We read the set before we mark it up.
The best time to call is schematic design, once the plan has shape and before the millwork is drawn. The worst is after the drywall.
What we do on your project.
We read the set. That sounds obvious and it is not universal in this trade. Before we say anything about equipment we want to understand the plan, the elevations and the reflected ceiling, because most of what we do lands on one of those three and we would rather not be the consultant who arrives with a list of demands.
Then we sit in the consultant meetings and hand back marked-up drawings showing conduit runs, device locations and what the rack needs in the way of space, power and ventilation. Nothing appears on your elevations without a conversation first. If a keypad wants to be somewhere you have deliberately kept clear, that is a discussion, not a fait accompli.
We coordinate directly with the electrical contractor so that rough-in happens once and happens right. Where the structural or mechanical drawings argue with where a speaker or a screen wants to be, we raise it while it is still a drawing rather than a problem.
And we teach this. Bob Krasne is one of a small number of CEDIA Registered Outreach Instructors, certified to teach architects and designers how home technology fits a set of drawings, including classes at the New York School of Interior Design. If a lunch-and-learn for your office would be useful, ask.
What you get
Marked-up drawings
Conduit runs, device locations and rack requirements returned against your set, not a separate document you have to reconcile.
A consultant who attends
We sit in the meetings rather than sending a specification and hoping. Coordination with the electrical contractor is ours to manage.
Early answers on the hard parts
Sightlines, screen geometry, ceiling conflicts and equipment ventilation raised while they are still lines on paper.
The other two
Start a project
Tell us about the space. We'll come out and give you a straightforward plan.
The consultation is complimentary and it starts with a walkthrough or a set of drawings. You will leave it knowing what is realistic in your house, what it costs, and what can wait until phase two.