Budgeting for a commercial AV upgrade starts with one question: what does it actually cost. The answer depends on room size, use case, and how many spaces are involved, but there are clear benchmarks organizations can use to plan.
Average AV System Costs by Room Type
Huddle rooms (2-6 people)
A basic video conferencing setup with a display, camera, and audio bar typically runs $3,000 to $8,000 CAD installed. This covers rooms used mainly for quick internal calls and small team check-ins.
Mid-size meeting rooms (6-12 people)
Rooms that need dedicated microphones, a larger display, and more robust control systems generally fall between $10,000 and $25,000 CAD. This tier covers most standard conference rooms in a corporate office.
Executive boardrooms (12+ people)
Boardrooms with multiple displays, ceiling or table microphone arrays, room scheduling panels, and integrated control systems typically range from $30,000 to $75,000+ CAD, depending on finishes and the complexity of the room’s use cases.
Training rooms and multipurpose spaces
Spaces that need to support presentations, hybrid learning, and reconfigurable layouts often land between $20,000 and $50,000 CAD, driven mainly by additional display zones and audio coverage.
Large venue and auditorium systems
Purpose-built spaces with distributed audio, large-format displays or projection, and advanced control systems can range from $75,000 to several hundred thousand dollars CAD, depending on capacity and technical complexity.
These figures reflect equipment, installation, and standard programming. They do not include structural changes to a room, such as electrical or millwork modifications.
What Actually Drives AV Costs Up or Down
Room use case, not room size
A 10-person room used only for video calls costs less to equip than a 10-person room that also needs to support hybrid training sessions, wireless presentation from multiple devices, and integration with a room booking system. The use case, not the square footage, is what drives the estimate.
Number of rooms in the project
Multi-room and multi-site projects typically bring the per-room cost down through standardized equipment packages, bulk procurement, and shared programming templates. A single custom boardroom often costs more per room than the same boardroom design replicated across ten locations.
Existing infrastructure
Buildings with adequate network cabling, power, and mounting infrastructure already in place cost less to retrofit than buildings that need infrastructure upgrades before AV equipment can go in.
Control and automation complexity
A simple “push a button, join a call” experience costs less than a room with automated scene switching, integrated lighting and shades, and centralized management across a portfolio of rooms.
Service and support model
Ongoing maintenance, remote monitoring, and service level agreements add to the total cost of ownership but reduce downtime and unplanned service calls over the life of the system.
How to Budget for an AV Project
1. Start with the use case, not the room. Define what each room needs to do (video calls, presentations, hybrid training, all-hands broadcasts) before pricing equipment.
2. Get a site assessment before finalizing a number. Existing infrastructure has a significant impact on total cost, and a walkthrough is the only way to price that accurately.
3. Ask for a phased proposal on multi-room projects. Standardizing a room design across multiple spaces is one of the most reliable ways to control cost without compromising the experience.
4. Factor in service, not just install. A lower upfront number with a weak support model often costs more over three to five years than a slightly higher number with proactive maintenance included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cost of a conference room AV system?
Most standard conference rooms (6-12 people) fall between $10,000 and $25,000 CAD installed, depending on the audio and control requirements.
Is it cheaper to upgrade AV room by room or all at once?
Standardizing a design and rolling it out across multiple rooms at once is typically more cost-effective per room than upgrading one room at a time, since equipment procurement and programming can be shared across the project.
Does AV pricing include installation?
Reputable quotes should include equipment, installation labor, and standard programming. Structural work like electrical or millwork changes is usually scoped separately.
How often should a commercial AV system be replaced or upgraded?
Most commercial AV systems have a useful life of five to seven years before displays, cameras, or control processors reach end of support and need replacement.
Ready to scope your AV project? A room-by-room assessment is the fastest way to get an accurate number for your specific space and use case.
Written by Gianfranco, Digital Marketing Manager at GAV MGMT