The single best time to plan smart home wiring is before the drywall goes up, while the walls are open and the electrician is already on site. Running a wire now costs a fraction of what it takes to fish one through finished walls later, so a little planning during construction pays off for the life of the home.
Here is exactly what smart home wiring to request from your builder or electrician before those walls close in.
Smart Home Wiring to Request First
Hardwired Ethernet to key rooms. Wi-Fi is convenient, but a wired connection is faster and rock-solid for your office, TVs, and streaming devices. Ask for Cat6 runs to a few rooms terminating at a central panel or closet. It costs little now and future-proofs the home no matter how Wi-Fi evolves.
Neutral wires at every switch. This is the one homeowners forget. Most smart light switches need a neutral wire to work. Specifying neutral wires at all switch boxes is free to ask for during construction and a genuine headache to add later.
Doorbell and camera runs. Have the builder run wiring and add a junction box at the front door for a wired video doorbell, plus cabling to the corners of the house where you will want cameras. Wired devices never need battery changes and are more reliable than fully wireless ones.
Don’t Forget Power and Conduit
Extra outlets in the right spots. Smart homes have many small devices that need power — hubs, displays, sensors, and chargers. Add outlets where you will mount a wall tablet, hide a hub in a cabinet, or place exterior cameras.
Empty conduit for the future. Ask for empty conduit runs to the attic, basement, and exterior. When you later want to add solar, an EV charger, or new gear, you will have a clear path to pull wire without opening walls.
All of this is infrastructure, and infrastructure is what is worth paying for during the build. The devices themselves keep getting cheaper, so you can add those on your own timeline — a point we cover in depth in our guide to the best smart home features for new builds.
Pick a Compatibility Standard Early
Before you buy devices, decide which ecosystem you will build around so everything works together. Choosing products that support broad compatibility standards like Matter keeps you from being locked into one brand and makes your smart home wiring investment pay off no matter which devices you choose later.
A Checklist for Your Builder Meeting
Ask for Cat6 Ethernet to the office, living room, and TV walls; neutral wires at every switch; a wired doorbell box and camera runs; extra outlets for hubs and tablets; and empty conduit to the attic and exterior. Hand your builder that short list and the home will be ready for smart technology without paying a premium later.
The Bottom Line
Smart home wiring is cheap and easy while the walls are open and expensive once they are closed. Get the Ethernet, neutral wires, doorbell and camera runs, outlets, and conduit right during construction, and every device you add afterward simply works.