Operations – Smart Home Automation

Every Wire Goes In
Before the Wall Closes

Retrofitting smart home wiring through finished walls costs 3–5× more than installing it during construction. Every speaker wire, CAT6 network cable, lighting control neutral, HDMI run, and conduit for future technology must be in the wall before drywall — because once the wall closes, adding them requires cutting, patching, and repainting every surface they cross. RainFire Builders designs smart home infrastructure before the MEP phase so every wire is in the right place the first time, every access point is ceiling-mounted during framing, and the network backbone is built for the next decade’s technology — not just today’s devices.

DESIGN YOUR SMART HOME

SEE WHAT’S GOES IN WHEN

OUR SMART HOME SERVICES

Lighting Control Systems
Home Theater & Multi-Zone A/V
Security Access & Surveillance
HVAC Automation & Climate Control
Motorized Shading
Whole-Home Audio
EV Charging Integration
Network Infrastructure
Voice Control Integration
Smart Home Packages

100%

Licensed & Insured

Counties Served

15+

Years in Utah

500+

Projects Delivered

GET STARTEDGET STARTED

SMART HOME FUNDAMENTALS

Smart Home Is An Infrastructure Decision.
Make It Before the Walls Are Closed In

Smart home automation is the integration of a home’s lighting, HVAC, security, audio/video, window shading, locks, and building systems into a unified control architecture. A single button press — or a voice command — can execute a “Good Night” scene that dims all lights to off, turns off the TV and music, locks every entry door, closes the garage, sets the thermostat to sleep temperature, and arms the security system. An “Away” scene can do all of that plus close all motorized shades, turn off every outlet that isn’t on a standby circuit, and send a confirmation notification to your phone. That level of integration is the product of a well-designed low-voltage infrastructure — the wiring, conduit, access points, and equipment locations that must be planned and installed during construction.

The fundamental economics of smart home rough-in are unambiguous: running CAT6 cable to an access point during new construction costs roughly $80–$150 per drop, including the cable, the box, and the electrician’s time (already on-site). Running the same CAT6 to the same location after drywall, paint, and trim are complete costs $400–$900 per drop — because it requires patching drywall, repainting the ceiling, and resetting trim at every penetration. Speaker wire for an in-ceiling speaker: $60–$120 during rough-in; $350–$700 after drywall. The economic case for smart home planning during construction is not subtle.

The planning sequence matters as much as the timing. Smart home infrastructure design must happen before the low-voltage rough-in, which must happen during the MEP phase, which must happen before drywall. This means smart home design has to happen before or concurrently with electrical rough-in design — not presented to the client as an optional add-on after the permit is issued and the electrician is already on-site. A light switch location that doesn’t include a neutral wire cannot support Lutron RadioRA 3 lighting control. A TV wall that doesn’t have an HDMI conduit in it cannot have a clean cable installation. An equipment room that isn’t sized for an AV rack cannot contain a professional home automation system. These are architectural and electrical design decisions, and they belong in the pre-construction process.

RainFire Builders includes smart home infrastructure planning in the pre-construction scope for every project where the client has any interest in smart home capabilities. The conversation about which platform, how many zones of audio, and whether full automation or lighting-control-only is appropriate comes before the electrician’s rough-in drawings are finalized — not after the walls are closed and the question has already been answered by what was or wasn’t pre-wired.

DURING FRAMING

AV room/equipment rack location: framed out, blocking for wall-mount or built-in rack
Structured wiring panel location: blocking in the utility room for a low-voltage enclosure
In-wall speaker blocking: backing for speaker frames at in-wall locations
TV wall blocking: full-wall plywood or steel backing for TV mount and HDMI conduit

DURING ELECTRICAL ROUGH-IN

Neutral wires at all switch locations for RadioRA 3 or other hardwired lighting control (most new construction wiring includes neutrals — verify)
Dedicated circuits for AV equipment— rack location requires 20A circuits; theater room may need 2–4 dedicated circuits
EV charging circuit: 240V 50A dedicated circuit to garage per NEC 2020 EVSE-ready requirements
Power at each motorized shade location for hardwired shade motors (Lutron Sivoia, Somfy hardwired)
PoE locations for ceiling-mounted access points— confirm with network design

DURING LOW-VOLTAGE ROUGH-IN

CAT6 home runs to every network location: access point ceiling boxes, AV equipment locations, security camera locations, keypad locations
Speaker wire: 14AWG in-wall rated to every in-ceiling and in-wall speaker location; 16AWG for surround speakers
HDMI conduit or pre-pull cable from TV wall to equipment location — conduit preferred for future technology upgrade
Coaxial RG6 cable to TV locations, equipment room, and any future satellite/antenna locations
Subwoofer wire: dedicated 14AWG from each subwoofer location to the equipment room
Doorbell video wire: CAT6 (for IP video doorbell) or legacy 18/2 wire at front door and any secondary doors
Security contact wire: 22/4 at door and window sensor locations if using a hardwired security panel

EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION & COMMISSIONING

Lighting control dimmers and keypads installed at switch locations; RadioRA 3 system programmed
Access points: Ubiquiti UniFi, Araknis, or equivalent ceiling-mounted, connected to PoE switch
In-ceiling and in-wall speakers: installed, aimed, and balanced
AV equipment rack: installed, connected, and programmed (Control4, Savant, or whole-home audio system)
Smart locks, video doorbells, cameras: installed and enrolled in the security/automation system
System commissioning: scenes, schedules, voice integration, and mobile app configuration

OUR SCOPE OF SERVICE

OUR SMART HOME SERVICES

Complete smart home automation services from infrastructure design and rough-in through equipment installation, programming, commissioning, client training, and ongoing support.

Lighting Control Systems

Whole-home lighting control using Lutron RadioRA 3 (new construction, hardwired, requires neutral at switches), Lutron Caseta (retrofit and budget-conscious, wireless, no neutral required), or custom programming for Control4 and Savant-integrated lighting. Lighting control transforms the experience of a home — one keypad press sets the entire home to a scene (Morning: kitchen at 80%, others off; Entertain: living room 60%, dining 40%, kitchen 100%; Good Night: everything off). Dimming extends LED bulb life, reduces energy consumption, and creates the right light level for every activity. RainFire Builders includes neutral wires at all switch locations in new construction wiring scopes as a standard practice, enabling RadioRA 3 without retrofit cost.

Home Theater & Multi-Zone A/V

Dedicated home theater design and multi-zone audio/video distribution — from single-room media rooms to whole-home A/V systems with independent control in every zone. Home theater scope includes: acoustic analysis and treatment panel placement; projector selection (throw ratio, lens shift, 4K/laser vs. lamp); screen selection (fixed, motorized, ambient light rejecting); Dolby Atmos speaker layout (5.1.2 to 13.1.4 configurations); AV receiver or processor selection; HDMI 2.1 and 8K-ready switching; and Control4 or Savant control integration. Multi-zone audio distributes music to in-ceiling speakers throughout the home — kitchen, bedrooms, outdoor patios — via Sonos, Control4 audio matrix, or Savant audio, with independent volume and source control in each zone. All speaker wire and HDMI runs are installed during the construction rough-in.

Security, Access & Surveillance

Complete security and access control integration — smart locks, video doorbells, IP security cameras, motion and contact sensors, alarm systems, and access control keypads — integrated into the home automation platform. Smart lock options include Schlage Encode Plus (HomeKit + Alexa + Google + Z-Wave), August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (retrofit over existing deadbolt), and Yale Assure Lock (Z-Wave for professional automation systems). Video surveillance uses IP camera systems (Ubiquiti UniFi Protect, Axis, or Avigilon) with NVR recording, remote viewing, and Control4/Savant integration. Security camera locations and network cable runs are planned during the smart home design phase and roughed in before drywall. Alarm system integration brings all security sensors, glass break detectors, and motion detectors into the automation system — arming and disarming through keypads, mobile app, or automation scenes.

HVAC Automation & Climate Control

Smart thermostat installation and full HVAC automation — from standalone smart thermostats (Ecobee SmartThermostat, Nest Thermostat, Honeywell T10 Pro with RedLINK sensors) to full multi-zone HVAC integration in Control4 and Savant systems. Smart thermostats integrated with the automation system enable: “Good Night” scene automation (set to sleep temperature when the scene is activated); “Away” automation (set to energy-saving setback when the home is unoccupied, verified by geofencing); occupancy-based control using motion sensor feedback to prevent conditioning unoccupied rooms; and solar production integration (shift heating load to solar-producing daytime hours). For multi-zone HVAC systems, each zone can be independently controlled from the automation system with occupancy-based temperature management by zone. Utah’s wide temperature swing (100°F summer, below 0°F winter at elevation) makes HVAC automation particularly valuable for energy management and comfort.

Motorized Shading

Motorized window treatment integration using Lutron Sivoia QS Wireless or Triathlon (Lutron’s premium hardwired shades), Somfy RTS and IO motorized systems, or Hunter Douglas PowerView — integrated with lighting scenes and automation for solar-responsive shading that manages glare, privacy, and passive solar gain simultaneously. Motorized shades can be programmed to close at sunset for privacy (and as part of the “Good Evening” scene), open at a specific time to wake naturally with daylight, or close on the south-facing windows when the direct sun angle exceeds a specified threshold (reducing cooling load). Hardwired motorized shade motors require a power wire at each shade location during rough-in — planned in the smart home design phase before MEP rough-in begins. Battery-operated shade motors (Lutron Caseta Serena, Hunter Douglas PowerView with rechargeable batteries) can be added after construction without rough-in, at the cost of periodic recharging.

Network Infrastructure

Purpose-designed network infrastructure — the backbone that all smart home devices require to communicate reliably. Network infrastructure scope includes: structured wiring panel design and installation (central enclosure in utility room terminating all CAT6 home runs); CAT6 or CAT6A cable home-run to every access point ceiling location, AV equipment location, security camera location, and smart home hub/processor location; managed PoE (Power over Ethernet) network switch providing power to access points and cameras without separate power supplies; enterprise-grade WiFi access points (Ubiquiti UniFi, Araknis Networks, Ruckus) ceiling-mounted at designed locations for full-property coverage; dedicated smart home IoT VLAN isolated from the primary network for security; and 10Gbps backbone switching for future-proof bandwidth. Network design happens before low-voltage rough-in — access point locations, cable routing, and equipment room sizing must be resolved before any cable is pulled.

HOW SMART HOMES WORK HERE

The RainFire Builders Smart Home Process

Smart home infrastructure is designed before MEP rough-in, roughed in during construction, installed at the finish phase, commissioned and programmed, and delivered with client training. Here is how it flows from the first conversation to the finished system.

Smart Home Design & Platform Selection

The smart home design conversation happens before pre-construction — before the electrician’s rough-in drawings are finalized, because smart home design determines what goes in those drawings. The design conversation covers: how the family uses their home and what automation would improve daily life; which systems matter most (lighting control is the highest-return smart home investment in almost every case; A/V and security follow); platform selection based on budget, desired integration depth, and long-term ownership model (professional systems like Control4 require a dealer relationship; open systems like Home Assistant require technical self-management); and budget alignment across all smart home scopes. The output is a smart home design document showing all rough-in locations, equipment locations, platform selection, and a rough scope of work for each sub-system. This document drives the electrical rough-in drawings and the low-voltage rough-in plan.

Platform Selection Before Rough-In | Scope Documentation | Budget Alignment | Drives Electrical – Low-Voltage Plans

Low-Voltage Infrastructure Planning

Low-voltage infrastructure planning translates the smart home design into a detailed rough-in drawing — showing every cable home run, every rough-in location, every conduit run, and every equipment location. The low-voltage plan is coordinated with the electrical plan to confirm that the correct electrical provisions are in place at each location: neutral wires at lighting control switch locations, dedicated circuits at AV rack locations, power at shade motor locations, PoE-capable infrastructure at access point locations, and an EV charging circuit at the garage. The plan identifies conduit runs for all future-technology provisions — HDMI conduit from TV walls to the equipment room, conduit from exterior camera locations to the equipment room, and any other runs where the cable type may change as technology evolves. Conduit is a relatively low-cost insurance policy: if 4K becomes 8K or HDMI 2.1 becomes something else, conduit allows the cable to be replaced without demolition.

Cable Home Run Drawing | Conduit For Future Technology | Electrical Coordination | Equipment Location Finalized

Rough-In During MEP Phase

All low-voltage rough-in is installed during the MEP phase — concurrently with plumbing, mechanical, and electrical rough-in, before insulation and drywall. CAT6 home runs to all access points, AV locations, camera locations, and keypad locations are pulled and labeled at the structured wiring panel location. Speaker wire is run to all in-ceiling and in-wall speaker locations. HDMI conduit or cable is run from the TV walls to the equipment locations. Coaxial RG6 is run to all TV and future antenna locations. Low-voltage power wire is run to all shade motor locations. Security contact wire is run to all door and window sensor locations where a hardwired panel is planned. All rough-in cables are labeled at both ends using a consistent labeling scheme that corresponds to the low-voltage plan — so that when equipment installation begins after drywall, every cable is identifiable without testing.

CAT6 to Every Network Location | Speaker Wire to All Speaker Locations | HDMI Conduit at TV Walls | All Cables Labeled Both Ends

Equipment Installation & System Programming

Equipment installation happens at the finish phase — after drywall, paint, and trim are complete. Lighting control dimmers and keypads are installed at switch locations and connected to the RadioRA 3 bridge or Control4/Savant processor. In-ceiling speakers are installed, aimed, and connected to the amplifier or receiver at the AV rack. Network access points are ceiling-mounted and connected to the PoE switch. Security cameras are exterior-mounted and connected to the NVR. Smart locks and video doorbells are installed and enrolled. The AV rack equipment is installed in the equipment room and connected. System programming — scenes, schedules, voice integration, app profiles, and automation rules — is performed by the platform’s certified dealer (for Control4 and Savant) or by RainFire Builders (for Lutron and networked systems). Programming transforms a collection of connected devices into a coordinated system that delivers the experience designed at the outset.

After Drywall & Paint | Keypads, Speakers, Access Points Installed | AV Rack Configured | System Programming by Certified Dealer

Commissioning, Training & Documentation

System commissioning is the final stage — testing every device and scene for correct operation, fine-tuning dimming curves and shade travel limits, and verifying that all automation rules trigger correctly. Client training is a hands-on walkthrough of the complete system: how to use keypads and wall controls, mobile app setup and usage, voice control commands, adjusting schedules and setpoints, and basic troubleshooting for common situations. RainFire Builders delivers a system documentation package that includes: a device inventory with model numbers, serial numbers, and locations; network configuration documentation (IP addresses, VLANs, access point locations); automation programming notes describing all scenes and schedules; manufacturer warranty documentation; and dealer/vendor contact information for each system component. Ongoing support is available for system updates, additional programming, and device additions or replacements as the household’s needs evolve.

Every Device & Scene Tested | Client Hands-On Training | System Documentation Package | Ongoing Support Available

Smart Home in Utah’s Context

Why Utah Homes Are Particularly Well-Suited for Automation

Utah’s climate extremes — outdoor temperatures ranging from below 0°F in winter at elevation to over 100°F in summer in the valley — create strong incentives for HVAC automation. A home that is unoccupied most of the day can operate at a setback temperature (65°F in winter, 82°F in summer) when empty and return to the desired temperature before occupants arrive using geofencing-triggered automation. The energy savings from this simple automation, compounded over Utah’s 180+ day heating season and 90+ day cooling season, are meaningful — and the HVAC system runs fewer hours, reducing wear and maintenance costs. Smart thermostats with occupancy sensing can further refine this by detecting whether rooms are actually occupied and conditioning only the occupied zones in multi-zone systems.

Utah’s strong solar resource (5.5–6.5 peak sun hours per day on the Wasatch Front) creates an opportunity for solar-integrated smart home automation. Motorized south-facing shades can be programmed to open on winter days when passive solar gain is desirable (supplementing the heating system) and close during summer midday (reducing cooling load). EV charging can be scheduled to run during solar production hours — maximizing the use of on-site generation and reducing grid draws during peak rate periods. Smart home energy management that coordinates solar production, EV charging load, HVAC load, and grid draw can meaningfully reduce the annual utility bill of a solar-equipped home.

Utah’s vacation home and short-term rental market — Park City, Brian Head, Bear Lake, and other mountain/resort communities — makes remote smart home management particularly valuable. A vacation home that is unoccupied 80% of the year can have its HVAC set to a freeze-protection minimum when empty, ramped up to a comfortable temperature 2 hours before guest arrival via a smart home automation triggered by the rental booking system, and locked and alarmed automatically when guests check out. Leak detection and freeze alert sensors connected to the smart home system can alert the homeowner or property manager to water events before they become catastrophic — a particular concern in Utah mountain homes that may be unoccupied during extended cold weather.

START YOUR FREE ESTIMATE

NEC 2020 EV Rough-In — Every Garage

RainFire Builders includes NEC 2020 EVSE-ready rough-in (240V 50A dedicated circuit or conduit stub-out) in every new construction garage scope as a standard item. EV charger rough-in during new construction costs $200–$400; the same rough-in after construction is complete costs $800–$2,000. Utah’s growing EV adoption makes this a practical investment for every new garage.

Enterprise WiFi — Not Consumer Mesh

RainFire Builders specifies enterprise-grade access points (Ubiquiti UniFi, Araknis) ceiling-mounted at engineered locations — not consumer mesh routers placed on shelves. Ceiling-mounted enterprise APs provide consistent, full-property coverage that consumer mesh systems routinely fail to deliver in larger homes or homes with thick concrete walls common in Utah’s higher-end construction.

Conduit at All TV Walls — Future-Proof

Every TV wall gets a 1″ EMT conduit from the TV mounting location to the equipment room during rough-in — not just a cable pull. Technology changes; conduit allows cables to be replaced as standards evolve (HDMI 2.1 to whatever comes next) without wall demolition. Conduit costs $50 during rough-in; the alternative is drywall demolition and patching at technology upgrade time.

Platform-Agnostic Recommendations

RainFire Builders is not a Control4-only or Savant-only dealer. We recommend the right platform for each project’s scope, budget, and long-term ownership model — Caseta for budget-conscious and retrofit, RadioRA 3 for new construction lighting control, Control4 for full whole-home integration, and Home Assistant for tech-enthusiast self-managers who want maximum flexibility at minimum cost.

COMMON QUESTIONS

SMART HOME AUTOMATION FAQs

The questions Utah homeowners most commonly ask about smart home automation — including why timing and infrastructure planning matter more than platform selection.

What is smart home automation and what does it include?admin2026-06-09T04:12:26+00:00

What is smart home automation and what does it include?

Smart home automation integrates lighting, HVAC, security, audio/video, window shading, locks, and building systems into a unified control architecture — enabling single-command scenes (press “Good Night” and every light turns off, the TV stops, doors lock, garage closes, and thermostat shifts to sleep mode) and automated rules (when the last person leaves the house, everything switches to Away mode automatically via geofencing). A complete system includes: lighting control (Lutron RadioRA 3 or Caseta); whole-home audio and home theater; security cameras, smart locks, and alarm integration; HVAC automation (smart thermostats or full multi-zone integration); motorized shading (solar-responsive, scene-integrated); EV charging management; network infrastructure (the backbone everything runs on); and voice control (Josh.AI, Alexa, Google Home, or Siri/HomeKit). A smart home is an infrastructure architecture — it must be designed before construction and roughed in before drywall.

Why does smart home rough-in need to happen during construction?admin2026-06-09T04:13:15+00:00

Why does smart home rough-in need to happen during construction?

Because smart home wiring — CAT6 for network and access points, speaker wire for in-ceiling audio, HDMI conduit at TV walls, power for shade motors, neutral wires for RadioRA 3 lighting control — must be installed before drywall. After walls are closed, adding any of these requires cutting drywall, fishing wire through wall cavities, patching, retexturing, and repainting every surface the wire crosses. Rough-in costs during new construction: $80–$150 per CAT6 drop, $60–$120 per speaker wire run. Retrofit costs after drywall: $400–$900 per CAT6 drop, $350–$700 per speaker wire run. The economic case for smart home planning during construction is clear — and the consequences of not planning are permanent. Once the wall closes without the right wire, the choice is an expensive retrofit or a system that doesn’t include that location.

What smart home platforms does RainFire Builders install?admin2026-06-09T04:15:01+00:00

What smart home platforms does RainFire Builders install?

RainFire Builders installs and integrates: Control4 (whole-home automation, dealer-required, broadest device ecosystem, $15,000–$80,000+ installed); Savant (premium whole-home, best A/V integration, Apple HomeKit native, $25,000–$150,000+); Lutron RadioRA 3 (new construction hardwired lighting control, premium keypads, integrates with Control4/Savant/HomeKit, $8,000–$40,000+); Lutron Caseta (wireless retrofit, no neutral required, integrates with Alexa/Google/HomeKit, $500–$5,000); Josh.AI (privacy-first voice control add-on for professional systems, no cloud audio recording); and Home Assistant (open-source, self-hosted, broadest device compatibility, DIY management). We recommend the right platform for each project’s scope and budget — not the platform with the best dealer margin.

What is the difference between Lutron Caseta and Lutron RadioRA 3?admin2026-06-09T04:16:44+00:00

What is the difference between Lutron Caseta and Lutron RadioRA 3?

Lutron Caseta is wireless, requires no neutral wire at switches, scales to ~75 devices, installs in any home including retrofit, and costs $500–$5,000 for a typical home. Lutron RadioRA 3 is hardwired, requires a neutral wire at every switch (planned during electrical rough-in), scales to 200 devices per system, includes premium engravable keypads throughout the home, and integrates with Control4, Savant, and HomeKit. For new construction where the rough-in can be planned, RadioRA 3 is the superior product — premium user experience, unlimited scenes, and whole-home coverage from every keypad. For retrofit or budget-conscious projects, Caseta provides excellent performance at a fraction of the cost. RainFire Builders includes neutral wires at all switch locations as a standard new construction practice, ensuring RadioRA 3 is always an option.

What network infrastructure is required for smart home?admin2026-06-09T04:17:44+00:00

What network infrastructure is required for smart home?

Smart home automation requires purpose-designed network infrastructure: a structured wiring panel (central enclosure terminating all CAT6 home runs); CAT6 home-run cable to every access point, AV location, camera location, and hub location; a managed PoE switch (powers access points and cameras); enterprise-grade WiFi access points (Ubiquiti UniFi, Araknis) ceiling-mounted at engineered locations for full-property coverage; and a dedicated IoT VLAN for smart home device security isolation. Consumer mesh routers placed on shelves are not adequate for professional smart home systems — they produce dead zones, inconsistent handoff between nodes, and cannot be managed for IoT security isolation. Network infrastructure rough-in (CAT6 cable to AP ceiling locations) is installed during construction. The network equipment is installed after the drywall and paint.

What EV charging options does RainFire Builders install?admin2026-06-09T04:19:06+00:00

What EV charging options does RainFire Builders install?

RainFire Builders includes NEC 2020 EVSE-ready rough-in (240V, 50A dedicated circuit) in every new construction garage as a standard item. Level 2 EVSE options installed: ChargePoint Home Flex (WiFi-connected, smart scheduling, Alexa/Google integration, 16–50A adjustable); Tesla Wall Connector (optimized for Tesla, supports J1772 with adapter for other EVs); Wallbox Pulsar Plus (compact, bidirectional capable); and Emporia Vue (energy monitoring-focused). Smart EV chargers integrated with the automation system can schedule charging during off-peak utility rates, shift load to solar production hours (when solar panels are producing), and integrate with whole-home energy management. NEC 2020 requires EVSE-ready rough-in for new-construction garages in most Utah jurisdictions — this is already included in every new-construction scope.

Can smart home automation be added to an existing home?admin2026-06-09T04:20:24+00:00

Can smart home automation be added to an existing home?

Yes — wireless systems can be added without wall demolition. Lutron Caseta (lighting control, no neutral required), Sonos (multi-zone audio, wireless), Ecobee or Nest (smart thermostats), Ring or Nest (video doorbells and cameras), and smart locks (August, Schlage Encode) can all be installed in a finished home without opening walls. Hardwired systems — Lutron RadioRA 3 (requires a neutral at switches), in-ceiling speakers (require speaker wire), and structured network wiring (requires CAT6 to AP locations) — require wire runs through finished walls, which involves drywall patching. RainFire Builders recommends wireless-first for retrofit projects and taking advantage of any open-wall window during renovation to install hardwired infrastructure that would otherwise require expensive retrofit installation.

What is smart home commissioning?admin2026-06-09T04:21:27+00:00

What is smart home commissioning?

Smart home commissioning is the programming and testing process that transforms installed hardware into an integrated system. For Control4 and Savant, commissioning is performed by the certified dealer’s programming team (1–3 days on-site for a new construction home). Commissioning includes: programming all lighting scenes (Morning, Good Night, Entertain, Away, Vacation, plus room-specific scenes); setting up audio/video distribution and streaming service integration; configuring HVAC scheduling and automation rules; programming security integration; creating mobile app profiles; setting up voice assistant integration; and testing every device and scene for correct operation. RainFire Builders provides client training after commissioning — a hands-on walkthrough of the complete system — and a documentation package covering all devices, network configuration, programming notes, and manufacturer warranty information.

The RainFire Standard

WHY CHOOSE RAINFIRE BUILDERS FOR SMART HOME AUTOMATION?

Rough-In Before MEP Closes

Smart home infrastructure is designed before electrical rough-in, so every wire is in the wall before drywall — not discussed after the walls are closed. CAT6 to every access point. Speaker wire to every speaker. Conduit at every TV wall. Neutral wires at every switch. The infrastructure that makes smart home possible is built during construction at 20–30% of the retrofit cost.

Platform-Agnostic Advice

RainFire Builders is not locked to a single platform. We recommend Caseta for retrofit, RadioRA 3 for new construction lighting control, Control4 for full integration, and Home Assistant for tech-forward self-managers. The right platform for the project — not the platform with the best dealer arrangement.

Enterprise Network Backbone

Every smart home project gets a purpose-designed network — CAT6 home runs to ceiling-mounted enterprise access points, a managed PoE switch, a dedicated IoT VLAN, and a structured wiring panel in the utility room. The network is the foundation every smart device depends on. Consumer mesh routers on shelves are not adequate; we don’t install them.

Built for the Next Decade

Conduit at all TV walls. 10Gbps backbone switching. CAT6A where access points will need bandwidth. Thread/Matter-compatible infrastructure. We build smart home infrastructure for the technology that exists in five years, not just the technology that exists today — because the walls will still be closed when technology changes.

CONTINUE THE PROCESS:

RELATED OPERATION SERVICES

Electrical

Smart home rough-in and electrical rough-in are coordinated scopes – neutral wires at switch locations, dedicated circuits for AV equipment. EV charging circuits and PoE infrastructure are all electrical decisions that must be resolved before the electrician’s rough-in is complete. | Explore Electrical

Green & Energy

Smart home automation and solar PV produce the most value when integrated – scheduling EV charging during solar production hours, managing HVAC load relative to solar generation, and coordinating smart home energy monitoring with battery storage systems for maximum self-consumption. | Explore Green & Energy

Accessibility & Aging

Smart home automation is one of the most powerful accessibility tools available – lighting control activated by voice or motion eliminates light switches as mobility barriers, smart locks enable keyless entry for users who cannot manage traditional keys, and automated shading removes the need to reach window treatments. | Explore Accessibility & Aging

Start Your Project

Ready to see what a property-prepared construction estimate looks like? Contact RainFire Builders for a free site visit and written line-item estimate on your Utah construction project. | Get Your Free Estimate

All Operation Services

Return to the complete operations services overview – permitting, design & architecture, engineering, interior design, smart home automation, green & energy solutions, as well as accessibility and aging in place. | Go Back to the Beginning

Designed Before Rough-in. Wired During MEP. Built For The Next Decade.

Smart Home That Starts Before the Walls Close.

The most expensive smart home mistake is making the infrastructure decision after construction — when every wire that wasn’t pre-installed requires cutting, patching, and repainting to add. RainFire Builders designs smart home infrastructure before the MEP phase and installs it during construction: CAT6 to every ceiling-mounted access point, speaker wire to every in-ceiling speaker, conduit at every TV wall, neutral wires at every switch, and EV charging rough-in in every garage. Platform-agnostic recommendations. Enterprise-grade network backbone. Rough-in that costs a fraction of a retrofit. The system you’ll live with for twenty years starts with the decisions made before the drywall goes up.

Call us now at (385) 336-7246 or request an estimate online. We’ll start on your property’s project and your future with care.

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