Site survey checklist | Smartify Academy

Safety and scope

Opening switchboxes and the distribution board is work for a qualified electrician. The survey records what the electrician finds; it does not replace their inspection.

Step 1: documents to collect before the visit

Floor plans, with room names and dimensions
Electrical layout and distribution board schedule, if the builder or contractor has one
The interior designer's lighting, furniture and false-ceiling drawings
Curtain and blind locations, and the AC and appliance list with model numbers
The broadband provider, plan and router model
Building or society rules about alterations, cabling and access (for flats)
The site's status: occupied, under renovation, or still being built (this changes what is possible in the walls)

Step 2: talk to the client about how they live

Who lives here, and who else needs access (parents, children, domestic staff, guests)?
What are the three or four daily routines they want easier (waking, leaving, returning, bedtime, guests)?
What must still work if the internet is down, the hub is off, or the power is out?
Which wall controls must stay physical, and who will not use an app?
Which existing devices must be kept?
What is the budget range and the timeline? (You will price later; do not quote on the spot.)

Step 3: walk each room

Wall material (RCC, brick, drywall) and any metal doors, grilles or mirrors
Where Wi-Fi is weak or strong with a phone in your hand
Which devices are in reach of a power point or need a battery

Step 5: the switchboard audit (with the electrician)

Number of switches per plate, and the plate size and type
Is there a neutral in the box? (The electrician confirms; do not guess by colour.)
Box depth and free space behind the plate, and whether the box is metal or plastic
Is there room in the conduit for another conductor?
Condition: burn marks, loose or overheated terminals, damaged insulation
At the distribution board: spare ways, whether circuits are labelled, which circuits carry lights, fans, AC and sockets, and which protection devices are fitted
Earthing present at the points you intend to use

Step 6: the network and the ISP

Where are the ISP box and the router, and what are their models?
Which Wi-Fi bands does the router offer, and do many smart devices need 2.4 GHz? (Check the device specs.)
Walk the home with a phone and note weak rooms. Reinforced concrete slabs and heavy walls absorb a lot of signal; one router vendor's approximate figure is around 20 to 25 dB per reinforced slab.
Is there Ethernet, or could cable be run to access points or a hub?
Does the router have a guest network, VLANs or multicast filtering? Matter relies on local IPv6 and multicast traffic, and the Home Assistant docs say filtering or VLANs can break discovery.
How many Wi-Fi devices already connect, and does the router cope?
What does the client use for remote access and voice control?

Step 7: power cuts and backup

How often does the supply fail, and for how long, according to the client?
Is there an inverter, UPS or generator, and which circuits does it carry (lights, fans, router, sockets)?
Is the router and hub on backup, and for how long?
After power returns, what should each load do: stay off, come on, or return to the last state?
Which functions must work during a cut (a door lock, a light path, an alarm)?

Step 8: photographs

Each room, wide, from the doorway
Every switchbox with the plate on, and the open box if the electrician has opened it, with the box number written on paper in the shot
The distribution board, open, with labels readable
The router, ISP box and any existing hub, with their model labels
Curtain tracks, rods and the wall above them
Anything that worries you

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Site survey checklist.