Custom Integrator or Big-Box Installer? How to Choose Who Installs Your Home Technology

When you are ready to mount a TV, add speakers or automate your home, you have two kinds of companies to call: the installation services offered by big-box electronics retailers, and custom integrators like Livewire. Both install technology. They are built for different jobs.

What big-box installation services do well

• Single, well-defined tasks. Mounting a TV, setting up a soundbar, installing a video doorbell or connecting a new router.
• Convenience. You can buy the product and book the install in the same place.
• Fixed menus of services. For a standard job, you know roughly what it will cost before anyone arrives.

If you need one TV mounted or one device set up, a big-box install can be a perfectly good choice.

What a custom integrator does differently

• Design comes first. An integrator starts with how you live and what you want to solve, then designs the system, rather than starting with a product off the shelf.
• Systems, not devices. Lighting, shades, audio, video, networking, security and climate are designed to work together, controlled from one app, keypad or remote.
• Planning with your builder and designer. On new construction and renovations, an integrator plans wiring, equipment locations and keypad placement with the architect, interior designer and trades before the walls close.
• Equipment you will not find on a store shelf. Many professional brands, such as Control4, Savant, Lutron HomeWorks and Ketra, are sold and installed only through authorized dealers.
• Support after the install. The same team that designed and installed the system supports it. At Livewire that includes Invision, our support plan with 24/7 phone support, unlimited remote repair and proactive monitoring.

How Livewire works

Livewire has designed, installed and supported home and business technology in Central Virginia since 2002. Rough budget estimates are free over the phone. A detailed proposal starts with an on-site or virtual consultation and a 4% design retainer, fully credited toward the project if you go ahead. After installation, we train you on the system and stay in touch for updates and upgrades. See our FAQs for details.

Questions to ask before you hire anyone

1. Who designs the system, and will I see the design before I commit?
2. Are you an authorized dealer for the brands you are recommending?
3. Will the same company that installs it support it, and how do I reach them?
4. Can it grow? Ask how you would add rooms, speakers or features later.
5. Who do I call at 9 p.m. on a Saturday when something stops working?

The bottom line

For a single, standard install, a big-box service is often all you need. For a whole-home system, a new build or a renovation, or anything you want to keep working for years, work with an integrator who designs it, installs it and stands behind it.

See how we compare with other local firms in The Best Home Technology Companies in Richmond, learn about Invision support, or book a consultation.