Real numbers from real Georgian Bay rescue projects. What happens when smart home design is skipped on a custom home build — and what it cost to fix.
Most homeowners don't see the cost of poor design until it's already happened. By the time problems show up, the money is spent and the rework is invasive. We've taken on enough rescue projects to have real data on what skipping design actually costs.
Every example below is anonymised but pulled from real Summit Logic rescue and takeover work in the Georgian Bay region. Numbers are approximate but realistic.
A 6,500 sq ft custom home was built with a 24"x24" equipment closet under a stairwell. By the time the homeowner upgraded their ambitions to a full Crestron home with dedicated theatre, the closet couldn't fit the rack. We had to relocate the rack to a basement utility room and re-pull 40% of the cabling.
A homeowner pre-wired their custom build with consumer Cat5e and standard speaker wire from a big-box store. Two years later they wanted Dolby Atmos and 4K HDR distributed video. The cabling couldn't carry it.
A lighting package was specified at the showroom and the electrical engineer designed the panel for incandescent loads. When the LED fixtures were installed, six circuits flickered, buzzed, or wouldn't dim past 50%.
In-ceiling speakers were placed by the framer using "best guess" positions. When furniture was placed, the speakers were over the kitchen island instead of the living room seating area.
TVs were planned for three locations. No structural blocking was added behind drywall. When the integrator arrived to mount, two of three locations had nothing to anchor to.
A consumer 9U rack was installed by the builder. The actual project required a 24U rack to fit switches, controllers, amplifiers, and surveillance recording. The rack location couldn't accommodate the larger size without enlarging the closet.
Every case above traces back to the same cause — work done without documented design.
The full Summit Logic design methodology and deliverables.
Learn moreThe math, the prevention, and when to engage a designer.
Learn moreEvery document inside a complete smart home design package.
Learn moreInheriting and rebuilding systems from another integrator.
Learn moreDocumented design starts at a fixed price and ends with a complete package you own.