Home network wiring: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering home network wiring

Home network wiring is a low-voltage job where the customer judges stable speed and a clean patch panel. Win it by planning the runs, terminating carefully and testing every run before you hand it over.

What customers ask

  • How fast will the wired connection be?
  • Can you run cable through the walls?
  • Will the cable interfere with the power in the house?
  • Do I need a patch panel?
  • How do you test the runs?
  • Can I add more outlets later?

How to win the job

  • On the walkthrough, check each room's outlet location, the attic and crawl space access, and the network closet, and write each run on a plan.
  • Show the customer the plan with the outlets, the patch panel and the cable routes before you pull any cable.
  • Quote the runs, the jacks, the patch panel, the termination, the testing and any wall repair as separate lines.
  • Test every run for wiremap and continuity, and show the customer the printed results.
  • Label each jack and each patch panel port to match the plan, and leave the customer a copy.
  • Leave a written note on the cable type, the test results and how to add a device to a wired port.

What to put on your profile

  • Post photos of clean patch panels with the labels and cable dressing visible
  • List the cable categories and jack types you install
  • State the test equipment you use and the results you provide with each job
  • Show a sample network layout with the room names and details blurred

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a Wi-Fi access point placement check once the wired runs are in place
  • Suggest a yearly test of the runs and terminations, since loose jacks can fail over time
  • Recommend a network closet power and cooling check when the rack grows

Licenses and permits

Low-voltage data cabling often does not need a separate license, but new outlets and power connections at the network closet often require a licensed electrician, and some areas require permits for wall work. Confirm the requirements with your state or local licensing agency and your local building office before you take the job.

Questions

Do I need a license to run network cable?

Low-voltage data cabling often does not need a separate license, but power work and permit-required wall work do. Check with your state or local licensing agency and your local building office before you take the job.

How do I handle cable that must pass through a fire-rated wall?

Use the approved firestop method for the wall, and note it on the plan and in the quote. Do not leave an open penetration in a fire-rated wall.

What do I do if the walls are too finished to pull cable?

Explain the access options in writing, such as surface raceway, an attic route or a wall opening that the customer approves. Quote each option separately and do not open walls without approval.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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