Low-Voltage Rough-In Timing for Idaho New Construction
When to bring the low-voltage installer onto a new-construction project — and why waiting until drywall is up costs you real money.
The cheapest time to install low-voltage cabling is before the drywall goes on. The most expensive time is anytime after. The problem is that on a typical commercial build, low-voltage isn't top of mind until someone asks where the Wi-Fi goes.
We ask GCs to loop us in at framing. Once framing is inspected and before insulation, we do our rough-in pulls — data, voice, Wi-Fi, camera, access control, and speaker cabling — tied off neatly with a slack loop at each location.
Bringing us in later still works, but every week of delay adds fishing, conduit, or surface-mount runs. Those add up. On a 20,000 sq ft fit-out, late scheduling can easily add 15-25% to the install cost.
Coordination with the electrician is important too. Low-voltage and line-voltage runs need to respect code separation. If we're both on site during rough-in, we can agree on pathways in 30 minutes instead of fixing crossings later.
If you're planning a build or tenant improvement, reach out as soon as the architectural drawings are close to final. We'll review them, mark up drop locations, and give you a fixed-price rough-in quote before the GC needs it.