Straight answers, before you call.
AVAS Automation answers what homeowners ask about Control4 smart homes, from taking over a system to cottage internet. Every answer links to the page with more.
★★★★★5.0 from 51 Google reviews
Getting started.
What the first call looks like.
Where do I start if I want a smart home?
Start with a free visit from AVAS Automation: we walk the house with you, listen to how you live, and come back with a plan in plain words, with no pressure. One room or the whole home, new build or finished house. Book the visit on our Contact page or call (416) 800-6714.
Does the installer matter more than the brand?
Yes, and AVAS Automation says so even though we are a Control4 certified dealer: the people who design, program and service the system decide whether you love it. Ask any installer who does the programming, how the system is documented, and who answers the phone in year three. Meet the AVAS team.
I'm building or renovating. When should I bring you in?
Before drywall, so AVAS Automation can run the wiring once while the walls are open: speakers, keypads, cameras, network and shades. We work alongside builders and designers, including Delfina Group, Absolute Craftsmen and Marmo Contracting. A finished home can still be done, with more care about how the cable gets there. How we work with builders.
What decides the cost of a smart home?
AVAS Automation prices every home from a visit, never a flat package, because four things move the number: how many rooms, which systems (lighting, audio, theatre, cameras, shades, WiFi), the equipment tier, and whether the walls are open. You can start small and add later. Each service page explains its own cost drivers, starting with home theatre.
Control4, and the alternatives.
Honest answers on the brand questions.
Why not just Sonos, Caseta, Apple Home or Home Assistant?
For one or two things, a simple product can be the right answer, and AVAS Automation will say so. Control4 earns its place when everything should work as one system, with one company to call, and Sonos can be part of it. Home Assistant suits people who enjoy running it themselves. Sonos or wired speakers.
I bought a house with Control4. Now what?
Call AVAS Automation before you touch anything: we take over Control4 systems other dealers installed, in Toronto and cottage country. We check what is there, get you into the app, label and document the rack, and become the number you call from then on. You do not need the old dealer's help. Control4 support and takeovers.
Will the equipment wear out, and will I know before it does?
Some of it will, and AVAS Automation plans for that: network gear and streaming boxes have shorter lives than speakers, wiring and keypads. We design so one part can be swapped without starting over, keep the rack labelled, and tell you what to budget for before it fails rather than after. How we look after a system.
Living with it.
The everyday questions.
Will my family and guests be able to use it?
Yes, because AVAS Automation programs every home for the family, not the installer: a keypad by the door with named buttons, one remote in the theatre, the same app on every phone. The light switch still works as a switch. We set it up with you and come back if anything confuses anyone. Keypads and scenes.
What happens when the internet goes down?
Lights, shades and the keypads keep working, because AVAS Automation builds the system to run inside the house, not in the cloud. You lose streaming, remote access and camera alerts to your phone until the connection is back. A backup internet line is an option where the connection matters. WiFi and networking.
My WiFi is bad. Is the smart home to blame?
Usually not, and AVAS Automation checks the network first, because most smart home complaints turn out to be network problems: one router in a corner, no wired backbone, access points that fight each other. Big houses and cottages need a proper design, not a bigger router. How we fix WiFi.
Can I start with one room and add more later?
Yes, and AVAS Automation plans the first room so the rest can follow: the rack, the network and the controller are sized for the house, not the one room. Many clients start with a theatre or the main floor lighting, then add music, shades or cameras over the years. Adding speakers to a finished home.
Service, for years.
What happens after the install.
What if my installer disappears or stops answering?
It happens, and AVAS Automation takes over those systems: Control4 installs where the dealer has moved on, gone quiet or closed. We find out what is there, fix what is broken, document everything and give you a support line that answers. You keep the gear that still works. How a takeover works.
Who do I call when something breaks?
AVAS Automation clients call a support line that is separate from sales, so a service question never waits behind a new project. It is behind the Client support button at the top of every page. Some fixes are remote; when a visit is needed, it is the same team that built the system. New projects call (416) 800-6714.
Do I get documentation when the job is done?
Yes, AVAS Automation labels and documents every system we install or take over: the rack, the wiring, the network and the programming, so whoever services it later knows what is what. That is why our takeovers start with a tidy-up of someone else's rack. See a rack before and after.
Where we work.
City, suburbs and the lake.
Where does AVAS Automation work?
AVAS Automation works from a Toronto base across the city, the GTA, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Ajax and King City, and north to Collingwood, The Blue Mountains and Muskoka. Condos, houses, estates and cottages. If you are outside those areas, call anyway: for the right project we travel. Our service areas.
Can a cottage get good internet, and does the gear survive the cold?
Yes on both, and AVAS Automation does this work in Muskoka, Collingwood and The Blue Mountains: Starlink where cable or fibre does not reach, with WiFi designed to cover the whole cottage and down to the dock. Outdoor cameras and speakers are chosen for Canadian winters, and the electronics stay indoors in the rack. Starlink and cottage WiFi.
Do you work in condos, or only big houses?
Both, and AVAS Automation does plenty of downtown Toronto condos: in-ceiling speakers through the living room, kitchen and bedrooms, a TV that disappears into the millwork, lighting scenes and a network that reaches every corner. Condo rules and concrete ceilings change how we route cable, so the free visit matters even more. Watch a condo client's story.
Last reviewed October 2026.
5.0 from 51 Google reviews.
★★★★★“They designed and installed my home system and have been amazing to work with on service and upgrade matters.”
MRC
★★★★★“The AVAS group showed up when they said they would even after the snowstorm!!! And did very clean work. They did an amazing job and what was a big headache is now gone.”
Roy Melo
★★★★★“Their customer service was outstanding, and as someone who is very OCD about details, I was blown away by how clean the install was…”
Lani Levy
Start with one room, or the whole house.
- Tell us what you want.Call or use the form.
- We visit, free.We see how you live.
- You get a clear plan.Design and quote, in plain words.
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
Toronto, the GTA, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Ajax, King City, Collingwood, The Blue Mountains and Muskoka.
Builders who bring us in: Delfina Group, Absolute Craftsmen, Marmo Contracting.
Plan a private consult
We call you back to book a time. Your number is only used for that. Privacy
Rather talk now? Call (416) 800-6714