In our last blog post, we discussed how general contractors of commercial projects can benefit from working with an experienced San Diego audio video contractor like Fluid Sound. As we’ve been thinking about this topic some more, however, we thought it would be important to discuss when a general contractor should call us in to help with their project. Read on—the answer may surprise you!
Contractors who have worked with us before know the value we can provide in the early stages of a project, but those who are new to working on projects with large-scale or highly customized audio video systems don’t always think to call us until they are ready to get started installing the systems their clients have requested.
In our opinion, general contractors bidding on large commercial projects that they know or anticipate will have a large audiovisual element to it should consider contacting a San Diego audio video contractor like Fluid Sound before they even bid on the job! Here’s why—some companies know exactly what they want when it comes to audio video systems, but others present their general contractors with audiovisual requests once the project is already underway. (We’ve noticed that AV is usually not in the scope of the general contract, and not thought about until the project is underway). When you bring us in for those initial meetings with your corporate clients, we can help you determine what their audio video needs are and come up with the best approach to meeting those needs. This tells your potential client that you are thinking ahead and taking a proactive approach to their project.
Finding out their AV needs before you bid on the job will also allow you to give your potential client a more accurate quote. No general contractor we know likes to have to call their clients and tell them, “Sorry, your project is going to be a lot more than we initially quoted.” But this can happen when you don’t know the scope of their AV needs, or when you don’t have personal experience quoting these types of projects.
By calling in an audio video contractor early, you can also help keep to your proposed timeline. You can add this portion of the project into the build schedule from the beginning and have the cables run and the AV hardware installed at the most opportune times.
If you’re a general contractor in San Diego looking to partner with an experienced audio video contractor like Fluid Sound, we’d love to talk with you! You don’t even have to wait until you have a specific project you’re bidding on. We would be happy to meet with you at any time and start developing a mutually beneficial relationship. Contact us today.