a FREE guide on How To Find the Best Home Theater Installation Company Available AND Avoid Getting Ripped Off. Visit this site: DeKalb IL Home Theater Installation



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