Questions to ask an AV company before signing the contract (and the hidden costs to check)

An AV quotation can look complete while still leaving room for additional costs after you sign. Before approving the contract, check what the quoted price actually covers, which changes can increase it and who has authority to approve extra spend.

If you have been burned before by an AV quotation that looked reasonable at the start but produced a much larger final invoice, the most useful question is not simply, “Is this price competitive?” It is “What can still change after I sign?”

At the contract stage, unexpected AV costs usually appear in five areas: scope inclusions, labour and crew, venue and logistics, contingency and changes, and payment terms. Some additional costs are completely legitimate. An event may overrun, a venue may change its access window, or you may add equipment after the original brief. The problem begins when the quotation does not explain how those situations will be handled.

At EMS Events, these are the questions we would expect an informed organiser or procurement team to ask before approving any AV contract, including our own.

Where hidden AV costs usually appear in a contract

In our experience reviewing quotations across the London corporate market, five most common areas where additional AV costs can arise after a quotation is issued. A useful contract therefore tells you not only what you are buying but also what can create a variation after signing.

This is also where terms such as dry hire, wet hire and managed production need to be clear. A dry-hire price may cover equipment while leaving labour and operation to your own team. A managed scope may include technicians, setup and show support, but the exact inclusions still need to be documented.

If you are still deciding which level of service you need rather than reviewing a contract, go through our AV hire vs full event production guide to make an earlier decision.

Questions to ask about the AV scope

Start by establishing exactly what is included in the quoted scope of works. A single line saying “AV package” doesn’t provide enough information about rehearsal time, content preparation, backup systems, or additions requested during the event.

1. Is rehearsal time and content testing included?

A technical rehearsal uses the same resources as other parts of the production: venue time, equipment and technical crew. The quotation should therefore state whether rehearsal and presentation testing are included and how much time has been allowed.

A clear answer might confirm a defined rehearsal window or include content testing within the agreed production hours. If the response is simply “we will deal with it on the day”, ask what happens if testing extends beyond the crew hours already booked.

2. Are backup panels, processors and cables included or billed on use?

Backup requirements should reflect the importance of the equipment and the production design. Critical systems may need spare signal paths, cables, processors or other contingency equipment available on site.

Ask whether that redundancy is already included in the quoted scope and whether using a spare to replace failed equipment creates an extra charge. Normal fault cover should be clearly distinguished from additional equipment requested because the event brief has changed.

3. Who is responsible for the content files, recordings and handover after the event?

Presentation files, playback media, recordings and streaming outputs can involve several people and systems. Confirm who receives the files, who prepares them for playback, where they are stored during the event and what is handed back afterwards.

This matters because “content support” can mean anything from loading a final PowerPoint file to managing multiple versions of a presentation and recorded outputs. If recordings or other deliverables form part of the agreement, their ownership and permitted use should also be defined in the contract and, where necessary, reviewed by your legal or procurement team.

4. What happens if we need an extra microphone, screen or lighting fixture on the day?

On-the-day additions are legitimate variations when they were not included in the original brief. The important point is knowing how those additions are priced and authorised before someone asks for them under time pressure.

A clear contract should explain how additional equipment is priced, who can approve the cost and how that approval is recorded. If pricing is completely undefined until the request is made, you have very little cost certainty at the point when a decision needs to be made quickly.

For readers still assessing supplier capability rather than contract wording, our 20 questions to ask an LED video wall rental company cover that shortlist stage.

Questions to ask about crew and labour charges

Crew costs become difficult to control when the quotation names people but not their booked hours. Build time, rehearsals, the show itself and de-rig all need to fit within a defined labour scope.

Technical crew costs depend on the roles required, the working hours booked and the production schedule. Your quotation should therefore identify who is required, when they are working and what happens if those hours extend.

5. How many technicians are included, and for what hours?

The quotation should tell you how many people are booked, what roles they are covering and when their working day begins and ends.

“Two technicians on site” leaves several unanswered questions. Are they there only for the build? Does one stay for the show? Are they expected to return for de-rig? A clear crew schedule makes those responsibilities visible before the event begins.

6. What is the overtime threshold and rate per hour?

Events do not always finish exactly when the running order says they will. A keynote can overrun, a dinner can start late, or the venue may delay access at the beginning of the day.

Extra crew time may therefore be a legitimate cost. What matters is knowing when overtime starts and how it is calculated. The contract should state the agreed working period and the rate or calculation method that applies after it ends.

7. Is de-rig included in the crew time, or is it a separate shift?

The audience leaving the room does not end the production day. Screens, sound systems, staging, lighting and control equipment still need to be shut down, dismantled, packed and loaded out.

Ask whether de-rig falls within the original crew booking or requires a separate evening or overnight call. If the venue insists on immediate removal after a late finish, that distinction can materially affect labour cost.

8. Who is the named production contact, and will they be present on the day?

You need a clear route for technical and commercial decisions once the event is live. Confirm who manages the production from your side of the supplier relationship and whether that person will be present during the event.

If responsibility transfers to someone else on site, understand who that person is and what authority they have. This also gives your own event team one clear contact if a change carries an additional cost.

Questions to ask about venue and London logistics costs

Venue access and transport charges should be discussed before signing, as they often fall outside the equipment hire rate. In London, the delivery address, vehicle, access window and venue rules can all affect the cost of getting the production into and out of the building.

9. Are ULEZ, Congestion Charge and timed-delivery costs itemised?

Ask which road and delivery charges actually apply to your event rather than accepting a generic London logistics fee.

The Congestion Charge is currently £18 when an applicable vehicle enters the charging zone during charging hours. ULEZ works differently: the £12.50 charge applies to relevant vehicles that do not meet the required emissions standard, so it should not automatically be added to every London delivery.

Timed loading bays, waiting time, tail-lift requirements and out-of-hours collections are separate operational costs. The quotation should make clear whether they are included, estimated or still subject to venue confirmation.

10. Has the AV company liaised with the venue about load-in, power and access?

A quotation based on untested assumptions about the venue can change quickly once production planning starts.

Ask whether the supplier has confirmed the loading route, lift dimensions, power provision, rigging rules, loading-bay times and any restrictions on working hours. If those details have not yet been confirmed, identify which parts of the quotation remain provisional.

11. What happens if the venue changes the schedule, access hours or charges?

A venue may impose a requirement after the AV contract has been signed, and the supplier may have no control over that decision.

The contract should explain how additional third-party venue costs are passed on and when client approval is required before the supplier commits to the extra spend. This prevents a legitimate venue charge from appearing as an unexplained line item on the final invoice.

Questions to ask about changes and contingency

Events change, so the contract needs a controlled way to deal with those changes. The goal is not to prevent variations but to make the trigger, price and approval process clear before the change happens.

12. What triggers a revised quotation?

Ask which changes would normally require the supplier to revise the price.

Examples might include a larger screen, another room, extra technical crew, additional rehearsal time or a longer venue-access period. The contract does not need to predict every possible scenario, but it should make the difference between the agreed scope and a chargeable variation understandable.

13. How are on-the-day changes priced and authorised?

Small verbal requests can become expensive when several are made during setup.

Agree who on your team is authorised to approve additional cost and how that approval will be documented. If a presenter asks a technician directly for another confidence monitor or microphone, there should be a process for checking the commercial impact before the request becomes a confirmed addition.

14. What backup and fault-response support is included, and what is chargeable?

Ask how the supplier intends to protect critical parts of the production if equipment fails.

There is an important difference between replacing failed equipment within the contracted system and adding new equipment that was never part of the original brief. The contract should explain where the included fault response ends and a new chargeable requirement begins.

Questions to ask about payment terms and contract wording

Payment terms deserve the same attention as the equipment schedule because they determine when money becomes committed and what happens if plans change. Read cancellation, damage and variation clauses before signing rather than when you need to use them.

Where contract wording has legal or procurement implications, your own legal or procurement team should review it.

15. What is the deposit, and when is the balance due?

Ask for the complete payment schedule, not just the amount required to secure the booking.

The contract should state when the deposit becomes due, when later payments are required and when the final balance must be paid. For an EMS Events booking, the applicable payment schedule should also be checked against the Order and the current EMS Events Terms and Conditions. If your organisation requires purchase orders or agreed credit terms, resolve these before confirming the booking.

16. What are the cancellation and reschedule terms?

Cancellation and postponement can affect equipment reservations, crew bookings and other committed costs.

Ask how cancellation charges change as the event date approaches and how postponements or rescheduled events are handled. For EMS Events bookings, check the current Terms and Conditions for the cancellation and variation provisions that apply to your Order.

17. What insurance does the supplier hold, and what equipment liability applies to the client?

Public liability insurance and equipment damage are separate issues.

Ask for evidence of the supplier’s Public Liability cover and confirm that it meets the venue’s requirements. You should also check the contract for the client’s responsibilities relating to loss, damage, insurance, excesses or replacement costs for hired equipment.

18. Is the quoted price fixed, or is it estimated and reconciled after the event?

This question tells you how much certainty the quotation actually gives you.

A fixed base scope may still allow additional charges when you approve a genuine variation. An estimated quotation may instead be reconciled against actual labour, transport or additional equipment after the event. Neither approach is automatically wrong, but the calculation method should be clear before you sign.

AV contract checklist to use before signing

Run these questions against the quotation and the contract together. If an answer only exists in an email or sales conversation, ask whether it should also appear in the signed scope.

Make every AV cost clear before you book

Hidden AV costs are not necessarily hidden by design. More often, they become hidden because the quotation is vague about scope, working hours, third-party charges or what happens when the event changes.

A strong contract removes that ambiguity before the production starts. You should be able to see what the agreed price covers, where additional cost could arise, who can approve it and how it will be calculated.

At EMS Events, we expect clients to ask detailed questions about scope, crew, logistics, changes and commercial terms before confirming an event. If you already have an AV quotation, use the checklist above to identify anything that still needs clarifying before you approve the booking.

FAQs

What is the most common hidden AV cost in London?

Unplanned labour is one of the easiest AV costs to miss, particularly when the quotation does not state crew hours, overtime conditions or de-rig requirements. Venue access and London logistics can create further charges. The most useful protection is an itemised scope that states the assumptions behind both labour and delivery before the contract is signed.

Should an AV quote include VAT?

The quotation should clearly state whether its figures are inclusive or exclusive of VAT. The standard UK VAT rate is currently 20%, so the distinction has a significant effect on the approved event budget.

For example, a £5,000 price excluding standard-rate VAT is not the same budget commitment as £5,000 including VAT. Confirm the treatment before comparing quotations or raising a purchase order.

Can I ask for a fixed-price AV contract with no variation?

You can ask for a fixed price for the agreed scope, but the contract still needs to explain what happens if that scope changes. A practical structure is a fixed base quotation with clearly defined variation triggers, approval rules and rates. This gives you price certainty without pretending that an additional screen, longer crew day or changed venue requirement has no cost.