As far as what I was talking about it is usually a prewire for a SS, and multiroom audio which the customers want connected to components in a finished room. When I mentioned a plate and pulling wires through the wall it was the option of either making a wall plate that terminated the wiring or pulling the wire through the wall. Sorry if that was unclear.

I guess the first thing you have to understand is I am the installer. I do not get to make the "Big" decisions for example such as selling a complete job versus a prewire. We work with a builder who sets the pricing and we need kind of fit things into the price(I understand that is backwards but that is not my call). I guess we are not able to leave the wiring out of the wall and stuff it in after the drywall or we would have already been doing it that way.

I suppose that this builder allows HIS clients to establish the price of the houses he builds?

This is a builder that you/your company needs to educate, or dump. One or the other.

Maybe let the builder know that you'll do the phones, data, whatever, just like the cable company does. NO wall plates at final at all. The client gets the joy of paying the cable company a fee to plate out the house AFTER closing. It sucks, but the cable company gets away with it.



MPFM = More Profit For ME.......

MPFM= LMFAO...

I appreciate the advice. I am semi new at this and not at all near the level of most of the people who have responded. That is the reason I am ask the questions. I figured I need to spend some time discussing things with the builder but at my position I am not allowed. My company feels that if pressed the builder will just find someone who will do it the way they want. We are a very small company and have a lot riding on keeping a good relationship with this builder. I know they are not as informed as they should be and should allow my company to be more a part of the planning side but it will never change. Thanks for everything.

I think the advice to "dump the builder" was a little off.

Working for this builder may be an important part of raiden's business - why do you want to blow that off?

I think sometimes the guys who are really busy and can do it their own way or the highway forget that it's not that way with everyone.

Sounds like they are doing a good job of giving the builder what he wants. If they can profit at it, then good for them.

When I sense a client is budget minded first and good quality minded second, I don't push but I suggest. I think raiden could do that - keep doing what he is doing well, but when the builder is on the jobsite, show him what some terminations look like - and say, "this is what we do for some of our clients." The power of suggestion and not hard sell often gives good results, whether it's a prewire, a full system, or even a nice remote control option.

That's good advice Tom...
raidencmc, what percentage of these jobs are you guys doing the finish on? The actual sales & installation of speakers, and equipment.
It seems to me like you guys are eating up labor trying to figure out how & where to bury/hide the wire/bundles.

We work with a

Is this builder a custom home builder or does he build tracts? I am a little vague about him setting the price. If that is the case, what about scaling down the prewire/trim to include plates. Does that mean that sparky's plugs are not included and that cust has to pay sparky for those because builder sets a price for him and its not included in the price?

Many times I have left enough wire to reach the equipment rack. In the back of the closet I have built a false wall to leave a couple feet of wall space. If it is the back of the closet under the stairs this wall may only be 5 feet high.. and many times this wall is already in this type of a closet for you...

I leave the wire bundle in the void and let the sheetrockers cover it all up. Then at the end of the job to make things easier to work with, I cut out a hole the exact size of an air vent and install the air vent. Then either above or below the air vent I install single gang retro lv brackets. Then use the leviton plates with spots for 6 keystones.

Take off the air vent and pass through the leviton plates the wires you need. Put the vent back on and everything looks real neat.

Send me an email and I'll send you a pic.

That's not asking a lot!!!

Can't you put in a mud ring, coil the wire behind, and blank plate over at trim?

Huh? That's really kind of ... wierd...
Is this in the U.S. ... what country or area are you in?
IThe work required to come back and do what you guys are doing... Unless I'm not picturing this correctly, sounds like a major pain...

I think I am a little unclear as well.

90% of my business is dealing with builders. Tract builders, custom builders, commercial builders. I have never let a builder (or client for that matter) set my price. I have had a few that wanted to negotiate on large projects, but NEVER have I had one out right say this is what I will pay.

You are just running speaker wire and you can't afford plates? I can understand blanking the VC's, but the termination. It sounds to me like you (or the powers that be) need to sit down with the builder and explain what exactly you are doing and suggest an alternative.

Two things will happen if you continue this way. One, the customers will be ticked and complain to their friends and the builder. Two, the builder will eventually find someone else to do the work becuase they get so many complaints about you.

I am not saying drop the builder, I would talk with them and see if something can be worked out. I would also start searching for a new place to by plates. I buy mine from Parts Express, and they are not very expensive at all.

I think that maybe the builder should.... HIRE A PRO!!!

hire a pro...where have i heard that before

ed

I like your idea.