Media wall buying guide
Comparing media wall quotes: what is actually included?
By Daniel, Design Director at LV Carpentry & Tradesmen
Published
When someone tells me they have a cheaper media wall price, I ask what it includes. The cabinets might be covered. But who is moving the sockets, connecting the lights and painting the finished wall?
The same picture can produce different guide prices
If you send the same design to two companies, you would expect their prices to cover much the same thing. That is a reasonable assumption, but it is worth checking. The picture shows the result you want; it does not list the work each company has allowed for.
The things customers overlook are usually the jobs around the woodwork. Moving electrical points. Connecting the LEDs. Painting the cabinetry or applying the decorative finish. If those jobs are excluded, you still need to pay for them and arrange for someone to do them.
Our media wall cost guide explains how size, materials and design affect the price. Before comparing those figures, though, check that both include the work you need.
A pocket door changed the comparison
A customer came to us with a design we really liked. It had concealed storage, a television and a glass pocket door alongside it. They wanted to keep the wall shallow and hide the existing lighting controls while still being able to reach them. It looked simple, but the door and access needed careful planning.
The customer supplied a provisional budget breakdown. It allowed £8,800 including VAT for the media wall and explicitly excluded the pocket door and its associated construction. That optional package added £3,500 to £5,500, bringing the combined allowance to £12,300 to £14,300.
Our media wall guide was £11,400 including VAT. We discussed approximately £3,000 for the complete door package, subject to confirming it, giving an overall guide of around £14,400.
| Scope | Customer’s supplied allowance | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Media wall | £8,800 | £11,400 |
| Door package | £3,500 to £5,500 | Approximately £3,000 |
| Combined | £12,300 to £14,300 | Approximately £14,400 |
Our combined guide was approximately £100 above the upper end of that allowance, and £2,100 above its lower end. These were estimates, not two fixed contractor quotations. The survey and agreed specification still had to settle the work.
Once we put the door allowances beside the media wall prices, the comparison made more sense. There was still a range to work through, and the materials and fittings needed checking. But the customer could now compare the cost of the whole proposal.
What to check in a media wall quote
Put the breakdowns beside one another. For each item, mark it as included, excluded or still to be confirmed. A blank space needs a question. It does not mean the work is included.
- Joinery and fittings
- Check the cabinet layout, material, visible finish, shelves, drawers, hinges and handles. A similar-looking render can conceal a different specification.
- Electrical work
- Are the agreed socket moves and connections for the TV, soundbar, fireplace and lighting included? Ask who carries out the work and who arranges it.
- Integrated lighting
- Check the strips, profiles, drivers, controls, installation and connections. Supplying a light and leaving a cable route is different from handing over working lighting.
- Painting and decorative finishes
- Does the price include preparation and painting, or will the joinery arrive ready for someone else to decorate? Confirm Venetian plaster or other specialist finishes separately.
- Equipment and additional features
- Separate fireplace supply from fitting, and check TV brackets, soundbars, doors and any other additions. A feature shown in an inspiration image is not automatically included.
- Installation and finishing the room
- Ask about delivery, floor protection, making good and waste removal. Note any exclusions, provisional allowances and whether VAT is included.
A cheaper figure may still be the right choice. You might already have an electrician or decorator working on the room. What matters is knowing the remaining cost and who will organise the work before you commit.
Who finishes the work around the joinery?
Integrated lighting is common in our media walls. It needs more than a shelf with a strip underneath: the power, controls and accessible drivers have to be planned too. If your joiner does not include that work, another trade will need to carry it out. Read our media wall lighting guide for the design decisions behind it.
Painting is easy to miss. You see painted cabinetry in the design and expect that finish when the installer leaves. Check whether preparation and painting are actually included. The same applies to a Venetian plaster finish. Ask for the actual finish and the work involved to be written down.
We handle the complete bespoke build, including the agreed electrical alterations, joinery, installation and specified painting or decorative finishes. We put that scope in the quotation so you can see what we are taking care of and what equipment or extras you need to supply.
We focus on the quality of the finished work. If a price needs explaining, I want to go through what it covers with you. And if we simplify the design to suit your budget, you should know exactly what has changed.
From a guide price to a fixed quotation
We discuss your ideas and give you a guide price first. There is little point taking the design further if the likely cost is outside your budget.
Once you are comfortable with the guide, Luca visits to measure and check the room. We then quote for the agreed design and scope. That quotation is fixed and valid for 14 days.
When another company gives you a price, ask whether it is still an estimate or a fixed quotation based on a survey. Check what remains to be decided and how long the offer stands. It is much easier to sort this out before work starts.