Questions to Ask a Permanent Lighting Installer Before You Hire in San Antonio

I own the TruLight dealership that serves San Antonio, so I want your business. Keep that in mind as you read. I wrote these questions so they work on me as well as on anyone else you call, and the answers I quote for TruLight come from our published warranty, not from a sales script.

Permanent lighting stays on your house for years. The install day is the easy part to judge. The questions that matter are about who climbs your roof, what the quote actually includes, and who shows up when a section goes dark three summers from now.

Questions about the company

Who will do the install, and who stands behind the work?

The person fastening track under your soffit is the person whose work you are trusting. Ask who will be on site, who you call if something about the install is not right, and whether the company that sold you the job is the one responsible for fixing it.

What insurance do you carry for roof work?

Roofline lighting means ladders, two-story eaves and steep pitches. Ask for proof of general liability insurance, and ask whether the crew is covered for injuries on the job. Ask for the certificate before you sign.

Who makes the electrical connection?

The lights connect to a control box, and that box needs power from somewhere on your house. Ask whether it plugs into an existing outlet or needs new wiring. If it needs wiring, ask who will do the electrical work and how you can verify their license. On a TruLight system, the control box plugs into a regular outlet.

Questions about the product going on your house

What exactly is the light, and where is the spec sheet?

Any installer should be able to name the product and point you to its published specifications. If they cannot, that is your answer. TruLight publishes a 48V low voltage system, six LEDs in each RGBW node (three RGB plus three dedicated warm white), a 100,000-hour rating on the lights, and a color-matched aluminum track. Our 48V vs 12V post explains what the voltage number does and does not tell you.

Is the white light its own LED, or is it mixed from red, green and blue?

Some lights make white by mixing red, green and blue. Others add a dedicated white LED. The photo below is the same house both ways, a TruLight home in Utah: mixed RGB white on the left, TruLight's dedicated white on the right. Ask to see the white setting on a real house at night, next to your porch light, for every product you are comparing.

What will the track look like at noon?

San Antonio gets a lot of direct sun, and the track under your eaves is visible every afternoon as well as after dark. Ask what color the track comes in, how it is matched to your trim and fascia, and whether you can see an installed house in daylight.

Where will you attach the track, and how will you protect my house?

Ask exactly where the track will be fastened and what it touches. TruLight track mounts below the fascia and soffit, so it never touches your gutters or roof. If your home has a tile roof, stucco or stone near the mounting points, ask the installer to explain how they will avoid damage and what happens if something gets damaged.

What an itemized permanent lighting quote should list

A single number at the bottom of a page does not tell you what you are buying. A useful quote lets you compare two companies line by line. Look for these:

• Linear feet, broken out by side of the house (front, sides, back), so you can see what is lit and what is not.
• Where each run starts and stops, especially around gables, turrets and garage returns.
• The product name and model, the track type and the track color.
• Where the control box goes and how it gets power.
• Installation labor, stated as included or separate.
• Any HOA paperwork help, if your neighborhood needs approval.
• The warranty, in writing, with the manufacturer's coverage and the installer's coverage listed separately.
• The payment schedule: what is due at signing and what is due at completion.
• What is not included.

If a line on that list is missing, ask. If the answer is "don't worry about it," ask the installer to put the answer in the quote before you sign. Our pricing page shows how we price TruLight San Antonio installs.

For reference, TruLight San Antonio takes a 50% deposit to schedule the install, and the balance is due once the job is done.

If your neighborhood has an architectural review committee, add one more question: who prepares the HOA submittal? Our HOA approval guide covers what San Antonio boards commonly ask for.

The year 3 test: what the warranty covers when something fails

Ask every installer this: "It is the third summer. One section of lights on the front of my house stops working. Walk me through what happens and what I pay." The answer tells you more than the word "lifetime" on a brochure.

For a TruLight system installed by TruLight San Antonio, the answer comes straight from our published warranty:

• The lighting modules and the control box carry a full replacement warranty for five years from the installation date. In year three, a failed module is replaced.
• That manufacturer coverage is product only. It does not cover labor, service calls or shipping.
• TruLight San Antonio covers parts and installation labor for one year from the completed installation. After the first year, labor and service calls are not included.
• So in year three, the replacement part is covered and the service visit is not.

Ask every company you talk to for the same walkthrough, and get their answer in writing.

Ask about the years after five

On a TruLight system, the lighting modules move to prorated coverage from year six through year 11.4, which is 100,000 hours of continuous use. During that period a failed module is credited based on the unused part of the warranty, as product credit. The control box coverage ends after year five. Ask any installer what their coverage looks like in year seven, not just year one.

Ask what can void it

Our warranty asks you to register within 30 days of installation, and missing that window may result in denial of coverage. It also requires genuine TruLight components throughout: adding a third-party controller, power supply, wiring or track voids it. Ask every installer the same question about their product.

Ask what happens with hail

Weather events, including storms, and impacts from foreign objects are excluded from our warranty. Ask each company directly how they handle storm damage, and ask your insurer what your policy covers. Our post on how permanent lighting holds up through Texas weather covers what heat and storms do to a system.

Ask who handles a claim, and what happens if you sell

TruLight warranty claims go through the installing dealer, with the original signed paperwork, so keep your agreement somewhere you can find it. If you sell the house, the published terms apply: the warranty may transfer to a subsequent property owner when the current owner submits the transfer request through the TruLight customer portal before closing.

Questions about life after install day

Whose name is on the app account?

You will control the lights from a phone app. Ask whether the account is in your name and what happens to it if you change phones or move.

What happens when my roof gets replaced?

In South Texas, a roof replacement after a hail storm is a real possibility during the years these lights are up. Ask whether the roofing work would require removing any of the lighting, who would handle it, and what it would cost. Where the lights are mounted makes the difference. TruLight track sits under the eaves, below the fascia and soffit, so a roof replacement almost never means taking the lights down.

How long from signing to lights on?

Ask for a realistic date, especially in the fall, when everyone wants lights up before Thanksgiving and Christmas. For TruLight San Antonio, installs are usually about two weeks out from signing, and further out the closer it gets to Christmas. Most installs take one day. Larger homes can take longer.

Red flags to watch for

• They will not name the product or show you its specifications.
• The warranty is explained out loud but not written into the quote.
• The quote is a single number with no linear feet or scope.
• The price is only good if you sign today.
• No one can tell you who handles a failed section in year three.

None of these prove a company is bad. Each one is a reason to slow down and ask again.

Frequently asked questions

Should I get more than one quote?

Yes. Two or three itemized quotes make it easy to see where companies differ, especially on linear footage, product and warranty terms.

Does a lifetime warranty cover labor?

Not always. On TruLight, the manufacturer warranty is product only, and TruLight San Antonio covers labor for the first year. Ask each installer to separate product coverage from labor coverage in writing.

Can the warranty transfer if I sell my house?

For TruLight systems, it may. The warranty may transfer to a subsequent property owner when the current owner submits the transfer request through the TruLight customer portal before closing.

Is a professional install worth it over a DIY kit?

It depends on your roof, your height comfort and who you want to call when something fails. Our professional vs DIY ownership timeline walks through each stage.

If you only ask one question from this page, ask the year 3 question. Then call us at (210) 817-7002 and ask it of me.