Tool

Cable drop estimator

A first-pass drop count and planning range for a structured cabling scope. Change any assumption. The ranges are the same California 2026 planning ranges published in our cost guide, and they are not a quote.

CSLB #472017 · Licensed C-7 contractor Cross section of a category cable showing four twisted pairs

Estimator

Counts default to common specification practice: two drops per workstation, one per camera, one Cat6A drop per access point. Edit anything.

Auto-filled from square footage and building type. Overwrite it.

Cat6A, one drop each. Two if the spec calls for redundancy.

Printers, displays, phones without a workstation, door controllers.

Applies to workstation, camera and device drops. Access point drops are priced as Cat6A either way.

Percent added to the labor portion of each line, which this tool treats as 60 percent of a drop. Leave at 0 for private work. Set it from the applicable DIR determination; it is not a published figure.

One run per telecom room back to the MDF. Terminated and tested.

Planning estimate

0 drops

Workstation and device drops
Camera drops
Access point drops (Cat6A)
Telecom room buildout
Backbone fiber
Permits and inspection
Planning range
All-in per drop

Ranges from our structured cabling cost guide, California commercial planning ranges as of 2026. Excludes switching, wireless hardware, cameras and the devices themselves. A real number comes from plans.

Send plans for a real number
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