Pre-wire before the drywall goes up.

Why now

For a few weeks, the walls and ceilings are open. It is the one moment in the life of a house when cable goes in quickly, cleanly and out of sight. Once the drywall is up, every new cable means cutting, fishing and patching.

That is why CEDIA's wiring guide says to over-wire where you can, and calls well-planned cabling a better foundation than wireless alone for uptime, speed and room to grow. WiFi still matters, but it works best when the access points are wired too.

Start with the equipment closet

Every cable in the house should run back to one place: a closet, a utility room or a corner of the basement where the network, the controller, the amplifiers and the recorder live together. Plan it first, because every other run starts there.

• Central and reachable. Close to where the internet comes in, and easy for a technician to get behind.
• Ventilated. Equipment makes heat. CEDIA notes that racks with high power draw always need proper ventilation.
• Powered properly. Dedicated circuits for the rack are electrical work, so plan them with your electrician.
• Room to grow. Leave space and spare capacity for equipment you will add later.

Room by room

TVs

Run more than one network cable behind every large screen, plus power in a recessed box so the TV sits flat. If the video source lives in the equipment closet, a category cable can carry ultra high definition video, control and power over a single run of up to 100 metres using HDBaseT.

Speakers

Run speaker wire to every room where you might ever want music, even if you only fill a few now. In a family room or theatre, wire the surround and rear positions back to the equipment location. Outside, run conduit toward the patio, the pool and the garden.

WiFi access points

Put a network cable in the ceiling of each floor and each wing, and wherever you want coverage outside: the patio, the pool house, the dock.

Cameras, doorbell and gate

Run a network cable to every camera position: the doors, the driveway, the garage, the sides of the house. CEDIA calls Power over Ethernet the standard for cameras, because one cable carries power and video. For long runs to a gate or an outbuilding, fibre is the better choice.

Keypads and touchscreens

Wall keypads need a low voltage control cable, touchscreens usually need a network cable, and both need the right wall box at the right height. Decide where they go with the people who will use them.

Shades

Wired motorized shades need power and the right wire gauge planned before drywall: Lutron's own guidelines limit how many shades each power supply can run and how long each cable can be. Battery shades exist, but the wired option disappears once the walls close.

Lighting control

Decide now between a central lighting panel and individual smart switches at the wall. Both are line voltage, which means electrical work, so the choice shapes your electrician's rough-in.

Leave room for later

• Conduit between floors, to the main TV walls and from the equipment closet to the outside
• A spare network cable at key spots, because cable is cheap and walls are not
• Cat6A rather than the minimum spec, as CEDIA recommends, and fibre for long runs
• Pull strings left in empty conduit, ready for the next cable

Who does what in Ontario

Two kinds of wiring go into a smart home, and Ontario treats them differently.

• Electrical work, meaning circuits, outlets, line voltage dimmers and lighting panels, is for a Licensed Electrical Contractor with an ESA permit. ESA is clear that only a licensed contractor can be hired for electrical work in a home.
• Low voltage cabling for networks, speakers, cameras and controls is the integrator's job. ESA's Bulletin 2-3-19 exempts true Class 2 low voltage wiring from notification, but the exemption excludes light fixtures and decorative lighting strips, so low voltage LED lighting still goes through your electrician.

On a new build, coordinate with the builder from the start. Tarion's new home warranty does not cover work a homeowner arranges separately, so the integrator's own written warranty covers that part.

Common mistakes

• Relying on WiFi alone and skipping the access point cables
• Strapping network cable to plastic water or sprinkler pipes. CEDIA warns that long contact can weaken PVC and CPVC pipes and lead to leaks
• Only one cable behind the TV
• Deciding on shades after the drywall
• An equipment closet with no airflow
• Cables with no labels, or labels at one end only
• Forgetting the outside: the driveway, the gate, the patio and the dock

Before the drywall goes on

This last step takes an hour and pays off for the life of the house.

• Walk every room with your integrator and check each box and cable against the plan
• Label every cable at both ends, as CEDIA recommends
• Photograph every wall and ceiling, with a tape measure in the shot, so anyone can find a cable later
• Keep a drawing of the cable paths and the equipment closet with the house documents

The pre-wire checklist

1. Choose and plan the equipment closet: location, power, ventilation, space
2. Network cables behind every TV, plus power in a recessed box
3. Speaker wire to every room you might want music in, and the surround positions
4. Network cables to ceiling access points on each floor, and outside
5. Network cables to every camera position, the doorbell and the gate
6. Control cable and boxes for keypads, network for touchscreens
7. Power and wire planned for every wired shade
8. Lighting control approach decided with the electrician
9. Conduit and spare cables for later
10. Every cable labelled at both ends, every wall photographed

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Common questions