Trade show installation and dismantle (I&D)
Who sets up and takes down your booth, what the labor costs and which rules apply. Compare 208 vetted builders who install and dismantle booths themselves, then send one brief to up to 5.
Free for exhibitors · No obligation to book · Up to 5 matched builders
Booths our builders made for
The published numbers
Installation and dismantle: what it costs and how it is billed
Rates and rules as published by show contractors, venues, surveys and suppliers, with the source and its date beside each. Your show's exhibitor manual has the rates for your dates.
| What the source says | Source | Dated |
|---|---|---|
| The 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates (The Exhibitor Advocate with Tradeshow Logic, audited by EVOLIO Marketing) puts the national average display labor straight-time rate at $157.48 per hour, up 6.4%, with display labor overtime up 9.2%. | Exhibit City News | Jun 2026 |
| At the Mid-America Trucking Show 2026, Genesis charged $105.00 per hour straight time and $210.00 overtime for customer-supervised install labor, and $136.50 straight time and $273.00 overtime for Genesis-supervised install (2-person minimum). Straight time is Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; overtime is all other times plus all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays. | Genesis (Mid-America Trucking Show exhibitor kit) | 2026 show (discount deadline March 5, 2026) |
| Genesis labor at MATS 2026 carries "a 1-hour minimum charge per person ordered, with billing in 1-hour increments thereafter"; cancellations within 48 hours are billed a 1-hour minimum per person, and "Genesis Supervision for dismantle only is not permitted." | Genesis (Mid-America Trucking Show exhibitor kit) | 2026 show (discount deadline March 5, 2026) |
| The 2022 Material Handling and Labor Rate Survey (160 exhibitor manuals, 16 U.S. cities) found straight-time installation and dismantle labor ranged from $99.66 an hour in Atlanta to $235.05 in New York City. | TSNN | Jan 2023 |
| GES labor rules: a full-time employee of the exhibiting company may set up a simple booth that needs no power tools, but Exhibitor Appointed Contractor workers "cannot physically erect the booth, unless they are members of the appropriate Union Local", and EAC use requires an Exhibitor Notice of Intent by the stated deadline. | GES | EAC deadline shown: September 11, 2023 |
| Pennsylvania Convention Center rules for a 2026 show: "Exhibitors may contract with Exhibitor Appointed Contractors (EACs) to supervise the installation and dismantling", "Employees of an EAC are NOT exhibitors" and may not perform Show Labor; the Notice of Intent to use an EAC is due 30 days before exhibitor move-in. | NRPA / Pennsylvania Convention Center | 2026 (show September 29 to October 1, 2026) |
How it works
Installation and dismantle, step by step
- 01
Choose who installs
Show labor from the official contractor, or your builder as an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC). Small booths can sometimes be set up by your own full-time staff, depending on the venue.
- 02
File the EAC notice
If your builder installs, the show needs a Notice of Intent before move-in. At the Pennsylvania Convention Center it was due 30 days before move-in for a 2026 show.
- 03
Book straight time
On the Genesis 2026 labor form for the Mid-America Trucking Show, overtime was double straight time, so schedule install inside weekday hours where the show allows.
- 04
Plan the dismantle
Each show sets when dismantle may start, often at the close of the last day. Order it with the install so crews and freight are ready.
Compare builders
Compare builders who offer installation and dismantle
The top 12 of 208 builders, side by side. Tick the ones you like and send them one brief.
| Select | Builder | Google rating | Since | Service | Custom | Rentals | 3D renders | Venues worked | Price level (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Exhibit BossLas Vegas | ★ 4.9 (100) | 2017 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5 | $$ | |
Exhibit ExperienceOrlando | ★ 4.8 (92) | 2010 | Build and install | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 4 | $$$ | |
Exhibit NetworkHouston | ★ 4.9 (76) | 1989 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 4 | $$ | |
Affordable Exhibit DisplaysLas Vegas | ★ 4.9 (64) | 1994 | Build and install | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | · | $$ | |
DisplayitBuford | ★ 4.8 (59) | 1996 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 4 | $$ | |
Dr. Mike's Expo ServicesLas Vegas | ★ 5.0 (57) | 2022 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 4 | $$ | |
Trade Show Display DepotLas Vegas | ★ 4.6 (49) | 1990 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 5 | $$ | |
Exhibitrentals.comLas Vegas | ★ 5.0 (30) | 2017 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 4 | $$ | |
Exhibit OptionsLas Vegas | ★ 4.9 (29) | 2005 | Build and install | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 6 | $$$ | |
D4D EXHIBITSLas Vegas | ★ 5.0 (29) | 2022 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 5 | $$ | |
Trade Show DisplaysLas Vegas | ★ 5.0 (27) | 1997 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 5 | $$ | |
Condit ExhibitsDenver | ★ 4.6 (27) | 1945 | End to end | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | 5 | $$$ |
Ratings from Google Maps. Services, years and venues as listed by each builder. Price level is our estimate from each builder's own site, from $ (budget) to $$$$ (luxury), not a quote.
Real booths
Booths from builders who offer installation and dismantle
One booth from each builder's portfolio. Brief one builder for the booth and the service together.
Showing 16 of 16 booths
Price level is the builder's, our estimate from its own website.
Exhibit Boss
★ 4.9 (100) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Exhibit Experience
★ 4.8 (92) · Orlando
Offers installation and dismantle
Exhibit Network
★ 4.9 (76) · Houston
Offers installation and dismantle
Trade Show Display Depot
★ 4.6 (49) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Expo Convention Contractors
★ 4.5 (34) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
D4D EXHIBITS
★ 5.0 (29) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Exhibit Options
★ 4.9 (29) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Condit Exhibits
★ 4.6 (27) · Denver
Offers installation and dismantle
Trade Show Displays
★ 5.0 (27) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Modular Exhibits
★ 5.0 (26) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Prime Exhibits
★ 5.0 (23) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
LV Exhibit Rentals
★ 4.7 (21) · Las Vegas
Offers installation and dismantle
Photos belong to the builders shown.
Questions
Installation and dismantle questions
How much does trade show labor cost per hour?
The 2025 Annual Survey of Exhibition Rates puts display labor at $157.48 an hour straight time on average, with overtime up 9.2% on the year (Exhibit City News, June 2026). Rates vary by city: a 2022 survey found $99.66 an hour in Atlanta and $235.05 in New York City (TSNN).
What is an EAC at a trade show?
An Exhibitor Appointed Contractor: a company you hire, usually your booth builder, to install and dismantle instead of the show's official contractor. You file a Notice of Intent with the show before move-in, and venue labor rules still apply.
Can I set up my own trade show booth?
Often, for simple booths. GES labor rules let a full-time employee of the exhibiting company set up a booth that needs no power tools. Rules differ by venue: check your exhibitor manual.
How many builders offer installation and dismantle?
208 vetted builders on Exhivo list installation and dismantle among their services, rated 4.60 on average across 3,573 Google reviews. Compare them on this page and send one brief to up to 5.
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