Retailer installation vs an independent installer
The installation box at checkout is convenient and sometimes good value. These are the five questions that tell you which it is for your job.
Retailer installation is worth it for a simple screen on a modern wall where you value one transaction. It is usually poor value if the bracket is charged separately, if you want cables concealed, or if your wall needs assessing first, because those are exactly what basic packages exclude.
The five questions to ask before you tick the box
- Is the bracket included, and what is it rated for? Often it is not, or it is a basic fixed bracket at retail price. This is where the value usually leaks.
- What happens if the wall is unsuitable? Ask whether the job is abandoned, whether you are charged, and whether you have to rebook.
- Is cable concealment included? Almost never as standard. Confirm whether you are getting cables in the wall, in trunking, or simply hanging.
- Who is actually attending? Retail installation is commonly subcontracted, so ask whether they carry public liability insurance and what workmanship warranty applies.
- Can they do masonry and older walls? A meaningful question in Hobart, where a large share of housing is pre-1940. Some packages are scoped for plasterboard only.
Where each option is genuinely better
Retailer installation makes sense when
- The wall is modern plasterboard and you know it
- You want a fixed bracket and do not mind visible cables
- One transaction and one delivery date matters to you
- The package price genuinely includes a bracket suited to your screen
An independent installer makes sense when
- The house predates 1940, so the wall needs identifying before anything is drilled
- You want cables inside the wall, or a recessed outlet
- The wall is sandstone, solid masonry or rendered blockwork
- You want a full-motion or pull-down mount
- The screen is going above a heater and you want a straight answer first
- You want a published price rather than a package with exclusions
The marketplace option, for completeness
There is a third path: booking an individual through a marketplace. Airtasker Hobart TV wall mounting page listed TV wall mounting in Hobart at $95 to $150 with a $120 median when we checked on 2026-08-20. That is the cheapest headline number in the market and for a simple job it can be the right choice.
What it is not is a like-for-like comparison. Labour only. Bracket, insurance, warranty and cable concealment not included. Plenty of individuals on those platforms do good work; the difference is what stands behind the job six months later. A fuller comparison of the three models.
One thing that is not a factor
Declining the retailer’s installation does not affect the manufacturer warranty on your television. Buying the set and getting it mounted are separate decisions, and you are free to make them separately.
The exception worth knowing: heat damage from mounting above a heater generally is excluded from warranty, whoever installs it. Why that matters in Hobart.
More guides
- TV mounting height guide - How high to mount a 55, 65 or 75 inch television, in millimetres, using the seated eye-line method rather than a single number.
- VESA mount sizes explained - How to measure your television’s VESA pattern in thirty seconds, plus the common patterns by brand and screen size.
- DIY vs professional TV mounting - Where the line actually sits, the five cases where DIY is fine, and why televisions come off walls.
Reviewed: August 2026
Useful answers before the appointment.
What to check before you tick the installation box.
It can be, for a straightforward screen on a modern wall where convenience matters more than price. It is usually poor value when your wall needs assessment, when you want cables concealed, or when the bracket is charged separately at retail.
Frequently not, or only a basic fixed bracket at full retail price. This is the single biggest source of surprise in retailer packages, so confirm in writing what bracket is included and what it is rated for before you agree.
Policies vary, and this is the question worth asking up front. Some will decline the job and leave you to rebook, and whether you are charged a call-out fee depends on the terms. Ask what happens in that case before the day.
Usually not as standard. In-wall cable routing is normally excluded from a basic package, and a new power outlet always is, because that is licensed electrical work under AS/NZS 3000.
Yes. Buying the television and arranging installation are separate decisions, and declining the installation add-on does not affect your warranty on the set. Delivery and installation just happen on different days.
Bought the TV, need it on the wall?
Send the model, your suburb and roughly when the house was built. We will confirm the bracket and give you a fixed price for Greater Hobart.
What to send us
- Screen size and model
- Your suburb
- Roughly when the house was built
- A photo of the wall
Same-week installation across Greater Hobart. Same-day where the schedule allows.