Smart home installation cost, Kent WA and the South Sound
What smart home installation costs
in the South Sound
Published ranges for security, Control4 automation, theater and audio, outdoor systems, voice control and estates, with what each includes and what moves the number. For homes across south King County and Pierce County.
As of September 2026, smart home installation in the South Sound runs from $899 for an Ajax security kit to $100,000 or more for a whole-home Control4 system. Rivas Technology Group publishes each range with its inclusions below, quotes every project as a fixed price before work begins, and gives an instant estimate online.
- Response
- We call or text back within one business day
- Proposals
- Fixed price before work begins, room by room
- Instant quote
- The instant estimate page, a range in a few minutes
- License
- WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, bonded, insured
- Warranty
- 90 days on workmanship; manufacturer warranty on hardware
- Reviews
- 5.0 from 49 Google reviews
What does smart home installation cost in the South Sound?
From $899 for an Ajax security kit to $100,000 or more for a whole-home Control4 system, with most single-system projects in between. Every figure below is one we publish elsewhere on this site, as of September 2026, with what it includes. Final pricing comes from a walk-through and a fixed proposal; the smart home cost calculator gives you a range in a few minutes without a phone call. Below the Control4 entry tier, Brilliant panels give a home lights, scenes, locks and music from the wall at a fraction of the hardware cost; the page shows what Brilliant publishes.
| Project | Range, as of September 2026 | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Ajax security, self-install kit (details) | $899 to $1,699 | Hub, keypad, door and motion detectors, sirens; the Whole-Home Kit adds keypad entry and full coverage |
| Ajax security, professional installation | From $390 | Mounting, configuration, device-by-device testing, monitoring registration, walkthrough |
| Ajax professional monitoring | $65 a month | 24/7 central station monitoring through Becklar, a UL-listed central station, month to month, no contract (as of October 2026) |
| Control4 entry system (details) | $15,000 to $25,000 | A Core controller, six to ten dimmers and keypads, a remote or touchscreen, a managed network and programming, for a 2,500 to 3,500 square foot home |
| Control4 whole-home system | $35,000 to $100,000 or more | Adds shades, Ajax integration, climate, audio in every zone, touch screens and a ventilated rack |
| Dedicated media room (details) | From the mid five figures | Projector and screen, surround speakers and amplification, mounting, concealed cable, calibration, Control4 programming |
| Outdoor AV (details) | $4,500 to $100,000 or more | From two covered-patio speakers, an amplifier zone and programming, to landscape audio, a weather-rated display, fans, permanent lighting and automation |
| Golf simulator AV (details) | $8,000 to $35,000 or more | Projector, launch monitor mounting and network, audio, lighting, scenes; the top end is a room that doubles as a theater; enclosure, screen and turf separate |
| Josh.ai voice control (details) | $800 to $1,500 per room; $6,000 to $12,000 whole home | Josh Micro units, licensing, programming of every scene and phrase, walkthrough |
| AI-capable home (details) | From about $25,000; typically $25,000 to $50,000 | Automation, security with classifying cameras, networking and occupancy-based climate for 2,000 to 3,000 square feet |
| Estate, multi-structure (details) | Mid five figures to well into six | Controllers per building, fiber, security zones, intercoms, audio and video, lighting, shades, documentation |
| Single-room automation (details) | From a few thousand dollars | Lighting and audio control for one room on a controller you can grow |
For comparison, a handyman service sets up smart devices by the hour. That buys device setup, not a designed system with a rack, programming and a dealer who answers afterward.
Why do prices here run above national guides?
Labor. The Seattle and Tacoma region is among the most expensive labor markets in the country. Licensed, insured low-voltage technicians here command rates 30 to 50 percent above the national median. A project a national guide prices at $8,000 assumes a mid-tier market such as Columbus or Charlotte. The same scope in Kent, Tacoma, Puyallup or Gig Harbor costs more because the people doing it cost more. We say so before the site visit. Service rates after the install are published on pricing and policies.
What drives the cost up?
Device count, the platform, closed walls, integration depth and custom programming. A 3,000 square foot home with four audio zones, fifteen lighting scenes and full security coverage needs more hardware, more cable and more programming hours than one room. Control4 costs more than consumer alternatives because a dealer programs it, supports it and can diagnose it remotely years later.
Fishing cable through finished walls takes longer than open framing. When security, AV, lighting, climate and the network all talk through one interface, configuration time rises with it. The "Good morning" routines, departure automations and voice integration are programming hours that make the system worth living with.
What drives the cost down?
Scoping one system, self-install security, pre-wire during construction, the right-sized platform and phasing. Starting with the network, the alarm or lighting on one floor gets professional infrastructure without the whole-home commitment. Ajax self-install kits start at $899 with no contract. Involving us before drywall closes is the single most cost-effective decision in a new build. Not every home needs Control4; when a smaller platform fits, we say so. A well-designed Phase 1 with cable in place for Phase 2 is often the smartest order, and every whole-home proposal is written room by room so you can choose it.
What does a low bid leave out?
Usually the license, the hardware grade, the crew or the support. Licensing and insurance: we hold WA electrical contractor license RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured1; a bid without a license number leaves you little recourse. Hardware: we install professional platforms, Control4, Ajax, Alta Labs, Ruckus, with a dealer warranty path, not consumer gear sold as professional.
Crew: our own team, led by Nick Rhodes as system integrator and project manager, designs and installs in homes. On commercial projects we bring in licensed trade partners under our design and supervision. Support: remote monitoring and the optional CURATOR plan, plus support at published rates, from people who know your system. We are not the least expensive integrator in the South Sound, and we are not the most expensive. If price is the deciding factor, we will tell you which system to buy elsewhere.
Is it worth it?
It depends on what you are optimizing for, and we say which case you are in. It makes sense when you are building or remodeling with the walls open, or when you want systems that work together instead of four apps and four support numbers. It also makes sense when a cheap install has already burned you, or when you plan to stay ten years.
A simpler path is smarter when your living situation is temporary, or when one system solved is enough for now. It is also smarter when the Ajax kit is the right first step, or when a fixed budget fits a scoped Phase 1 better than a stretched whole-home project. The systems themselves are on the residential hub, residential security, Control4, smart lighting, motorized shades and the security hub.
Where do these prices apply?
South King County and Pierce County, from 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, with mobilization fees from the pricing and policies page beyond 20 miles.
Questions we hear
How much does smart home installation cost?
As of September 2026, the ranges are these. Ajax security kits $899 to $1,699 plus installation from $390. A Control4 entry system $15,000 to $25,000. Whole-home Control4 $35,000 to $100,000 or more. A dedicated media room from the mid five figures. Outdoor AV $4,500 to $100,000 or more. Josh.ai $800 to $1,500 per room. The table lists inclusions.
Why do prices here run above national guides?
Labor. Licensed, insured low-voltage technicians in the Seattle and Tacoma market command rates 30 to 50 percent above the national median. So a project a national guide prices at $8,000 for a mid-tier market costs more in Kent or Gig Harbor. We say so before the site visit.
Is there a cheaper way to start?
Yes. Start with one system: a Wi-Fi rebuild, an Ajax security system or lighting on the main floor. Ajax self-install kits start at $899. A Phase 1 with cable in place for later expansion is often the right first step, and we will say so.
Is the estimate free?
Yes. The instant quote is free and the walk-through and written proposal are free. Consulting sessions where you want our advice independent of hiring us are paid engagements, described on the pricing and policies page.
What is included in a fixed proposal?
Design, hardware, cable, mounting, programming and a room-by-room walkthrough, listed per room. Proposals are fixed price before sales tax; Washington sales tax is added as a line item on the invoice. Payment is a deposit at signing, a progress payment on install day and the balance at walkthrough. Change orders are written before work starts.
Does new construction cost less?
Usually. Pulling cable during framing is the cheapest labor in the project; the same run after drywall is a repair. Involving us before the walls close sets the foundation for every later upgrade at retrofit prices avoided.
Why is a competing bid half the price?
Usually one of four things: unlicensed or lightly insured labor, consumer hardware sold as professional, subcontracted crews with no one to call afterward, or default programming with no scenes. Ask each bidder for the license number, the equipment list and who answers the phone in a year.
Get a number this week.
Use the instant quote for a range now, or tell us about the house and we come out and send a fixed proposal with what each room includes. We call or text back within one business day.