An installer telling you when not to hire an installer: a small flat TV on a drywall wall is a reasonable DIY job. Past that, the math changes fast.
DIY is fine when
- The TV is small to mid-size and light.
- The wall is drywall over wood studs.
- You are fine with the wires showing, or in a stick-on cover.
- You own a stud finder, a level and a drill, and you have a helper for lifting.
Hire a pro when
- The TV is large or heavy. A dropped 75 inch screen costs far more than the install.
- The wall is brick, stone, tile, concrete or metal stud. These need the right bit, anchor and experience. See mounting on any wall.
- It is over a fireplace. Heat, height and masonry at once.
- You want the wires hidden in the wall. That takes in-wall rated parts, not a cover strip.
- It is a rental and you want it solid now and patched cleanly later.
The real risk
The failure mode of DIY is not a crooked TV. It is a TV that holds for a month and then pulls out of the drywall. Anchoring into structure is the whole game.
If yours is on the hire-a-pro list, that is us: TV wall mounting across Santa Clarita and the valleys, one visit, done right.