10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Permanent Lighting Installer

A permanent lighting system lives on your roofline for a decade or more. The company that installs it decides how bright it is, how invisible the track looks at noon, and whether anyone picks up the phone when a diode blinks out in year three. Most homeowners compare quotes on price alone. That's how good salespeople beat good installers.

We're an installer, so yes — we have a horse in this race. But we'd rather compete on straight answers than doorstep charm. Here are the ten questions we think every Alberta homeowner should ask before signing anything — including with us. For each one: why it matters, and what a good answer actually sounds like.

Ask all ten, every time, of every company that quotes you. If the answers go vague on two or more — keep shopping.

1. Is the System 12V or 24V?

Why it matters: Voltage is the single biggest spec difference between permanent lighting systems, and most homeowners never ask. Plenty of installers run 12V hardware. A 24V system pushes power further with less loss, which means longer runs without dim spots, brighter output, and diodes that run cooler — and cooler diodes last longer. On a long roofline, a 12V run can be visibly dimmer at the far end than near the controller. You'd never notice at the quote stage. You'd notice every night after.

A good answer sounds like: the installer names the voltage instantly, without checking notes, and explains what it means for your roofline length. "They're all pretty much the same" is not an answer — it's a tell.

Where Starise stands: we install 24V systems, and it's one of the main reasons we chose our hardware. The full breakdown is in our 24V vs 12V guide.

2. Who Actually Does the Install — Employees or Subcontractors?

Why it matters: The person who quotes your job is not always the person on the ladder. Some companies sell the job, then hand it to whichever subcontract crew is free that week. Subcontracting isn't automatically bad — but training, care around your fascia, and accountability vary wildly, and you deserve to know who's on your roof before install day.

A good answer sounds like: a direct one. Either "our own crew does every install" or "we use subcontractors, and here's exactly how we train and supervise them." Then ask the follow-up that really matters: if something needs fixing later, who comes back — the company or the sub? If that answer gets fuzzy, so will your future service call.

Where Starise stands: ask us this at your quote and you'll get names, not a shrug. We want you to know exactly who's showing up at your house.

3. How Is the Track Colour-Matched to My Soffit and Fascia?

Why it matters: Your lights are off far more hours than they're on. The daytime look is half the product. A system that glows beautifully at night but reads as a dark stripe across white fascia at noon is a bad trade — and it's the first thing your neighbours will notice.

A good answer sounds like: specifics about channel colours matched to your trim, where the track mounts (tucked tight to the roofline, not slapped across the face of it), and — this is the key one — daytime photos of past installs, not just glamour shots at night. Anyone can look good in the dark.

Where Starise stands: we colour-match the channel to your soffit and fascia so it all but disappears in daylight, and we're happy to show you daytime photos before you commit.

4. What's Covered by Warranty — and for How Long? Get It in Writing.

Why it matters: "Lifetime warranty" on a brochure can mean almost anything. Whose lifetime? Parts only, or labour too? Is the controller covered? Who pays for the service visit? What voids it? The number on the sticker matters far less than what's actually covered — and whether it's written into your contract.

A good answer sounds like: a written warranty document, handed over before you sign, that spells out parts, labour, and the controller, plus a clear claim process. This is the one question where you should refuse to accept a verbal answer at all. An installer who says "don't worry, we look after our customers" but won't put it on paper has answered your question — just not the way you hoped.

Where Starise stands: whoever you hire — us included — insist on the written version. If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist.

5. What Does the App Actually Control?

Why it matters: "App-controlled" covers everything from a Bluetooth toggle that only works from your driveway to a full scheduling platform. The difference shows up in year two, when the novelty has worn off and you just want the lights to run themselves without you thinking about them.

A good answer sounds like: four specifics. Scheduled scenes — on at sunset, off at midnight, without touching your phone. Multi-zone control — run the peaks without lighting the garage line. Millions of colours, not a short preset list. And control from anywhere, not just within Bluetooth range of your driveway. Ask for a live demo on the installer's own phone — thirty seconds of demo beats ten minutes of description.

Where Starise stands: our system does all four. We wrote up exactly what it can do in our app features guide.

6. How Does It Handle -40°C and Hail?

Why it matters: This is Alberta. Your lights will face deep-freeze weeks, summer hail, and — hardest of all on hardware — Chinook freeze-thaw cycles that swing temperatures 30 degrees in a day. Those swings expand and contract cheap plastics until seals crack and moisture creeps into the diodes. Hardware that thrives in Phoenix can fail fast in Calgary.

A good answer sounds like: ratings, not vibes. You want to hear an IP rating (IP65 or better for weather sealing), a stated operating range that actually covers -40°C, and an explanation of how the track shields the diodes from direct hail strikes. "It's built for the outdoors" is not a spec.

Where Starise stands: IP65/IP68-rated components, rated from -40°C to +60°C, tested through Calgary winters and Chinook freeze-thaw cycles. We covered how the system stands up to Alberta hail and wild weather in detail.

7. What's the Deposit and Payment Structure?

Why it matters: The payment structure tells you two things at once: how healthy the company is, and how much risk sits on you. A company demanding 50% or more upfront is financing its operations with your money — and if they fold or ghost, that deposit is gone before a ladder ever touches your house.

A good answer sounds like: a modest, fixed deposit, with the balance due when the work is done — after you've seen the lights on. Everything in writing, and no line items that appear between quote and invoice. Vague "materials surcharges" or "complexity fees" that materialize after signing are a red flag.

Where Starise stands: our deposit is a flat $300 — same for every home, no percentage games — with the balance due once your system is installed and working. No processing fees added on payments, either. The price you're quoted is the price you pay.

8. Are You Insured — and Licensed for the Electrical Work?

Why it matters: Someone will be working at your roofline and connecting a lighting system to your home's power. If an uninsured installer is injured on your property, or your fascia and shingles get damaged, the liability can land on you. It's the least fun question on this list, and the most important one to ask anyway.

A good answer sounds like: "Yes — want to see the paperwork?" Liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage offered without hesitation, plus a clear answer on how the electrical connection is handled and whether a permit applies to your home. Hesitation on this question is the answer.

Where Starise stands: we expect this question — honestly, we'd worry about any homeowner who didn't ask it. Put us on the spot at your quote.

9. What Happens if an LED Fails in Year 3?

Why it matters: With any electronics, an individual diode can eventually fail. The honest question isn't whether that can happen — it's what happens next. Is it a warranty claim or a surprise invoice? Do they replace the affected section, or leave a gap in your roofline for a season while parts ship? And how fast do they respond once the install cheque has long since cleared?

A good answer sounds like: a specific process — how you report it, how it gets diagnosed, how a section is replaced, and who pays what under the written warranty you collected in question four. Bonus points if the installer explains how the system is designed to make failures rare in the first place: quality 24V systems run cooler, and heat is the main thing that kills LEDs. We dug into the lifespan question in how long permanent lights actually last.

Where Starise stands: we plan for year three — and year ten — before install day: cooler-running 24V hardware, serviceable sections, and a straight answer on the service process before you sign.

10. Can I See Local Installs and Talk to Past Customers?

Why it matters: Website photos can come from anywhere — a supplier's catalogue, another city, another company entirely. Local installs prove two things at once: the work survives local weather, and the daytime look holds up on real Alberta homes. And past customers tell you the part no gallery can — what the company was like after the money changed hands.

A good answer sounds like: neighbourhoods you can drive past after dark, a gallery of local homes, and zero hesitation about connecting you with a recent customer. An installer who's proud of their work wants you to see it.

Where Starise stands: our installs are across Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks and beyond. Browse the gallery, then ask us at your quote to point you toward lit homes near you.

The Pattern Behind Every Good Answer

Read back through the ten questions and you'll notice the good answers all share one trait: specificity. Numbers instead of adjectives. Documents instead of promises. Demos instead of descriptions. A strong installer answers with "24V, IP65-rated, -40°C, written warranty, flat $300 deposit." A shaky one answers with "top quality, fully covered, don't worry about it."

You don't need to be technical. You just need to ask the same ten questions of every company that quotes you — then notice who gets more specific under questioning, and who gets more vague.