Commercial AV Site Survey Checklist: What to Capture Before Design

Overview

A commercial AV proposal becomes more reliable when the integrator understands the actual room.

A site survey can reveal constraints that are easy to miss in an email thread:

The survey is where the project stops being an abstract equipment request and becomes a real room.

• poor sightlines;
• reflective glass;
• inaccessible cable paths;
• limited rack space;
• weak Wi-Fi or network readiness;
• noisy HVAC;
• ceiling restrictions;
• furniture that blocks camera framing;
• construction conditions that affect installation.

Start with the room's business purpose

Before measuring anything, confirm:

Technical design should follow the room's operating goal.

• what the room is used for;
• who uses it;
• how many people normally attend;
• whether remote participants are common;
• whether content sharing is central;
• whether the room hosts executive, client or training sessions;
• what users dislike about the current setup.

Capture room dimensions

Record:

A floor plan can help, but current field conditions should be verified.

• room length, width and height;
• table dimensions;
• seating layout;
• wall construction;
• ceiling type and height;
• display wall dimensions;
• equipment closet or rack location;
• doors, windows and architectural obstructions.

Review sightlines

Check:

For larger rooms, confirm how people at the back of the room will see content and presenters.

• viewing distance;
• display height;
• seating angles;
• camera framing;
• obstruction from furniture;
• presenter location;
• whiteboards or other visual surfaces.

Review acoustics

Listen for HVAC noise, echo/reverberation, sound leakage, hard reflective surfaces, movable partitions and adjacent noisy spaces.

The site survey does not need to become a full acoustic study unless the project requires one.

Review lighting

Check natural light, window direction, glare, display reflections, presenter lighting, camera exposure and lighting-control capability.

Review power

Confirm outlet locations, rack power, display power, floor boxes, UPS requirements and access to electrical work.

The AV integrator should coordinate final electrical requirements with the appropriate licensed trade.

Review network and IT requirements

For conferencing and networked AV, ask about wired network, PoE, VLAN/security policy, guest-network restrictions, BYOD, device management, remote support and firewall/proxy constraints.

Do not collect passwords or credentials in the site-survey note.

Review cable paths

Check conduit, cable tray, accessible ceiling, floor boxes, raceway, penetrations, pathway congestion, fire-rated walls and distance to rack/IDF.

Inventory existing equipment

Record displays, cameras, microphones, speakers, DSP, switchers, control processors, racks, cabling and any equipment the client wants to reuse.

Capture model numbers and condition when reuse matters.

Review furniture and room use

Confirm fixed or movable table, seating count, lectern, room divider, training configurations, furniture-delivery timing and accessibility needs.

Review construction status

For new construction or renovation, record current phase, ceiling/wall close-up dates, furniture schedule, network-ready date, move-in and opening.

Capture photos systematically

Useful photos include each wall, ceiling, table/seating, display location, rack/closet, power/data, cable routes and existing equipment labels.

Use the integrator's approved project workflow for technical photos after the lead is accepted.

Ask what success means

End with questions such as:

These answers become useful commissioning criteria later.

• How should a meeting start?
• How should a guest connect?
• Which controls should be visible?
• Who supports the room?
• What is unacceptable today?

What the public website can collect before the survey

OneStudio can collect the initial company, site, room type, room count, desired outcome, project stage, target date and whether plans exist.

The authoritative survey belongs in the AV project workflow.

Survey the room before selling the room

A strong site survey reduces redesign, protects the proposal and gives engineering a more reliable starting point.

Explore OneStudio features, compare plans, or browse solutions.

Questions businesses ask