Why pre-construction is the critical window
Technology is the only trade where a decision deferred can become physically impossible later without opening finished walls. Once drywall is up and millwork is in, adding a conduit run or relocating a backbox stops being a line item and becomes a remodel. Everything on this checklist is cheap on paper and ruinous after the fact.
Infrastructure to settle before rough-in
Conduit and pathways for current and future cabling. Structured cabling home-runs to a properly located, ventilated equipment space. Backbox locations for keypads, displays, and speakers, coordinated with the electrician's plan. Power for racks, displays, and shades where it's actually needed. Network capacity sized to everything that will ride on it.
Coordination that has to happen on paper
Low-voltage locations belong on the architect's drawings, not in an integrator's head. Keypad placements must reconcile with the lighting design and the interior elevations. Shade pockets and millwork details need to account for motors and wiring. The equipment room needs to exist in the floor plan with real dimensions and ventilation.
Who owns the coordination
On most projects, no single party owns the technology scope before construction — which is why it falls through the cracks. An independent consultant or owner's representative documents it, distributes it to every trade, and verifies the rough-in before the walls close, so finish-stage surprises simply don't happen.
