There is a two week window in every build where smart home decisions are nearly free. It closes the day the plasterboard goes on. After that, every cable you wish you had run becomes a wall you have to open.
We design and install automation for new builds in Canberra and Sydney, and the same conversation happens every month: an owner comes to us at handover, we walk the house, and we price the retrofit at two or three times what the same result would have cost at frame stage. This guide is what we would tell you if you called us the week before rough-in.
Why pre-wire matters even in a wireless age
Plenty of good automation is wireless now, and we use it. But three things still want copper in the walls:
- Power where devices live. Blinds, displays, cameras, access control and WiFi points all need power exactly where they sit. A powerpoint behind a wall display costs almost nothing at rough-in.
- Data for anything that streams or matters. Cameras, access control and wall panels should never depend on WiFi. A camera on WiFi is a camera that drops out.
- Switch wiring done the right way. How your electrician wires the light switches decides which control systems you can ever use. Get neutrals at every switch and loops run so relays can live behind the plate or in the board, and almost every option stays open. Get it wrong and you are locked out of the good systems before you move in.
The pre-wire checklist we actually use
Lighting. Neutral at every switch position. Separate circuits for areas you will want to scene separately: kitchen task lighting, living areas, outdoor, and any feature lighting. If the budget allows a wired bus like KNX, home-run the switch wiring to the board. If not, wire conventionally with neutrals and deep wall boxes so smart relays fit later.
Network. One data point per camera position, per TV, per wall display, per desk, and one per ceiling WiFi point, all home-run to a central comms location with power, ventilation and enough depth for a rack. Run two spare conduits from the comms cupboard: one to the roof space, one under the slab or to the garage. Spare conduit is the cheapest insurance in the whole build.
Sensors. Ceiling positions for presence sensors in main rooms and hallways, wired back for power if possible. A reed or contact point at every external door and operable window you care about. These are tiny line items at frame stage.
Blinds and curtains. Power in the head of every window that could ever get a motorised blind. You do not need to buy the blinds now. You need the power there for the day you do.
Doors and access. Power and data to the front door for a doorbell and intercom, and to any gate or garage entry. If keyless entry is on the wish list, get the door prepared for an electric strike or smart lock before it is ordered.
Climate. If you are zoning ducted air, make sure the zone controller is one that integrates rather than a closed proprietary wall pad. This single equipment choice decides whether your heating and cooling can ever join the rest of the house.
The three mistakes that cost the most to undo
1. No neutrals at switches. Still the most common one we see, and it rules out most quality switching hardware. It costs nothing to do at rough-in and a full re-wire to fix later. 2. WiFi-only cameras and panels. They work at handover and degrade from there. Every fixed device that matters gets a cable. 3. A comms "cupboard" that is a shelf in the pantry. Your home's brain needs power, cooling and space. We have pulled racks out of linen cupboards more times than we can count.
What it costs
Pre-wire for a typical 4 bedroom new build in Canberra runs a few thousand dollars as part of the electrical fit, depending on scope. The same capability retrofitted after handover is routinely two to three times that, plus patching and painting. The full numbers, including what complete systems cost by tier, are in our smart home cost guide.
When to bring in an integrator
Before the electrical plan is finalised, not after. We review plans, mark up the electrical drawings with the builder's electrician, and either supply the smart hardware for them to fit or do the integration fit-off ourselves. The builder keeps their electrician, you get a house that is actually ready.
If you are building in Canberra or Sydney, send us your plans before rough-in. The review costs nothing and the window only closes once. Builders and developers doing this at volume should see our developer packages.