Smart Home Rough-In During Renovation: Ontario 2026 Guide
Renovation is the best time to install smart home infrastructure. Running wires while walls are open costs a fraction of retrofitting. Here is what to prioritize.
Lighting Control
Lutron Caseta (consumer): $80-$180/switch installed. No neutral wire required in most cases. Rock-solid reliability. Full main floor: $3,000-$8,000.
Lutron RadioRA3 (professional): Premium system for whole-home integration. $12,000-$40,000+ for a full house.
Why Lutron: It is the most reliable smart lighting platform with the longest track record. Electricians across the GTA install it daily.
Networking Infrastructure (Highest ROI)
During rough-in, run:
- CAT6 to every bedroom, living area, home office, TV location
- CAT6 to WiFi access point locations (ceiling mount in hallways, 1 per floor)
- Structured wiring panel in utility room
Cost during rough-in: $1,500-$4,000
This is the single best smart home investment. Eliminates WiFi dead spots permanently.
Whole-Home Audio
Speaker wire or in-wall audio rough-in during renovation: $800-$2,500
Enables future in-ceiling speakers (Sonos Era 100 in-ceiling, Klipsch) without drywall work.
Security Camera Rough-In
Conduit for front door, rear yard, garage camera locations: $500-$1,500
Costs 5x more to add after walls close.
HVAC Control
Ecobee or Nest: compatible with most GTA systems. No renovation rough-in needed beyond existing thermostat wiring.
LF Builders integrates smart home rough-in into full renovation scopes: lfbuilders.ca
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