Before drywall goes up on a new custom home in Los Angeles, you want low-voltage wire run for the network, every TV and speaker location, cameras and entry, shades, lighting control keypads and a dedicated equipment room, plus spare conduit for whatever comes next. Pre-wire is the cheapest moment in the whole project to get technology right. Here's the checklist LA Techs uses with builders and owners.
Why pre-wire is the moment
Once walls close, every change means cutting drywall, patching and repainting. A few hours of planning during framing saves weeks of headaches later.
It also protects the design. Architects and interior designers care where keypads, speakers and screens land, and pre-wire is when you can put them exactly where they belong.
The pre-wire checklist
Print this, bring it to the walkthrough, and check it off room by room:
- Equipment room: a dedicated, ventilated space with power, cooling and room for a rack (not a closet under the stairs)
- Network: Cat6 to every access point location (ceilings, outdoor areas, outbuildings), plus wired drops at every TV and office desk
- TV locations: HDMI-rated conduit or cable, network and power at every screen, including future ones
- Audio: speaker wire to every in-ceiling or in-wall speaker, outdoor landscape speaker zones, and any listening room
- Theater or media room: projector, screen, sound and lighting runs planned with the room design
- Lighting control: keypad locations agreed with the designer, and loads coordinated with the electrician
- Shades: power and control wire at every motorized window, with pockets framed in where possible
- Security and cameras: camera locations, door contacts, gate and front door entry, and driveway coverage
- Spare conduit: pull strings from the equipment room to each floor and to the roof or attic
Equipment room details people miss
Heat is the number one killer of electronics. Plan real ventilation or cooling, not a louvered door and hope.
Put it somewhere central, with a dedicated circuit or two and easy access for service. On hillside homes, think about how cable gets between levels before the structure locks you in.
Network wiring for big LA homes
Large LA homes are tough on Wi-Fi: concrete, steel, glass and long runs to a pool house or guest house. Wire every access point instead of relying on mesh.
If there's a detached structure, run fiber or conduit to it during site work. Trenching later is expensive (and the landscape architect will not be happy).
Coordinating with the GC and electrician
Low-voltage and line-voltage need to agree on the plan. We walk the house with the electrician so keypad locations, lighting loads and shade power line up with the Lutron design.
For builders, the key is one clear low-voltage drawing and an integrator who shows up to the walkthrough. Our trade partners page explains how we work with GCs and architects on schedule.
The pre-wire walkthrough
Before insulation, do a walkthrough with the owner, designer and integrator. Mark every location on the studs, take photos of every wall, and save them.
Those photos are gold years later when someone wants to add a TV. We keep them with the project file so the support team knows what's behind the drywall.
Plan for what's next
Nobody knows exactly what the house will want in ten years. Spare conduit and a few extra network drops are cheap insurance.
Same for the outdoors: a run to the back of the yard costs little now and opens up audio, lighting or cameras later.
Quick answers
Q: What should be pre-wired in a new home before drywall? A: Network to every access point and TV, speaker wire, camera and entry locations, shade power and control, lighting keypad locations, an equipment room, and spare conduit to every floor.
Q: When should a smart home integrator get involved in a new build? A: During design, so the low-voltage plan is ready before framing. Waiting until pre-wire is fine; waiting until after drywall gets expensive.
Q: Do I need a dedicated equipment room? A: For a whole-home system, yes. A ventilated, central space with power and cooling keeps equipment reliable and easy to service.
Q: Who does smart home pre-wire in Los Angeles? A: LA Techs plans and installs pre-wire for custom homes across LA, holds C-7 low voltage and C-10 electrical licenses (CSLB #1031050), and coordinates directly with builders and electricians.
Building in LA? Send us the plans or call 213.354.8324, and see our new construction process.
