Smart home pre-wire for builders.
Technology that goes in before the drywall.

Why does technology go in before the drywall?

Because the same cable costs a fraction to pull at framing and a great deal more to fish after paint. And because a system drawn before permits never has to be redone. Most builders in south King and Pierce counties do not have a technology problem; they have a timing problem. The buyer asks about Wi-Fi, cameras or a theater after the walls are closed, and someone absorbs the cost. Detached ADUs and backyard cottages have their own page, smart home wiring for ADUs.

Rivas Technology Group moves that conversation to the drawing stage. We are the South Sound's security-first integrator, based in Kent since 2020, a Control4 Authorized Dealer listed on Control4's integrator map, and an Ajax Systems dealer listed on ajax.systems. We are licensed as WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured (L&I lookup). Our own team designs and installs in homes.

What do we deliver at each phase?

Four things, in the order your schedule needs them: drawings, rough-in, trim, and commissioning.

1. Pre-permit: buildable diagrams. Conduit routes, enclosure sizing, panel requirements and the network backbone, drawn so your crews can build from them. We return a fixed proposal within three business days of receiving plans.
2. Framing: rough-in with your crews. Every box location specified for the electrician. Our own team pulls Cat6A home runs, speaker wire to every audio zone and outdoor area, and conduit for AV distribution and future pulls. It also handles shade power where the windows call for it, and lighting circuit prep for Control4 keypads. Every run is verified before drywall, then terminated, labeled and documented.
3. Trim: after paint. Keypads, touch screens, speakers, cameras, shades and access points go in after paint, sequenced so no finish is touched twice.
4. Closeout: commissioned before keys. Control4 programmed with the buyer's scenes, Ajax activated and registered with the station, the network configured and load-tested, and a walkthrough with the homeowner. The 90-day workmanship warranty runs from the commissioning date, and the buyer leaves with our number.

What goes into a new build?

Security first, then one control layer, then the systems that ride on it. Ajax intrusion with MotionCam detectors that deliver the first alarm photo within 9 seconds (Ajax MotionCam), leak detectors and a water shutoff valve. A Control4 controller that runs lighting, shades, audio, climate, locks and the alarm from one app, one remote and wall keypads. A wired network with an Island Router and ceiling access points. And the Cat6A, speaker and conduit runs that make a theater, whole-home audio or motorized shades a later decision rather than a demolition.

Control4 runs in over 500,000 homes and works with 25,000+ third-party products (Control4), so the appliances and thermostats you already specify usually come along. Each system has its own page: home security, Control4, smart lighting, motorized shades, home theater and audio and Wi-Fi and networking. Why we build on Ajax explains the security choice.

Tehaleh and the new-construction communities

Tehaleh, the master-planned community above Bonney Lake, is where we pre-wire most often: multi-level plans, large window packages and open great rooms, about 35 minutes from our office in Kent.

The same three-phase process runs in Bonney Lake, Puyallup's South Hill, Gig Harbor, Auburn, Covington and Maple Valley, and on accessory dwelling units. Washington's HB 1337 allows up to two ADUs per residential lot, and a rental unit needs its own network segment and its own Ajax system. The Tehaleh page shows the process on a typical plan; the Bonney Lake page covers Lake Tapps and the established neighborhoods around it.

What drives the cost?

Square footage, the number of drops and zones, and how far the buyer wants to go at closing. A pre-wire package with the backbone, conduit and enclosure is the smallest scope. Adding Control4 lighting, shades, audio in every zone and a theater is the largest.

Open walls keep labor low, which is why the same home costs less to equip at framing than a year after move-in. Buyer-upgrade packages are priced before the model opens so your sales staff can quote them. Published ranges are on smart home installation cost; the instant quote gives a first number, and the plan review gives a fixed one.

How does working with us go?

One call, one plan review, one fixed proposal, then the four phases above on every job. There is no fee to work with us and no minimum volume. Builders get infrastructure plans on every active project, a fixed-price proposal within three business days and priority scheduling across the pipeline. They also get one named project contact who knows the job from plans to closing and answers within one business day.

A whole-home lighting design is included with a signed install contract on homes under 5,000 square feet, or quoted per project on its own. The full description is on working with builders, the printed version is the builder brochure, and designers, architects and realtors have their own page at trade partners. If you want the drawings without an install contract, smart home consulting covers pre-construction specification and rough-in review.

Where we work

South King County and Pierce County from our office at 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent. That includes Kent, Renton, Tukwila, Federal Way, Auburn, Covington and Maple Valley, Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Tehaleh, University Place and Gig Harbor. Olympic Peninsula by appointment. BBB accredited, A+, and rated 5.0 from 49 Google reviews; the people are on about us.