Smart home and AV consulting, Kent WA and the South Sound
Smart home consulting.
Get the design right before anything is built.
Independent design and review for homeowners, builders and contractors who want the system planned correctly before concrete is poured or a bid is signed. Remote or on site, from Kent for south King County and Pierce County.
Where consulting leads.
Rivas Technology Group offers paid smart home and AV consulting from Kent, WA: system architecture, pre-construction low-voltage specs, rough-in review, bid evaluation and diagnosis of inherited systems. Discovery calls are free, design work is quoted per project, remote or on site, and every design fee credits in full toward installation if you proceed with us.
- Discovery call
- Free, to scope the engagement
- Credit
- Design fees credit in full toward installation with us
- Format
- Video call, on-site visit, or a written design package
- Response
- Call or text back within one business day
- License
- WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, bonded and insured
What is a consulting engagement?
Paid, independent design advice, as opposed to a free estimate for a system we would install. Most technology problems in a home are planning problems: conduit in the wrong wall, speakers that do not match the room, three apps for a house sold as integrated. A consulting session catches those on paper, where they cost nothing to fix.
Rivas Technology Group is the South Sound's security-first integrator, based in Kent since 2020. It is a Control4 Authorized Dealer listed on Control4's integrator map, an Ajax Systems dealer listed on ajax.systems, and a CEDIA member 2022 to 2026. It is licensed as WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured (L&I lookup). The line between the two services is on our pricing and policies page. A specific project you want priced is always a free estimate. Advice you keep whether or not you hire us is consulting.
What does it cost?
As of September 2026, the discovery call is free and design work is quoted per project:
| Engagement | Fee | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery call | Free | 20 minutes to scope the engagement and decide whether you need one at all |
| Residential design package | From $1,500 | A written system specification: architecture, equipment list, room-by-room scope, conduit and enclosure plan, delivered within five business days, that any integrator can bid or that you can build from |
Every design fee credits in full toward installation if you proceed with us. Engagements are scoped and quoted per project, not sold in tiers.
What can a session cover?
Six things, in any combination:
- System architecture. Audio, video, network, lighting, security and automation mapped as one design before a dollar goes to hardware.
- Pre-construction specification. Low-voltage specs and spec sheets for permit drawings. The technical layer a builder needs without an integration contract. Builders who want the full relationship are on smart home pre-wire for builders.
- Rough-in review. An on-site check during rough-in, when a wrong box location is still free to move. Remodel owners are on smart home for remodelers.
- Bid evaluation. Another integrator's proposal, read for architecture, platforms and pricing. You get a written note on what is solid, oversold or missing.
- System rescue. An inherited or misbehaving system diagnosed. We find what is wrong, what is worth keeping and what a fix costs.
- Platform selection. Professional or consumer, integrated or app-stacked, and which platforms are likely to be supported in ten years. Control4 runs in over 500,000 homes and works with 25,000+ third-party products (Control4); Ajax states its system is free to self-monitor (Ajax); both come up in most sessions.
Planned, built or fixed later?
The same capability costs different amounts at three moments, and consulting is the cheapest of them.
| Planned on paper | Caught at rough-in | Fixed after the walls close | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A conduit run | On the drawing | Moved while the wall is open | Fished, patched and painted |
| Apps to run the home | One, by design | One or two | Several, bolted together |
| Platform lifespan | Chosen for the long term | Chosen for the long term | Whatever was in stock |
| Cost of a mistake | Caught on paper | Caught on site | Paid in full |
Who uses it?
Homeowners and buyers planning a build or remodel, or inheriting a system someone else installed. They want to know what to rough in, which platforms are worth it, how to read another bid and whether DIY is realistic. Builders and contractors who need pre-construction specification, permit-ready spec sheets, rough-in review and priced buyer-upgrade packages. Designers, architects and realtors who need drawings in their set; their page is trade partners. Owners of commercial spaces use the same service under commercial AV consulting.
Where we work
Remote sessions anywhere. On-site sessions in south King County and Pierce County from our office at 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent: Kent, Renton, Tukwila, Federal Way, Auburn, Covington and Maple Valley. Also Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Tehaleh, University Place and Gig Harbor. Olympic Peninsula by appointment. BBB accredited, A+; 5.0 from 49 Google reviews. If you already know what you want installed, skip consulting and use the instant quote or book a free walk-through from residential.
Questions about consulting
What does consulting cost?
As of September 2026: the discovery call is free, design work is quoted per project, and the residential design package starts at $1,500. Every design fee credits in full toward installation if you proceed with Rivas Technology Group.
Why pay when estimates are free?
An estimate prices a project we would install. Consulting is advice you keep whether or not you hire us: a bid review, a platform choice, a spec another integrator can build from. The value flows to you regardless of outcome, so it is a paid engagement.
Can you review another integrator's bid?
Yes. We read the proposed architecture, platforms and pricing and tell you plainly what is solid, what is oversold and what is missing. You get a written note you can take back to the bidder.
Can you diagnose a system someone else installed?
Yes. Inherited and misbehaving systems are a regular subject. We find what is wrong, what is worth keeping and what a fix would cost, before you commit to anything.
What do builders and contractors get?
Pre-construction low-voltage specification, AV and automation spec sheets suitable for permit drawings, on-site rough-in review, and buyer-upgrade equipment packages with pricing, without a full integration contract.
Is DIY realistic for my project?
Sometimes, and we will say so. Ajax devices pair by QR code and mount without wiring; a Control4 system requires an authorized integrator. A session tells you which parts you can do yourself and which need a license or a dealer.
Worth reading before you decide
Book a discovery call.
Tell us about the project, the plans or the system that is misbehaving. The discovery call is free and scopes the engagement; we call or text back within one business day.