Residential Electrical Services
Smart Home Wiring
in Vancouver, WA
Most smart home problems start at the switch box. The switch itself is easy to buy. But when you pull the old one off the wall, there might not be a neutral wire in the box. Without a neutral, most smart switches won't work. That's where Newman Electric comes in. We handle smart home wiring in Vancouver, WA, from adding neutral wires to old switch boxes to running new circuits for whole-home automation. Ryan has done smart home setups ranging from a couple of switches to full-house Lutron systems.
Smart Home Electrical
What Smart Home Wiring Actually Involves
Smart home products are everywhere. But most of them need wiring behind the wall that your house might not have. Newman Electric does the behind-the-scenes work that makes all of it function the way it should.
Smart Switches and Dimmers
This is the most common smart home job. Smart switches need a neutral wire in the switch box, and most homes built before 2011 don't have one. Newman Electric can add a neutral to any switch box in your house. We also install Lutron Caseta, Lutron RadioRA, and standard WiFi smart switches and dimmers.
Smart Thermostats
Nest, Ecobee, and other smart thermostats need specific wiring at the thermostat location. Older thermostats might not have a C-wire (common wire), which most smart thermostats require for power. Newman Electric runs the C-wire if yours doesn't have one, and we handle the wiring for multi-zone setups too.
Video Doorbells and Security Cameras
Ring, Nest, and similar video doorbells need a transformer that puts out enough voltage and VA. If your existing doorbell transformer is too weak, we swap it out. For hardwired outdoor cameras, we run power to each camera location so you don't have to deal with batteries or solar panels.
Whole-Home Networking
Smart home devices run on your WiFi network, and if your coverage is spotty, nothing works right. Newman Electric can run ethernet cable to access point locations throughout your house so your mesh system or wired access points have a solid backbone. That keeps all your smart devices connected.
The Neutral Wire Issue
Since 2011, the NEC (Section 404.2(C)) requires a neutral conductor at every switch box in new construction. But homes built before that often don't have one. If you buy a smart switch and open up the box to find only a hot wire, a load wire, and a ground, you need an electrician to add the neutral. Newman Electric does this regularly in older Vancouver homes. We pull the neutral from the nearest junction box or circuit and run it to the switch location.
How It Works
Smart Home Wiring from Start to Finish
Every smart home project is different. Some people want two smart switches. Others want the whole house automated. Newman Electric figures out what you need, does the wiring, and makes sure everything talks to each other before we leave.
Figure out your setup
Newman Electric comes to your house and looks at what you want to automate. We check every switch box you want to upgrade, look at your thermostat wiring, check your doorbell transformer, and note what's missing. You get a list of what needs to happen and what it'll cost.
Do the wiring
We add neutral wires where needed, swap out doorbell transformers, run C-wires to thermostats, install new outlets for hubs or access points, and pull ethernet cable if you're going wired. Most smart home wiring jobs take a day or less. Bigger projects might take two.
Test and walk you through it
We don't leave until the switches are working, the thermostat is connected, and you know how to use everything. Newman Electric tests every device, makes sure it responds to the app and to voice commands if that's your setup, and walks you through the controls before we go.
Code & Standards
Smart Home Electrical Code in
Vancouver, WA
Smart home devices are consumer products, but the wiring behind them must meet code. Washington state follows the 2023 NEC under WAC 296-46B. Newman Electric makes sure all smart home wiring meets current code requirements.
- Neutral at Switch Boxes (NEC 404.2(C))
Since the 2011 NEC cycle, a grounded (neutral) conductor is required at most switch locations. This was specifically added to support electronic switches, including smart switches. If your home was built before 2011 and you want smart switches, Newman Electric adds the neutral wire to the box.
- AFCI on Modified Circuits (NEC 210.12)
When Newman Electric modifies or extends a circuit to add smart home wiring, AFCI protection is required on that circuit if it serves a living space. We install AFCI breakers as part of the work when the code requires it.
- Lighting Outlet Requirements (NEC 210.70)
Every habitable room needs at least one wall switch-controlled lighting outlet. When we swap a standard switch for a smart switch, that requirement doesn't change. The smart switch must still physically control the light, not just through the app.
- Low-Voltage Wiring (NEC Article 725)
Ethernet cable, thermostat wire, and doorbell wire are classified as low-voltage wiring. The NEC has specific rules about how low-voltage cable can be run alongside power wiring. Newman Electric keeps low-voltage and line-voltage runs properly separated.
Customer Reviews
What Customers Say About Newman Electric
"I called Ryan because he was recommended from one of my neighbors. And, as it turns out, others in my neighborhood have also hired his company. Ryan and Anthony arrived at the agreeable scheduled time. I explained to them that my 'waterfall pond switch' and a 'light switch' were not working. After testing the old switches both Ryan and Anthony agreed that the switches should be replaced. Ryan told me he could go to Hm Depot for the parts that were needed and return in 45 minutes to install it, if I agreed. 45 minutes later, Ryan and Anthony returned with the parts in hand."
"A great experience. Ryan came over, diagnosed the problem, and gave me two realistic solutions with honest pros and cons. When Chris and Roman came to do the work, they were fast, polite, and respectful, offering to take their shoes off and being very mindful of their language around my 3 y/o. They showed me how to adjust the settings on the new electrical fixtures and patiently answered my questions, and did a great job cleaning up."
"Great communication- fast responses and thorough. Free estimate. The work we wanted was scheduled quickly."
Common Questions
Smart Home Wiring FAQs
If your switch box has a neutral wire, you can install a smart switch yourself. But if there's no neutral, that's a job for an electrician. Pulling a neutral wire to the switch box involves working inside the wall with live circuits. Newman Electric does this regularly in older Vancouver, WA homes. We also recommend having an electrician install smart dimmers, since some LED fixtures need specific dimmer compatibility.
Turn off the breaker and pull the switch out of the box. If you see a bundle of white wires connected together with a wire nut in the back of the box, that's your neutral. If all you see is a black wire (hot), a second wire going to the light (load), and a bare copper ground, you don't have a neutral. Newman Electric can add one.
It depends on the scope. Adding a neutral wire to a single switch box is at the low end. Doing a whole house with smart switches in every room, a smart thermostat, a doorbell upgrade, and ethernet runs is a bigger project. Newman Electric gives free estimates. We come look at what you want and tell you what it'll cost.
Yes. Most smart thermostats need a C-wire (common wire) for constant power. If your current thermostat only has four wires (R, W, Y, G), Newman Electric can run a new thermostat cable with the extra C-wire from your furnace to the thermostat location. It's a straightforward job.
Yes. Newman Electric installs Lutron Caseta, Lutron RadioRA 3, and other whole-home systems that use a central hub to control every switch and dimmer in the house. These systems are more reliable than individual WiFi switches because they use their own radio frequency instead of competing with your WiFi network.
Yes. Newman Electric runs Cat6 ethernet cable to any room in your house. We fish the cable through walls and ceilings, terminate it at wall plates, and bring all the runs back to a central location for your switch or router. Wired ethernet is the backbone of a reliable smart home network, and it makes WiFi access points work better too.
Related Services
Other Services That Pair With Smart Home
Lighting Installation
Fixtures that work with smart dimmers
LED Lighting Retrofit
LEDs compatible with smart switches
Outlet Installation
Smart outlets and USB receptacles
Dedicated Circuits
Circuits for home automation hubs
Whole House Rewiring
Get neutrals in every switch box
Surge Protection
Protect your smart home gear
EV Charger Installation
Smart EV chargers with app control
Electrical Panel Upgrade
Room for smart home circuits
Service Area
Smart Home Wiring Across
Vancouver & Clark County
Newman Electric does smart home wiring in homes across Vancouver, WA and Clark County. Older homes in Hazel Dell and east Vancouver are the ones that need the most work since they lack neutral wires at the switch boxes. Newer homes in Ridgefield and Camas are easier to upgrade because the wiring is already there. Either way, we handle it.
We also serve Cowlitz County for smart home wiring. Longview, Kelso, Woodland, and Kalama.
Ready to Make Your
Home Smarter?
Newman Electric handles smart home wiring across Vancouver, WA. Neutral wire additions, smart switches, thermostats, doorbells, and ethernet runs. The estimate is free.