FAQ & Pricing | Technology & Lighting Design Services

Pricing & Service Tiers
We package our design work into three tiers, so you can pick the level of engagement that fits your project, from a second opinion to a full owner's-representative consultancy.

Design Advisory
Starting around $3,500 Programming, technology recommendations, conceptual plans, and a preliminary budget. Best for owners and architects who want expert guidance early on, without commissioning full bid documents yet.

Professional Design (our core service)
Typically $7,500–$25,000+ Full system design: programming, drawings, equipment criteria, budgets, coordination with your project team, and construction specifications. This is what most residential and commercial clients need to get their project designed and bid correctly.

Independent Technology Consulting
Typically $20,000–$75,000+ (can run higher on large residential, corporate, or industrial projects) The complete arc: Programming → Schematic Design → Design Development → Construction Documents → Specifications → Bidding → Submittal Review → Construction Administration → Commissioning. We act as your technology owner's representative from concept through final acceptance testing.

Every project is different. These ranges reflect typical scope; your fixed-fee proposal is built around your specific project size, complexity, and phase of involvement. [Request a Design Consultation] to get a proposal for your project.

Lighting Design
Lighting is available as a standalone service or combined with technology design (recommended for residential projects, where lighting, shades, AV, and automation are closely linked).

• Residential, concept/fixture-plan level: roughly $2.00–$4.00 per sq. ft.

• Residential, full architectural lighting design: roughly $4.00–$7.00 per sq. ft.

• Residential, estate / highly customized: $7.00+ per sq. ft., or a fixed proposal.

• Commercial & industrial: fixed fee or hourly, scoped to building area, space types, fixture complexity, and control requirements; a per-square-foot rate doesn't hold up once a project gets complex.

​

Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between technology design and installation? Design is the plan: the drawings, specifications, and equipment criteria a contractor bids and builds from. Installation is the construction work itself. Most low-voltage contractors bundle the two, which means the design ends up serving whatever equipment that contractor sells. We offer design as a separate, independent service, so the plan serves you first.

Do you also install the systems you design?

We can, but you're never obligated to hire us for installation. If you do select Bri-Tech to furnish and install the system we designed, a portion of your design fee is credited toward that construction contract; see "What is the Design-to-Build Credit?" below.

What is the Design-to-Build Credit?

If Bri-Tech is subsequently selected to provide the technology systems for a project we designed, a portion of the design fee is credited toward the construction contract. It's not a full credit: the design fee reflects real value on its own, independent of who builds the system.

Do you handle electrical engineering or stamped drawings?

No. We design the technology systems: network, AV, security, lighting control, and related low-voltage infrastructure. Electrical engineering, stamped drawings, code-required engineering, and electrical power distribution remain with your project's licensed engineer, unless specifically contracted through one of our engineering partners.

How is pricing determined: fixed fee or hourly?

Most projects are quoted as a fixed design fee based on estimated scope, broken out by phase (for example: programming, schematic design, construction documents, bid review, construction administration, commissioning). Hourly rates apply for open-ended advisory work or scope changes outside the original agreement.

What do I actually receive from a Professional Design engagement?

Programming documentation, system design narratives and drawings, equipment criteria and budgets, coordination with your architect/contractor/other trades, and construction specifications ready to go out to bid.

I already have a contractor picked out; can you still help?

Yes. Many clients engage us specifically because they want an independent design their chosen contractor can bid and build from, rather than a design written around one contractor's equipment line.

Do you just design the systems, or do you create the content that runs on them too? Both. Through Inspirence Studios, our in-house creative production studio, the same team that designs your system also produces original content for it: projection mapping built for your space's architecture, custom video and audio production for cinemas, media rooms, lobbies, and immersive learning environments, and content for LED video walls. Where most technology design stops at the equipment plan, ours extends to what plays on it.

Do you work on residential, commercial, industrial, and education projects?

Yes. The scope and documentation level differ by project type. See the [Technology & Lighting Design Services] page for what's included for high-end residential, commercial, industrial, and education work (immersive learning spaces, auditoriums, tech labs, digital signage, and campus-wide systems).

Do you design for schools and other public institutions?

Yes. Education work (auditoriums, tech labs, immersive learning environments, digital signage, and campus infrastructure) often goes through public or institutional bidding, so we produce vendor-neutral, bid-ready specifications rather than documentation written around one contractor's equipment line.

What's the process from start to finish?

Programming → Schematic Design → Design Development → Construction Documents → Bid Review & Contractor Selection → Construction Administration → Commissioning & Acceptance Testing. You can start at Design Advisory and decide phase-by-phase whether to continue, or engage the full Independent Technology Consulting arc up front.

How long does a design engagement take?

Timelines depend on project size and phase count. A Design Advisory review can take a few weeks, while a full Independent Technology Consulting engagement runs alongside your project's design and construction schedule. We'll outline a timeline in your proposal.

How do I get started? [Request a Design Consultation]: tell us about your project, send us your plans and we'll recommend the right tier, or scope a custom proposal.

Not sure which tier fits your project? A short conversation is usually enough to tell. [Request a Design Consultation] and we'll recommend a starting point, no obligation to continue past that first review.