Motion lighting. Not the big-box kind.
Commercial-grade PIR and dual-tech motion sensors with adjustable sensitivity, range, and false-trigger filters. Wired into dedicated security circuits or integrated with smart-home platforms. No more chasing deer-triggered floods at 2am.
The cheap motion sensor false-triggers every passing deer.
The bargain motion-activated floodlight from a big-box store has a single PIR sensor with no sensitivity adjustment, no range gating, and no time-of-day filtering. In the Smokies, where every property has wildlife, that means the light fires every time a deer or raccoon walks through. Guests in a vacation rental complain. The owner replaces the light. The same problem repeats.
Commercial-grade motion sensors (PIR-only models from RAB Lighting or Pelco, or dual-technology PIR + microwave from RAB Smart-Sensor) have adjustable sensitivity, range gating, dusk-to-dawn override, time delay tuning, and walk-test mode for proper aiming. They cost several times what the box-store unit does, and they last 10+ years instead of two.
We install three patterns. (1) Standalone motion fixtures. floodlight + integrated commercial PIR, replaces the box-store unit. (2) Separated sensor + fixture. commercial sensor mounted to aim correctly, separate fixture mounted for best illumination, wired together. (3) Smart-home integrated. sensor wired to a smart relay that triggers scenes (e.g., motion at the front door turns on the porch light AND sends a notification to the phone).
For cabin and vacation-rental owners, the most common pattern is (2): mount the sensor on the gable to aim at the driveway, wire it to a separate floodlight aimed at the parking area. That keeps the sensor out of weather and the light positioned for actual illumination, instead of the combined unit that does both jobs poorly.
- Typical scope
- PIR · dual-tech · standalone · separated · smart-integrated
- Typical timeline
- Half-day to 1 day typical
- Cost drivers
- Swap or separated install · sensor grade · whether a new circuit is needed
- Permit
- Pulled when required (new circuits)
- Inspection
- Scheduled when required
- Warranty
- 2 years labor · 5-10 year manufacturer warranty on commercial sensors
Motion lighting done right.
Commercial PIR sensors
RAB Lighting Smart-Sensor, Sensorworx, Pelco. Adjustable sensitivity, range, time delay, dusk-to-dawn lockout. Walk-test mode for proper aim during installation.
Dual-tech (PIR + microwave)
PIR detects heat motion (people, animals); microwave detects movement of any kind. Both must trigger before the light fires. eliminates animal false-triggers almost entirely.
Separated sensor + fixture
Sensor mounted on the gable or eave for proper aim, fixture mounted where light is needed, wired together. Avoids the combined-unit compromise.
Smart-home integration
Sensor wired to a Lutron Pico, a Z-Wave relay, or a Caseta smart switch. Motion can trigger scenes, schedules, or notifications instead of just one light.
Photocell + dusk-to-dawn override
Sensor only activates the light when it’s dark out (built into commercial sensors). No daytime triggers. Adjustable lockout based on local sunset.
Walk-test setup
After install, we walk the coverage zone with the sensor in walk-test mode (LED indicator pulses on detection), adjust range and sensitivity until the coverage matches your actual intent.
Field log.
Where we install this.
Same-day truck rolls across the East Tennessee corridor. Sevier, Knox, Blount, Jefferson, and Cocke counties primarily.
- Sevierville, TN
- Pigeon Forge, TN
- Gatlinburg, TN
- Knoxville, TN
- Farragut, TN
- Powell, TN
- Maryville, TN
- Alcoa, TN
- Seymour, TN
- Townsend, TN
- Dandridge, TN
- Jefferson City, TN
Five steps. No surprise invoices.
Text or call us first
Describe the job. We follow up with a phone chat to scope it, then we send your quote. Same-day for most residential.
On-site walk-through
For larger jobs, we come out, look at the panel, and talk through what you actually want. Free. No “let me get back to you.”
Itemized quote
Every line item priced. Materials, labor, permit, inspection. You see exactly where the dollars go before you sign anything.
Job day · permits handled
We pull permits, coordinate with the county inspector, and arrive when we said we would. We protect your floors. We label every breaker. We test every circuit before we leave.
Inspection & sign-off
Inspector signs off, we walk you through what changed, we hand over the documentation. If anything ever flickers, you have our cell.
I had three “smart” floodlights from the box store, every one fired any time a deer walked through. Volt Pro replaced them with dual-tech sensors and the false-trigger problem went away. Two years in, the lights fire when a person crosses the driveway and that’s it.
Five things we get asked every week.
Why does my motion floodlight fire every time a deer walks by?
How much does a real motion lighting install cost?
Can motion lighting be smart-home integrated?
Can you make the lights stay off during the day?
Do you wire motion lights into existing security cameras?
Tired of false triggers?
On-site walk-through within the week. Itemized quote before any work starts.
If it shocks you, we got you. A licensed Tennessee electrician serving Sevierville, Knoxville, and the Smoky Mountains corridor.