Smart Home Features Worth Adding During a Remodel: The Complete 2026 Guide

Why a Remodel Is the Perfect Time for Smart Home Technology

If you are planning a kitchen remodel, a whole-home renovation, or a custom build in the Bay Area, you have a window of opportunity that most homeowners never get. When walls are open and electricians are already running wire, adding smart home infrastructure costs a fraction of what it would after drywall goes up.

Pre-wiring a home for smart technology during construction saves 60-70% compared to retrofitting later. An EV charger circuit that costs $800 to $1,200 during a remodel can run $2,000 to $3,000 as a standalone retrofit. Running Cat6 ethernet behind walls takes minutes during framing but requires cutting, patching, and repainting after the fact.

The global smart home market reached $180 billion in 2026 and is projected to exceed $848 billion by 2034. This is not a niche trend. Smart technology is becoming a baseline expectation for buyers in the Bay Area’s $1.5M to $5M+ housing market. Homes with integrated smart features sell faster, command premiums, and can increase resale value by up to 5%.

Here is what to prioritize, what it costs, and how to plan it into your remodel.

Smart Home Features Cost Comparison Table

Feature	Cost During Remodel	Retrofit Cost	Annual Savings	ROI Timeline
Structured Wiring (whole home)	$2,500 - $10,000	$8,000 - $25,000	N/A (enables all other systems)	Immediate value
Smart Lighting (whole home)	$2,000 - $8,000	$3,000 - $12,000	$200 - $600	4-8 years
Smart Thermostat	$250 - $500	$250 - $500	$300 - $500	1-2 years
Security System (cameras, locks, sensors)	$1,500 - $5,000	$2,000 - $7,000	Insurance discount: $200-$500/yr	3-5 years
Motorized Window Shades	$500 - $1,500/window	$800 - $2,000/window	$100 - $400 (HVAC efficiency)	5-10 years
EV Charger (Level 2)	$800 - $1,500	$2,000 - $3,500	$500 - $1,200 vs. gas	1-3 years
Whole-Home Audio	$2,000 - $8,000	$4,000 - $15,000	N/A (lifestyle)	Resale value
Smart Appliances (kitchen)	$5,000 - $25,000	Same (no wiring advantage)	$100 - $300	5-10 years
Voice Control Hub	$200 - $3,000	Same	N/A (convenience)	N/A
Mesh Wi-Fi / Network	$500 - $2,000	$500 - $2,000	N/A (enables all systems)	Immediate value

Costs reflect Bay Area pricing in 2026, which runs 10-20% above national averages due to higher labor rates and permitting costs.

1. Structured Wiring: The Foundation Everything Else Depends On

Structured wiring is the backbone of every smart home, and it is the single feature that absolutely must be done during a remodel. Once drywall goes up, running new cable through finished walls becomes exponentially more expensive and disruptive.

What to include:

• Cat6 ethernet to every room (minimum two drops per room, four in the home office and media room)
• Coaxial cable for security camera locations (exterior corners, front door, garage, backyard)
• Speaker wire to ceilings for whole-home audio zones
• Conduit runs to key locations (TV wall, home office, outdoor entertainment area) for future upgrades
• Dedicated electrical circuits for EV charger, server rack, and high-draw smart appliances
• Low-voltage wiring at every window header for motorized shades

All cables should terminate at a central structured media panel, typically located in a closet, utility room, or garage. This panel becomes the nerve center of your smart home.

Cost during remodel: $2,500 to $10,000 depending on home size and complexity. For a 2,500-square-foot Bay Area home, expect $4,000 to $7,000.

Retrofit cost: $8,000 to $25,000. The labor alone to fish cable through finished walls, attics, and crawl spaces is three to five times what it costs during open-wall construction.

2. Smart Lighting: The Highest-Impact Daily Upgrade

Smart lighting transforms how you experience your home every single day. Modern systems go far beyond the novelty of turning lights on with your phone. They adjust color temperature throughout the day (warm in the evening, bright and cool in the morning), create preset scenes for cooking, entertaining, and movie nights, and reduce energy consumption by 15-25%.

What to install during a remodel:

• Smart switches and dimmers at every location (Lutron Caseta or RadioRA 3 are the gold standards for reliability)
• Under-cabinet LED strips in kitchens with tunable white temperature
• Recessed lighting on smart circuits throughout living areas, bedrooms, and bathrooms
• Exterior smart lighting for landscape, pathway, and security illumination
• Occupancy sensors in hallways, closets, laundry rooms, and bathrooms

The key advantage of installing during a remodel is hardwired smart switches. These are far more reliable than smart bulbs, work with standard bulbs, and do not require Wi-Fi to function. A Lutron system with a dedicated wireless bridge operates on its own radio frequency, so your lights still work even if your internet goes down.

Cost: $2,000 to $8,000 for a whole-home smart lighting system during a remodel. Individual smart switches run $50 to $100 each. A full Lutron RadioRA 3 system for a 3,000-square-foot home costs $5,000 to $12,000 installed.

3. Smart Thermostats and Climate Control

A smart thermostat is the easiest, fastest-payback smart home upgrade. Models like the Ecobee Premium and Google Nest Learning Thermostat learn your schedule, adjust to occupancy patterns, and optimize energy use automatically. Bay Area homeowners typically save $300 to $500 per year on heating and cooling costs.

During a remodel, go beyond the thermostat:

• Install a zoned HVAC system with smart dampers for room-by-room temperature control
• Add smart ceiling fans that adjust speed based on temperature and occupancy
• Wire for in-floor radiant heating in bathrooms with smart controls
• Install smart vents that redirect airflow to occupied rooms

Zoned climate control is especially valuable in Bay Area homes where microclimates vary dramatically. A south-facing living room in Sunnyvale can be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than a north-facing bedroom. Smart zoning eliminates the “one room is freezing while another is overheating” problem.

Cost: $250 to $500 for a smart thermostat alone. $3,000 to $8,000 for a zoned HVAC system with smart controls. Radiant floor heating in bathrooms adds $1,500 to $3,000 per bathroom.

4. Whole-Home Security and Smart Locks

Integrated security is one of the most practical smart home investments, and a remodel lets you do it right. Instead of stick-on cameras and battery-powered sensors, you can install hardwired components that are more reliable, more discreet, and require zero maintenance.

What to include:

• Hardwired security cameras at all exterior entry points (front, back, side, garage)
• Smart doorbell camera (wired models like Ring Pro or Ubiquiti G4 Doorbell)
• Smart locks on front, back, and garage entry doors with keypad, fingerprint, or phone access
• Door and window sensors on all ground-floor openings
• Motion sensors for key interior zones
• Smart smoke, CO, and water leak detectors throughout the home
• Wall-mounted touchscreen panel for centralized control

During a remodel, camera wiring runs behind walls cleanly. Sensors can be recessed into door and window frames. The system operates on a local network rather than relying entirely on cloud services, which improves privacy and reliability.

Cost: $1,500 to $5,000 during a remodel for a comprehensive system. A basic setup with four cameras, a smart doorbell, two smart locks, and sensors runs about $2,000 to $3,000 installed. Premium systems with a dedicated NVR (network video recorder), touchscreen panels, and professional monitoring cost $4,000 to $8,000.

Bonus: Many insurance providers offer 5-15% discounts on homeowner’s insurance for monitored security systems, saving $200 to $500 per year.

5. Motorized Window Shades

Automated window treatments are one of those features that feel like a luxury until you live with them. Then they feel essential. Motorized shades open with your morning alarm, close automatically at sunset, adjust to block glare during work-from-home hours, and help regulate indoor temperature.

Why remodel time matters: Motorized shades require low-voltage wiring at each window header. During a remodel, this wiring runs behind the wall in minutes. Retrofitting requires surface-mounted conduit or battery-powered motors, which are less reliable and less elegant.

Popular options for Bay Area homes:

• Lutron Serena or Palladiom shades for seamless integration with Lutron lighting systems
• Hunter Douglas PowerView for a wide selection of fabric and style options
• Solar shades that filter light while preserving views (ideal for homes with Bay or hillside views)
• Blackout shades for bedrooms and media rooms

Cost: $500 to $1,500 per window during a remodel (includes shade, motor, and wiring). A home with 15 to 20 windows costs $8,000 to $25,000 fully automated. Battery-powered retrofit options cost slightly less per window but require battery replacement every 1 to 3 years.

6. EV Charger Installation

With California’s push toward electric vehicles and the Bay Area’s high EV adoption rate, a Level 2 home charger is quickly becoming as standard as a washer/dryer hookup. Installing one during a remodel is dramatically cheaper and simpler than adding one later.

What you need:

• A dedicated 240V, 50-amp circuit from your electrical panel to the garage (or exterior wall near your parking area)
• A NEMA 14-50 outlet or hardwired charger unit
• Panel capacity for the additional circuit (your electrician should evaluate this during remodel planning)

During a remodel, your electrician can:

• Run the 240V circuit behind walls and through the ceiling cleanly
• Upgrade your electrical panel if needed (common in older Bay Area homes with 100-amp or 150-amp panels)
• Install conduit for a second charger circuit if you anticipate a second EV
• Position the charger outlet for optimal cable reach to both sides of the vehicle

Cost: $800 to $1,500 during a remodel, including circuit, outlet, and labor. Retrofit installations cost $2,000 to $3,500 because electricians must route cable through finished spaces. Panel upgrades, if required, add $2,000 to $4,000.

7. Smart Kitchen Appliances

The kitchen is where smart technology delivers the most tangible daily convenience. In 2026, smart kitchen appliances have matured well beyond novelty features. Modern smart ovens preheat remotely, alert you when food reaches target temperature, and adjust cooking times automatically. Smart refrigerators manage grocery lists, display family calendars, and alert you when items expire.

Top smart kitchen features for a 2026 remodel:

• Induction cooktops with app control for precise temperature management and safety auto-shutoff
• Smart wall ovens with remote preheat, internal cameras, and guided cooking
• Panel-ready smart refrigerators that integrate seamlessly with cabinetry
• Touchless faucets with voice-activated temperature and measured dispensing
• Smart dishwashers that auto-select cycles and send completion notifications
• Under-sink water quality monitors with filter replacement alerts

Smart appliances do not require special pre-wiring beyond standard electrical connections, so their cost is the same whether you buy during or after a remodel. The advantage of including them in your remodel is design integration. Your cabinetmaker can build panels, trim, and clearances specifically for the appliances you select.

Cost: Premium smart appliance packages from brands like Thermador, Bosch, and Sub-Zero/Wolf run $15,000 to $50,000. Mid-range smart appliances from Samsung, LG, and GE Profile cost $5,000 to $15,000 for a full kitchen suite.

8. Voice Control and Whole-Home Integration

Voice control ties every smart system together into a single, intuitive interface. Instead of managing five different apps for lights, shades, thermostat, security, and music, you speak a single command: “Good morning” triggers your custom routine that raises the shades, adjusts the thermostat, turns on the kitchen lights, starts the coffee maker, and plays your preferred morning playlist.

Voice control options in 2026:

• Amazon Alexa and Google Home remain the most affordable and widely compatible options ($50 to $200 per device)
• Apple HomeKit with Siri is the best choice for privacy-focused households already in the Apple ecosystem
• Josh.ai is the premium, privacy-first voice platform designed specifically for custom homes ($2,000 to $5,000 for a whole-home system). Josh.ai never sells your data and processes commands locally when possible
• Control4 and Savant offer professional-grade whole-home automation with dedicated touchscreens, keypads, and remote management ($10,000 to $50,000+ for a full system)

The Matter standard deserves special attention in 2026. Backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung, Matter ensures devices from different manufacturers work together seamlessly. When choosing smart home products during your remodel, prioritize Matter-compatible devices to avoid ecosystem lock-in.

During a remodel, plan for:

• Recessed in-wall speakers or microphone arrays for voice assistant coverage in every room
• Wall-mounted tablets or touchscreen panels at key locations (kitchen, master bedroom, entryway)
• A dedicated networking closet or cabinet for your router, switches, smart home hub, and NVR
• Sufficient electrical outlets near planned device locations

How to Plan Smart Home Features Into Your Remodel

Planning is everything. Smart home technology added as an afterthought results in visible wiring, mismatched systems, and missed opportunities. Here is the approach that works.

Step 1: Define your priorities. Not every home needs every feature. A young family might prioritize security, automated lighting, and a smart thermostat. Empty nesters might focus on voice control, motorized shades, and whole-home audio. Decide what matters most to your daily life.

Step 2: Choose your ecosystem early. Pick your primary platform (Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or a professional system like Control4) before selecting individual devices. This prevents compatibility headaches down the road.

Step 3: Map every wire run before framing closes. Your electrician and low-voltage contractor need a detailed plan showing every cable destination, outlet location, and device position. This plan should be finalized during the design phase, not improvised on-site.

Step 4: Invest in infrastructure over gadgets. Structured wiring, robust networking, and proper electrical capacity last decades. Individual smart devices will be replaced every 5 to 10 years as technology improves. Spend more on the foundation and less on the first generation of devices.

Step 5: Budget 5-10% of your remodel cost for smart technology. For a $200,000 Bay Area whole-home remodel, allocating $10,000 to $20,000 for smart home integration is a reasonable range that covers structured wiring, smart lighting, climate control, security, and a few premium features.

Why Custom Home Builds Smart Technology Into Phase 1

At Custom Home, smart home planning is part of our Phase 1 design process. Before a single wall comes down, we work with you to identify the technology features that match your lifestyle, map every wire run and device location into the architectural plans, and coordinate with our electrical team to ensure nothing gets missed when walls are open.

This approach means no surprises, no last-minute change orders for forgotten wiring, and no regrets about features you wish you had included. Every smart home element is designed, specified, and cost-locked before construction begins.

Whether you want a simple setup with smart lighting and a thermostat or a fully integrated whole-home automation system, the time to plan is before your remodel starts.

Start Planning Your Smart Home Remodel

Ready to explore what smart home technology makes sense for your Bay Area remodel? Contact Custom Home to schedule a consultation. We will walk through your priorities, show you what is possible within your budget, and build a technology plan into your remodel from day one.