Get a Site Survey before Cabling Installation

Getting a Site Survey before Cabling Installation

Throughout the process of choosing a cabling installation company, you will encounter with candidate contractors at the new office space. Each visit will usually be a free consultation as each contractor they will make a site survey in order to make an evaluation and prepare a quote for the project.

Below are items and information a business owner should be ready to provide to make each site survey as efficient and productive as possible

  • – Guarantee that either you or your representative will be at the new office space with keys to enter the new office
  • – If needed, notify the security office and building manager at the new office space that you will be meeting with the cabling contractor.
  • – Be prepared to provide the office floor plan to each cabling installation company making a site survey to assist their evaluation.

As the cabling contractors survey your new office, they will be making observations that will allow the preparation of a price quote for the project. They will gather key information on the topics below:

  • – Type of construction
  • – Server room/Wiring closets
  • – Distances of cable runs

Will an intermediate distribution point (IDF) be necessary? For extensive office spaces or locations with numerous departments, several wiring closets may be needed to create logical network divisions or to extend a network past 300 feet from the main distribution frame, which is typically the server room or primary wiring closet.

Is special cabling required?  Fiber optic may be necessary to avoid interference in data transmissions in certain situations.

After the cabling contractors survey your company’s current or new office space, they will review the data and observations they collected. The professional will then write a proposal that will include a quote for their fees and costs for the project.

It is advisable to get several quotes to get a better understanding of the range of pricing. However, a quote should not be the only factor for selecting a cabling installation company. A contractor’s experience, reputation, and references are other factors that should also receive serious consideration.