Quick Answer: Smart home wiring in new construction should include home-run CAT6A to every room (not just living spaces), conduit through every wall chase for future cable additions, dedicated power circuits to the equipment rack, and pre-wired speaker positions determined by room layout before drywall. Restrepo Innovations coordinates directly with the GC during rough-in to ensure the infrastructure matches the technology design.
The Best Time to Think About Your Smart Home Is Before the Walls Close
If you're building new construction, you have a window that renovating homeowners would pay a significant premium to get back. Once drywall goes up, running new wire becomes expensive and disruptive. The decisions you make at framing cost very little. The ones you skip cost a great deal later.
This is the pre-wire checklist I walk through with every client, architect, and builder at the start of a new construction project.
The Pre-Wire Checklist
1. Cat6 to Every Room. Not Cat5e
Run Cat6 home runs to every room. Every room. even the ones you don't think need it today. Televisions, cameras, audio equipment, and access control all benefit from a hardwired connection. The incremental cost at framing is minimal compared to what it costs to add a drop later.
2. Conduit in Key Locations
Where you can't anticipate future needs, run conduit. Empty conduit to the exterior for cameras, through walls between floors, and anywhere pulling new wire would be difficult. A pull string left in place is worth far more than its cost three years from now.
3. Dedicated Circuits for AV Equipment
Amplifiers, processors, and servers perform better and last longer on dedicated circuits with clean power. Plan a dedicated 20-amp circuit to the main equipment rack, plus additional circuits for any distributed amplifiers or large displays.
4. Neutral Wires at Every Switch Location
Lutron dimmers and smart keypads require a neutral wire. Many older homes don't have them, which limits options significantly. In new construction, there's no reason to skip it. Run a full neutral at every switch box.
5. Speaker Wire for In-Ceiling Audio
If there's any chance you'll want in-ceiling or in-wall speakers. and in a luxury home, there almost certainly is. run 14-gauge speaker wire to those locations now. Decide on placement with your integrator before framing is complete, not after.
6. HDMI and Fiber Runs for Displays
For display runs over 25 feet, plan for active fiber-optic HDMI or a video-over-IP infrastructure. Run conduit to display locations and pull cable before drywall. Fishing HDMI through finished walls is one of the most costly retrofits in AV.
7. Dedicated Equipment Room with Proper Ventilation
All of this infrastructure needs a proper home. Plan a dedicated networking and AV closet with adequate square footage, 20-amp circuits, and active ventilation. Equipment that runs hot fails early. This room is not optional.
Why Getting the Integrator Involved Early Saves You Money
I've seen clients spend tens of thousands correcting pre-wire mistakes that would have cost nothing to avoid. a rack room that's too small, a switch box without a neutral, speaker locations that fight the ceiling design. These aren't small problems. They're structural constraints on what your home can do.
The right time to bring in your integrator is at or before the design phase, sitting at the table with your architect and builder. not walking through a finished home trying to figure out what's still possible.
“Smart home pre-wire isn't a technology decision. It's a construction decision. Make it at the right time.” — Michael Restrepo, Founder
Building New? Let's Get Involved Early.
Restrepo Innovations works with architects, builders, and interior designers from day one. We'll walk your plans, develop a complete pre-wire specification, and coordinate with your trades so nothing is missed before the walls close. Contact us at the start of your project. not the end.