We will say the unpopular thing first: if you have a single-story ranch with easy access, you enjoy this kind of project, and you do not much care how the channel reads in daylight, a DIY kit is a perfectly reasonable purchase. Haven vs Govee.
Where DIY works
- Single story, easy roof access
- You genuinely enjoy the project
- Testing the idea before committing
- Budget is the only consideration
Where it goes wrong
- Two stories, or any pitch you would not walk
- Adhesive mounting in a Nebraska freeze-thaw cycle
- Corners and transitions, which is where amateur runs always show
- Wire management, which is what makes an install look cheap in daylight
