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What to wire during a renovation
Run by run: what has to go in during a renovation, and what only needs preparing.
cablingstructured cablingnew buildrenovation
Cabling is the one layer software cannot fix afterwards. This list is about what has to go in now, and what only needs preparing — not about installing the maximum of everything.
What needs opening walls later if you skip it
- The bus route. Twisted pair to the switch positions and the distribution board, kept separate from the mains. If KNX is on the table, this is the backbone; if you have not decided yet, it is still the cheapest insurance you can buy.
- Cat6/6A from the distribution point to every access point. Not just for computers: Wi-Fi access points, cameras and indoor units take power over PoE on the same cable, so they need no socket beside them.
- Camera runs. To the entrance, the gate and the rear elevation, even if no camera is going in yet. A single run costs almost nothing compared to finding an external route later.
- A distribution location. A rack, or at least a ventilated cabinet position with mains power. This is the decision most people skip, and then the switch ends up on the floor of a wardrobe.
What is enough to prepare
- Blind and shading motors. A conductor pulled into the box is enough; the motor can go in later.
- Heating zones. With underfloor heating, the control conductor to the manifold has to go in now; the zone valve can be fitted later.
- Spare runs. One or two extra per route. This is the item that saves an extension from opening walls three years from now.
What not to over-specify
A dedicated bus and a dedicated Cat6 to every switch position rarely pays back. The wireless layer exists precisely to cover the points you use rarely. Cable the trunk; the leaves not necessarily.
If you are facing a renovation now, the detailed route logic is on the cabling and electrical work page.