Network Cabling Cost: How to Plan Your Budget (2025)

What this guide covers

This practical guide explains what drives the cost of a structured cabling project in a home or small office: scope, construction, hardware, and scheduling. You’ll find typical ranges, a simple way to estimate your project, timelines, and a checklist to prepare. Numbers are directional and help with planning; final quotes follow a short walk‑through and drawing.

• Networking & Infrastructure services

A quick way to think about budget

Most projects break down into: drops (quantity and difficulty), terminations and rack work, access points and PoE switching, and a bit of time for testing and documentation. Pre‑wire during renovation is the most cost‑effective; retrofits that require wall fishing and patching add time.

What drives cost

Retrofits with finished surfaces take longer than open‑frame pre‑wire. Cat6A improves headroom but is bulkier and slower to terminate. Clean, labeled racks take time but save money over the life of the system by making support straightforward.

• Drop count and difficulty (straight runs vs. fishing finished walls)
• Cable type (Cat6 vs Cat6A) and pathway (riser/plenum, conduit)
• Terminations: keystones, patch panel, labeling and documentation
• Active hardware: PoE switch capacity, gateway, access points
• Scheduling (after‑hours / phased work to avoid downtime)

Cat6 vs. Cat6A: choosing for cost and performance

Cat6 is the default for most drops: 1 Gb/s to 100 m and often 2.5 Gb/s over shorter runs. Cat6A guarantees 10 Gb/s to 100 m with a larger bend radius and thicker jacket. Mixing categories is normal: use Cat6A for long uplinks or where multi‑gig is sustained (2.5/5/10 Gb/s), and Cat6 elsewhere.

• Cat6 for TVs, desktops, printers and typical room drops
• Cat6A for AP uplinks, rack‑to‑rack, NAS/workstations, long or noisy paths
• If in doubt, pre‑wire conduit at tough locations to add later

Access points and PoE switching

AP count is driven by construction and layout, not square footage alone. We validate on‑site. Each AP benefits from wired backhaul and PoE power. Switch capacity should include APs, cameras and door hardware with wattage headroom. Over‑sizing adds cost without benefit; under‑sizing causes slowdowns and flakiness.

• Start with one AP per floor in wood‑frame homes; add for dense areas
• Use 2.5G uplinks for modern APs when available
• Plan PoE budget for APs today + expected devices (cameras, access)

Labor: pre‑wire vs. retrofit

Pre‑wire during renovation is efficient: runs are direct, labels are easy, and surfaces are still open. Retrofits require fishing and patch/paint coordination. We minimize visible work by using low‑voltage brackets, brush plates, and tidy routing; some patch/paint may be necessary depending on structure.

How we estimate your project

• Short discovery call and site walk‑through
• Simple drawing: room names, drop counts, AP locations, rack
• Note construction details (plaster/lathe, stone, finished ceilings)
• Decide Cat6 vs. Cat6A per run; size PoE and gateway
• Provide a clear quote with scope, exclusions and timeline

Timelines

Small additions often complete in a day. Whole‑home pre‑wire is typically tied to the contractor schedule; we coordinate rough‑in and trim. Small office refreshes are usually 1–2 days; we can phase after‑hours to avoid disruption.

What’s included (and why it matters)

• Solid copper Cat6/Cat6A cable (no CCA)
• Terminations to keystones and patch panel, not bare plugs
• Labels at plates and rack with a simple legend
• Basic testing for all drops; certification available
• A tidy rack with documented ports and device roles

Typical add‑ons that change cost

• Conduit for future‑proofing to tough locations
• Exterior devices (cameras, doorbells) and surge protection
• Additional APs for dense or challenging spaces
• Rack, shelf or enclosure upgrades and ventilation
• UPS for clean shutdown and protection

FAQs

• Request a structured cabling quote

Checklist

• List rooms and count drops (TVs, desks, APs, cameras)
• Choose Cat6 vs. Cat6A per run based on distance and need
• Identify rack/closet location and power
• Share floor plan or a quick sketch for planning
• Decide if certification is required (e.g., for lease docs)