Spec It Right Before You Build It. Offices · Restaurants · Retail · Hospitality
Most commercial AV failures are planning failures — not installation failures. We get your system architecture right before the walls close.
A $950 Session vs.
A $12,000 Redo.
Commercial AV rework is expensive. Speaker positions that don't cover the room. A projector screen that blocks the exit sign. A control system that requires an IT ticket to change the input. These decisions get made during design, not during punch list — and fixing them after drywall means opening walls, rewiring, and losing weeks of schedule.
Two Paths In.
Whether you're a business owner navigating an AV spec for the first time or a general contractor who needs a low-voltage design before the slab is poured, the conversation starts the same way — with your project, your timeline, and your specific questions.
Business Owners & Operators
You're opening a new location, renovating an existing space, or inheriting a system that doesn't work the way it should. You need honest guidance on what to spec, what to avoid, and what the real costs look like — before you sign a contract with an AV installer.
General Contractors & Architects
Your client wants a conference room that works, a restaurant with great audio coverage, or a retail space with digital signage — and your team doesn't have the AV background to spec it correctly. We provide the technical layer without a full integration contract.
Every Commercial Space Has Different Requirements.
We consult across commercial verticals — each with specific acoustic, visual, control, and infrastructure requirements that generic AV contractors miss.
Bars & Restaurants
Multi-zone audio, TV placement for sightlines, background music systems, outdoor coverage, and POS integration. We spec for the actual environment — not an empty room.
Hotels & Hospitality
Lobby display, conference room AV, in-room entertainment, access control, and surveillance. Integrated from one platform so your staff isn't managing six separate systems.
Offices & Conference Rooms
Video conferencing infrastructure, display placement, room control, wireless presentation, and structured cabling. Systems that work on day one without an IT call to change the input.
Retail & Showrooms
Digital signage, background audio, product display AV, and access control. Specified for commercial-grade uptime — not consumer hardware running 12 hours a day.
Gyms & Fitness
High-SPL audio for workout floors, low-SPL zones for stretching and reception, display mounting for cardio equipment, and commercial-grade amplification built for continuous operation.
Sports Bars & Entertainment
Multi-display matrix switching, NFL/NBA package integration, multi-zone audio with independent control, outdoor coverage, and event-mode automation. Built for the Seattle 2026 match season and beyond.
Healthcare & Professional
Waiting room AV, secure access control, HIPAA-aware surveillance, and patient-facing display systems. Quiet, reliable, and appropriate for the environment.
Education & Houses of Worship
Presentation systems, distributed audio, livestream infrastructure, lighting control, and accessible control interfaces. Designed for non-technical operators on the first day of use.
What a Commercial Consulting Engagement Covers
Every engagement is scoped to your specific project — not packaged into tiers that don't fit your space or timeline.
We map out your entire AV and technology footprint — audio zones, display positions, control infrastructure, video conferencing, and signal distribution — as a single integrated plan. You know what goes where and why before any contractor pulls cable.
We review your architectural drawings and provide a complete low-voltage specification — conduit routes, pull points, equipment room sizing, wire types per system, and rough-in notes — suitable for permit drawings and subcontractor coordination.
You have two or three AV bids on your desk with different equipment lists and no way to compare them. We review commercial AV proposals and tell you exactly what you're getting, what's missing, and where the risks are — before you sign anything.
You took over a space with a system someone else specified. Half of it works, the other half doesn't, and no one left documentation. We audit what's there, identify what's salvageable, and give you a remediation plan with honest cost ranges.
Guest WiFi, POS network segmentation, commercial surveillance camera placement, access control infrastructure — all require different network design than a residential project. We spec commercial networking for the operational reality of your business.
Screen placement that doesn't create glare problems. Content management systems your staff can actually use. Display mounts rated for commercial environments. We specify digital signage for commercial uptime and real-world operator capability — not best-case-scenario demos.
Transparent Pricing. No Surprises.
Two ways to engage — a working session to get your questions answered, or a full Commercial Technology Design Package your GC can bid from.
Project Estimates & Discovery Calls
You have a specific commercial project — a build-out, a renovation, a system that isn't working — and you want to know if we're the right fit and what it'll cost. We gather scope, answer basic questions, and produce a proposal. No charge, no commitment.
Use our instant estimator for a ballpark in under 5 minutes, or call us directly and we'll scope it together.
Get an Instant Estimate →Paid Consulting Sessions
You want expert guidance independent of whether you hire us to install anything. A second opinion on a competitor's commercial AV bid, a system audit of an existing space, a pre-construction specification package for your GC. The value flows to you regardless of outcome.
The defining question: are we building toward a proposal for your project, or delivering expertise with no install contract guaranteed? The latter is consulting.
Fees listed below →A focused working session — site visit or video call — where we review your commercial project, answer your specific questions, and give you a clear direction. Contact us to get started — our team will confirm scope and send a booking link once we've connected.
A complete written commercial AV specification — equipment list, system architecture, low-voltage rough-in notes, and room-by-room scope — that your general contractor can use for subcontractor bids or permit drawings.
From First Call to Finished Spec
A commercial consulting engagement is a working session with a specific deliverable — not a sales call with a follow-up proposal attached.
Intake Conversation
We start with a 20-minute call to understand your project type, timeline, and the specific questions you need answered. No charge for this call.
Scoped Engagement
We define what the engagement covers — site visit, drawing review, bid evaluation, or a combination — and agree on the deliverable before work begins.
Working Session
The session itself — on-site walkthrough, drawing markup, bid review, or system audit — with your assigned Rivas Technology Group team member leading and answering in real time.
Written Deliverable
You receive a written summary of recommendations, specifications, and next steps — ready to hand to your GC, share with your architect, or use to compare installer bids.
The Cost of Getting Commercial AV Wrong
Commercial AV failures are almost never about the equipment — they're about decisions made too early without the right technical input, or too late when the walls were already closed.
Speaker coverage that doesn't match the room
Too few speakers for the square footage. Positions that create dead zones. Volume levels that distort before they reach the back of the room. Acoustic planning at rough-in costs nothing. Relocating ceiling speakers after tile is installed costs thousands.
Displays no one can see — or operate
A 75" display with a sun glare problem. A conference room that requires an IT ticket to switch inputs. Digital signage with no content management plan. Display placement and control design happen during specification — not during the punch list.
Infrastructure that doesn't support the system
No conduit to the projector position. A rack room that's 4 feet too small. Network drops in the wrong locations for the POS system. Commercial low-voltage infrastructure has to be right before drywall — there's no inexpensive fix after.
Bids from contractors who don't understand your vertical
A restaurant AV bid from a contractor who mainly does corporate conference rooms. A bar spec from someone who's never designed for high-ambient-noise environments. We review commercial AV bids and tell you what's missing — before you sign.
Cost to relocate a speaker rough-in during framing vs. $1,200–$3,500 to move it after tile is installed
Control interface for every AV source and system in the building — when architecture is spec'd correctly from the start
Staff can operate the system on opening day — not after three service callbacks to fix what wasn't specified correctly
Commercial AV Consulting FAQ
A free estimate is scoped around a specific project where you're considering hiring us to install something. We gather scope, answer basic questions, and produce a proposal at no charge. A paid consultation delivers expertise regardless of whether you hire us — a second opinion on a competitor's bid, a pre-construction specification your GC can use, a system audit of an existing space. If you're unsure which applies, call us — we'll tell you honestly which path fits your situation.
Yes. We consult on commercial projects where another contractor will do the installation, or where the client wants to use our specification to get competitive bids. We give the same quality of advice either way — our reputation depends on the quality of the recommendation, not on getting the install contract.
Yes. The Commercial Technology Design Package includes a low-voltage specification package with wire types, quantities, pull-point locations, equipment room sizing, and rough-in notes that can be handed to your electrical sub and included in permit documentation. We can also provide an on-site review during rough-in to verify layout before drywall — this is the highest-value touchpoint for GCs on commercial projects.
Audio zone layout and speaker rough-in positions, TV mounting locations with blocking and outlet placement, network infrastructure for POS and guest WiFi segmentation, surveillance camera rough-in positions, and conduit routing from the equipment closet to all terminal points. These decisions all need to happen before framing is closed — waiting until equipment selection to address rough-in is the most common and expensive mistake in hospitality AV.
Yes. This is a remote consulting session. Send us the bid documentation and we'll review the equipment list, scope of work, and what's included vs. excluded. We'll tell you whether the proposed equipment is appropriate for your space type, whether the scope covers what you actually need, and what questions to ask before signing. Most clients who bring us a bid for review either save money on the project or avoid a system that would have required rework within 18 months.
A complete written specification covering: room-by-room system and equipment map, low-voltage rough-in specification for GC coordination, wire type and quantity schedule per system, equipment room and rack layout, signal flow documentation, and a written scope suitable for competitive bids. Delivered within 5 business days of the intake session. Credits 100% toward installation with Rivas Technology Group if you choose to move forward with us.
Remote consulting — bid review, drawing review, video call sessions — is available statewide and beyond. On-site consulting is available throughout King and Pierce County. For commercial projects in other areas, contact us and we'll assess feasibility for on-site engagement based on project scope and timeline.
Commercial Consulting Across the South Sound
On-site commercial consulting throughout King and Pierce County. Remote consulting statewide.
Start With a Conversation. Not a Sales Pitch.
Tell us about your commercial project. We'll tell you what we think — honestly — and scope an engagement from there. No pressure, no proposal attached to the first call.