[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":119},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-smart-home-prewire-renovation-en-US":3},{"guide":4,"related":102},{"title":5,"seoTitle":6,"description":7,"summary":8,"sections":9,"faq":73,"cta":74,"date":76,"updated":76,"service":77,"order":78,"sources":79,"slug":100,"locale":101},"Smart-home pre-wire checklist for a gut renovation","Smart Home Pre-Wire Checklist for Renovations","What to wire while walls are open for a local smart home in NYC: switch neutrals, deeper boxes, thermostat cable, door runs and a controller location.","While walls are open, the most valuable smart-home preparation is electrical rather than gadget-related: a neutral conductor in every switch box, boxes deep enough for smart dimmers, thermostat cable with spare conductors, low-voltage runs to doors, cameras and equipment, and a controller location with backup power and a central spot for the radios. These items cost little during a renovation and are disruptive to add after finishes are complete. The network closet, cabling and Wi-Fi design belong in the same low-voltage scope.",[10,23,33,47,61],{"heading":11,"paragraphs":12,"list":14},"The checklist",[13],"Eight items cover what a locally controlled smart home needs from the electrical and low-voltage rough-in. They apply to gut renovations and to any room where walls or ceilings will be opened.",[15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22],"A neutral (white) conductor in every switch box, including 3-way and 4-way locations.","Deeper single and multi-gang switch boxes sized for smart dimmers, with box fill calculated under NEC 314.16.","Thermostat cable with spare conductors at each thermostat location, even where today's system uses two wires.","Low-voltage cable to each main entry door for a door station, contact sensors and an electric strike or powered lock.","Network cable to each planned camera location.","A controller location in the network closet with a dedicated circuit and a UPS, plus a central, high, non-metal location for the radios.","Low-voltage runs to shade pockets, the garage door opener, the boiler or water heater room for leak sensors and a shutoff valve, the electrical panel for an energy monitor, and the EV charger location.","Conduit or a pull string to each floor for future cabling.",{"heading":24,"paragraphs":25,"list":28,"after":31},"Neutrals and box depth",[26,27],"Most Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave and Matter switches need a neutral conductor to stay powered while the light is off. Many older NYC switch loops carry only the hot and the switched hot, with no neutral in the box, and that is the most common obstacle when owners add smart switches to pre-war apartments and row houses.","When walls are open, our licensed partner electrician runs a neutral to every switch location. Borrowing a neutral from a different circuit is a code violation and a hazard, never an acceptable shortcut. Where a neutral cannot be added, there are two practical alternatives:",[29,30],"Smart bulbs on a circuit whose switch stays on, controlled from a wireless wall remote so the wall still works as a switch.","A smart relay installed at the fixture, where power and neutral are already present.",[32],"Smart dimmers are deeper than standard switches and give off heat. Shallow boxes in plaster walls are a frequent problem: a dimmer forced into a tight box can crack the faceplate or strain and overheat the splices. Deeper boxes give the conductors and the device room, and the electrician calculates box fill under NEC 314.16 for the conductors and devices in each box. When two or more dimmers share a box, manufacturers often require derating, which lowers the load each dimmer may carry, so we check the instructions for the selected dimmers before the boxes are set.",{"heading":34,"paragraphs":35,"list":37,"after":45},"Thermostat cable and door hardware",[36],"Many smart thermostats need a common wire (C-wire) for continuous power, and a later change to a heat pump can add control stages. Door preparation follows the same logic: simple during framing, awkward afterward.",[38,39,40,41,42,43,44],"Run thermostat cable with more conductors than today's system uses, such as 18\u002F8, so that a C-wire and future stages can be connected without opening the wall.","Place each thermostat on an interior wall, away from radiators, supply registers and direct sunlight. For local control, choose a Z-Wave thermostat or one that pairs with Home Assistant through HomeKit, as described in our guide to [smart-home devices that work without the cloud](\u002Fguides\u002Flocal-control-smart-devices).","In New York City, connecting thermostat and control wiring to a boiler or heat pump is work for a licensed master or special electrician under section 28-105.4.7 of the Administrative Code, and we coordinate that connection through our licensed electrical partner; on Long Island the HVAC contractor completes it. Automation adjusts setpoints only and is never wired into boiler or heat pump safety circuits.","Use a standard door bore and backset so that Z-Wave or Matter deadbolts fit without modification.","Run Cat6 or 22\u002F4 cable to the main entry for a door station, and low-voltage cable into the frame for an electric strike or powered lock.","Pre-wire contact sensors at entry doors and accessible windows. Intrusion alarm work is performed by a New York State licensed alarm installer.","Keep a keyed override on every lock so the door opens without power or a network.",[46],"In small multifamily buildings, NYC's [Tenant Data Privacy Law](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Ftenant-data-privacy-law.page) prohibits requiring a smart access system for entry to a tenant's own unit, so unit doors keep a key option. Door hardware that releases on a fire alarm signal is coordinated with licensed electrical and fire alarm trades.",{"heading":48,"paragraphs":49,"list":51,"after":59},"Controller, radios and network separation",[50],"The controller, whether Home Assistant Green or a mini PC, sits in the network closet with the router and switch. The radios have different needs. Zigbee, Thread and Z-Wave signals carry poorly out of a metal cabinet or a basement, so the adapters usually belong in a central, elevated location on the main living floor.",[52,53,54,55,56,57,58],"Connect each adapter with a shielded USB 2.0 extension cable to a central shelf, or use a network-attached coordinator wired back to the closet.","Keep the Zigbee adapter away from Wi-Fi access points and USB 3 ports, and [use Zigbee channel 15, 20 or 25](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fintegrations\u002Fzha\u002F).","Stand the [Connect ZWA-2 Z-Wave adapter](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fconnect\u002Fzwa-2\u002F) upright, clear of obstructions.","A single Connect ZBT-2 runs Zigbee or Thread, not both, so plan two adapter positions if the home will use both.","Keep [Thread border routers](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fintegrations\u002Fthread\u002F) and Wi-Fi Matter devices on the same network segment (VLAN) as Home Assistant. A strict segmentation design [can break Matter, HomeKit and camera discovery](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fintegrations\u002Fmatter\u002F), which rely on multicast, so the segments are planned before the network is configured.","Plan three segments: a home automation network for Home Assistant, Matter, Thread and other locally controlled equipment; a separate network for cloud-only gadgets and guests; and a camera network without internet access, reachable from Home Assistant and the recorder.","Put the fiber terminal, router, switch and controller on a UPS. Home Assistant monitors the UPS through its NUT integration and can shut down cleanly. If the home has a battery, [Tesla Powershare](\u002Fguides\u002Ftesla-powershare-home-backup) or a generator, the closet circuit goes on the backed-up panel.",[60],"Remote access uses [Home Assistant Cloud or a VPN](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fdocs\u002Fconfiguration\u002Fsecuring\u002F) rather than an open router port. In March 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced consumer routers to its Covered List. The action concerns new equipment authorizations, not the continued use of routers already installed, though it may affect which models are sold and how long they receive updates. Keeping the controller independent of any one router brand avoids relying on a single product line.",{"heading":62,"paragraphs":63,"list":65,"after":71},"Cost, permits and handover",[64],"Neutrals, deeper boxes and spare cable add modest material and labor while walls are open. The cost depends on the number of switch and device locations, plaster versus drywall, the distance to the network closet, and building approvals in co-ops and condominiums. Adding the same work after finishes means opening and repairing walls. Replacing or adding switches is electrical work: our licensed partner electrician performs it and files for the permit and inspection when the scope requires one. At handover you receive:",[66,67,68,69,70],"A panel schedule showing smart switch locations.","A device list with the Home Assistant IoT class of each device.","Backups of the Z-Wave, Zigbee and Thread networks.","Administrator credentials held in the owner's name.","Home Assistant backups stored off the controller.",[72],"We mark neutrals, box sizes, thermostat and door runs, and the controller and radio locations on your plans, and we [price the electrical and low-voltage work together](\u002Fservices\u002Flow-voltage).",[],{"text":75},"Send your renovation drawings or a floor plan showing the rooms that will be opened, with a list of the smart-home devices planned, for a written estimate covering the electrical and low-voltage work together. Marking your plans with neutrals, box sizes, thermostat and door runs and the controller and radio locations is provided as part of the contracted work or as a paid consultation.","2026-10-25","low-voltage",112,[80,84,87,90,93,96],{"title":81,"url":82,"publisher":83},"Zigbee Home Automation - Home Assistant","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fintegrations\u002Fzha\u002F","Home Assistant",{"title":85,"url":86,"publisher":83},"Thread - Home Assistant","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fintegrations\u002Fthread\u002F",{"title":88,"url":89,"publisher":83},"Matter - Home Assistant","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fintegrations\u002Fmatter\u002F",{"title":91,"url":92,"publisher":83},"Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 - Home Assistant","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fconnect\u002Fzwa-2\u002F",{"title":94,"url":95,"publisher":83},"Securing your Home Assistant - Home Assistant","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.home-assistant.io\u002Fdocs\u002Fconfiguration\u002Fsecuring\u002F",{"title":97,"url":98,"publisher":99},"Tenant Data Privacy Law - HPD","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fhpd\u002Fservices-and-information\u002Ftenant-data-privacy-law.page","NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development","smart-home-prewire-renovation","en-US",[103,107,111,115],{"slug":104,"title":105,"description":106,"service":77,"date":76,"updated":76},"whole-home-audio-vs-smart-speakers","Whole-home audio vs smart speakers in a NYC renovation","In-ceiling speakers, streaming amplifiers and smart speakers compared, with the speaker wire, fire ratings and routes to run while NYC walls are open.",{"slug":108,"title":109,"description":110,"service":77,"date":76,"updated":76},"wifi-network-planning-nyc","Wi-Fi network planning for NYC homes and small offices","Wired access points, Cat6 vs Cat6A, PoE and the network closet: how to plan reliable Wi-Fi for brownstones, apartments and small offices in NYC.",{"slug":112,"title":113,"description":114,"service":77,"date":76,"updated":76},"low-voltage-system-design-nyc","Low-voltage system design in NYC after Local Law 128","One cabling plan for network, cameras, intercom, access control and audio, plus the 2025 NYC Electrical Code rules on permits and licensed work.",{"slug":116,"title":117,"description":118,"service":77,"date":76,"updated":76},"internet-service-entrance-planning","Internet service entrance planning for Fios, Optimum and Spectrum","Where Fios, Optimum or Spectrum enters the building, how to prepare a neat entrance, and what keeps alarms and cameras working when a line is cut.",1793066401037]