Pre-Wire Checklist for New Construction
Essential planning guide for low-voltage wiring before drywall installation.
Critical Timing
Pre-wiring must be completed before drywall installation. Once walls are closed, adding wiring becomes significantly more expensive and difficult. This checklist should be reviewed during the framing stage.
Central Network Location
Designate a central location (usually basement, utility room, or closet) for network equipment, patch panel, and router.
Cat6/Cat6a Ethernet Cables
Run to every bedroom, office, living room, and any location needing wired internet. Minimum 2 drops per room recommended.
Wi-Fi Access Point Locations
Pre-wire ceiling locations for hardwired access points in central areas of each floor. Include PoE capability.
Outdoor Network Drops
Include network runs to outdoor areas for cameras, access points, or smart home devices. Use outdoor-rated cable.
Home Office Considerations
Run multiple network drops (4-6 recommended) to dedicated home office spaces. Consider fiber optic for future-proofing.
Camera Locations - Entry Points
Front door, back door, side doors, garage doors. Plan for power and network drops at each location (8-10 ft high).
Camera Locations - Perimeter
Driveway, backyard, side yards. Include conduit runs from attic/basement to exterior mounting points.
Video Doorbell Wiring
Low-voltage wiring (16/2 or 18/2) from transformer location to front door. Consider backup power option.
NVR/DVR Location
Secure location for recording equipment with adequate ventilation. Ensure network connection and dedicated power circuit.
Alarm System Sensors
Pre-wire for door/window sensors, motion detectors, glass break sensors. Include runs to alarm panel location.
Access Control Keypads
Run wiring to garage door, front door, and side entrances for keypad or card reader installation.
Speaker Wire - Main Living Areas
Run 14/2 or 16/2 speaker wire to ceiling or wall locations in living room, kitchen, dining room. Include volume control locations.
Home Theater Pre-Wire
5.1 or 7.1 surround sound wiring, subwoofer location, equipment rack connections. Include HDMI conduit for future flexibility.
Outdoor Speakers
Patio, deck, pool area. Use outdoor-rated speaker wire, include volume controls accessible from inside.
TV Mounting Locations
HDMI conduit from TV to equipment cabinet, power outlet behind TV location, network drop for smart TV features.
Smart Home Hubs
Central location for smart home controllers, voice assistants. Include power and network connections.
Fire Alarm & CO Detectors
Interconnected smoke detector wiring between all floors and bedrooms. Include CO detector locations near bedrooms and garages.
Garage Door Openers
Low-voltage wiring for wall controls, safety sensors. Consider smart opener integration with network connection.
Cable Management
Ensure all low-voltage wiring is labeled at both ends, maintain proper separation from electrical wiring, document all runs with photos.
What happens next
Ready to put this pre-wire checklist to work?
You've done the homework. When you're ready, we'll agree on scope, schedule the visit, and handle the work with clear communication from start to finish.
Why we lead with a written quote
Clear scope and price before mobilization means fewer surprises—for you and for our crew. We earn trust with transparency, not pressure to book before you’re ready.
What you’re requesting
- Highly qualified tradespeople matched to your trade and scope—not a random dispatch
- Written agreement on scope and price before we start quoted work
- Realistic scheduling—we cap priority visits so timelines stay honest
Clear scope before we start
On quoted work, we agree on what we’re doing and what it costs before we begin—so you’re not surprised by extra charges without your approval.
We keep you in the loop
If we’re delayed for your scheduled window, we reach out—we don’t leave you guessing whether we’re coming.
We stand behind our work
If something we installed or repaired fails under normal use within 14 days because of our labor or materials we supplied, we’ll make it right.
Scheduling
We limit how many priority jobs we book each week
We cap same-week priority visits on purpose so we can stay organized and give each job proper attention—instead of overbooking and rushing.
Priority spots fill up quickly during busy weeks
Most quote requests take a few minutes. No payment required to get started.