How It Works
From application to deployment - here's the complete process for your home or property
Application & Discovery
Timeline: Immediate
Submit an application telling us about your home or property and what you're looking for. We'll schedule a discovery call to discuss if Somni is a good fit.
- • Complete online application (~10 minutes)
- • Initial review within 3 business days
- • 30-minute discovery call if selected
- • No obligation, completely free
On-Site Assessment
Cost: $200 (applied to setup if we proceed)
I'll visit your home or property to assess infrastructure, layout, and requirements. This helps create a detailed deployment plan.
- • 1-2 hour site visit
- • Network infrastructure assessment
- • Room layouts and sensor placement planning
- • Discussion of specific needs and goals
- • Photos and measurements taken
Proposal & Decision
Timeline: Within 5 days of assessment
You'll receive a detailed proposal with timeline, costs, and specific recommendations for your home or property.
- • Detailed deployment plan
- • Specific hardware and device recommendations
- • Timeline and milestones
- • Total costs breakdown
- • No pressure - take time to review and decide
Installation & Setup
Timeline: 2-4 weeks
Professional deployment of all hardware, smart devices, and complete system configuration at your location.
- • System hardware installation - ~4-6 hours on-site
- • Smart device installation (locks, sensors, thermostats, etc.)
- • Network configuration and connectivity testing
- • Complete system configuration and automation setup
- • Integration with existing devices where applicable
- • Comprehensive testing and validation
Note: Property owners managing multiple buildings get a coordinated multi-site deployment with central dashboard.
Go-Live & Owner Access
Included in setup
Your system is now live and fully managed by Somni. We'll show you how to view reports and access your dashboards.
- • Dashboard access and walkthrough
- • How to view reports and system status
- • System capabilities Q&A
- • Direct line to Somni for questions
- • System is live and managed by us
Ongoing Premium Management
WHITE-GLOVE$200/month (Premium tier at early access pricing)
We fully manage your system. You get premium white-glove service with direct founder access.
- • 24/7 system monitoring and maintenance
- • Direct line to founder (4-8 hour response)
- • Weekly reports + monthly review calls
- • Automatic software updates (zero-downtime)
- • Proactive issue detection and resolution
- • Unlimited support requests
- • Continuous system optimization
What Gets Installed
System Hardware
At your location
- • Small form-factor mini PC (silent operation)
- • Size: ~5" x 5" x 2" (tucked away in closet/basement)
- • Power: 15-25W (less than a light bulb)
- • Connection: Ethernet preferred, WiFi capable
- • Controls all your smart devices locally
- • Works even if internet goes down
- • You own this hardware
Smart Devices
As needed for your home/property
- • Smart locks (Z-Wave/Zigbee)
- • Multi-sensors (temp, humidity, motion)
- • Leak detectors
- • Thermostats, door/window sensors
- • Optional: Cameras, smart blinds, etc.
- • Professional installation included
- • Typical: ~$640 per area/unit
Note for property owners: If you're managing multiple buildings, you'll get a central coordination system plus an edge node at each property for local control. All hardware is sized appropriately for your specific deployment.
🤓 For the Nerds: What Software Gets Installed? →
Your mini PC runs a full Kubernetes cluster with these open-source services:
Core Services (Always Installed)
- • Kubernetes (K3s) - Container orchestration
- • Home Assistant - Smart home hub
- • PostgreSQL - Database
- • MQTT Broker - IoT messaging
- • Tailscale - VPN for our remote management
- • Node-RED - Automation flows
Optional Add-Ons (Your Choice)
- • Frigate - Camera NVR with AI detection
- • Nextcloud - Personal cloud storage
- • Paperless-ngx - Document management
- • Bitwarden - Password manager
- • Pi-hole - Network ad blocking
- • Ollama - Local AI models
- • Music Assistant - Multi-room audio
For Property Owners Only
- • SomniProperty - Tenant/lease management
- • Grocy - Inventory & chores
- • Homebox - Asset tracking
Somni Management Access
- • Tailscale VPN - Encrypted tunnel for our management only
- • Prometheus - Metrics collection (we monitor)
- • Loki - Log aggregation (we analyze)
- • Grafana - Health dashboards (on our end)
Your Access Options
- • Local Network - Always available (included)
- • Cloudflare Tunnel - Optional remote access via your custom domain
How Updates Work: We push updates through our separate Tailscale VPN connection using GitOps (like how Netflix and Spotify deploy). Your cluster pulls new container images, performs zero-downtime rolling updates. If something breaks, automatic rollback. Your lights keep working while we upgrade Home Assistant in the background. Your access and our management access are completely separate networks.
Want Dashboard Access? We can give you read-only Kubernetes dashboard access (Lens/k9s compatible) to see every running service, resource usage, and pod status. Complete transparency into what's running in your home.
Total Timeline
Ready to Get Started?
Applications are open for Q1 2026 deployment