Who This Checklist Is For
You're about to install a new arcade machine, a row of pool tables, or maybe a complete home theater setup. The deadline is set, the space is prepped, and you're confident everything will go smoothly.
I'm writing this for anyone who's nodded along with that thought, only to find themselves three days before opening with a 400-pound machine that doesn't fit through the door. In my role coordinating installations for indoor entertainment venues, I've seen that scenario play out more times than I can count.
This isn't a theoretical guide. It's a 5-step checklist built from actual failures I've managed over the last several years. If you follow it, you'll save yourself the stress of a last-minute scramble—and probably a few thousand dollars in rush fees.
Step 1: Verify the Physical Dimensions (Including the Path)
Everyone measures the room. But most people forget to measure the path the equipment has to travel.
I had a client in April 2023 who ordered two premium pool tables for a new sports bar in a downtown building. The game room was 22 x 30 feet—plenty of space. But the building's service elevator was only 36 inches deep. The pool table, crated, was 42 inches deep. We discovered this when the delivery truck arrived, and I had to scramble to find a freight company with a crane truck for a third-floor window installation. That added $1,200 and a 48-hour delay.
Your Quick-Check for Step 1:
- Doorways: Measure width and height of every door, hallway, and elevator from the loading dock to the final location.
- Corridors: A clearance of 3 inches per side is not enough. You need at least 6 inches for maneuvering, and that's if the movers are good.
- Stairwells: If there's a turn in the stairs, measure the diagonal clearance. This is where most large arcade cabinets get stuck.
- Crated Dimensions: Ask your supplier for the crated size, not just the machine's dimensions. The crate for a standard 5-foot pool table adds roughly 6 inches on all sides.
I'm not 100% sure, but I'd estimate that about 30% of our emergency callouts in 2024 were due to path issues that could've been caught with a tape measure. Take the 15 minutes to do a full walkthrough.
Step 2: Confirm Power and Data Requirements
This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how often it gets overlooked. An arcade machine isn't a lamp. And a modern home theater projector needs more than just a standard outlet.
We once had a rush order for a client who had built a beautiful custom bar with six integrated dartboards. They had the electrician run standard 15-amp circuits. The dartboards required dedicated 20-amp circuits for the light-up scoring displays, or they'd trip the breaker when four people played simultaneously. The fix involved an emergency electrician on a Sunday, which cost them their entire profit margin on the dartboards for the first quarter.
Your Checklist for Step 2:
- Amperage: Check the spec sheet for each machine. Some arcade cabinets and high-end projectors require 20-amp circuits.
- Voltage: A few commercial-grade items, like certain billiard table accessories or large-format pinball machines, run on 240V. If you don't have that, you're re-wiring.
- Data & Ventilation: Does the machine need an ethernet cable for online leaderboards or credit card payments? Does a home theater receiver need space for airflow? These aren't minor details—they determine furniture placement.
Granted, this adds a layer of complexity to your planning. But it's far easier to ask the builder to run an extra circuit now than to pay for a drywall patch later.
Step 3: Get the Installation Protocol in Writing (Don't Rely on 'Standard')
Here's the mistake I made in my first year. I assumed 'standard installation' meant the same thing to every supplier. I learned that lesson the hard way when I approved a purchase order for a ping pong table without specifying that the installation included leveling the legs on an uneven floor.
The table arrived. The installers set it up, tightened the screws, and left. The table wobbled. The client called us, furious, because their tournament was in three days. We had to send a separate team to shim the legs. Cost us a $400 redo and a relationship hit.
To be fair, many suppliers are great. But if you're in a bind, it's the things you didn't put on paper that cause the fire drills.
What to Confirm in Writing:
- Leveling: Does installation include leveling the equipment for your specific floor? If the floor is concrete that slopes toward a drain, this is non-negotiable.
- Assembly: Does 'assembly' include connecting the internal wiring, or is it just bolting the legs on? For a pool table, this means installing the slate, cloth, cushions, and pockets. That's a skilled job.
- Debris Removal: Who takes away the crates and packing material? If you don't ask, it often stays in your hallway.
I've got a standard template for this now, but when I'm triaging a rush order, I still walk through these points verbally and then send a confirmation email. It takes 10 minutes. It can save you a week of delay.
Step 4: Establish the 'Last Responsible Moment' for Change Orders
This is the step that everyone skips because it feels like a formality. It's not.
In August 2022, a client decided they wanted to swap the location of two arcade machines after the power and data lines had been run to specific spots. The change was simple on paper: move Machine A to Spot B and Machine B to Spot A. But the electrical outlets were already in the floor, and the data runs were in the walls. The floor had to be patched, the walls re-fished, and the carpet replaced. That change order, which the client thought was 'just a swap,' added nine days and $2,800 to the project.
How to Handle This:
- Define the cut-off date: For example, 'All change orders must be submitted 72 hours before the scheduled installation start. Any changes after that will incur a rush fee and may delay completion.'
- Explain why: You don't have to be aggressive about it. I usually say something like, 'To keep the timeline tight for your opening, once the electrician has pulled the wires, we can't move them without extra cost. So please confirm your final layout by Wednesday.'
Missing that deadline would have meant the client's venue wasn't ready for a media preview they had scheduled. That's a worse outcome than a small change fee.
Step 5: Schedule a Pre-Installation Walkthrough (With Photos)
You can't fix what you can't see. The final step is to take a video walkthrough of the entire installation path and the final room, and share it with your installation team or supplier.
I started doing this after a disaster in March 2024. The project manager sent photos of the space, but his photos were taken from the center of the room looking out—they didn't show the low-hanging ductwork right where the home theater screen was supposed to go. The installers arrived, hung the screen, and the top three inches were blocked by the duct. We had to move the entire seating layout 18 inches, which messed up the projector's throw distance and required a different lens. Total unnecessary cost: about $750.
What Your Walkthrough Video Should Capture:
- Ceiling: Low ducts, sprinkler heads, light fixtures that can't be moved.
- Floor: Uneven spots, transitions between different flooring (carpet to tile can be a 1-inch lip).
- Door swing: Does the door open into the room? That might block where your foosball table needs to go.
I want to say this has solved 80% of our preventable issues, but don't quote me on that exact number. What I know is that since we started requiring a walkthrough video, our mid-installation change orders dropped by a lot.
One Final Thing to Watch For: The 'It's Basically the Same as Last Time' Trap
The most dangerous phrase in our industry isn't a technical term. It's 'it's basically the same.'
I had a supplier in Q4 2023 who sent a 'standard' shipment of home theater seating. The model number was one digit off from what we ordered. The color was the same, the frame was the same, but the seat depth was 2 inches shorter. The supplier said, 'It's basically the same.' It wasn't. The client had already built the tiered seating platform to fit the original dimensions. We had to cut and rebuild the platform. Cost: $1,200 and a blown deadline.
Check the model number. Check the serial number. Check the voltage on the nameplate. Don't trust 'it's basically the same.' That's the error that triggers the entire emergency process.
Prices and examples are from actual projects handled between 2020-2024. Verify current specifications with your equipment supplier, as standards and models change.
