What an AV quote should spell out on setup and standby

The biggest mistake people make when getting AV quotes is not asking what happens once setup is done. You'll get a price for installing the gear and testing it, but then silence on what the supplier's involvement looks like during the event itself or if something fails mid-way through. A quote that doesn't spell out setup and standby leaves you guessing whether you're paying for a technician on the day, what "on standby" actually means, or who you call if the mic cuts out during your speech.

Setup costs money because it takes time and skill. Installation means bringing gear to your venue, running cables, mounting speakers or lights, testing everything, and making sure it all works before your first guest arrives or your event kicks off. Standby is different: it's the cost of having someone present and ready to respond if something breaks, adjust levels, troubleshoot, or react to changes you didn't plan for. These are two separate line items, and a professional quote will price them distinctly and explain what each covers.

What setup should include

When you get a quote, the setup cost should detail how long the supplier expects installation to take. For a small conference with a projector and one mic, that's maybe an hour. For a wedding with uplighting, a dance floor, multiple mic inputs and a DJ booth, it could be three to four hours. The quote should say whether setup includes a walk-through of your venue beforehand, cable runs, testing from the back of the room to confirm audio and visuals work from where guests sit, and soundcheck if there are live speakers or performers.

Ask whether setup time includes breakdown and pack-up at the end, or if that's charged separately. Some suppliers bundle it; others charge the same rate for teardown. Also confirm whether the setup fee assumes normal access to your venue (open doors, power available) or if there are complications like a heritage building that won't allow drilling, awkward cable routes, or restricted load-in times. Those details change the labour cost.

The standby difference

Standby means a technician stays at your event after setup finishes, ready to fix problems or make adjustments. This is not the same as someone who packs up and leaves once the gear is running. A standby operator monitors audio levels, watches for feedback, can mic up a speaker if you add a last-minute speech, resets equipment if it crashes, and handles the technical side so you focus on your event. Without standby, you're relying on your own troubleshooting skills — or hoping nothing goes wrong.

A quote should say:

• How many hours of standby are included or charged by the hour
• Whether the operator is stationed at a control desk or roaming (roaming is better for weddings; desk-based is standard for conferences)
• What counts as "on standby" — is it sitting in a chair doing nothing, or actively managing the system
• Who you contact if something fails during standby (WhatsApp, phone number, in person)
• What happens if you need standby to extend past the quoted end time (is there an overtime rate)

Hidden costs to ask about

Beyond setup and standby, clarify whether the quote includes:

• Travel time or fuel to your venue, especially if it's outside the city centre
• Equipment insurance or damage waiver (what if a speaker gets knocked over)
• Parking or load-in fees your venue charges, if the supplier is claiming those back
• Contingency gear (a backup microphone, spare cables) or whether you're paying extra if the main mic fails and a spare is needed
• Remote or wireless control of lights and sound — sometimes that's premium add-on pricing

Once you've compared two or three quotes side by side, you'll see which suppliers are transparent about their time and which ones are vague. The transparent ones are worth booking because they've thought through what you need and how long it takes. When you're ready to move forward, look for verified AV suppliers on Strove who can walk you through their setup process and standby model in detail — it's the clearest way to know what you're actually paying for and who'll be there if things need fixing on the day.