Antenna installation: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What antenna installation is

Antenna installation mounts an indoor or outdoor TV antenna, aims it toward the broadcast towers, runs the cable to the television and scans for the channels with the best reception at the home. People choose an antenna to get free over-the-air channels without a cable or satellite bill.

Signs you need it

  • You want local over-the-air channels and your current signal is weak or missing channels
  • Your home is far from broadcast towers, or the towers are blocked by hills, trees or buildings
  • You are cutting a cable or satellite package and want a clean setup for local channels
  • Your indoor antenna picks up a ghosted or pixelated picture
  • You want an antenna installed on the roof or the attic with the cable run to the TV

What the pro does

  • Check the local broadcast tower directions and distances, and choose the antenna type for the spot
  • Pick the mount location for the roof, the attic, the wall or the mast, with clear line of sight
  • Mount the antenna and mast, aim it toward the towers, and tighten the hardware
  • Run the coax cable from the antenna to the TV or the splitter, avoiding sharp bends and sun exposure
  • Ground the mast and cable entry to the home's grounding system, as the installer's rules require
  • Scan the channels on the TV, check the signal strength for each station, and fine-tune the aim

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Antenna type and size, and whether an indoor or outdoor model is best
  • Mount location, such as the attic, the roof or the wall, and the height needed
  • Distance to the towers and the number of stations you want to receive
  • Length and route of the coax cable through the house
  • Whether a signal amplifier or distribution equipment is needed for more TVs
  • Roof access and fall protection needed for the mount
  • Whether a grounding connection needs a licensed electrician

What a written quote should spell out

  • The antenna model, type and size, and the mount used
  • Mast, brackets, coax cable length and connectors, as separate lines
  • Any signal amplifier or splitter, with the number of TVs it serves
  • The grounding work, listed for the licensed electrician where required
  • Channel scan and signal test results, and what stations were found
  • Warranty on the antenna, the mount and the labor

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Which towers can my antenna reach, and what direction do they sit in?
  • Will you mount the antenna in the attic or on the roof, and why?
  • How do you ground the mast, and who does that work?
  • How many channels should I expect, and which ones will come in?
  • Will an amplifier help, and when does it hurt the picture?
  • What warranty covers the antenna and the mount?
  • How do you handle the roof safely if the antenna goes outside?

Red flags

  • They mount the antenna without checking the tower directions
  • They promise every channel without a signal test
  • They run the cable in a way that pinches or kinks it, or leaves it in the sun
  • They skip grounding on an outdoor mast
  • They climb a roof without fall protection

What you can do yourself

A homeowner can check the tower directions online, try an indoor antenna near a window, and run a channel scan on the TV. Do not climb a roof, mount a mast on a roof or near power lines, or work on the grounding of an outdoor mast yourself, because those jobs involve fall risks and electrical safety. Call a pro for an outdoor or roof antenna, the mast, the grounding and any cable through the structure.

Licenses and permits

Antenna installation usually does not need a contractor license for an indoor antenna, but roof work and grounding an outdoor mast to the home's electrical system may need a licensed trade or a permit. Check with your state or local licensing agency and your local building office for the rules that apply.

Antenna installation questions

Do I need an outdoor antenna, or will an indoor one work?

It depends on the distance to the towers, the obstructions and the stations you want. An indoor antenna can work close to the towers, while an outdoor antenna usually gets more distant channels. Ask the installer to test the signal in your home.

Why do I see some channels and not others?

Stations can be on different towers and in different directions, so one aim will not catch them all. A channel scan and a pro's aim adjustment can often bring in more of them.

Does an amplifier make the signal better?

Only when the signal is weak. An amplifier can also boost noise and overload the TV if the signal is already strong, so ask the installer to test the signal before adding one.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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