A HomeWorks QSX load plan has to be settled before rough-in starts, because the processor count, the panel locations, and whether a room runs standard dimmed LED or Lutron Ketra tunable-white loads all change what goes into the panel schedule. On an Austin new build that means the lighting designer, the electrical contractor, and the Lutron dealer need to agree on a room-by-room load list at the same meeting where the panel schedule gets drawn, not after. Waiting until rough-in to decide which rooms get Ketra usually means re-cutting conduit or re-homing circuits that have already been planned.
When does the QSX load schedule need to be locked?
The load schedule should be locked at the same point the electrical rough-in drawings are finalized, because QSX panel locations, DIN-rail module counts, and processor count all come out of that same document. Lutron's own processor line draws a hard distinction here: a HomeWorks QSX system runs on either a 1-Link or 2-Link processor (HQP7-1 or HQP7-2), and that processor is a different model family from the plain HomeWorks QS processor (HQP6-1 or HQP6-2) used on earlier, pre-Ketra systems (Lighting | Crestron Home OS Documentation). If the house is being designed around Crestron for whole-home control with Lutron handling lighting and shades, that processor choice also determines what the Crestron system sees on the network, so it should be fixed before the lighting and control trades proceed. Ask your contractor how the rough-in schedule for panels and conduit lines up with the point when this load list gets signed off.
How does adding Ketra change the panel and processor count?
Standard dimmed LED and Lutron Ketra tunable-white loads are handled by different hardware categories inside the same QSX ecosystem. Crestron's own documentation separates the two cases explicitly: a plain HomeWorks QS or QSX processor handles "switched, dimming, shades, and fans," while a system that adds Ketra is listed under a distinct "Lutron with Ketra" category that controls "switched, dimming, Lumaris lighting, Ketra lighting, shades, and fans" from the same interface (Lighting | Crestron Home OS Documentation). That distinction matters on the drawings: a room going to Ketra needs its own driver and addressing scheme worked out before trim, and the decision about which rooms get tunable white versus standard dimming should be made room by room while the load schedule is still open, not retrofitted later.
It's also worth asking your dealer whether the Ketra loads in a given room should be grouped into their own control zone or left as individual fixtures, since Lutron's integration guidance notes that creating groups of Ketra loads is handled inside the Lutron design software itself, separate from how the room gets added to a Crestron interface (Pair and Configure a Lutron System with a Crestron Home® System). Getting that grouping decided before commissioning saves a second pass through the software after the panel schedule is locked.
What does shade and keypad planning need to settle before drywall?
Shades and keypads ride on the same QSX backbone as the lighting loads, and the Crestron-Lutron pairing is a one-time, one-system relationship: only one Lutron system can be added to a given Crestron Home processor, and if the Lutron processor is later migrated to a different Crestron Home processor, the pairing and configuration have to be redone from scratch (Pair and Configure a Lutron System with a Crestron Home® System). That is a strong argument for settling the final processor topology — how many QSX panels, how they're networked, and which Crestron processor they pair to — before commissioning starts, rather than treating it as something that can be adjusted after move-in. It is also worth asking your integrator how Lutron shade groups should be organized, since shade groupings are set up inside Lutron's own design software rather than inside the Crestron interface, and ungrouped shades behave differently once they're imported.
On an Austin build specifically, the panel locations, the rack, and any outdoor lighting runs also have to clear local site constraints — impervious-cover limits, tree ordinances, or an architectural committee's rules on exterior equipment — before the site plan is final, which is one more reason to ask early how your project puts the full load and equipment layout on the drawings rather than finalizing it room by room as construction proceeds. Cave Group designs Austin projects from the drawings with the architect and builder, then builds on site with local trades; more detail on how that drawing sequence works is on the Austin service page.
What belongs on the drawing set before drywall closes?
Before drywall closes, the drawing set a Lutron dealer hands to the GC should show the final room-by-room load list (which fixtures are standard LED versus Ketra), the panel and processor locations with their DIN-rail module counts, the shade circuit routing and pocket locations, and the keypad and Crestron touchscreen locations tied to the same room list used in the electrical panel schedule. Any changes made after this point risk re-homing circuits that have already been planned, which is more disruptive on a new build than deciding it early. Ask your electrical contractor how their rough-in sequence matches the milestones in this drawing set. For background on how QSX links, panels, and DIN-rail dimming fit together generally, see our related piece on HomeWorks QSX architecture.
Cave Group designs around Crestron for whole-home control and Lutron for lighting and shades, and works Austin projects on a project basis — designed from the drawings, built on site with local trades, and supported afterward through Cave Watch remote monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Is HomeWorks QSX the same processor as older HomeWorks QS?
No. QSX uses its own processor family (HQP7-1 or HQP7-2), which is a different model line from the HomeWorks QS processors (HQP6-1 or HQP6-2) used on earlier systems that predate Ketra support.
Do Ketra fixtures need different hardware than standard dimmed LED?
Yes. Standard switched and dimmed loads are handled under the plain HomeWorks QS/QSX category, while Ketra tunable-white loads fall under a separate "Lutron with Ketra" category with its own load type, so a room's fixture choice should be decided before the panel schedule is finalized.
Can a QSX system be paired to more than one Crestron processor?
No. Only one Lutron system can be added to a given Crestron Home processor, and if the Lutron processor is migrated to a different Crestron processor later, the pairing has to be reconfigured from scratch.
Where should Lutron shade groups be configured?
Inside Lutron's own design software, not inside the Crestron interface. Crestron Home creates shade loads for the groups and for any ungrouped shades, but the grouping itself is a Lutron-side decision that should be made before commissioning.
Who should I ask about rough-in sequencing on an Austin build?
Ask your electrical contractor and Lutron dealer together how the panel schedule, conduit runs, and local site-plan approvals line up before drywall closes, since each builder and jurisdiction sets its own rough-in milestones.