What does structured cabling cost?+
For a standard commercial office with accessible ceilings: roughly $175-$350 per CAT6 drop installed, terminated, tested, and labeled. Add rack, patch panels, and fiber backbone for the IDF/MDF scope. A 100-drop office floor typically lands between $22,000 and $45,000 turnkey. We provide fixed, line-item quotes after a site walk — never per-foot guesses.
How many drops per workstation should I plan for?+
The current standard is 2 drops per workstation (primary + spare for phone, dock, or printer). Add 1 per wireless AP, 1 per wall-mounted display, 1-2 per conference table, 1 per IP camera, 1 per printer, and 25-35% spare patch-panel capacity for future MACs.
What standards do you follow?+
TIA-568 (cabling), TIA-569 (pathways and spaces), TIA-606-B (labeling), TIA-607 (grounding and bonding), TIA-942 (data centers), BICSI TDMM best practices, NEC Articles 725, 770, and 800, and any local AHJ amendments. Every installation is designed and inspected against these before closeout.
How long does structured cabling take to install?+
30-50 drops: 3-5 working days. 100 drops: 1-2 weeks. Full-floor 500-drop office: 3-6 weeks. Warehouses and campus buildouts scale with pathway complexity. Written schedule delivered with every quote and updated weekly on active jobs.
Can you work in an occupied building without disrupting our operation?+
Yes — this is most of our work. Cable pull during business hours in accessible ceilings, terminations and cutovers scheduled evenings or weekends by department or floor. Users typically find their new outlet live the following morning with no lost workday.
Do you certify every cable, or just spot-check?+
Every link is Fluke DSX-certified to TIA-568 permanent-link limits — no spot checks. Fiber strands are OTDR-tested from both ends. Full reports delivered with as-builts. Certification is what qualifies the plant for a 20-25 year manufacturer warranty.
Can you replace an aging cable plant while we stay operational?+
Yes. Standard approach: install new plant in parallel with existing runs, cut users over one department or floor at a time, then decommission and remove abandoned cable per NEC 800.25. Full rip-and-replace is scheduled during a weekend or holiday window when the operation allows.
Do you also handle the rack, patch panels, and grounding?+
Yes — turnkey scope. Wall-mount or floor-standing racks (Middle Atlantic, CPI, Panduit, APC), patch panels, horizontal and vertical cable management, ground bar bonded to building steel per TIA-607, PDU, and UPS mounting. Switch install coordinated with your IT team.
Can you coordinate with our general contractor on a new-construction or TI project?+
Yes. We attend OAC meetings, update the two-week look-ahead, sequence rough-in with framing/electrical, and finish before punch. Comfortable on Procore, Buildertrend, and PlanGrid. See our tenant improvement service for the full TI scope.
What warranty applies to a structured cabling installation?+
One-year workmanship warranty from Access Cabling on every job, plus the manufacturer's 20- or 25-year system warranty (Panduit or CommScope) when we install end-to-end certified components — covering component performance and, in most cases, application assurance for approved Ethernet standards published during the warranty term.
Can you do the WiFi, cameras, and access control on the same job?+
Yes. Because we hold C-10 and C-7 licenses, we install and commission the systems that sit on the cabling — Ubiquiti/Meraki wireless, IP cameras and NVR, PDK/Genetec/Brivo access control, AV, paging — on the same schedule with one point of accountability.
Do you work statewide or just the Bay Area?+
Statewide and nationwide. Home office in San Mateo, active crews across the Bay Area, Sacramento, Central Valley, LA, Orange County, San Diego, Inland Empire, and Reno. Multi-site rollouts across the US routinely — see our nationwide rollouts service.
How much does structured cabling cost?+
Structured Cabling pricing depends on drop count, cable type, pathway complexity, and building conditions. Most commercial projects range from $150 to $350 per drop installed. Request a free site survey for an itemized quote.
Do you provide structured cabling nationwide?+
Yes. Access Cabling is headquartered in California with a nationwide technician network for multi-site rollouts across all 50 states.
Is structured cabling certified and warrantied?+
Every installation is Fluke-tested and certified. Structured cabling installs carry manufacturer warranties of up to 25 years through our Panduit, CommScope, Leviton and Belden partner relationships.
