When taking over a project from another contractor, the heart starts to palpitate; the palms become sweaty; and you cross your fingers that it’s not going to be as bad as you think. I’m sure this is true with any contractor, but we are a bit biased towards the custom technology realm as I’m sure you can understand since that is what we do every day.
So, What’s the big deal? It’s just a couple TV’s and speakers, right?
Here’s the deal. Every AV contractor has their way of doing AV integration. In today’s AV world, AV expands way past just speakers and televisions. It has expanded into networking, lighting, motorized shading, and HVAC controls. Not to say there is a specific right or wrong way of achieving a great end result. However, our technicians at AHT Residential, led by Willy Blanco, have formulated a very specific plan of action over the past 20 years when installing a client’s system. When taking over for another contractor one of the hurdles is to learn what that contractor has done and why they did it.
We cross our fingers the basics are okay. What are the basics?
Well, it really depends how far along the contractor is in a project.
The wiring is the most crucial part. Once the walls go up, it’s difficult to turn back and start cutting holes all over the place to run new wire or correct already laid wiring. In a perfect world, all the wiring is labeled. If it is labeled, we check and double check to make sure of it’s accuracy.
Why did the contractor get fired anyway?
Contractors can be asked to leave a job for a number of reasons. The number one reason is ineptness or poor work ethic, so the chances of everything being in proper order are slim to none. If the project is not in working order, it’s okay. This is why we have been hired to take over the job and our guys will bring the integration up to AHT Residential standards.
Recently, in Boca Raton, Florida we took over a project from a contractor who pre-wired before we took over the project. Lucky for us, the wiring was in the proper places; however, none of the wires were labeled, so they had to be toned from the rack room to the end location of the house. Even if they were labeled, our guys would have double checked the accuracy of the label, so in the end it didn’t affect the time, but it is always good practice to label all the wires. If an AV installer is not labeling, it is sure to become a nightmare sometime down the road when service may be needed.
Check out the before and after pictures below of the finished rack room from our most recent Boca Raton project. We had to tear down the piece left behind by the previous contractor and replace it with our custom rack and panel design. To be honest, we have never seen a termination piece like it before. It’s just an example of what you may run into when taking over a project mid-way through from another contractor. As you can see from the after photo’s, the rack was installed very clean, and the clients are thrilled with their system!
Here is a video excerpt from Paul Vander Vennet, a Coastal Construction Superintendent, on a couple of their projects we took over in mid stream.
Key Takeaway: As a result of taking over projects in mid stream, we have developed new relationships and future projects. We are now integrating the new projects from the beginning making the integration a lot smoother. That being said, if you have a project that is stalling and need a hand, feel free to give us a shout. We have a great team that is here to help.