BRAND SERVICE LAKE CHARLES · SWLA

BRAND SERVICE

Smart home systems and home automation

Whole-home automation, smart lighting, thermostats, voice control, and mesh networking, wired by a Louisiana licensed electrical shop.

Call (337) 570-2327 Get a quote

WE COVER THIS

Smart Home Systems

Hayes Electrical Lake Charles · (337) 570-2327

Louisiana licensed · Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee

LA-licensed master electrician leading every job. Family-owned, owner-led out of Lake Charles.

Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee on every install. If our work fails because of how we put it in, we come back and fix it.

After-hours dispatch line answered by a person in Calcasieu Parish, not a phone tree. Hurricane season we run extended hours.

Straight answer

Hayes Electrical installs whole-home smart systems in Lake Charles and across Southwest Louisiana, handling everything from the panel to the app. We wire and configure smart lighting (Lutron Caseta, Leviton Decora Smart), smart thermostats (Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell), smart locks, video doorbells, cameras, voice assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit), and the Wi-Fi mesh backbone they all need. Every install is permitted where required, code-compliant under NEC Articles 725 and 800, and backed by our Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee on the line-voltage work.

01 / COST & TIMELINE

What this work usually runs.

Typical cost $1,500-$15,000 Most jobs fall in this range. Written quote before we start.

How long 1 to 3 days From the day we start until the work is complete.

Warranty Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee on the install. If our work fails because of how we put it in, we come back and fix it. Stays with the home.

02 / HOW THIS WORKS

How smart home systems works.

Whole-home automation systems

The platform is the part most homeowners get wrong before we walk in. We install and configure the hub layer that ties everything together: Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant on a dedicated mini PC, or Apple Home as a hub depending on which device families you already own. The hub gets a hardwired Ethernet drop, a UPS-backed outlet, and a static IP on your router so automations stop dropping when the Wi-Fi blips. We document every device, every automation, and every credential before we hand it over.

Smart lighting control

Lutron Caseta is our default for retrofit lighting because the wallbox dimmers communicate over their own RF mesh, not Wi-Fi, so they keep working when the network is down. For new construction we also install Leviton Decora Smart and Z-Wave dimmers with occupancy sensors and scene controllers. We balance dimmer load per NEC 404.14 so LED drivers do not buzz or flicker, and we leave a labeled wiring diagram in the panel so any future electrician can read what we did.

Smart thermostats and climate

Google Nest, Ecobee, and Honeywell Home thermostats all need a C-wire to run reliably on modern HVAC, and most older Lake Charles homes do not have one. We pull a new C-wire when the run is open, or install an add-a-wire adapter at the air handler when it is not. We also build hurricane-prep schedules that pre-cool the house before a storm arrives and ride out grid sag without your compressor short-cycling once Entergy power comes back.

Smart security and monitoring

Smart locks (Yale Assure, Schlage Encode, Kwikset Halo), video doorbells (Ring, Google Nest Doorbell), exterior cameras (Arlo, Ring, Nest), and motion sensors all get wired to a powered, weather-rated location with proper bonding and surge protection. Wired-PoE cameras run on Cat6 from a central PoE switch on the UPS, which is the only way they keep recording during a hurricane outage. Smart-lock installs follow Louisiana fire egress rules so the deadbolt thumb-turn from inside never depends on power or network.

Voice control integration

Most households end up with two or three voice ecosystems running side by side: Amazon Alexa in the kitchen, Apple HomeKit on the iPhones, Google Assistant on a Nest Hub in the bedroom. We bridge them through SmartThings or Home Assistant so a single voice command turns on a Lutron scene, locks the Schlage Encode, and arms the Ring cameras regardless of which assistant the user spoke to. We also configure room-aware voice so commands in the den only affect the den.

Wi-Fi mesh and structured network wiring

A smart home is only as reliable as its network. We install Eero Pro, TP-Link Deco, or UniFi mesh systems with Cat6 backhaul between nodes (NEC Article 800 low-voltage), not Wi-Fi backhaul, because wireless backhaul halves throughput and adds latency that breaks voice control. For larger homes we run structured Cat6 to a central rack with a managed PoE switch and patch panel. Older Lake Charles bungalows often need a fresh structured backbone before any smart device install will be stable.

Whole-home surge protection for smart homes

Every smart device is a low-voltage electronic on a circuit, which means every brownout, lightning strike, and Entergy switching event is a chance to fry something. We install Type 1 service-entrance SPDs at the meter and Type 2 panel SPDs at the load center per NEC Article 285, and we put plug-in Type 3 protectors on the AV rack and the smart-home hub. In Southwest Louisiana, where summer thunderstorms and hurricane-season switching are routine, this is the difference between replacing one thermostat and replacing every device in the house.

03 / PROCESS

Our process

Walk and discovery

We walk the house with you, list every device you already own, ask which platforms you prefer, and check current Wi-Fi conditions room by room. No two smart-home jobs start the same way, so we never quote off a checklist.

Network audit and infrastructure plan

We test your existing router, count dead spots, and decide whether you need a mesh upgrade, Cat6 backbone runs, a UPS on the hub, or all three. If the network cannot carry the load, no smart device on top of it will be reliable, so this step is where the real plan gets made.

Written scope and quote

You get a line-item written quote covering devices, labor, network gear, and any panel work. Owner-walked, no upsell pressure. Price holds for 30 days.

Permits when applicable

Pure low-voltage work rarely needs a permit, but the moment we add a new circuit, relocate an outlet for the hub, or touch the panel for surge protection, we pull the permit and schedule the inspection. We handle the AHJ paperwork so you do not have to.

Install day

Backbone first, then hub, then devices, then automations. We label every Cat6 run at both ends, configure every device on your own accounts (not ours), and stage automations in a safe order so the lights work before we touch the door locks.

Commissioning and customer walkthrough

We hand you a working system, not a pile of apps. The walkthrough covers daily-use scenes, voice commands, the storm-prep routine, how to add a new device later, and what to do if the hub reboots. Written wiring diagram and credential sheet stay with the homeowner.

READY TO PUT THIS ON THE CALENDAR?

That is how we run smart home systems. Call the Lake Charles shop or get a written quote.

Call (337) 570-2327 Get a quote

04 / BRANDS WE INSTALL

Equipment we trust.

We install equipment we'd put in our own homes. If you have a preferred brand, tell us, we'll work with it.

LUTRON CASETA

LEVITON DECORA SMART

GOOGLE NEST

ECOBEE

HONEYWELL

AMAZON ALEXA

APPLE HOMEKIT

SAMSUNG SMARTTHINGS

HOME ASSISTANT

EERO

TP-LINK DECO

RING

ARLO

YALE

SCHLAGE ENCODE

KWIKSET HALO

Permits

Permits and inspections

Some jobs need a permit in Calcasieu, some do not. When the parish or city wants one, we pull it under LA Lic #73821, set the rough-in and final inspection, and stay on the job until the inspector signs off. You do not touch the paperwork.

Warranty

What's covered

Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee on every install. If our work fails because of how we put it in, we come back and fix it at no charge. Documented in writing at handoff and stays with the home.

WANT THIS WARRANTY ON YOUR INSTALL?

Every job we deliver, including smart home systems, ships with the Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee in writing. Parts and labor.

Call (337) 570-2327 Get a quote

Safety

Safety notes

DIY smart-home installs fail in three common ways. First, mixing low-voltage data cable with line-voltage conductors in the same box violates NEC 725.136 and creates an induction risk that can corrupt the signal or damage the device. Second, smart locks installed without thinking through Louisiana fire egress rules can trap occupants on a dead battery. Third, smart smoke and CO detectors that replace hardwired units must still meet NFPA 72 interconnect and battery-backup requirements. We follow code, label every change at the panel, and leave a wiring diagram so the next electrician can trace what is in your walls.

05 / RECENT WORK

Hayes work across Southwest Louisiana.

Real jobs, real crew, real Lake Charles installs. Pulled from across our service area.

Commercial Electrician Services

Electrical Layout and Design

06 / THE OWNER

Founder · Master Electrician · LA Contractor Lic #73821

Dorian Hayes

Dorian Hayes started Hayes Electrical because he believed homeowners deserved better than what most contractors give them. A licensed master electrician with seven years of experience, he and his wife Juliet built the ...

Talk to Dorian More about the team

07 / WHO TO HIRE

Why hiring a licensed electrician matters.

Here is the no-spin cut on smart home systems. Same answer we would give a friend in Westlake or Carlyss, whether or not we end up winning the job.

Hayes Electrical

A licensed electrician

LA-licensed master electrician walks every call. Family-owned, owner-led, based in Lake Charles.

Permits pulled under LA Lic #73821 and inspections coordinated with the Calcasieu, Jeff Davis, Allen, or Cameron Parish AHJ when the work calls for it.

Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee in writing. If our work fails, we come back and fix it. Stays with the home.

Insured and carrying workers' comp on every truck that rolls.

Quote on paper before we cut the first wire. The signed number is the number you pay.

A handyman

Unlicensed for electrical

No LA state electrical license. Can swap a fixture, cannot legally touch a panel, a service entrance, or a rewire.

No permits. When the parish or city audits the work later, it does not pass.

No real warranty. "Call me if it breaks" falls apart the day you actually need it.

If unlicensed work starts a fire, your homeowner policy can flat-out deny the claim.

Cash discount sometimes shows up on the invoice. So does the next problem.

DIY

Doing it yourself

Cheap right up until something goes sideways. Most jobs need a load calc, NEC compliance, and a permit.

A failed inspection sends you back to redo it. Selling the house later, the buyer's inspector flags it the same way.

No warranty. The replacement is on you.

Hot wiring is no joke. Most fatal home electrical accidents in this country are DIY.

If you genuinely know what you are doing, fine. If you do not, call us first.

08 / HOW TO TELL IT IS TIME

How to know when it is time, and what to expect.

When to call us in for smart home systems

Most smart home systems calls in SWLA come up while a homeowner is already planning something else: a remodel, a generator install before the next hurricane season, an EV charger in the carport, or sizing the service to handle a new addition. Walking the property early keeps the sequencing clean. Get us in before the drywall closes and you avoid a rip-out. Get us in before you sign with the GC and you avoid a scope fight. Even if the install is still six months out, a planning walk is welcome.

What we walk on the first visit

We pull the panel cover, check the age and brand (Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco still show up around Lake Charles often enough), look at breaker space and conduit access, and crawl the attic or pier space if the run goes that way. For anything that touches the service drop we coordinate the cut with Entergy or Cleco from day one. The number we hand you is fixed for the scope we walked. Change orders only show up if we find something new in the wall, and you hear about it before we keep going.

09 / GOOGLE REVIEWS

★★★★★ from 224 Google reviews

What Southwest Louisiana says about our work

Real reviews from real customers across Lake Charles, Sulphur, Moss Bluff, and the surrounding parishes.

★★★★★

We turned to the company for help to find out the reason why our generator stopped working, fix the problem and start it. We were served by Dorian, a very nice young man, a good specialist and a professional in his field. Everything went well, Dorian did diagnostics, invited a mechanic and our generator works. We recommend this company if you have problems with the generator.

★★★★★

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Had Hayes Electric install an EV wall charger for my new electric vehicle and couldn't be happier. The whole process was clean, fast, and professional. Communication was excellent every step of the way, which really gave me peace of mind. Special thanks to Mackenzie McGuane for the outstanding work - everything was done right the first time and looks great. Highly recommend Hayes Electric if you're looking for quality and reliability!

★★★★★

My parents have an older home and was having an issue with circuits overloading. We contacted Hayes after seeing they had rave reviews. They sent someone right over, diagnosed the issue and gave us a few pricing package options. We selected the pricing package that was most affordable for us and scheduled their appointment to come back and do the work. On the day scheduled, two gentlemen arrived promptly, did a walk through assessment and helped us understand everything they would be doing and got right to work! They were professional, efficient and very thorough. My parents circuits were rerouted and are working better than ever!

★★★★★

Hayden and Mackenize did an outstanding job. Gave my wife and I step by step instructions on how to operate the generator as well as went over labeling of our breaker box. Guys were very knowledgeable and patience when we ask questions. I highly recommend Hayes Electrical for any electrical work..

Read all 224 reviews on Google

Common questions about smart home systems

Do I need to rewire my house for a smart home system?

In most Lake Charles homes the answer is no, you can run a usable smart home over your existing wiring plus a mesh Wi-Fi upgrade. The exceptions: if you want hardwired PoE cameras, you need Cat6 runs. If your thermostat does not have a C-wire, we need to add one. If your panel is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco, we strongly recommend a panel upgrade before adding any smart load to it.

Will smart home automation work during a power outage?

Partially, and only if it was designed to. We put the hub, the router, and the mesh nodes on a UPS so they stay alive for two to four hours after the lights go out. If you have a whole-home standby generator, the smart home rides through the outage normally. Lutron Caseta lighting also keeps working because the wall dimmers do not depend on the hub or the cloud for local switching.

Can you integrate my existing Alexa or Google Home devices?

Yes. We routinely bridge Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit so they all control the same lights, locks, and thermostats. The bridge usually runs through SmartThings or Home Assistant. We configure it on your own accounts so you never depend on us to keep using your system.

What is the difference between Wi-Fi and Z-Wave or Zigbee smart devices?

Wi-Fi devices are simplest to set up but they load the router and depend on a strong signal in every room. Z-Wave and Zigbee devices form their own low-power mesh that does not compete with your laptops and phones for Wi-Fi airtime, so they scale better past 20 to 30 devices. We mix all three depending on what the install needs.

How much does a whole-home smart automation system cost?

Basic smart lighting in a few rooms with a thermostat starts around $1,500 installed. A full whole-home install with hub, mesh network, smart lights throughout, locks, doorbell, cameras, and voice integration typically runs $8,000 to $15,000 depending on house size and how much Cat6 we have to run. Every quote is written, line-itemed, and walked by Dorian Hayes before you see it.

Can I control my smart home remotely when I am out of town?

Yes, that is one of the main reasons people install these systems in hurricane country. Every hub we install supports secure remote access through the manufacturer cloud or a self-hosted reverse proxy. We configure two-factor authentication on every account and walk you through how to lock down access before we leave.

Do smart locks meet Louisiana building code for fire egress?

They can, but only if installed correctly. Louisiana follows the International Residential Code, which requires that the inside of an exit door release with a single motion and without a key. Every smart deadbolt we install retains a mechanical thumb-turn on the inside that works without power or network. We never install a model that requires an app or code to exit.

What happens to my smart home setup during a hurricane evacuation?

Before you leave, you trigger a storm-prep scene we build into the system. It locks the house, drops the thermostat to a safe pre-cool setpoint, arms the cameras, and sends a daily status check to your phone. If grid power drops, the UPS keeps the hub and cameras alive long enough to record the event, and a whole-home generator carries the rest. Most clients want this set up before the next named storm hits the Gulf.

Where we run smart home systems across SWLA.

Pick the city closest to your address. Same Lake Charles crew, same Lifetime Craftsmanship Guarantee.

10 / REQUEST

Ready to make your house actually smart?

Book a free walkthrough with Dorian Hayes and we will write you a line-itemed quote for the system that fits your house, your devices, and your hurricane plan.

Or call us direct

(337) 570-2327

Get a quote.

We send out a Louisiana licensed electrician, walk the job in person, point out what needs to happen (and what does not), and put the number on paper before any work starts.

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City or ZIP

How can we help?

Submit and we will reach back out about your project. Your details stay with the Hayes team here in Lake Charles, we do not sell or share them.

[ WHENEVER YOU'RE READY ]

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A real person on the local team will reply.

Call (337) 570-2327 Use the form

Smart home systems and home automation

What this work usually runs.

How smart home systems works.

Whole-home automation systems

Smart lighting control

Smart thermostats and climate

Smart security and monitoring

Voice control integration

Wi-Fi mesh and structured network wiring

Whole-home surge protection for smart homes

Our process

Walk and discovery

Network audit and infrastructure plan

Written scope and quote

Permits when applicable

Install day

Commissioning and customer walkthrough

Equipment we trust.

Permits and inspections

What's covered

Safety notes

Dorian Hayes

Why hiring a licensed electrician matters.

A licensed electrician

Unlicensed for electrical

Doing it yourself

How to know when it is time, and what to expect.

When to call us in for smart home systems

What we walk on the first visit

Common questions about smart home systems

Where we run smart home systems across SWLA.

Ready to make your house actually smart?

Get a quote.

Ready when you are.A real person on the local team will reply.

Ready when you are.
A real person on the local team will reply.