Placement of return air grate & thermostat

Problem:
1. New House - 3100 square feet
2. 3 zones with separate units
3. zone 1 for living room, dining room and kitchen/pantry area
4. HVAC guy has put zone 2 large return grate/thermostat right next to fireplace in living room...eliminating option of builtin tv cabinet on that wall. We have to live with that.
5. Now insists on putting zone 1 return grate/thermostat on opposite wall..which we are spending a great deal extra ($3000) to brick floor to ceiling (24 ft ceiling).
6. We want to put zone 1 return in adjoining dining room...less than 4 feet from where he wants to locate it. The dining room is an open area which adjoins living room...no doors...just large open arch.
7. HVAC guy wants us to sign a release that allows him to assume no responsibility for cooling zone 1 if we, to quote him, "go against his wishes" and place the retun less than 4 feet from where he wants to put it.
8. I understand that optimal function might be had with the exact location he chose (based on a computer analysis); but I also know that sometimes in life there may be another way to do something.
9. Please advise

If you want it in a differnt location, sign his paper. Simple as that. If it doesn't work well the contractor can say "I told you so".

4 feet shouldn't make a differance but we can't see it from here. We don't know how duct and house are layed out.

If the contractor is making you sign a paper it sounds like they know what there doing.

You can always paint the grill like a brick. :)

No. I think there is more to it than "he knows what he is talking about". I think he is just one of those folks who is determined to be right, have his way and is not very imaginative. Someone who has been in the business a longer time would probably try to figure something out that would please the homeowner, ie, the one paying his bill. Instead, he just yells that if we "go against his wishes, we will be sorry"...doesnt sound very business-like to me. He has made no effort to find another way to do this...its "his way or the highway"...frankly, I don't know if he has even been out there...just sends the lackeys.

Why not trus the pro? Give him the benefit of the doubt. If you think he's wrong sign the paper.

There has to be some reason he wants it there. It's not hard to change a return location during rough-in.

he's the pro. if you dont want it the way he designed it then sign ther release and pay the extra cost if he wants it. If he bid it one way from the beginning he is not responsible to do it differant unless you are responsible for problems because of what you want now. Dont worry if it doesnt work right if you have it changed your way you can pay him again to do it the way he wanted.

The so called pro did not honor his contract from the beginning...he and the building contractor told us on more than one occasion that prior to beginning the installation of AC, he would meet us at the site, do a walk through and go over everything with us. He did not do that. We went out to look around one day, and work was almost finished. Never had been notified of said walkthrough. Just one of those professional things he did.