On June 10, 2017 at 11:39, filmguys99 said...
I am looking at upgrading my home's automation system to Crestron
I am looking for someone in the Chicago area to help design and program a whole house system (AV control, Sprinkler, Alarm, HVAC, Lighting)
I will handle purchasing the hardware
Thanks
Most Crestron dealers have a business model that requires profit from hardware sales. So if you purchase the hardware from somewhere else these Crestron dealers can't afford to design and program for you. This is usually because they design and program for free or for much less than they should. The profit on hardware sales makes up for the lost revenue.
Other Crestron dealers will have no problem letting you source the hardware. They will charge you hourly for system design and user interface creation and programming. With this business model you save a lot of money on the hardware purchase but you spend a lot more for design and programming.
Bottom line is that its usually a wash...aside from one important thing. If you supply the hardware you are responsible for it. If its delivery is late you may get an additional labor charge when the installers have to come back out. If something fails you may have to deal with it yourself or be charged for the time it takes to troubleshoot and remedy the problem so at least two service visits, shipping, time involved in getting an RMA. When the dealer supplies the hardware and they get equipment late or install something that fails prematurely they usually have to provide you with a replacement free of charge. They eat the cost of labor
I noticed that you didn't mention installation. Just design and programming. Do you have an installer already? Is he familiar with Crestron?