Business is good but its never good enough to turn away business. We have a client that we are trying to find a solution for that just moved into a 3 story house. They are willing to purchase what ever solution we come up with but I cant think of a way to wire the house. The main media room is located on the bottom floor and the client wants audio in living spaces on the top floor and decks on both sides of the top floor. The house looks like it has been remodeled in the last few years but no AV wiring was ran. There is some CAT5 ran for data and phone with odd junction locations in the ceiling which maybe I can use to wire to local in wall amps in a few of the rooms but thats about it. I all but refuse to use wireless for speakers.

The issue is how to get speakers wired from shared sources for distributed audio.

Im out of ideas. Even, if we can convince the client to cut drywall in this beautiful residence 3 floors up it would be like a small remodel due to some of the angles we have to cross and bathrooms.

Any ideas?

Why not Sonos? If I could, I would switch everything I do over to Sonos if it played nicely with third party controllers and was easier to intergrate with video distribution.

+1

Hide a ZP120 on each floor, just have to get speaker wires to it instead of to the main floor.

Nuvo Renovia.

Doesn't sound like a fun retrofit, but could be a profitable one. Like you said they're willing to spend however much money so it might as well go in your pocket, right. Is it a regular wood frame house? Is there lots of wallpaper or something. Don't forget you can use closets to hide wire...

I know it's easy for me to say since I haven't seen it but the houses in my area are pretty easy for that sort of thing.

Love it... Sell the system that pays YOU instead of framers, drywall guys, painters, etc...

give them an idea of an ideal setup would be via cutting drywall and repairing.

or

something power line carrier like Russound Collage

or

Wireless like Sonos.

For the original question, I have told people I can't help them but that was more of a 'I don't WANT to help you in disguise'

NOTHING is impossible!!!!

The impossible just costs more:)

Kevin hit my suggestion before I got a chance to post.

Russound Collage would work well in this application.

From the way it sounds though, he will need lots of drywall repairs and some paint (if it is even feesable) Is feesable a word? But drywall repairs and paint is cheap. I'm talking about chip, chip, chipping away at a marathon retrofit job , making a nice profit on the labor, and putting what you want in the house... Only challenge here is preparing the customers to see you a LOT. If you are not going to wear out your welcome and you get along w/ these customers, well, they could be the PERFECT customers!

I cant help you is usually saved for someone who doesn't want to pay what something costs. They called you because they want a system. Yeah it sucks that drywall has to be cut but some patching and painting today will allow them to enjoy their AV system for years.

If you want to make this less painful you should find a patch/paint specialist. Someone that can come in right behind you and close up the holes you cut as soon as you are done.

Don't try to convince them of anything. Tell them what needs to happen in order for you to give them the system that they requested and let them decide if they want to move forward.

Sonos is nice but IMO you need to get cat5 to it if you want to be able to walk away from that job without wondering when the connection will drop. By the time you retro in a cat5 you might as well pull a speaker cable with it and then anything else you need.

Novo Renovia

Greg means Novo Renuvia.

Silly rabbit.

+1 on the Sonos. I recently visited a house that was a nightmare to partially wire a dozen years ago, only to find that the house had changed hands and the new guys put Sonos into every room. This was not three stories, but instead a Hollywood Hills add-on growth more than a hundred feet long.

If money is not an issue wire the house and do it right! That's why I got guys who fix drywall and paint.

Retro work is very profitable!

Making holes and patching painting should never be a cause of a problem. Offer the solution and don't make a big deal about it! I always down play it. Why create drama or stress for the client!

I make money when my carpenters painters drywallers are used! And I'm also the hero to the customer! They get what they want and humpty dumpy gets put back together again! Win win!