Debate: Do you pre-wire for every possible zone or just what the customer paid for?

I had a rough week last month on a 6 zone install in a new build near Austin. The homeowner changed their mind twice about where to put the glass breaks and I ended up running extra wire through the attic after the drywall was up. It made me wonder if I should have just pre-wired for 10 zones from the start to cover all bases. On the other hand, that extra cable and labor adds up fast if the customer never uses it. How do you guys handle this, do you run extra wire for future expansion or stick to the contract?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma_martinez29d ago

Run the extra wire and call it job security for your back problems.

brooke76729d ago

You mentioned "that extra cable and labor adds up fast if the customer never uses it" but honestly I think pre-wiring for extra zones is just part of doing a clean install. Running that extra wire during rough-in is way cheaper than coming back later and it saves your reputation when they change their mind. I'd rather eat a few bucks in cable than deal with another attic crawl after the drywall is up.