12 Tips for MDU Control Installations

With less homes being built, many integrators want more bang for their buck. Working with developers or builders on multi-dwelling units (MDUs) provides opportunities to do lots of installations under the same roof.

It’s not easy though. Installing control systems in MDUs, in particular, can be challenging for installers. It often requires coordinating with lots of other tradesmen and compromising schedules. Developers often demand a base-level of control from which homeowners can choose add-ons, which can be daunting.

Challenging though it may be, some integrators find MDU control installations extremely profitably. CE Pro spoke to MDU control installation experts to get some tips.

In order to be successful doing MDU control installations, integrators must commit, says Charlie Cash, AMX’s residential business unit manager. Since the market requires a different approach than single-family homes, he says “the most successful dealers are specialists that have made MDUs their primary business so that they can fine-tune their business to best meet their needs — from sales and implementation to support and service.”

“Think about how to packagize systems so builders feel like they’re getting a ‘good buddy’ deal and you’re still going to make a profit,” advices John Baumeister, president of Niles, Ill.-based Baumeister Electronic Architects, a company that has done its share of MDU installations in Chicago.

Integrators should get help upfront from their manufacturers when working on MDUs, says William Schafer, Crestron’s director of product and channel development. “Let us help you make the sale since we have the major experience,” he says.

Assume that expenses on MDU control projects will exceed expectations, advises Howard Nunes, president and CEO of Pepperdash Technology Corp., a third-party control system programmer with locations in New York, Allston, Mass. and Austin, Texas. He adds that, in order to control costs, integrators should also assume that unit owners won’t want what they’re trying to sell them.

AMX recommends that integrators build full-time, on-site service and support for buildings with over 50 units.

“It is inevitable that unit owners will encounter problems with technology in their unit from time to time and being able to provide at least one dedicated employee who is staffed on-site to address issues as they arise is not only more efficient for the integrator, but it provides a source of recurring revenue,” Cash says.

Integrators should make sure they have a line of credit before getting involved in MDU installations, says Baumeister.

The biggest misstep integrators can take when entering a MDU project is underestimating its scope, says Eric Smith, chief technology officer for Control4.

“It is critical to ensure you have the skill set for large scale project management and you have the right number of trained employees to complete the job on time and within budget,” he says.

“Research the building thoroughly,” advises Robert Bliss of Bliss Home Theaters & Automation Inc. of Westlake Village, Calif. He says roadblocks based on building codes, city regulations and HOA rules can complicate things significantly.

Just because MDU units tend to be smaller than single-family homes, that doesn’t mean the installations are a snap, says Schafer of Crestron. He advises integrators to prepare adequately.

“When you have to finish 20 units in one month and keep doing other business outside of the MDU project it can be a major drain on your other business.”

“Figure out how you’re going to partner up with electricians,” says Baumeister, advising integrators on MDU projects. “If you’re in a union city like ours [Chicago], you need to be able to do that.”

Making MDU control systems repeatable is essential, according to AMX’s Cash. “Deploying two high-rise projects simultaneously is vastly different from deploying 200, which is common in the MDU market.

"These large-scale, commercial style MDU jobs require a high level of repeatability so that systems can be deployed efficiently and reliably,” he says.

Nunes suggests that integrators beware of choosing equipment based on what a manufacturer or rep will sell them at a discount. Instead, the Pepperdash president says integrators should offer “robust equipment that is well suited to the environment.”