Register your business

Home / Guides / How do you install a TV wall mount?

How do you install a TV wall mount?

To install a TV wall mount, choose a bracket made for your TV's weight and fixing pattern, check what the wall is made of, scan for hidden cables and pipes, then fix the bracket level with the right fixings and hang the TV. A new or moved socket behind the TV is a job for an electrician.

Last reviewed:

By the QuoteZila editorial team. Editorial policy.

Which TV bracket do you need?

There are three common types of TV wall bracket:

  • Fixed or flat. Holds the TV close to the wall. It looks neat but gives no angle adjustment and can make reaching the ports awkward.
  • Tilting. Lets the screen tip down a little. Useful when the TV sits higher than eye level, such as above a fireplace.
  • Full motion or cantilever. An arm lets the TV swing out, turn and tilt. Good for corners and open-plan rooms, but it puts the most load on the wall.

Whichever type you choose, check two things in the TV's manual or on the label on its back: the weight and the VESA pattern. VESA is the standard spacing of the screw holes on the back of the TV. The bracket must match that pattern and be made for at least the weight of your TV. For an arm bracket, a heavier TV pulls harder on the top fixings, so allow a good margin.

Keep the small bag of screws that comes with the TV and the bracket. Using the right screws for the back of the TV matters, because screws that are too long can damage it.

What is the wall made of?

The wall decides the fixings. The wrong fixing for the wall can let a bracket work loose over time.

  • Solid brick or block. Knock on it and it sounds solid. Use masonry drill bits and good-quality wall plugs with screws of the length the bracket instructions give.
  • Plasterboard on studs. Knock and it sounds hollow, with solid points at regular intervals where the studs are. Fix into the studs where you can, or use fixings designed for plasterboard cavities and strong enough for the load.
  • Lath and plaster. Found in some older homes. It can crumble, so fixing into the timber studs behind is usually needed.
  • Chimney breasts. Often solid brick, but some have voids or soft mortar. Check carefully before drilling.

If you are not sure what the wall is, or the TV is large and heavy, a handyman or installer will usually know from a quick look and a test hole.

How do you check for hidden cables and pipes?

Drilling into a cable or a pipe is the biggest risk in this job. Electrical Safety First says a common error is accidentally drilling, nailing or screwing into cables hidden inside walls [S1]. It says a quality cable detector can help track buried cables before you start [S1]. It also says that cables buried in walls are required to be installed horizontally or vertically from electrical accessories such as sockets or switches [S1].

That means the strips directly above, below and to the side of any socket, switch or light switch are the places most likely to have cables. Avoid drilling in line with them. Check for pipes too, especially near radiators, and on the other side of the wall, such as a kitchen or bathroom.

Use a detector, but do not rely on it alone. If you are unsure, or the wall has a lot of wiring behind it, ask a professional.

How do you fit the bracket and hang the TV?

  1. Plan the height. Sit where you normally watch and decide where the centre of the screen should be. Mark it lightly in pencil.
  2. Mark the holes. Hold the wall plate in place, check it with a spirit level, and mark the fixing holes. Check again for cables and pipes at each mark.
  3. Drill. Use the right bit for the wall and drill to the depth the fixing needs. Keep the drill straight.
  4. Fix the wall plate. Insert the plugs or cavity fixings and screw the plate firmly to the wall. Check it is level before tightening fully.
  5. Attach the arms to the TV. Lay the TV face down on a soft surface. Fit the bracket arms to the back with the correct screws and spacers.
  6. Hang the TV. With a second person, lift the TV onto the wall plate and lock it in place following the bracket instructions.
  7. Tidy the cables. Route signal and power leads neatly, using trunking or cable covers if they run down the wall.

Large TVs are heavy and awkward. Two people should lift them onto the bracket.

What about the socket and cables behind the TV?

Many people want the power socket hidden behind the TV, so no cable hangs down the wall. Adding or moving a socket is electrical installation work. The Planning Portal says electrical installation work in your home must comply with the building regulations, and recommends using an installer registered with a competent person scheme who can self-certify the work [S2]. It says that if an installer is not registered, certain riskier jobs, called notifiable, need inspecting and approving by a building control body or a registered third-party certifier [S2].

So, if you want a new socket behind the TV, book an electrician. Do not open up or extend existing sockets yourself. Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation. The electrician can also fit a recessed box or a cable outlet plate so the plugs sit flat behind the screen.

Signal cables, such as HDMI and aerial leads, are not mains wiring. They can run in surface trunking, or behind a wall plate in a plasterboard cavity. Do not chase channels into a wall where mains cables may run.

When should you get someone in?

A small TV on a solid wall with a fixed bracket is a manageable job for many people. It is worth booking a professional when:

  • the TV is large or heavy, or on a full motion arm
  • the wall is plasterboard, lath and plaster, or you are not sure what it is
  • it is going above a fireplace or on a chimney breast
  • you want cables hidden or a new socket fitted
  • you do not have a detector, a spirit level or a drill that suits the wall

Handymen and aerial and satellite installers often fit TV brackets. For the socket, you need an electrician. Some people book both for one visit. For what changes the price, see the TV bracket fitting cost guide.

Jobs you might post

These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Please fit a full motion bracket for a large TV on a plasterboard wall in the lounge. I have the bracket." Or: "Mount a TV above the fireplace and hide the HDMI cable in trunking." Or: "TV bracket and a new socket behind the TV. Needs a handyman and an electrician."

Get quotes for TV wall mount installation

Say what size the TV is, the bracket type, the wall and whether you need a socket moved, and add photos. QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a job. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].

Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.

Posting a job is not open yet

See the handymen page, the aerial and satellite installers page or the electricians page.

Official and public sources

QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.

Questions about TV wall mount installation

Can any wall take a TV bracket?

Most walls can, with the right fixings. Solid brick and block take wall plugs and screws well. Plasterboard needs fixings made for cavities, or screws into the timber or metal studs behind it, and a heavy TV on a long arm needs extra care. Check the bracket and fixing instructions.

What is VESA on a TV bracket?

VESA is the standard pattern of screw holes on the back of most TVs, given as two measurements in millimetres. The bracket must match your TV's VESA pattern and be made for at least your TV's weight. Both are usually in the TV's manual or on a label on the back.

Can I hide the cables in the wall?

Signal cables such as HDMI and aerial leads can be run in trunking on the wall or through a cavity with a wall plate. Moving or adding a mains socket is electrical work. The Planning Portal recommends using an installer registered with a competent person scheme for electrical work in the home.

How high should a TV be mounted?

There is no fixed rule. Many people aim for the middle of the screen to sit around eye level when seated. Sit where you normally watch, ask someone to hold a piece of card the size of the screen against the wall, and adjust until it feels comfortable.

Who installs TV wall mounts?

Handymen and aerial and satellite installers often fit TV brackets, and some combine it with aerial or cable work. For a new socket behind the TV, you need an electrician. Some people book both for one visit so the wall is only disturbed once.

Does QuoteZila check the businesses who quote?

No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.

Part of Guides. All services

Related trades

Related pages

Sources

  1. QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
  2. QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
  3. S1: Electrical safety advice for DIY-ers, Electrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/safety-advice/home-and-people/diy-ers/
  4. S2: Electrics: building regulations general information, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-general-information/