The South Sound's security-first integrator
Smart home installation
in University Place
Ajax security, Control4 automation, wired Wi-Fi, motorized shades, theater and whole-home audio for University Place homes. From multi-level view properties above Chambers Bay to the 1970s to 1990s streets off Cirque Drive. Designed and installed by our own team from Kent.
Rivas Technology Group installs smart homes in University Place, WA: Ajax security first, then Control4 automation, wired Wi-Fi, motorized shades, theater and audio. Bluff homes above Chambers Bay get shades and an access point per level; Cirque Drive and West UP get wireless retrofits. Based in Kent, about 30 minutes away.
- Drive time
- About 40 minutes from 415 Railroad Ave S, Kent via I-5 and SR-16
- Housing
- Chambers Bay and bluff view homes; Cirque Drive and West UP 1970s to 1990s; South UP established streets
- License
- WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, bonded and insured
- Dealers
- Control4 Authorized Dealer; Ajax Systems dealer
What goes in first in a University Place home?
Security. The Ajax hub, sensors on doors and windows, a keypad by the entry and cameras over the driveway are installed before any lighting or audio. MotionCam detectors photograph whatever moved and deliver that first frame within 9 seconds1. Control4 then takes its cue from the alarm state. A bluff house above Chambers Bay has a lower level that walks out onto the hillside, so that door and deck get the same attention as the front. Becklar, a UL-listed central station, provides month-to-month monitoring, and you own the hardware. The platform is detailed on the home security page.
Where in University Place do we install?
Three kinds of streets: the bluff above Chambers Bay, Cirque Drive and West UP, and South UP. All are about 40 minutes from 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent by I-5 and SR-16. On the bluff the houses are multi-level view property with west-facing glass over the Sound and the golf course. The work there is motorized shades, a wired access point on every level and speakers on the deck.
Cirque Drive and West UP are well-built 1970s to 1990s houses where wireless-first design fits. Ajax mounts on the frames, Control4 dimmers drop into the boxes already there, shade motors recharge, and no drywall is repaired. South UP is established streets; the call from there is usually for a theater, whole-home audio and a network rebuild. University Place clients tend to show up with specific brands in mind and clear expectations, and that is our kind of client.
What does Control4 add to a University Place home?
Engraved keypads, one remote and one app across lights, shades, audio, TV, climate, locks and the alarm. Above Chambers Bay the scene that earns its keep is "Sunset": shades rise as the glare fades, the deck speakers come on, the path lights follow. Control4 is in over 500,000 homes and integrates 25,000+ third-party products2; Rivas Technology Group is a Control4 Authorized Dealer, listed on Control4's integrator map. Josh.ai handles voice and processes it in the house. The Control4 page covers cost drivers and how the Ajax integration works.
Why does the network come first?
Because a bluff house stacks three levels down a hill, and every camera, keypad, speaker and shade depends on the network reaching all of them. A single router at the front door cannot see a daylight basement two floors below. So we survey first, then pull Cat6A to a Ruckus or Alta Labs access point on each level. Under them is the Island Router3, which is wired and carries no subscription. Read more on Wi-Fi and networking.
Theater, audio and shades
Theater and whole-home audio are what University Place asks us for most, followed by shades against the western glare. A calibrated theater or a media room that starts with one button. Speakers set for the room's geometry, acoustic treatment where the room rings, a display sized to the seating distance. Music zones inside and on the deck. Shades that manage the afternoon sun without giving up the view. Rivas Technology Group is a Cambridge Audio authorized retailer and a CEDIA member. Pages: home theater and audio, motorized shades, outdoor living and smart lighting.
What drives the cost?
Room count, system count, wall access and the equipment you already own. A West UP rambler with shades on the west wall is a small job; a three-level bluff home with a theater is not. One system is priced fixed after a walk-through, and whole-home Control4 is quoted room by room, which lets a bluff house be finished one level at a time. No package prices are printed here. The smart home installation cost page explains what moves the number and the instant quote produces one.
Where we work
University Place sits a few minutes past Tacoma on our Pierce County route, which also covers Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Sumner, Bonney Lake and Tehaleh. South King County, where the office is, means Kent, Auburn, Federal Way, Covington and Maple Valley, Renton and Tukwila. Olympic Peninsula work is by appointment; the residential hub lays out the whole service.
Why Rivas Technology Group
Rivas Technology Group holds electrical contractor license RIVASGL799DR, which L&I lists as active, bonded and insured4, and is a Control4 Authorized Dealer, listed on Control4's integrator map. We are an Ajax Systems dealer, listed on ajax.systems, and a Cambridge Audio authorized retailer, and our own team supports what it built, with CURATOR as the optional care plan. CEDIA membership, the BBB A+ rating and the people who show up are on the about page; then contact us or use the walk-through button below.
Questions we hear
Can you retrofit a 1980s house off Cirque Drive without opening walls?
Yes. Ajax security is wireless, Control4 dimmers fit the existing switch boxes, shade motors are rechargeable, and cameras and access points get one planned cable run each. Most West UP projects need no drywall repair.
How do you handle the western glare above Chambers Bay?
Motorized shades on a sun schedule that follows the afternoon across the glass, integrated with the lighting scenes, so the room stays usable and the view stays. Rechargeable motors in retrofits, wired power in new builds.
Why does Wi-Fi drop on the lower level of a bluff house?
Levels stacked down the hill. A single router at the entry cannot reach a daylight basement two floors below. A wired access point per level, placed after a site survey, covers the whole house and the deck.
Do you build dedicated theaters in University Place?
Yes. A calibrated room with a projector or large display, speakers placed for the room geometry and acoustic treatment, started with one button. Media rooms in the family room get the same calibration with less construction.
How far is University Place from your office?
About 40 minutes from 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent by I-5 and SR-16, a few minutes past Tacoma. Site visits and service calls are booked within the week; we call or text back within one business day.
How much does smart home installation cost in University Place?
It depends on rooms, systems, wall access and what you already own. A single system is a fixed price after a walk-through; whole-home Control4 is quoted room by room so you can phase it. The instant quote gives you a starting number.
Start with a walk-through in University Place.
Tell us the street and what the house should do. We drive down from Kent, look at it with you, and send a fixed proposal. We call or text back within one business day.