Permanent Lighting Buyer's Guide: 7 Questions to Ask Any Installer

Permanent lighting is booming in South Florida, which means new installers appear every season: some excellent, some with a pickup truck and a spool of consumer strip light. These seven questions separate them in one conversation. (For the spec side of "who's best," see our FAQ comparison checklist; this guide covers what to ask a human.)

1. "Can I see a daytime photo of your work?"

Anyone's lights look good at night. Daytime is where installs are exposed: visible wires, mismatched clips, sagging runs. A proud installer has daytime photos ready.

2. "How is the track mounted, and does anything touch my roof?"

The only right answer: fascia or soffit, never through shingles or decking. If they hesitate, end the meeting.

3. "Who services the warranty, and from where?"

A long warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it. Ask where they are based, how long they have served your area, and who physically shows up when a light misbehaves.

4. "Is the quote exact, or an estimate?"

In-person measurement should produce a fixed price. "We'll true it up on install day" is how surprise charges happen.

5. "What are the lights' specs: lumens, certification, control?"

You want three plain answers without hand-waving: the lumen output per light, exactly which components are UL rated, and how the app splits the system into zones and scenes. Vague answers usually mean consumer-grade product.

6. "Is your crew in-house or subcontracted?"

Subcontracted crews vary week to week; in-house crews own their reputation. Neither is automatically bad, but you deserve to know who is on your roofline.

7. "What happens if I sell the house?"

Good systems transfer with the home and become a listing feature. Ask how the warranty transfers to a new owner.