Media Wall Installers in California
106 companies in 44 cities
Cities in California
Top Companies in California
Ice Mount'n
Los Angeles, CA
AMZ Tech
San Jose, CA
Precise TV Mounting Services
Riverside, CA
Immersive Installs
San Francisco, CA
Central Coast AV
Carpinteria, CA
Kalieb Designs
Bakersfield, CA
Services in California
Walls in California homes: what to know before mounting a TV or building a media wall
Most California houses are wood-frame with stucco or siding outside and drywall inside, built to seismic codes that require connections to be anchored into framing. The state also has a large share of older plaster-and-lath homes, many apartments and condos in concrete or metal framing, and earthquake risk that makes secure TV mounting and anti-tip hardware especially relevant.
- median year homes were built
- 1977
- median year homes were built
- built in 2000 or later
- 20.7%
- built in 2000 or later
- built before 1960
- 26%
- built before 1960
- single-family homes
- 64.2%
- single-family homes
- in buildings with 5+ units
- 24.2%
- in buildings with 5+ units
- mobile homes
- 3.4%
- mobile homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (tables B25035, B25034, B25024)
Common wall types
Wood-frame with stucco or siding
Where: Most single-family homes from Sacramento to San Diego.
Mounting: Interior walls are drywall on studs at 16 inches on center. Stucco exteriors are not a mounting surface; mount into studs inside.
Plaster over wood lath
Where: Pre-1950 homes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Pasadena and Sacramento. About a quarter of California housing units were built before 1960.
Mounting: Plaster can crack if drilled carelessly. Use studs when possible and toggle bolts or blocking elsewhere.
Poured concrete and CMU
Where: High-rise condos in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, plus garage and retaining walls.
Mounting: Needs a hammer drill and anchors. In-wall runs are often impossible, so plan surface raceways and check HOA rules.
Metal-stud apartments and condos
Where: Mid-rise multifamily buildings across metro areas.
Mounting: Use snap toggles or blocking and keep full-motion arms off thin drywall.
Brick and masonry fireplaces and chimneys
Where: Older homes, especially in the Bay Area and Southern California.
Mounting: Unreinforced masonry chimneys perform poorly in earthquakes, so avoid mounting heavy TVs on or above them.
Tips before you mount
- Seismic: secure the mount into framing, not just drywall. Use locking or anti-tip hardware where offered and consider a secondary TV safety strap for TVs on stands, since earthquake guidance says anchoring must go into studs or concrete with proper hardware.
- Stud walls: studs are usually 16" on center. Lag the mount into at least two studs with 5/16" lag bolts, typically about 2.5" to 3" long. A full-motion arm puts much more leverage on the wall than a flat mount, so it needs studs or masonry and should never hang on drywall anchors alone.
- Plaster-and-lath walls: find studs first, pre-drill slowly without hammer mode, and use toggle bolts where framing is not in place. Pre-1950 plaster is brittle.
- Concrete and block: use 1/4" concrete screws or 3/8" sleeve or wedge anchors with a hammer drill, drilling into solid concrete or block face shells.
- Hiding wires: NEC 400.12 does not allow a regular TV power cord to be concealed inside a wall. Use an in-wall rated recessed power kit, and use CL2 or CL3 rated low-voltage cable for in-wall HDMI and speaker runs.
- Fireplaces: keep heavy TVs off unreinforced masonry chimneys and check the TV maker heat limits. A gas fireplace still radiates heat above the opening.
- Condos and apartments: ask the association whether drilling into concrete or exterior walls needs approval and get a certificate of insurance (COI) from the installer. Outdoor TVs on patios should be outdoor-rated and corrosion-resistant, especially near the coast.
- Before work starts, tell the installer the wall type (studs, masonry, plaster or concrete), the TV size and weight, and the mount type. These change the anchors, labor time and price.
Sources: Census Reporter, ACS 2024 1-year: California (B25035, B25034, B25024) · University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center: wood-frame building seismic performance · California Seismic Safety Commission: chimney bulletin · Earthquake Tracker: earthquake straps and anchors for furniture and TVs. General guidance only — your installer will confirm the right method for your wall.