Smart Home Wiring: What to Pre-Wire vs. Retrofit
Planning electrical for smart switches, networking, and future-proofing a renovation.
Smart home features that require wiring — hardwired ethernet, smart switches, doorbell power, low-voltage lighting — cost a fraction during a remodel and a fortune to add later. A few hundred dollars in pre-wiring during open-wall work can save thousands of retrofit cost.
Always pre-wire these
Cat6 ethernet to at least every TV location, every workspace, and every wireless access point spot (typically one per 1,500 sq ft of floor area). Coax is largely dead — don't bother. Cost during open-wall work: $50–$120 per drop. Retrofit cost: $250–$600 per drop.
Neutral wires at every switch location. Most smart switches require a neutral, and rewiring a switch box to add one costs $150–$400 each. During remodel: free.
Retrofit-friendly options
Smart switches with no-neutral compatibility (Lutron Caseta, Inovelli Blue) work in older boxes. WiFi-based smart bulbs replace incandescents one socket at a time. Battery-powered locks, sensors, and doorbells need no wiring at all.
Hardwired ethernet is the one upgrade that consistently disappoints when done over WiFi. If you can pre-wire even a single Cat6 to a strategic location, do it.