BUILDERS HAVE A handle on their regular subcontractors — the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC guys, among others. But what of the so-called “fourth trade,” the experts who know the best way to wire a home theater, or integrate home control systems? Electronics contractors bring a new set of skills to digital home building, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Here's what a builder should think about when looking for an installer.

1: Beware of using high-voltage contractors for low-voltage work. Coordinating the work of many contractors is the bane of most home builders' existence. So it's no surprise that some would like one contractor to do double duty, where possible. When electrical contractors say they can do low-voltage, structured wiring work, builders may be tempted to give them the business. After all, wiring is wiring, right?

Not necessarily, says Ken Smith, president of CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association. “Unless your electrical contractor has an experienced low-voltage team on board, you're taking a risk if you use them for low-voltage work,” he says.

Smith says he was recently hired to fix a serious problem caused by an unwitting electrician. The client wanted music in several rooms of a home, including the bedroom. The electrician's first mistake was to use thermostat wire, which would have worked but was far from optimal. In general, Smith says electricians are not always aware of low-voltage wiring issues, such as problems caused by pulling speaker wire near high-voltage wire.

At the client's home, the more serious flaw was the system design, which included left and right bedroom speakers in adjoining rooms. It was clear to Smith that the electrician had little idea of how to create a multi-source, distributed audio system. “If someone wanted to listen to Top 40, everyone in the house had to either listen to the same music or turn off their speakers,” says Smith. “A low-voltage [custom] electronics specialist would never wire a house like that.”

2: Leave security to security people. Low-voltage contractors are usually capable of handling basic wiring for all electronics, including audio, video, lighting control—even security. But that does not mean security wiring should fall on the low-voltage team.

Dave Simon, manager of industry and public affairs for Brink's Home Security, acknowledges that many low-voltage contractors are capable of security wiring. But his company, which sells security systems and ongoing monitoring services, would rather do so itself. “We have very strict standards,” he says.

If builders want their low-voltage people to wire for security, either for reasons of cost or convenience, Brink's will work with them. But Simon points out that Brink's will have to be involved in the design of the system and will check it carefully after the job is done. Simon says that Brink's insistence on tight control is not unreasonable, given the criticality of the system. “If lighting control goes bad, you may be inconvenienced until it is fixed,” says Simon. “Security has to be done right the first time.”

On the flip side, however, more and more security contractors are adding other low-voltage expertise to their repertoire. If home builders want one-stop shopping for low-voltage and security work, many of Brink's security wiring specialists can handle other electronics applications. “If they want, we'll pull all the wires for them,” says Simon.

3: Bone up on installer credentials. How does a builder evaluate the thousands of electronics installers out there? (CEDIA alone has more than 3,500 members.) “Look for experience and certification,” says Dave Pedigo, CEDIA's senior director of technology.

The basics of finding an electronics installer stem from due diligence: Identify firms that have served in the community for years, check references, check financial stability. And if you know what to look for, ask installers what certifications they hold. CEDIA, for instance, has four certification levels:

• Installer I Technician, for those who work under supervision
• Installer II Technician, for supervisors and lead technicians
• Designer I, for those who have three to five years in the industry and serve as a primary systems designers
• Home Theater Design Specialists, for the few individuals who have mastered the principles and minutiae of this specialty.