The price for mounting a TV in Baltimore Maryland: how to get the best price.
Making sure you get a fair deal and keep your TV Protected: When there is a wide price gap for services- how do you insure a proper deal.
(The "skinny" on discount installers vs retail)
Baltimore, MD: Having a TV mounted can be stressful. You just spent the better part of a paycheck on a new device and now it begs to be mounted, admired. . . hanging from a wall. . . and ofcourse "staying there"!
But you read online that the job can be easy however, after a few holes you decide to hire a pro.
Anyone who has ever gone through this process knows a few things.
1. The actual mounts are ridiculously expensive. $80 for a piece of metal!
2. Install prices are all over the place, but why? (*see price list at bottom of article)
Not getting into the mounting prices too much , they are connected to the price of installs in certain circumstances. The only important part: a good single tilt mount should not be more than $40- anything over is marked up.
Now, why are install prices so "wild" (see the chart below)?
Simply put- they are because the person providing those prices sets them according to their "market". If you are a retail purchaser they assume you will pay retail prices. In a large store the prices can be the highest because they just sold you a TV and with that relationship they can to scare you into "local services". In reality- they hire the local guys, markup the price and you have the same mount mounted to the same wall. If you can break the price down to it's simplest form- mounting a TV is a semi- skilled job which should take a professional under 1 hour. It is NOT a $300+ project.
EFynch has helped with over 1 dozen installs in Baltimore in the past 2 months (about $50 or less in labor). In order to participate in this deal we ask the installer the following questions. We think you should always consider the following as well (explanations below).
1. How many TV have you installed in the past?
2. What methods do you use to find and verify you are hitting (and centered) on the stud?
3. Will you guarantee the TV is level?
4. For smaller TV' where only 1 stud is used- what type of drywall anchors are you using and is that included in the price?
5. If I decided hide the wires after you hung the tv, can you perform this and at what price?
So for the "discount guys" offering services for half the cost, don't hesitate- just ask the right questions. Like many jobs that run through large national chains or websites- the installation process ends up feeding a few people along the way and you end up paying. In the end you still have the same local, independent guy doing the work.
With proper research the work can be done without an issue. That is our philosophy which is why groups like Baltimore TV Mounting and other groups are great users of EFynch.
It's not that our guys are charging a "cheap" rate to mount your TV, it's that they are giving a fair price.
That is my two cents. Thanks for reading!
Explanation for each question:
1. How many TV have you installed in the past?
Just because the installer has not been doing this for 10+ years doesn't make him any less skilled then the next guy. Ask about his background and how the pro started installing and mounting flat screen TV's. As long as he has done 20 or so in the past, he should be able to encounter anything that may come his way. ** Also ask them to bring extra bolts, etc- I ask the homeowner if I can keep all extra hardware after a job, you never know when it might come in handy.
2. What methods do you use to find and verify you are hitting (and centered) on the stud?
You want to hear that multiple methods are used and verify that the installer will drill a pilot hole for each bolt. Acceptable actions should include measuring, stud sensor and a pilot hole. I do not accept using a magnet or "knocking" as the primary method- it is not exact enough.
3. Will you guarantee the TV is level?
Self explanatory but so often not verified! Asking this questions also alerts the installer that you will expect a proper and clean job. It sets expectations for his quality of work.
4. For smaller TV' where only 1 stud is used- what type of drywall anchors are you using and is that included in the price?
This is an important factor and happens often. Make sure at least 2 bolts are secured into a stud. The TV should be as balanced as possible and drywall anchors should be tested. If there was previous water damage to the drywall there will be virtually no strength and an alternative anchor may be required (addition of a post behind the wall).
5. If I decided I want the wires hidden or more options, can you provide this and at what price?
You want flexibility. This also shows that the handyman is capable of doing deeper work and (at the very least) will be confident in the TV mounting and understanding what goes on behind a wall. Would you hire someone to mix the batter if they didn't know how to bake the cake after? (stretch of an example, I know- but you want to make sure their skills go beyond the specific project you are performing).
So for the "discount guys" offering service for half the cost, don't hesitate- just ask the right questions. Like many jobs that run through large national chains or websites- the installation process ends up feeding a few people along the way and you end up paying. In the end you still have the same local, independent guy doing the work.
With proper research the work can be done without an issue. That is our philosophy which is why groups like Baltimore TV Mounting and other groups are great users of EFynch.
It's not that our guys are charging a "cheap" rate to mount your TV, it's that they are giving a fair price.
Article written by Teris Pantazes. The opinions and discussion of work performed do not necessarily reflect those of EFynch and this article was written by him as an individual, not on behalf of EFynch.com. This is all opinion and should be taken for discussion purposes only.
EFynch- $45.00 to mount a TV.
Takl- $141.70 to mount a TV
Angie's List- $213
HomeAdvisor- $287 (which just bought Angie's list- luckily the parent company also owns Tindr so hopefully they can swipe right and meet somewhere in the middle).
Home Improvement information and handyman work in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington D.C., Maryland, etc.
(The "skinny" on discount installers vs retail)
Baltimore, MD: Having a TV mounted can be stressful. You just spent the better part of a paycheck on a new device and now it begs to be mounted, admired. . . hanging from a wall. . . and ofcourse "staying there"!But you read online that the job can be easy however, after a few holes you decide to hire a pro.
Anyone who has ever gone through this process knows a few things.
1. The actual mounts are ridiculously expensive. $80 for a piece of metal!
2. Install prices are all over the place, but why? (*see price list at bottom of article)
Not getting into the mounting prices too much , they are connected to the price of installs in certain circumstances. The only important part: a good single tilt mount should not be more than $40- anything over is marked up.
Now, why are install prices so "wild" (see the chart below)?
Simply put- they are because the person providing those prices sets them according to their "market". If you are a retail purchaser they assume you will pay retail prices. In a large store the prices can be the highest because they just sold you a TV and with that relationship they can to scare you into "local services". In reality- they hire the local guys, markup the price and you have the same mount mounted to the same wall. If you can break the price down to it's simplest form- mounting a TV is a semi- skilled job which should take a professional under 1 hour. It is NOT a $300+ project.
EFynch has helped with over 1 dozen installs in Baltimore in the past 2 months (about $50 or less in labor). In order to participate in this deal we ask the installer the following questions. We think you should always consider the following as well (explanations below).
1. How many TV have you installed in the past?
2. What methods do you use to find and verify you are hitting (and centered) on the stud?
3. Will you guarantee the TV is level?
4. For smaller TV' where only 1 stud is used- what type of drywall anchors are you using and is that included in the price?
5. If I decided hide the wires after you hung the tv, can you perform this and at what price?
So for the "discount guys" offering services for half the cost, don't hesitate- just ask the right questions. Like many jobs that run through large national chains or websites- the installation process ends up feeding a few people along the way and you end up paying. In the end you still have the same local, independent guy doing the work.
With proper research the work can be done without an issue. That is our philosophy which is why groups like Baltimore TV Mounting and other groups are great users of EFynch.
It's not that our guys are charging a "cheap" rate to mount your TV, it's that they are giving a fair price.
That is my two cents. Thanks for reading!
Explanation for each question:
1. How many TV have you installed in the past?
Just because the installer has not been doing this for 10+ years doesn't make him any less skilled then the next guy. Ask about his background and how the pro started installing and mounting flat screen TV's. As long as he has done 20 or so in the past, he should be able to encounter anything that may come his way. ** Also ask them to bring extra bolts, etc- I ask the homeowner if I can keep all extra hardware after a job, you never know when it might come in handy.
2. What methods do you use to find and verify you are hitting (and centered) on the stud?
You want to hear that multiple methods are used and verify that the installer will drill a pilot hole for each bolt. Acceptable actions should include measuring, stud sensor and a pilot hole. I do not accept using a magnet or "knocking" as the primary method- it is not exact enough.
3. Will you guarantee the TV is level?
Self explanatory but so often not verified! Asking this questions also alerts the installer that you will expect a proper and clean job. It sets expectations for his quality of work.
4. For smaller TV' where only 1 stud is used- what type of drywall anchors are you using and is that included in the price?
This is an important factor and happens often. Make sure at least 2 bolts are secured into a stud. The TV should be as balanced as possible and drywall anchors should be tested. If there was previous water damage to the drywall there will be virtually no strength and an alternative anchor may be required (addition of a post behind the wall).
5. If I decided I want the wires hidden or more options, can you provide this and at what price?
You want flexibility. This also shows that the handyman is capable of doing deeper work and (at the very least) will be confident in the TV mounting and understanding what goes on behind a wall. Would you hire someone to mix the batter if they didn't know how to bake the cake after? (stretch of an example, I know- but you want to make sure their skills go beyond the specific project you are performing).
So for the "discount guys" offering service for half the cost, don't hesitate- just ask the right questions. Like many jobs that run through large national chains or websites- the installation process ends up feeding a few people along the way and you end up paying. In the end you still have the same local, independent guy doing the work.
With proper research the work can be done without an issue. That is our philosophy which is why groups like Baltimore TV Mounting and other groups are great users of EFynch.
It's not that our guys are charging a "cheap" rate to mount your TV, it's that they are giving a fair price.
Article written by Teris Pantazes. The opinions and discussion of work performed do not necessarily reflect those of EFynch and this article was written by him as an individual, not on behalf of EFynch.com. This is all opinion and should be taken for discussion purposes only.
EFynch- $45.00 to mount a TV.
Takl- $141.70 to mount a TV
Angie's List- $213
HomeAdvisor- $287 (which just bought Angie's list- luckily the parent company also owns Tindr so hopefully they can swipe right and meet somewhere in the middle).
Home Improvement information and handyman work in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington D.C., Maryland, etc.
