DIY smart home installation makes sense for individual products that are built to be set up by the homeowner: a video doorbell, a smart thermostat, plug-in speakers, Lutron Caséta dimmers in a few rooms, or a mesh WiFi kit. Professional installation makes sense when you want the whole house to work as one system, when the work involves wiring inside walls or line-voltage electrical work, or when the house is large enough that the network becomes the hard part. Many homes end up with a mix of the two.
We install smart home systems for a living, so we have an obvious interest here. This guide tries to be fair about where DIY works well and where it usually doesn’t.
What DIY does well
Consumer smart home products have gotten much better. Many of them install in minutes and work reliably on their own.
- Smart thermostats, video doorbells and battery cameras.
- Wireless speakers such as Sonos in a few rooms.
- Lutron Caséta dimmers and Pico remotes. Caséta is designed for homeowner installation, though it replaces wall switches, so the electrical work rules below still apply.
- Smart plugs, bulbs and voice assistants.
- A mesh WiFi kit in a small or medium-sized house.
DIY has real advantages. You save on labor, you pick exactly what you want, you can start small and add later, and you learn how your system works. If you enjoy this kind of project, it can be satisfying.
Where DIY gets hard
- Too many apps. Each brand has its own app, and getting a doorbell, locks, lights and thermostat to work together often means a chain of apps and voice assistant routines that break when one of them updates.
- The network. Every device depends on WiFi. Past a few dozen devices, or in a large house with plaster walls or several floors, a consumer router or mesh kit often can’t keep up.
- Wiring. Cameras, access points, speakers and keypads work best on wires run through the walls, which takes tools and experience to do without damaging finished surfaces.
- Electrical work. Massachusetts generally requires a licensed electrician and a permit for electrical work, including replacing switches and installing new fixtures. Check with your town’s wiring inspector before you start.
- Time. Research, setup, troubleshooting and updates add up, and the person who set it up becomes the help desk for everyone in the house.
- Security. Default passwords, a flat network with every device on it, and devices that stop getting updates all make a DIY system easier to break into.
What a professional installer adds
One system instead of a collection of apps
Professional platforms such as Control4, Savant, Lutron RadioRA 3 and Lutron HomeWorks tie lighting, shades, audio, video, climate and security into one app, one remote and a set of engraved keypads. Several of these systems are sold only through authorized dealers, because they need to be designed and programmed for each house.
A network designed for the house
A good installer surveys the house, runs cable to ceiling-mounted access points, installs a managed switch and a router in a rack, puts smart devices on their own network, and adds battery backup. The network is the part of a smart home you never see, and it causes most of the problems when it is done poorly.
Planning for the future
During a renovation or new build, an installer will prewire for speakers, TVs, cameras, shades and access points, including places you might want them later. Running a cable while the walls are open costs a fraction of fishing it through a finished wall.
Someone to call
Professional installs usually come with a warranty on the work and the option of a support plan. Many problems can be fixed remotely without a visit, because the installer can see the network and the control system.
The downsides of hiring a professional
Professional installation has real drawbacks, and you should weigh them.
- It costs more upfront, for equipment, design, programming and labor.
- Changing some settings in a dealer-programmed system may mean calling the installer, although modern systems let you change scenes, schedules and user codes yourself.
- You depend on the installer staying in business and staying responsive. Ask how long they have supported their existing clients and what happens if you need another dealer.
- Support plans are an ongoing cost.
How to judge your project
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you adding a few devices, or do you want the whole house to work together?
- Does the work involve opening walls, running cable or replacing switches?
- How big is the house, and how many floors and outbuildings does the network need to reach?
- How many people will use the system, and how comfortable are they with apps?
- Are you renovating or building, so the walls will be open anyway?
- Who will fix it when something stops working, and how much of your time is that worth?
If most of your answers point to a few devices in a finished house with one tech-comfortable person in charge, DIY is a good fit. If they point to whole-house control, open walls, a large house or a family that just wants it to work, a professional is usually worth it.
When the network needs a professional
The network deserves its own look, because it is where DIY systems most often fall short. An expert network setup is worth it in these situations:
- Multiple floors, a long footprint, or construction that blocks WiFi, such as plaster on metal lath, brick or stone.
- A guest house, pool house, barn or dock that needs coverage.
- Security cameras, a home theater or whole-house audio, all of which need wired connections and a well-configured switch.
- People working from home who can’t afford dropped video calls.
- A mix of brands and protocols that has to work together.
- A need for strong security, with separate networks for smart devices and guests and someone keeping firmware current.
A properly built network is also easier to grow. When you add a camera or a new TV next year, there is a port, power and coverage ready for it. If you want to try it yourself first, our smart home network setup guide and guide to securing your home WiFi are good places to start.
A middle path
You don’t have to choose all one way. A common approach is to have a professional handle the parts that are hard to change later (the wiring, the network, the equipment rack and the main control system) and then add plug-in devices yourself over time. Another is to start with DIY products in a few rooms and bring in a professional when you renovate. Just make sure the products you buy now will work with the system you may want later.
Questions to ask an installer
- Which manufacturers are you authorized to sell and install?
- Who designs the network, and what equipment do you use?
- What can I change myself after the install?
- What warranty do you give on your work, and what does support look like after that?
- Can I see or speak with clients whose homes are similar to mine?
- Will you give me documentation and passwords for everything you install?
If budget is part of the decision, our smart home price guide covers what drives cost.
Planning a smart home project?
We design and install whole-home networks, lighting, audio, video and control systems for homes across Greater Boston, the South Shore and Rhode Island. If part of your project is a good fit for DIY, we will tell you. Book a free consultation or read more about our smart home WiFi and networking.
