Installation day is the one part of a project where months of design work can be undone in an afternoon. This is the checklist we wish every designer had before an FF&E install — built from more than 540 installations in hotels, offices, clinics, clubhouses, restaurants and private residences across Florida.
Two weeks out: the paperwork that actually delays jobs
- ☐ Certificate of insurance naming the property, if the building requires it. Ask your installer for it early; a COI request on the morning of the install costs you a day.
- ☐ W-9 and vendor setup completed in the client’s system so the final invoice is not stuck in procurement.
- ☐ Building rules: loading dock times, freight elevator reservation, badge or escort requirements, quiet hours, and whether work must happen outside business hours.
- ☐ Parking. Unglamorous and the single most common source of lost hours on downtown projects.
One week out: the deliverables
- ☐ An elevation or marked floor plan per room. Even rough mark-ups beat verbal direction. If a piece has a required center height, write it on the drawing.
- ☐ A numbered item list matching labels on the crates or wrapping. Numbered art plus numbered walls is the fastest install there is.
- ☐ Weights and dimensions for anything over 50 lbs, so the crew brings the right anchors and the right number of hands.
- ☐ Wall construction notes: drywall, plaster, concrete block, tile, stone, glass, millwork. This determines hardware, not preference.
- ☐ Known obstructions: in-wall plumbing, electrical runs, structural steel, recently installed wallcovering you do not want touched.
The day before: site readiness
- ☐ Art on site, unpacked or accessible, and acclimated — not sitting in a hot truck.
- ☐ Walls finished and cured. Installing into fresh paint or unfinished plaster creates rework.
- ☐ Furniture placed, or at least final positions marked, if art is hung in relation to it.
- ☐ Someone with decision authority reachable by phone. Nine out of ten delays are a question nobody is empowered to answer.
- ☐ Lighting working in the rooms being installed. You cannot judge placement in the dark.
Install day: how to run it
- ☐ 1. Ten-minute walkthrough first. Confirm room order, any protected surfaces, and the plan for debris.
- ☐ 2. Install in the order the trades allow, not in the order of your drawing set.
- ☐ 3. Approve as you go, room by room. Approving 60 pieces at the end of the day is how one wrong center line becomes twelve.
- ☐ 4. Keep a punch list open and settle small changes on site — moving a piece 4 inches is free while the crew is standing there and expensive next week.
- ☐ 5. Photograph each finished room before furniture is dressed. That is your record and your marketing.
Budget and scheduling reality
Trade and commercial installation is priced by the day: $300 per installer for a half day, $550 per installer for a full day, with crews of two to four installers. Mileage outside the local radius is $0.67 per mile, and a $200 deposit books the date. Installs outside normal business hours are routine for hotels, restaurants and occupied offices — tell us the constraint when you request the quote, not after. We do not work Saturdays; evenings and Sundays can be arranged.
The five questions to ask any installer
- ☐ 1. What hardware will you bring, and what is it rated for?
- ☐ 2. Can you produce a COI naming the property?
- ☐ 3. Who is the lead on site, and can they make hardware decisions without calling the office?
- ☐ 4. What happens if a piece or a wall is damaged?
- ☐ 5. Can you work around other trades and outside business hours?
Firehawk Art Installers works with interior designers, art consultants and gallery staff throughout Florida. Certificate of insurance, W-9 and trade documentation available on request. Call (407) 573-7775 or see our trade packages.
