There is a window during a renovation when running a cable costs almost nothing. It closes the day the plasterer arrives.

Everything on this list is straightforward while the walls are open and considerably more difficult afterwards. Most of it does not need to be installed now. It just needs to be provided for.

Why the timing matters this much

While the frame is exposed, a cable run takes minutes and leaves no trace. After the walls are closed, the same run means cutting into finished plaster, working blind through cavities, patching and repainting, or accepting surface trunking.

This is the single most common regret we hear from people a year after a renovation. Nobody regrets running spare cable. Plenty of people regret not doing it.

Network cabling: run more than you think you need

Run cable to every position where something might ever be fixed in place. TVs, the study, the kitchen bench, the media area, wherever access points should sit, and out to the garage or studio if there is one.

Two runs to each key position rather than one. The cable itself is inexpensive. The labour is what costs, and while the walls are open the labour is minimal.

Bring them all back to one central point. A cupboard, a garage wall, somewhere with power and ventilation. Having every cable terminate in one place makes everything afterwards simpler.

Access points want to be in ceilings or high on walls in central positions, not in a corner behind furniture. Decide those positions now, because getting cable to a ceiling later is one of the harder retrofits.

If you are deciding how much should be hardwired rather than left to WiFi, our guide to cabling versus wireless for a home network explains where each option makes sense.

For permanent runs, see our network and data cabling service.

Cabling connected to the telecommunications network must be carried out by a registered cabler. AVsion holds ACRS Master Cabler registration A036841.

Where the equipment is going to live

Modems, network gear, recorders and AV equipment need a home. Somewhere with power, somewhere ventilated, and somewhere reasonably accessible but not on display.

A cupboard with a couple of power points and airflow solves a problem that otherwise gets solved badly with a pile of gear on a shelf. If there is CCTV in the plan, the recorder should be somewhere less obvious than beside the TV, since a recorder taken during a break-in takes the footage with it.

TV positions and what goes behind them

Decide where screens are going. For each one:

  • Power point at the mounting height, not just at skirting level
  • Conduit or cable route from the screen position down to where equipment will sit
  • Data cable to the position
  • Enough capacity to add another cable later without opening the wall

Planning these routes before plastering also makes it much easier to hide TV cables properly rather than having to retrofit concealment into a finished wall.

Also worth confirming what the wall will be made of at that position, because a screen going on a steel stud wall needs different provisions to one going on masonry, and it is much easier to add backing while the frame is open.

Speakers, if there is any chance you want them

Speaker cable is cheap. Retrofitting it into a finished ceiling is not.

If there is any possibility of home theatre or in-ceiling speakers later, run the cable now and cap it in the wall or ceiling. If you never use it, you have lost very little. If you decide in three years that you want it, you have saved a substantial and messy job.

In-ceiling speakers in particular are dramatically easier when the ceiling is open.

Camera and intercom positions

Even if security is not happening now, provide for it.

Run cable to the front entry for an intercom or doorbell, and to the likely camera positions covering the driveway, side access and rear. Wired cameras are more reliable than wireless ones, and the only reason people choose wireless is usually that the cable is too hard to run afterwards.

Our guide to wired versus wireless security cameras explains that trade-off in more detail. If cameras are part of the renovation plan, see our CCTV system installation service.

Doing it now removes that constraint permanently.

The single most useful habit: photograph everything

Before the plasterboard goes on, walk through and photograph every wall with the frame and services exposed.

Take pictures room by room, with something in frame for scale. Store them somewhere you will find them.

In five years, when someone needs to know where a cable runs or whether there is a stud in a particular spot, those photographs are worth more than any amount of guesswork. It costs ten minutes.

Who to talk to and when

Involve whoever is doing the network, AV and security work at the same time you are talking to the electrician, not after. The routes overlap, the positions interact, and decisions made in isolation tend to conflict.

The best time for that conversation is once the frame is up and before the linings go on. Late enough that the layout is real, early enough that everything is still accessible.

We are happy to walk a site at that stage and mark up what should be run, even if the actual installation is months away. It is a much better outcome for everyone than being called in after the painting is finished.

All installation work carries a 12 month labour warranty.

Written by Yariv, Owner and Lead Installer at AVsion. 14 years installing AV, WiFi and security systems across Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Frequently asked questions

What cabling should I run during a renovation?

Network cable to every position where something might be fixed in place, including TVs, the study, the media area, ceiling positions for access points, and any garage or studio. Speaker cable to potential surround sound and in-ceiling speaker positions. Cable to the front entry for an intercom, and to likely camera positions. Run two cables where you think you need one, because the cable is cheap and the labour is what costs.

When is the best time to plan home technology in a renovation?

Once the frame is up and before the wall linings go on. At that point the layout is real enough to make decisions against, and everything is still accessible. Involving whoever is doing the network, AV and security work at the same time as the electrician avoids conflicting decisions, since the cable routes and positions overlap considerably.

Is it worth running cable I might not use?

Almost always. The cable itself is inexpensive and the labour is minimal while walls are open, so capping unused cable in a wall or ceiling costs very little. Retrofitting the same cable into finished plaster means cutting, patching and repainting. Nobody regrets running spare cable during a renovation, and a great many people regret not doing it.

Where should network equipment be located in a new build?

Somewhere with power, ventilation and reasonable access but out of sight, such as a cupboard or a section of garage wall. Bringing every cable back to one central point makes everything afterwards simpler. If CCTV is planned, the recorder is better placed somewhere less obvious than beside the TV, since a recorder taken during a break-in takes the footage with it.

Should I run cable for security cameras even if I am not installing them yet?

Yes. Wired cameras are more reliable than wireless ones, and the usual reason people end up choosing wireless is that running cable afterwards is too difficult. Providing cable to the front entry and likely camera positions during a renovation removes that constraint permanently, at almost no cost while the walls are open.

What should I photograph before the walls are closed?

Every wall and ceiling, room by room, with the frame and services exposed and something in frame for scale. Store the photographs somewhere you will find them again. When someone later needs to know where a cable runs or whether there is a stud in a particular position, those images are far more useful than guesswork, and taking them costs about ten minutes.