San Francisco
Modern control that respects an old building.
San Francisco homes challenge standard smart-home packages: plaster walls, old wiring, shared systems, HOA boundaries, and very little appetite for new holes. Headland builds around those constraints with a wireless-first, reversible, locally run system the resident owns.
Begin at the ownership boundary
In a condo, TIC, or flat, the important line is not technical. It is what belongs to the unit and what belongs to the building.
Lighting inside the unit, climate equipment, leak sensors, energy visibility, and interior cameras can often be improved without touching common property. Roofs, risers, shared electrical service, exterior cameras, and new penetrations may require approval. Headland maps that boundary before recommending equipment.
Always confirm the building's governing documents and use licensed trades where required.
Preserve the walls
Lath and plaster, historic trim, and old framing do not reward exploratory construction. The preferred sequence is simple: use the existing wiring where it is sound, use reliable wireless protocols where new wire is not justified, and open a wall only when the benefit clearly earns the disruption.
Older line-voltage wiring should be evaluated by a licensed electrician before controls are added. Headland integrates the finished electrical work; it does not conceal unsafe infrastructure behind smart switches.
Water is often the highest-value system
In a detached house, a leak damages one property. In a stacked building, it can damage several.
Whole-unit flow monitoring, point leak sensors, and alerts belong on the main interface beside lighting and climate. Where the plumbing and building rules allow it, an approved shutoff can be added after the monitoring is proven. The goal is to detect unusual flow before the downstairs neighbor detects the ceiling stain.
What one screen looks like in the city
The console includes only the systems the home actually has: lighting, climate, water, cameras, access, indoor conditions, and energy. Solar and batteries appear when they exist; they are not required. Equipment remains in place when it exposes a reliable interface.
Core functions run locally inside the unit. Hardware, accounts, diagrams, and configuration belong to the client, so moving, changing support providers, or canceling optional care does not disable the home.
Pricing
Documentation starts at $750 and is credited toward a build. Owned console builds start at $2,500. Physical installation and custom integration are scoped to the unit and quoted before work begins. Optional care starts at $99 a month.
Headland is based in San Rafael and serves San Francisco in person.