Five answers are all you need to choose well: what the installation warranty covers and for how long, whether the system keeps working without the internet, whether the quote is itemised line by line, who exactly will be coming into your home, and what happens the day after the installation. If a company dodges any of the five, you have your answer.

Hiring someone to install home automation is nothing like buying an appliance. Someone is going to work on your electrical installation and set up a system you'll be living with for years — and if it's done badly, undoing it costs money and grief. And unlike other trades, there's no official “smart home installer” licence: the sector isn't regulated as such, so it's up to you to do the vetting. This guide is the checklist we'd use ourselves if we had to hire another installer.

The 7 questions you should ask before signing

You don't need to understand protocols or programming. Just ask these seven things and listen to how they answer — how they answer says as much as what they answer.

1. What exactly does the warranty cover, and will you give it to me in writing?

Two things that are often deliberately lumped together need separating here. One is the warranty on the devices, which is set by the manufacturer and is usually 2 or 3 years. The other is the warranty on the work: the installation, the wiring, the configuration and the automations. No brand covers that second one; it's provided by the company doing the installation, and that's where the real differences show up. Ask how many years it covers, what it includes and whether you'll get it in writing. In our case, we guarantee our installation and configuration for 5 years, and we handle the manufacturer's warranty for you, so you never have to argue with a brand.

2. Does the system keep working if the internet goes down?

It's the most revealing question of all, and the one fewest people ask. Many systems depend on external servers: if the manufacturer has an outage, changes its terms or shuts down the service, your lights and blinds stop responding. A well-designed system runs its logic inside your home and keeps working with the router unplugged. Also ask where the data from your sensors and cameras is stored. We work exclusively with cloud-free home automation that runs on your local network, precisely because the alternative leaves you at the mercy of decisions you don't control.

3. Which brands do you work with, and what happens if that brand disappears?

Be as wary of an installer who works with just one brand as of one who can't name any. What matters isn't the name, but whether the devices speak open, standard protocols — Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Thread — or a proprietary language that only that brand understands. With open standards you can switch manufacturers without ripping out the installation, and any other professional can maintain it. We build on Home Assistant with devices from Shelly, Aqara, Sonoff, SMLight, Somfy, Eltako and Ajax: if one of those brands disappeared tomorrow, the rest of the system would carry on working exactly the same.

4. Can you give me an itemised quote?

A one-line quote with a single figure at the bottom is a telling sign in itself. You should be able to see how many devices it includes, what type they are, how much is materials and how much is labour, and whether the programming of the automations is included or charged separately — it's a classic for the installation to be quoted and the configuration not. As a benchmark, automating a single system usually starts at between €300 and €900 depending on which one, and a complete home project from €2,500. Figures a long way off those deserve an explanation.

5. Who will be in my home?

You're going to give someone the keys to your home for at least a day. It's reasonable to want to know whether the person you're dealing with is the same one who'll do the work or whether it's subcontracted, and what training the person designing the system has. A website with no names, no faces and no physical address tells you something. We publish ours: you can see who's on the team and what each of us studied before you call us.

6. Can you show me real projects similar to mine?

Not catalogue photos: projects with the area, the square metres and what was automated in each one. Documented installations in homes similar to yours are the only tangible proof that someone has done this before. Ask to see specific projects and their scope and, if one interests you, ask how long it took and what got complicated. Honest projects always have some complication to tell you about.

7. What happens the day after the installation?

This is where you see the difference between selling a system and handing it over in working order. Ask whether the handover includes training for everyone who lives in the house — including those who aren't comfortable with technology — what the usual response time is when something goes wrong, and whether after-sales support is included or billed by the hour. We reply in under 24 hours throughout the Barcelona metropolitan area, and handover always includes training.

Red flags

Some answers, on their own, are reason enough to keep looking:

  • A fixed quote without having seen your home. Nobody can price an installation properly without knowing your fuse box, the type of blinds or the thickness of the walls. A figure given over the phone is a figure that will go up later.
  • A mandatory monthly fee to use your own system. Paying for an optional maintenance service is legitimate; your lights no longer obeying you if you stop paying is not. Always ask what keeps working the day you cancel.
  • Refusing to put the warranty in writing. “We'll sort it out if anything happens” isn't a warranty, it's an intention.
  • No visible legal identity. With no registered company name, no address and no landline on the website, there's nobody to hold responsible three years down the line.
  • Pressure to sign. Discounts that expire today, limited-time offers, manufactured urgency. An installation that's going to last a decade can wait a week while you compare.

When you don't need to hire anyone

We'd be less than honest if we said you always need a professional. If all you want is one or two standalone devices — a smart plug, a bulb, a thermostat — buy them and set them up yourself: installing them means plugging them in and following an app's instructions, and paying someone for that makes no sense.

And if you enjoy tinkering, have patience and fancy understanding how the system works inside, the DIY route is perfectly viable: we ourselves explain how Home Assistant works and when to set it up yourself. Hiring someone starts to pay off when the project spans several systems at once, when there's electrical work involved, or when you simply want it to work without giving up your weekends to it.

What's different in Barcelona and the metropolitan area

Two local peculiarities matter more than you might think. The first is the housing stock: a large share of the flats in Barcelona and its metropolitan area were built before the 1980s, with old electrical installations, small wall boxes and blind housings that aren't always accessible. That's why it matters so much here that the installer has mastered wireless solutions and can tell you, after seeing your flat, what can be done without opening up a single wall.

The second is proximity for support. A company that works in your county (comarca) can pop round to check a sensor within a couple of days; one that operates remotely can't. Before deciding, ask what their real working area is — not the one on their website, but where they've actually carried out installations — and how long it takes them to turn up when something goes wrong.

Common questions

How much should a home automation installation cost?

It depends on the scope, but it's worth having some reference points before you ask for a quote. Automating a single system in a home starts at between €300 and €900, depending on which one: garden irrigation is the cheapest, and security with cameras the most expensive. A complete home project — lighting, blinds, climate control and security, all coordinated — starts from €2,500. If a quote is a long way off those orders of magnitude, either up or down, ask them to explain why.

Does the installer have to give me a written warranty?

The legal guarantee on products always applies, but the warranty on the installation and configuration work is a different matter and depends on each company. There's no industry standard, so it's fair to ask about it and to ask for it in writing. It's worth distinguishing between two periods: the one for the devices, set by the manufacturer (usually 2 or 3 years), and the one for the installation and programming, set by the installer. Having the company handle the manufacturer's warranty for you saves you having to deal with the brands yourself.

What happens if the installer closes down in a few years' time?

That's the real risk in this decision, and it's mitigated in the design, not in the contract. If the system uses open, standard protocols and runs on your local network, your installation lives on even if the company disappears: any other professional can step in to maintain it. If, on the other hand, it's built on the installer's own closed platform, with their own app and a monthly fee, you're tied to them staying in business. Ask explicitly what happens to your system if the company stops trading.

Is it worth getting several quotes?

Yes, but comparing them on the final price alone is misleading. Two quotes with the same figure can hide very different scopes: the number of automated points, the quality of the devices, whether the programming of the automations is included or just the installation, and whether there's training at handover. Always ask for an itemised breakdown and compare line by line. A more expensive quote that includes configuration and ongoing support usually works out cheaper than a bare-bones one that you later have to add extras to.

Does the installer need to be based in my city?

For the installation itself it isn't always essential, but for what comes afterwards it matters quite a lot. Home automation doesn't end on installation day: your routine changes, you add a device, a sensor breaks. Having someone who can drop by your home at short notice changes what it's like to live with the system. Before signing, ask what their usual response time is in your area and whether after-sales support is included or billed separately.

In short

Choosing a smart home installer isn't about finding the lowest quote, but about identifying the one who answers the seven questions straight and puts it in writing. A clear warranty, a system that works without depending on anyone, an itemised quote, a team with real names and genuine support after installation. If you apply this checklist to three companies, the decision makes itself — and we're happy for you to apply it to us too.