AV Consulting
AV Services

AV Consulting

The AV expert in the room beforeyoubuild

By the time you're building the venue, you've already missed the mark on technology. AV consulting puts an audio visual consultant at the table early where the system is designed into the plan from day one.

AV Services

Good AV starts at the floorplan

Most projects bring the audio visual consultant in too late. The plans go out with no technology in them, so you can't submit a clean permit set or get an accurate GC bid. The gaps come back as change orders.

An AV consultant models your technology requirements into the architectural plans, so the system is engineered in, not added later. A project a year out doesn't need a big spend. It needs someone who understands the business outcome.

We consult locally and nationally, on one space or a multi-site program, either on its own or as the start of a full commercial AV design-build. Formal drawings live in AV system design.

Good AV starts at the ==floor plan==
We serve hospitality and enterprise with AV servicesAV Consulting

Get AV in the plan beforetheGCbids

Tell us where the project stands, even if it's just a first floor plan. We'll show you what to model in now so the build goes clean later.

Let's Talk
Industries We Serve

Who we consultfor

New construction and remodels across hospitality and enterprise.

Our AV consulting services

Four ways commercial AV consulting paysoff

Each one is the expertise that turns a vague technology line into a buildable plan.

Capability 01

Early-Phase Design Advisory

The Challenge

Engage AV after the GC is selected and you inherit change orders and missed infrastructure.

What We Deliver

We model the technology into the plans early, so the GC bids against a complete picture.
  • Start at the first floor plan
  • Requirements modeled into the architectural set
  • Clean permit set and accurate GC bid
  • Safety: walls and ceilings rated for what's mounted

~95% fewer change orders with early engagement

Your technology partner at the architectural phase

Why early

Why commercial AV consultants belong at the architecturalphase

The cheapest time to get AV right is before the walls go up. The most expensive is after.

The ideal moment to bring in an AV technology consultant is when the architect produces the first floor plan. We model what the technology needs, send it back for the plan set and the GC bids against a complete picture instead of guessing.

Without that, the GC plays catch-up - you get unexpected change orders, poorly built infrastructure and missed items, not to mention real safety risk when a wall wasn't built to hold what's mounted on it.

The payoff is measurable. Projects that start with us at the architectural phase see an estimated 95% fewer change orders than projects where the GC was already selected and work had started. The early conversation costs little. The catch-up later is what gets expensive.

av consulting system design services
InstallAv Design PhaseDedicated AV Engineering

Why not an architect

Why your architect can'tdesigntheAV

Architects build for how a space looks and meets code, not for how the technology functions.

Think of your technology system like kitchen equipment. An architect knows a feed goes to that spot and a stove sits there, but picking the right equipment and engineering its real requirements isn't their expertise, and they'd be the first to say so. AV is the same. The IP systems, the low-voltage running through the building that isn't telecom, the power and pathways a real system needs, that's a different knowledge base.

The biggest disconnect in construction today is that the technology stack has grown into a major building system, and the plans often still treat it as something to be dealt with at the end. An AV design consultant closes that gap: we model the stack into the plans the way the kitchen consultant models the kitchen - the building is actually ready for the technology it's supposed to run.

1701 - Construction Phase
Install1701 - Construction PhaseTampa, FL

The consult

AVconsultancy questions we ask

The first call is qualification, not quoting. We're figuring out what you need and how to design for it.

The 4 questions we ask

  • What's your vision for the space?
  • How big is your venue?
  • What do you want to accomplish?
  • What's your general budget?

Your answers to these questions tell us a lot quickly. Our consulting team takes a lot of what your business aspires to become and we make the audiovisual technology an integral part of that success.

av consulting services
Install AV consultancy questions we ask
audio and visual consulting
Install AV consultancy questions we ask

The value of audio visual consulting

The most valuable moment in a consult is usually something you didn't ask for. On one sports-bar remodel, the wall the owner was opening up turned out to be the best display location in the venue, visible from the front door and anchoring every new sightline. He hadn't considered it. After install, he called it the defining feature of the space.

That's what audio visual consulting buys. A spec sheet can't see your space. A huddle system sized for five people makes a twenty-person room miserable, so we design from the acoustics and the events you actually hold there.

What does an audio visual consultant do?

An audiovisual consultant plans the technology side of a project before it's built and makes sure the AV is designed into the space rather than bolted on after. That means defining what each room needs to do, modeling the requirements into the architectural plans and steering the design the project is built from. A good consultant also filters the noise: instead of letting you spec a room off manufacturer marketing, we design from the space, its acoustics, the events you hold there and the platforms you run. When the project moves to formal drawings, that's AV system design.

When should I bring in an AV consulting expert?

As early as the first floor plan. There's no reason your technology partner isn't at the architectural phase, and a project a year out doesn't need a big upfront spend, just the design expertise to get the technology requirements into the plan. That matters because you can't submit a clean permit set or get an accurate GC bid without those requirements. Whatever's missing comes back as change orders. Projects that start with us at the architectural phase see an estimated 95% fewer change orders than projects where the GC was already selected and work had started.

Why can't my architect or GC handle the AV design?

Architects focus on the building's layout, appearance and code compliance. General contractors execute what's documented. But neither specializes in the technology aspect that makes a commercial AV system work. A good comparison is commercial kitchens: an architect knows where the range and sink belong, but a kitchen consultant determines the equipment, utility requirements and workflow. AV is no different. It has become a core building discipline, yet it's documented with far less detail than it deserves. AV consultants develop that technical layer before construction begins, much like a kitchen design expert does for a commercial kitchen.

Do you offer AV consulting near me, or only locally?

Both. We work with clients on local projects and run audiovisual consulting engagements nationally, because much of the early work, the needs assessment, the design direction, the review of plans and specs, happens in close coordination with your team and your architect or GC wherever the project is. For new construction and remodels we'll get on site for the key walkthrough. We then stay engaged through the plan set. Our consulting work is built around the project's requirements, whether that's one space or an entire portfolio of locations.

Can you design the AV without installing it?

Yes. Audio video consulting and design are available as standalone services, separate from any install. The advisory work lives here; the formal deliverable, a design of parts or a full engineering set with schematics, line diagrams, and the low-voltage, pathways, and power, lives on our AV system design page. We produce that documentation and hand it to your GC, permit office and installer, whether or not we're the ones building it.

Will you review equipment I've already bought or had spec'd?

Yes, through our engineering process. If you bring a parts list or an existing spec, we review the design documents first and then tell you honestly where it stands: sometimes it's generally right with a couple of modifications, sometimes it's good to go, and if it's consumer-grade gear we won't take on the install. We're not trying to redo your homework for the sake of it. It's that our recommendation has to be one we can stand behind, and that requires understanding the design.

What clients say

Operators who run on our systems

Client successes drive Crunchy Tech to become better. Below is how our customers feel about us.

Just do it. Spend the money. It’s well worth it. It’s not worth your time, hassle, energy, and stress of trying to make it look right and do it right when there’s somebody who has been doing it for years and has perfected the craft.

Matt Moore logo
Matt Moore
IT Systems Administrator · Capone's Hideout

You're a great partner with Florida Hospital and this project will make a difference in Children's Health.

Des Cummings logo
Des Cummings
Vice President of Florida Hospital · Florida Hospital

Working with Crunchy Tech was a fantastic experience from start to finish. They handled the sale and installation of all our sound and TV equipment at The County Bar in Aviston, IL, and absolutely nailed it. We were on a very tight deadline, and they not only met it—they delivered top-notch quality and service the entire way. Highly professional, responsive, and easy to work with. We couldn't be happier with the results.

Clint Flowers logo
Clint Flowers
Owner · The County Bar

Crunchy's AV Services are outstanding. Staff members are experts, who really extend themselves to find the right technology for helping us reach our marketing goals in creative ways. The best thing about working with Crunchy is collaborating with the staff – they are patient, responsive, knowledgeable, and available.

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Shannon McHale
Marketing Specialist · IGT

Crunchy has been great to work with. They communicate well and deliver as promised.

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Brian Dornbush
Facilities & Operations Manager · Orange County Library System

The work Crunchy has been doing is a game changer for this industry.

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Steven Fandozzi
VP of Information Technology · Foundation Partners

Being able to reuse the existing structure created a much lower cost for the client and they were ecstatic.

Seminole State College logo
Seminole State College
Facilities · Seminole State College

Crunchy has done an amazing job on our A/V install. The sound is perfectly balanced throughout our many zones and the entire system is super simple to use.

Steve Glum logo
Steve Glum
Chief Marketing Officer · Ace Cafe
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  • Free 1-on-1 phone consultation
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