Smart home wiring for remodels, Kent WA and the South Sound
Smart home wiring for remodels.
The walls are open once. Call before demo.
A remodel is the one time cable, speaker runs and shade power go in without a trace. We review the plans before demo, sequence around your contractor, and design the rest wireless. For homeowners and remodelers in south King County and Pierce County.
Rivas Technology Group plans smart home infrastructure into remodels across Kent, Tacoma, Gig Harbor and the South Sound. We review the plans before demo and decide system by system what is worth hardwiring while the walls are open. We rough in alongside the electrician, trim after paint, and install the wireless systems whenever you like.
- Timing
- Plans reviewed before demo; rough-in alongside electrical
- Deliverable
- A tech spec your contractor can build from
- Response
- Call or text back within one business day
- Warranty
- 90 days on workmanship from completion
- License
- WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, bonded and insured
- Base
- 415 Railroad Ave S, Kent, WA 98032
Why is before demo the right time to call?
Because infrastructure that goes in while the walls are already open is part of the disruption you have accepted. The same runs after drywall mean fishing cable, patching and paint. Most homeowners think about technology when the remodel is done, and by then the conduit was not run and the enclosure was not sized.
Rivas Technology Group reviews your remodel plans before demo, decides system by system what is worth hardwiring, and designs the rest wireless. We are the South Sound's security-first integrator, based in Kent since 2020, licensed as WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured (L&I lookup). Our own team designs and installs in homes.
What do we do before demo?
We turn your remodel drawings into a tech spec your contractor can build from. That means a hardwire-or-wireless decision for each system, conduit and enclosure locations, and panel sizing confirmed before rough-in. It also means box locations for keypads and touch screens, and a list of runs with a room and a purpose on each. If you want the spec without an install contract, the same review is available as a paid engagement on smart home consulting, and any licensed integrator can bid from it.
How do we sequence around your contractor?
Your general contractor never waits on us. Low-voltage rough-in happens alongside the electrician, and every run is confirmed before the walls close. Trim happens after paint so no finish is touched twice, and programming and the walkthrough come at completion. We talk to the GC and the electrician directly, and we attend rough-in when a layout question needs someone standing in the room. Remodelers who want a standing arrangement work with us the same way builders do, with no fee.
What is worth hardwiring while the walls are open?
The things wireless cannot replace:
- A Cat6A backbone. A run to every room, every TV location and every ceiling access point, home-run to a structured media enclosure. This is the difference between Wi-Fi that reaches the new primary suite and Wi-Fi that does not. See Wi-Fi and networking.
- Speaker home runs. Whole-home audio zones and theater pre-wire, concealed for good if run now and surface-mounted if added later. See home theater and audio.
- Shade power. A drop at the head of each window that will get a motorized shade, so the shade never needs charging. See motorized shades.
- Keypad boxes. In-wall Control4 keypads and touch screens where the elevation wants them, so the lighting design lands as drawn. See smart lighting and Control4.
- Camera and doorbell runs. Cable and power to the eaves and the front door while the siding or soffit is open.
What installs cleanly after?
Security, climate and most lighting control. Ajax security mounts without drywall cuts before, during or after the remodel. Detectors talk to the hub over the Jeweller radio, rated to 2,000 m in open space (Hub 2 manual). MotionCam delivers the first alarm photo within 9 seconds (Ajax MotionCam), and Hub 2 Plus reports over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIMs (Hub 2 Plus). Control4 dimmers replace switches on existing wiring, and smart thermostats and locks go in at trim. Read home security and, if no remodel is planned, smart home for existing homes.
What drives the cost?
The number of runs and zones, whether a rack and enclosure are in scope, and how much of the finished system you want at completion. A backbone with Cat6A, speaker runs and shade power is a small line on a remodel. A Control4 system with lighting, shades, audio and security at completion is the larger project, quoted room by room so you can phase it.
Cable pulled at rough-in costs a fraction of the same cable fished after paint. Published ranges are on smart home installation cost, and the instant quote gives you a first number in a few minutes; the plan review gives a fixed one.
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. Control4 Authorized Dealer, listed on Control4's integrator map; Ajax Systems dealer, listed on ajax.systems; BBB accredited, A+; 5.0 from 49 Google reviews. After completion you have a 90-day workmanship warranty, support at published rates and the optional CURATOR remote care plan.
Questions about remodels
When should I call?
Before demo. We review the remodel plans, produce a tech spec your contractor can build from, and mark which runs should happen while the walls are already open. Once drywall goes back up, those options close.
Will you slow down my contractor?
No. We rough in alongside the electrician, confirm conduit and runs before the walls close, and trim after paint. We communicate directly with your general contractor so nobody waits and nothing is missed.
What is worth hardwiring during a remodel?
The things wireless cannot replace: Cat6A to every room and access point, a structured media enclosure, and speaker home runs for whole-home audio and a theater. Also power at the head of each window for shades, and boxes for in-wall keypads. Everything else is designed wireless.
What can wait until after?
Ajax security, which mounts without drywall cuts before, during or after the work; smart thermostats; and most lighting control, since Control4 dimmers replace switches on existing wiring. The expansion path stays open after the remodel.
Do I need a whole-home system to make this worth it?
No. Running the backbone during a kitchen or primary-suite remodel is a small line on the job. It is what makes audio, shades or a theater a later decision instead of a demolition.
Do you work with my remodeler directly?
Yes. We produce the spec, attend rough-in when needed, and talk to the GC and electrician ourselves. Remodelers who want a standing arrangement get the same process as builders, with no fee.
Send the plans before demo.
Tell us what is being remodeled and when demo starts. We review the drawings, mark what is worth running while the walls are open, and send a fixed proposal. We call or text back within one business day.