Instalation Prices, WTF ..

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

You are lucky the shop would even install your stuff they never heard of before.

Some shops only install their shit........or if it is their stuff, you might save a little face with them.

I spent 500 dollars on an install at a local custom shop around me a few years ago and was the last time I had a shop do it. Usually have my friends help me out and what not, but most moved away and my back was uber fawked up. Well they sealed off my trunk for 1 FI Q 12" sub in a sealed box and didn't even make beauty panels to cover up the rest of the mess they made and just handed me my car like that, not to mention it sounded like shit! This also included doing a shit job on my comps and the one crossover came undone in the door and couldn't roll my window down, lol! So it was a full install, deck, comps, subs, box, sealing off from trunk and running wires, but I could have done a better job blind folded.

Ended up taking everything out and doing it myself, but it took forever.....because my back was fawked up big time. Funny because the current install I am doing is taking forever now, but is due to no time now. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

If you claim to have done 7 installs, then just make time to do yours. I have 3 kids, and work 50 hours a week. Tell me about having no time again.

 

[oldschoolboomer 10+ year member]

do it yourself! Those do seem like reasonable rates though. I have never had a good experience letting someone else install my stuff. I had a pair of coaxes installed in my rear doors back when I really had no time. Once I did have time, I removed the door panel to find huge air gaps, only two screws on each coax, and that one of the terminals they had used was unhooked! Best Buy, by the way. Anyway, if you dont know the shop well, and have seen plenty of their work, do it yourself.

 

[d77543020 10+ year member]

with what these shops are charging now a days im glad i learned how to do basic installs myself

 

[Innovative:Cory 10+ year member]

The $240 is about right.....provided you had EVERYTHING you needed....dash kit, rca's, power cable, wire harness ,antenna adaptor(if needed), fuse holder, gm battery post adaptor (if needed)...there is probably also a small fee for connectors, such as crimp caps, butt connectors, spades, forks, etc..etc...

one thing you have not mentioned is what type of vehicle this is going in... certain vehicles are a bigger PITA then others.....the ones that are a PITA and take up more time I ALWAYS charge more $ for.....

If you have a dodge neon for example...$240 is a great price for all of that....

If you have anything asian import...$240-300 would be a good price...

If you have anything German... I wouldn't touch it for $240-300...it would be more up to $400 range....

The more PITA the car is the more $$

and on a side note...

Yes it is common practice for a shop to charge more for gear not purchased from us... I do it and every shop here im my town does it as well....

The reason for this is...say you bring me brand (xyz) from the flea market and want me to put it in... a day later it quits playing cd, goes thermal, coil shorts out, picture went fuzzy....we then have to take up our time to remove that "bad" product so you can take it back to where you got it...then take the car back apart to replace it....now do you see why we charge more for stuff not from us??

If you buy from me and it quits working it gets replaced on the spot...less times taking vehicle apart the less chances of something breaking....and the more time we can get onto other jobs...

I only make money on the job the first time its here...any time it comes back it costs me money....

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

I don't understand guys.
$40 to install RCA's isnt that bad everyone has to make money. $250 to install all that isnt bad at all.

Yeah, but I have paid top dollar for some pretty shitty installs in the past!

I was lazy two years ago, and dropped my car off at a local shop to have a single 10 added to the factory sound system... Well, the idiot installer probed fuses and screwed something up because he tripped 13 codes that required a trip to the dealer to reset! Come to find out he blew a fuse while probing around with his test light:verymad: ETA: Even after replacing the fuse and disconnecting the battery, my car was still in limp mode.

Oh, and I forgot the best part. When I went to pick my car up, my sub wasn't producing any bass. The idiot installer with 15 years of experience wired the speaker inputs on the LOC out of phase. I went back in and said "Did you even bother to test the car prior to calling me and saying it was ready?"

What did I learn from that experience? If I want it done right, I need to do it myself!

 

[WrenchGuy 10+ year member]

Agree, however when i pull up to a shop and there is 3-4 tards standing around playing grab *** and smokin cigs instead of working, then it seems to me as a bidness man i want to get that $$$. I know they need to make a living and are prolly nice guys after hours but truth is, if your standing around at work, you ain't makin $$$

The guys playing grab *** and smoking is probably the way to go.

1 clean install to the other guys' 2 probably pays the same...lol

 

[--Navi-- 10+ year member]

I would not mind paying someone a fair price, i know everyone needs to make a living.

Then WTF are you on here *****ing about //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[Pemrick69 10+ year member]

I would not mind paying someone a fair price, i know everyone needs to make a living.

Then WTF are you on here *****ing about //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

x2

 

[BlurredVision 10+ year member]

Funny how people say the internet is killing audio shops, but its the cheap people and do it yourselfers.

 

[odinsrage]

In my opinion, ton of shops kills themselves by doing crappy installs, being shady, using deceptive tactics. I remember one around here, the owner called JL audio "junk line audio" (he didnt sell anything really high end though!) just because he didnt carry it.. later I found out he was trying hard to be an authorized dealer.

I know someone who took their car to a shop to install 2 pairs of components, 2 amps, a sub, basic wiring, etc. They charged over 800 dollars!

I installed when i was younger, and people would bring in ebay stuff all the time. Majority of the time it was decent stuff, once in awhile it would be pyramid crap. We sorta frowned upon it, but had no problem installing it. I mean, the stuff was already bought, what can you do. I buy all my stuff online too. Buying a complete system full price at a shop would be murderous.

 

[Ferendon 10+ year member]

I went around to a few shops today to see what it will cost to get my stereo/amp/components/woofer/coaxials installed and WOW they are all over the place these shops, from $240 to $580 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif I have all he equipment to do the job even the wiring, why so much contrast ? is an install really that much different ? I have done several myself, however i do not have the time to do this one. I think some of these shops think i have deep pockets or sumthin, //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif i thought with the economy and all they would be fightin for bidness, i guess NOT ... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gif

Standard labor rates =

$120/pr for comps, $35 for plates if needed., cup/flush mount tweeter.

($90/pr for comps in stock locations, $150 with new wiring and tweeter in dash top location)

$60/pr for coaxials, $35 for plates if needed.

$50 for radio, with a common level of difficulty, (bezel removal, wiring, mount, reassembly, standard cage mount is $25)

$100 for a monoamp

$150 for a 4-channel

We do the second amp for half the standard labor. In other words, if we do a 4-channel and a mono, it would be $200 ($150 for the 4-channel, $50 for the mono)

Granted, there are plenty of reasons for labor prices to vary from job-to-job. Naturally, running 0/1 is gonna cost more than 4ga or 8ga. Different vehicles also make a difference. Granted, these are the labor rates that we charge where I work, but do discounts for larger jobs, and we do it RIGHT.

 

[THUNDERBIRD 10+ year member]

we charge $40-100 for radio install (video is $100),$20 for dash kit, $20-$200 for harness depending on car, $10 for antenna adapter, $40 for regular door speakers, $75-100 for components(compentent dependant), $50 for amp install that means running wires and hook up 1 amp and subs loaded in box, additional amps are $25, plus for all that probly $60 to bench test it all since we bench test all customers products and charge them, if they dont work you still pay the bench test. we dont warrenty any of their products we only warrenty the labor.

 

[norcrawler 10+ year member]

whoever cant install there own shit shouldnt be into car audio..lol

unless u dont have time i guess,i doubt people have NO time at all tho..honestly, u can find time to do that shit.and put things a side

 

[Worlddre 5,000+ posts]

whoever cant install there own shit shouldnt be into car audio..lolunless u dont have time i guess,i doubt people have NO time at all tho..honestly, u can find time to do that shit.and put things a side

you are a fucking retard

 

[d77543020 10+ year member]

You are lucky the shop would even install your stuff they never heard of before.
Some shops only install their shit........or if it is their stuff, you might save a little face with them.

I spent 500 dollars on an install at a local custom shop around me a few years ago and was the last time I had a shop do it. Usually have my friends help me out and what not, but most moved away and my back was uber fawked up. Well they sealed off my trunk for 1 FI Q 12" sub in a sealed box and didn't even make beauty panels to cover up the rest of the mess they made and just handed me my car like that, not to mention it sounded like shit! This also included doing a shit job on my comps and the one crossover came undone in the door and couldn't roll my window down, lol! So it was a full install, deck, comps, subs, box, sealing off from trunk and running wires, but I could have done a better job blind folded.

Ended up taking everything out and doing it myself, but it took forever.....because my back was fawked up big time. Funny because the current install I am doing is taking forever now, but is due to no time now. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

If you claim to have done 7 installs, then just make time to do yours. I have 3 kids, and work 50 hours a week. Tell me about having no time again.

its like some shops make it sound like shit on purpose so they can talk you into using their shit