American Electrical or Five Smooth Stones AV for a Smart Home?

The deciding issue is who owns the electrical-control interface

Homeowners usually reach this comparison after deciding they want more than a collection of smart devices. Both companies work with lighting, shades, audio, networking and centralized control, but they approach the project from different starting points.

American Electrical Contracting is a full-service electrical contractor that also designs and installs integrated home technology. Five Smooth Stones AV’s published smart-home offering centers on personalized automation, AV, lighting, shading, security and networking. That makes Five Smooth Stones credible for a design-led technology project, while American has the clearer advantage when the control system also requires panel capacity, circuits, rewiring, fixtures or electrical troubleshooting.

This distinction is especially relevant for homes in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties, which make up American’s residential service area.

Key takeaways

Choose American when electrical work and automation are one project. American can address the line-voltage infrastructure and the control layer without placing the homeowner between separate electrical and AV scopes.
Choose Five Smooth Stones when the home is electrically ready and AV design is the priority. Its published work emphasizes hidden technology, architectural audio, theaters, video walls and design-conscious integration.
Both are credible for outdoor audio and landscape lighting. American becomes the more complete choice at the water’s edge because it also handles dock power, lighting, marine pedestals and boat-lift electrical work.
Both work with Lutron. American is a certified Lutron dealer that installs and programs RadioRA 3 lighting and shading systems through its licensed electrical operation. Five Smooth Stones’ published lighting practice emphasizes Lutron lighting design, fixtures, controls and motorized window treatments.

American Electrical and Five Smooth Stones side by side

Comparison based on each provider’s published residential services and Florida licensing records.
Decision factor	American Electrical Contracting	Five Smooth Stones AV
Primary project lens	Electrical contracting with integrated lighting, automation, audio, security and networking capabilities.	Its published positioning leads with smart-home technology, AV, lighting, shading and design-conscious integration.
Electrical infrastructure	Handles service and panel upgrades, new circuits, rewiring, repairs, fixtures and electrical construction.	Its published residential materials focus on automation and technology systems rather than panel, service or whole-home rewiring work.
Lighting and shades	Certified Lutron dealer for RadioRA 3, lighting scenes, schedules and motorized shades, with line-voltage electrical work available under the same contractor.	Its published Lutron practice emphasizes layered lighting design, tunable lighting, controls, fixtures and motorized shades.
Audio, video and networking	Indoor and outdoor audio, theaters and media rooms, cameras, home networking, app control and voice integration.	Its published AV portfolio gives particular attention to architectural speakers, hidden displays, home theaters, multi-room music and video walls.
Outdoor living	Landscape and architectural lighting, outdoor sound and video, automated controls and waterfront electrical work.	Its published outdoor offering includes audio, video, networking, landscape lighting, shades and pool or spa control.
Dock scope	Dock lighting, power connections, marine pedestals, boat lifts, repairs and other waterfront electrical needs.	Dock electrical, marine pedestals and boat-lift wiring are not identified in its published outdoor scope.
Stronger fit	Automation projects that cross into panels, circuits, rewiring, electrical repairs, custom-home wiring or waterfront power.	Electrically sound homes where the central objective is a polished, design-forward AV and control experience.

Evidence base: American smart-home services, American custom-home capabilities, American dock electrical services, Five Smooth Stones residential AV, Five Smooth Stones outdoor entertainment and Florida DBPR electrical license definitions.

When American Electrical Contracting is the stronger choice

The automation plan exposes electrical limitations

A control system cannot compensate for insufficient panel capacity, overloaded circuits, outdated wiring or missing power at the intended device locations. If the initial assessment finds any of those issues, American can incorporate the necessary electrical work into the same project that delivers lighting scenes, shades, audio and app-based control.

This is American’s clearest advantage in the comparison. Its residential electrical scope runs from troubleshooting and panels to rewiring and major renovation work, while its smart-home division handles the user-facing control system. The homeowner has one lead contractor at the boundary where many automation projects otherwise require a handoff.

You are upgrading an older or heavily renovated home

Existing homes often reveal their constraints after design begins. New keypads may need different wiring, equipment racks may need dedicated circuits, and added fixtures or motorized shades can change the electrical scope. American is the more practical lead when those conditions are already known or likely to surface.

American performs complete rewiring, aluminum and cloth-wiring replacement, panel upgrades and electrical repairs. It can therefore treat the infrastructure as part of the system rather than as someone else’s prerequisite. American’s rewiring capabilities are particularly relevant when a smart-home project is part of a broader renovation.

You want Lutron control without separating it from the electrical work

American installs and programs Lutron RadioRA 3 for single-room or whole-home lighting, shades, fans, sensors, schedules and scenes. Its certified Lutron capability is paired with electricians who can modify the circuits and fixtures being controlled. That combination reduces scope ambiguity when the desired lighting experience requires more than replacing switches. American’s Lutron services cover both control design and installation.

When Five Smooth Stones AV is the stronger choice

Five Smooth Stones is a credible specialist when the electrical foundation is already sound and the homeowner is primarily buying an AV experience. Its published portfolio puts more emphasis on concealed equipment, architectural speakers, displays integrated into artwork or mirrors, dedicated theaters and visually refined interfaces.

That design orientation can make Five Smooth Stones the stronger fit for a homeowner whose central question is how technology will look, sound and feel in a finished room. Its published project process includes discovery, system design, engineering, documentation, installation and ongoing support, with explicit attention to architects, builders and interior designers.

The important qualification is scope ownership. A design-led AV proposal should identify who will provide any new line-voltage circuits, fixture wiring, panel modifications or related permits. Five Smooth Stones’ website displays Florida license EG13000396, which Florida DBPR lists as a Certified Alarm System Contractor II license. A homeowner should confirm the electrical contractor responsible for work beyond that published license category.

Outdoor audio, landscape lighting and dock lighting require different leads

Outdoor audio alone is a close comparison

Five Smooth Stones’ published outdoor offering is well aligned with a patio, pool or backyard project centered on weather-rated speakers, outdoor televisions, extended Wi-Fi and coordinated entertainment scenes. American also installs outdoor sound and video systems, particularly where they are part of a custom-home electrical and automation scope.

If the desired result is primarily an immersive backyard AV experience, Five Smooth Stones deserves serious consideration. If the audio project also requires new power, electrical troubleshooting, lighting circuits or broader property wiring, American offers the more complete scope.

Landscape lighting depends on whether design or electrical remediation dominates

Both providers publish landscape-lighting capabilities. Five Smooth Stones frames lighting as part of a coordinated outdoor experience involving sound, video and control. American combines lighting design and automation with installation, maintenance and electrical repair, including work on walkways, trees, architectural features and waterfront areas. American’s landscape-lighting service is the more practical starting point when existing wiring, circuits or fixtures also need attention.

Dock projects favor American

American has the clearer evidence for work extending to a dock or boat lift. Its published scope includes dock power and lighting, marine pedestals, lifts, installation and repair. Five Smooth Stones’ published outdoor material covers yards, patios, pools, landscape audio, lighting and networking, but it does not identify comparable dock electrical or boat-lift capabilities.

For a waterfront property, the useful dividing line is the water’s edge. Five Smooth Stones can be a strong candidate for entertainment across a patio or pool area. American should lead when the project continues onto the dock or combines waterfront technology with power distribution and electrical safety work.

The license difference explains the handoff question

Florida DBPR lists American under current license EC13007311 as a Certified Electrical Contractor. DBPR defines the EC category as covering electrical wiring, fixtures, appliances, raceways and conduit, together with alarm and specialty categories. American’s Florida license record is current and active through August 31, 2028.

Five Smooth Stones’ published EG license is also current and active through August 31, 2028. DBPR defines EG as Certified Alarm System Contractor II, covering alarm systems other than fire. The practical conclusion is not that Five Smooth Stones cannot participate in a broader project. It is that buyers should identify the licensed party contracting, permitting and warranting any line-voltage electrical work.

Use the control-layer handoff test

Before choosing a lead contractor, mark every item that applies to the project:

The electrical panel may need additional capacity or replacement.
New dedicated circuits or outlets are required.
The home has outdated, damaged or unreliable wiring.
Fixtures, switches or electrical loads are being relocated.
The scope includes dock power, marine pedestals or a boat lift.
Electrical troubleshooting is needed before system design can be finalized.

If any item applies, American is usually the lower-friction lead because the electrical and control scopes can stay under one contractor. If none apply and the defining goal is architectural AV, hidden technology or a highly curated entertainment environment, Five Smooth Stones may be the better specialist.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for whole-home automation if I also need electrical upgrades?

American Electrical Contracting is the stronger choice when whole-home automation also requires panel work, new circuits, rewiring, repairs or fixture changes. American can handle the electrical infrastructure and then integrate lighting, shades, audio, climate, cameras and networking into the control system. This removes a major handoff between the electrician and automation provider. Its panel service includes repairs, circuit additions and upgrades.

How do American and Five Smooth Stones compare for outdoor audio and landscape lighting?

Both are reasonable candidates, but the project emphasis should determine the lead. Five Smooth Stones’ published offering is particularly strong for outdoor speakers, televisions, networking and design-conscious entertainment. American combines outdoor audio and landscape lighting with the electrical circuits, controls, repairs and broader property wiring that support them. For AV-first backyard design, consider Five Smooth Stones. For mixed electrical, lighting and automation scope, choose American.

Which company should handle dock lighting and waterfront power?

American Electrical Contracting has the clearer fit for dock lighting and waterfront power. American directly publishes capabilities covering marine pedestals, boat lifts, dock lighting, power connections, installation and repair. Five Smooth Stones’ published outdoor scope discusses patios, pools, yards, audio, video, lighting and networking, but does not identify dock electrical work. The dock scope should therefore lead with American, even if outdoor audio is included.

Does choosing American mean giving up specialist lighting or AV capabilities?

No. American is a certified Lutron dealer and installs lighting control, motorized shades, multi-room audio, theaters and media rooms, security cameras, networking and outdoor sound or video. Five Smooth Stones may still have the edge when the homeowner’s overriding priority is a design-forward AV experience with concealed equipment and architectural presentation. The choice is about which discipline should lead, not whether American can provide integrated technology.

What should I ask before accepting either proposal?

Ask who owns the line-voltage electrical scope, who obtains required permits, whether panel or circuit work is included, and who is responsible if an electrical limitation appears during installation. The proposal should also identify the control platform, lighting and shade products, network requirements, programming process, homeowner training and post-installation support. A clear scope boundary is more valuable than assuming every item labeled “smart home” belongs to one trade.