# How to choose between home automation companies in Dubai

> The questions to ask when comparing Dubai smart home installers, from handover files and after-care to spotting a specialist versus a handyman.

Source: https://staging.avario.ae/articles/how-to-choose-smart-home-company/
Updated: 2026-11-05

To compare home automation companies in Dubai, ask each one the same questions and compare the answers side by side. Ask who designs and programmes your system, what you get at handover, and who fixes it once the installer has gone.

This guide gives you those questions and explains what a good answer sounds like. It also shows how a smart home specialist differs from a handyman who fits smart devices.

It is written for villa and apartment owners first. Interior designers and architects have their own section near the end.

## What does a smart home company actually do?

A smart home company designs, installs, programmes and supports the system that controls your lighting, AC, curtains and blinds. Many also handle security.

Programming and commissioning are the steps most people overlook. Programming means an engineer tells each switch, sensor and keypad what to do and how they work together. Commissioning means testing the finished system to check it works as designed.

If you are still working out the basics, such as wired or wireless and cloud or local control, start with our [smart home basics guide](https://staging.avario.ae/topics/learn/).

## Specialist or handyman: what is the difference?

A specialist plans your whole home as one system before fitting anything. A handyman usually fits devices one at a time, each with its own app, and leaves once they switch on.

For small jobs, a handyman is fine. If you want a smart plug, a video doorbell or one smart lock in an apartment, you may not need a specialist at all.

The gaps show up once you have several rooms, concrete walls between them, or lighting, AC and curtains that should work together. With a handyman, nobody owns the overall design, and nobody has the records when something stops working. A specialist should do all of the following:

- Survey your home and wiring before quoting
- Design the system and agree it with you before work starts
- Programme and commission it with their own team
- Hand over the project files, passwords, drawings and written records
- Support it afterwards, with set hours and a clear way to report faults

## Which questions should you ask every installer?

Ask every company the same questions, in writing if you can, so you are comparing like with like. These questions show which installers are careful and which are just quick.

- Who designs the system, and will I see the design before work starts?
- Do you recommend wired or wireless for my home, and why?
- What still works from the keypads if the internet or home network goes down?
- Who programmes and commissions the system: your own team or a subcontractor?
- What certifications do your engineers hold, and how can I check them?
- What exactly do I get at handover?
- How do I report a fault, and during which hours?
- How long do you cover your own work, and what does the manufacturer cover?
- Can I speak to one of your past clients?
- How soon after the visit will I get a written quote?

## What should you get at handover?

At handover you should get everything another competent engineer would need to look after your system. That protects you if you move, change installer, or the original company closes.

On a wired KNX system, the project file matters most. KNX is the wiring standard most wired systems use. The project file is made in ETS, the software engineers use to set up KNX. Without that file, nobody can change or add to your system without rebuilding it.

We often meet homeowners who have moved into a home with an older system and no passwords or configuration file. They cannot make changes or upgrade, so the system needs full reprogramming to create a new file they can use. Our guide to [taking over a system from another installer](https://staging.avario.ae/articles/system-takeover/) explains what that involves.

- The project or configuration file for your system
- All passwords and administrator logins, in your name
- Old users removed and logins reset
- Written system records
- Drawings or a wiring schedule showing what is installed and where
- A training session for your household
- Warranty details for your installer's work and for the equipment

## What after-care should you expect?

Good after-care means you know how to report a fault, when someone will answer, and what your plan covers. Ask about this before you sign, not after the first problem.

Remote support saves time, but it should happen only with your consent. You should be able to approve each session and switch remote access off. Our page on [smart home repair and maintenance](https://staging.avario.ae/articles/smart-home-maintenance/) covers what a plan can include.

- A named way to report faults, such as an app chat or phone line
- Clear support hours
- Remote fixes, with your approval each time
- A visit time for when an engineer needs to come out
- A maintenance plan built around your system, not a fixed package
- Written cover for the installer's own work

## Does the company give you a straight answer on wired or wireless?

A good company recommends wired or wireless based on your home and project, and tells you why. Be wary of anyone who offers the same option for every home.

Wireless usually suits renovations and finished apartments, because nobody needs to cut into walls. Our wireless systems use Zigbee, a wireless standard many smart devices share, and we find it the best wireless option in the UAE. Our wireless installs usually take a couple of days.

Wired KNX suits new builds, where cables go in before the walls are closed. We recommend KNX for new villas, including three-bedroom builds. Our team can run the cable, or we can work with your MEP contractor (the firm handling mechanical, electrical and plumbing work). On a wired job, installation follows the build or a major renovation.

Also ask what works without the internet. On our systems the keypads keep working if the network is down. Smart locks keep working locally, though remote access stops until the connection returns.

## How do you compare quotes fairly?

You can only compare quotes that cover the same scope. One company may include curtains and AC, while another quotes for lighting alone.

Check that each quote names the brands, lists the rooms and says what you get at handover. These are the things that change what a system involves:

- The size of your home and the number of rooms
- Wired or wireless
- New build or renovation
- The brands of switches, keypads and devices
- How much you control: lighting only, or AC, curtains, security and audio too

## What are the warning signs?

If you see any of these, ask a follow-up question before you go any further.

- A quote given without a visit or a look at your drawings
- Every device has its own app, and nobody explains how they work together
- No clear answer on who programmes the system
- The installer keeps the project file or passwords
- Promises of no lag or no outages, with nothing in writing
- No set support hours or way to report faults
- No past client you can speak to

## How does Avario answer these questions?

We have designed and installed smart homes in Dubai since 2015. Here are our answers to the questions above, so you can hold us to the same standard as everyone else.

If another company installed your system and you do not have our app, call us on +971 4 458 2205.

- We are a registered KNX Partner, and our engineers hold KNX certification. The KNX Association, the body behind the standard, has a public search on its website that lists certified KNX Partners by country, so you can check any installer who says they are one.
- Our own team handles all programming and commissioning.
- We hand over the ETS project file and passwords as standard.
- Handover includes removing old users, resetting logins, written system records, drawings or a wiring schedule, and a training session for your household.
- Equipment warranties come from the manufacturers.
- You report faults through the support chat in our app, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm. During those hours we are able to respond instantly, with callouts within 4 hours.
- 90% of our support is completed remotely. You approve each session and can switch remote access off completely.
- We build each maintenance plan around what your system needs.
- We work with products from 18 high-end suppliers. Symphony, our own automation platform, is designed to make large, complex homes easier to manage.
- With their permission, we can put you in touch with a past client.

## For interior designers and architects

If you are specifying a smart home for a client, ask the same questions, plus a few about how the installer will work with your team.

We provide lighting design and work with local lighting specialists. We can supply light fittings or work with your client's lighting contractor, and we work alongside curtain suppliers. Our [partner programme for interior designers and architects](https://staging.avario.ae/articles/interior-designers-architects/) explains how we work with design teams.

- Will they work from your lighting, joinery and electrical drawings?
- Do they design lighting, or only the controls around your plan?
- Will they supply fittings, or work with the client's lighting contractor?
- Do they work alongside the client's curtain maker?

## Questions people ask

Do I need a specialist for a small apartment? Not always. For a few smart plugs or one smart lock, a good DIY kit or a handyman may be enough. A specialist makes sense once lighting, AC and curtains need to work together.

What if my original installer has closed down? Another engineer can take over, but without the project file they will usually need to rebuild the setup. On wired systems we rebuild the configuration and replace the hub (the small box that runs your system) with Symphony, and you always keep a copy of the new file.

Should the installer keep my passwords? No. The passwords and project file should be yours, and the installer can still support you through remote access you approve.

Will my smart home stop working if the internet goes down? It depends on how it is built. On our systems the keypads keep working if the network is down, and locks keep working locally while remote access pauses.

## Your next step

Put these questions to us in person. Our engineer visits and looks at your home and wiring, and you usually get a written quote within 2 days.

When you [book a home visit or engineering survey](https://staging.avario.ae/articles/book-survey/), tell us about your existing equipment, the rooms you want to control and any privacy preferences.