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Smart Home DIY: Nearly a Third of Homeowners Report Turning to Pros after First Attempts

According to Parks Associates research, 29% of consumers ultimately turn to professionals for help, even if they initially attempt self-installation.

Despite DIY smart home products often being seen as cutting into both the labor and product revenues of integrators, the pipeline from DIYer to prospective integration client seems to be widening if recent research from Parks Associates is anything to go by. Turns out, even if clients are starting out in DIY, a lot of them still wind up seeking a professional integrator at the end of the day to get their smart home systems in working order.

Parks Associates’ ongoing quarterly survey of 8,000 U.S. internet households reveals a clear trend: professional installation is not just surviving in a DIY age—it’s thriving.

According to the research, 44% of smart home device owners have used a professional for at least one installation.

Parks’ research reinforces this with hard numbers: 29% of consumers ultimately turn to professionals, even if they first try to go it alone.

Parks notes that many of these devices go uninstalled without professional support, leading to missed efficiency gains and underwhelming ROI for both providers and consumers.

According to Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO of Parks Associates:

“Consumers are looking for more than just devices. They want connected solutions that are easy to implement and fit into their lifestyle. Professional integrators are uniquely positioned to deliver this value by making smart home and advanced home systems work together and offering ongoing service and support.”

One of the most striking findings from Parks Associates’ data is the satisfaction gap between pro and DIY installations. For example:
•    Smart cameras installed professionally earn a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 49, compared to 41 for self-installed units.
•    NPS scores consistently skew higher across other categories as well when pro install is involved.

While younger consumers (ages 18–24) are typically seen as tech-savvy, Parks Associates’ data shows that 42% of this demographic struggles with physical installation, compared to just 19% of the general population.

This suggests that the next generation of homeowners and renters may be far more open to “do-it-with-me” models that offer guided setup or hybrid support services.

Parks also flags a less visible, but critical issue: product returns driven by installation failures.

From the article, "Smart Home DIY: Nearly a Third of Homeowners Report Turning to Pros after First Attempts" by Nick Boever

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