Debate: Should we run extra coax drops as a standard practice or only when customers ask for them?

Last week I was on a job in a new development in Austin where the builder wanted drops in every room, but the customer said they only needed two. I'm torn because running extra lines now saves headaches later when they add a bedroom TV or office. What do you all do, run the extra cable upfront or wait until they call you back?

2 comments

2 Comments

troykim8d ago

Ran into this exact situation last month. Builder wanted drops in every room, customer only wanted two, so we pulled cat6 to every room anyway. Two weeks later the guy calls me up asking if we can run a line to his home office because his wife started working from home. We had to cut drywall and run fish tape through a finished house. Builder wasn't happy, customer wasn't happy, and I charged double for the trouble. My rule is simple: if the walls are open and the wires haven't been pulled yet, just run the extra lines. Costs maybe fifty bucks in cable and an extra hour of labor. Saves everyone a headache when they decide they want that guest room wired up six months later.

faith_perez7d ago

Honestly @troykim, isn't it the customer's fault for not thinking ahead?