Written by Asher Weinstein
One of the best ways to improve the value of your luxury home and provide hours of entertainment is to build a dedicated home theater.
While the process might seem easy, it’s not quite as simple as buying a projector, putting up a projector screen and getting some comfy chairs. To properly build a home cinema you’d need to have skills not only in construction, but also with electronics, audio engineering and visual engineering. There is a lot of complexity that goes into building a home theater. That’s why it’s important to hire a contractor that specialize in home theater design, remodeling and construction.
Many firms claim to have experience building in-home cinema rooms but how do you know which one is the right one to hire? We’ve put together a checklist for you to find the best home theater installation contractor.
Are they knowledgeable of the latest home theater gear and technology?
New home theater technology comes out all the time. There are new projectors released every year and new advancements in projector screen technology like ambient light rejecting screens.
If you want to build a state-of-the-art home theater you need to hire a contractor who knows about state-of-art technology.
Are they responsive to your ideas and requests?
Just like with any regular contractor communication is key. Make sure you talk to the contractor about your ideas and get a feel for how they respond to them. If you get a feeling they’re not listening during the initial conversation how good do you think they will be at communicating after you hire them?
Do they have references you can call or even visit?
When hiring a contractor to build a home theater you should hear from others who have hired them before. They should have several clients they’ve worked with who would be happy to speak to you.
Make sure to ask the references what they liked and didn’t like about the experience. Keep in mind these will be their happiest customers.
It would be great if you could visit a theater room they built but even if you can’t visit in person it doesn’t mean they don’t do quality work.
Do they have photos of their home cinema projects?
A picture is worth a thousand words. So naturally the more pictures of their work the more you can trust the quality. Don’t just look for the design elements but take into account where they put the screen and the seats. That can tell you if they’re knowledgeable about the audio/video engineering required for a home cinema room.
Take into account however that not everyone has professional photographers to take pictures of the room.
Do they project themselves as an authority online?
Look if they have a YouTube channel or a blog on their website that talks about home theaters. iQuarters, a New York based contractor, has several authoritative articles about home theaters and equipment so they know what they’re doing.
Are they members of a professional organization?
One of the best ways to tell if you’re hiring a quality home theater contractor is if they’re members of an association or organization that specializes in home theaters.
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) is an organization that specialize in 
planning and installing electronic systems for the home. They have a list of certified home theater installers.
Building a movie theater in your home is a major project. Doing it right, requires a level of expertise that not every contractor possesses. By using our checklist you can be certain you’re hiring the best contractor to create your home theater.
Asher is one of the projection experts at ProjectorScreen.com. He’s enthusiastic about all things TV and movie related.