Security pre-wiring: what every contractor should know before drywall

5 days ago

10 min read

The drywall is finished. The painters are wrapping up. The homeowners are counting the days to move-in.

Then someone asks the question nobody wanted to hear: "Where are the security cameras going?"

Now the project has a problem. The best camera location has no wire. The front door wasn't prepped for the video doorbell the owner picked. The security panel needs power on a wall nobody planned. And nobody wants to open up that tongue-and-groove ceiling to pull one more cable.

What should have been a straightforward install has become a change order, a scheduling headache, and possibly a callback.

For builders in Bend and across Central Oregon, security pre-wiring isn't just about running cable. It protects the schedule, preserves the design, and delivers technology that works the way the homeowner expects. The best time to plan security isn't when the owners get their keys. It's while everyone is still looking at the blueprints.

Why security planning should start before framing

Nobody starts a build without a plumbing plan or an electrical layout. Security, cameras and smart locks still get treated like accessories that can be added later.

That works for a single wireless camera. It doesn't work when the owner wants integrated security across a custom home. A modern system can include:

Cameras covering entries, the driveway and outdoor spaces
Door and window sensors
Motion detectors and glass-break sensors
A security panel or touchscreen
A video doorbell and smart locks
Lighting and remote access tied into the same app
Alerts that reach the owner when they're away

Each of those has its own placement, power, connectivity or integration requirements. Not every device needs a dedicated wire; plenty of today's sensors and locks are wireless. But choosing wireless doesn't remove the need to plan the system.

The goal is to decide what the home needs before construction takes away the easy installation options. Bring a security integrator in during design development and you can sort out infrastructure, coordinate with the other trades, and lock the scope before rough-in.

Cameras: design the coverage before you run the wire

Camera placement sounds simple until someone has to commit to a spot.

A camera in the wrong place can give a great view of the driveway and miss the face of the person at the front door. One tucked high under a roofline looks tidy and records the tops of people's heads. One next to an exterior light fights glare all night.

Those are design problems, not equipment problems.

Start with what each camera needs to see. On most Central Oregon custom homes that means the front entry, the driveway, the garage, rear patio doors, side entrances and any detached buildings. Then decide what each camera is for: a wide overview, a recognizable face at a door, or activity along one path. That decision drives mounting height, lens, field of view and where the cable lands. The camera that watches cars come up a long driveway usually isn't the one that identifies a face at the door. Plan both before rough-in. Our security camera placement guide goes deeper on angles and heights.

Coordinate camera locations with the architecture. Deep overhangs, exposed beams, timber siding and stone make homes here beautiful. They also complicate cameras when placement is decided late. Review camera locations against the exterior elevations, roof and soffit details, the lighting plan and the cable pathways, and account for weather protection, waterproofing and future service access.

There's a local wrinkle. Deschutes County and Sisters began applying the wildfire-hardening section of the Oregon residential code (R327) to new homes on April 1, 2026, and Bend followed for permit applications submitted on or after May 15, 2026. In an adopting jurisdiction, the eave and soffit are a rated assembly. Cutting into a finished soffit late in the job to land a camera is how you get a correction instead of a camera. Put the camera on the plan and detail the penetration with the builder before the soffit closes. We covered the details in what to prewire before drywall.

Plan power and data early. For permanent outdoor cameras, Power over Ethernet (PoE) is usually the right call: one cable carries both power and data, and the camera doesn't depend on Wi-Fi at the edge of the property. The plan should note which cameras are PoE, which need other power, and how every cable gets back to the equipment closet. Wireless cameras still have a place, especially in finished homes and hard-to-reach spots. But new construction is the cheapest chance you'll ever get to run wire. Take it.

What to pre-wire before drywall

Cameras are only part of the plan. These pieces need attention during design and rough-in.

1. The security panel or touchscreen

The panel should be where the owner actually comes and goes: the main entry, garage entry or mudroom. Wherever it lands, its power and communication need to be settled before drywall, along with where the supporting equipment lives. A touchscreen designed into the wall beats one squeezed onto whatever wall was left at the end.

The systems we install run on Alarm.com and communicate over cellular as well as the internet, so alerts still go out when the router reboots or the service drops. That's worth planning for on any home, and especially on second homes. More on that in our post on cellular backup for security systems.

2. Door and window sensors

Contacts are the backbone of most residential systems. Some are small wireless sensors. Others are concealed in or near the door and window assemblies, and those have to be planned. Coordinate concealed contacts with the door and window schedules, the frames, the hardware and the manufacturer's requirements. Otherwise the owner ends up with a visible sensor stuck to a beautiful door that could have hidden one.

3. Motion and glass-break sensors

Motion sensors need to cover the right areas without tripping on normal household life. Their locations depend on room layout, furniture, windows and heat sources. Glass-break sensors get placed to the manufacturer's spec for the glass they're protecting. Both are often wireless, but their best locations should still be set before finishes and furniture plans are final.

4. Video doorbell and smart locks

The front entry is a focal point of the design and one of the most important security locations. The video doorbell should see visitors naturally and still fit the trim, sidelights and stone. Depending on the model it may need low-voltage power or a data connection.

Smart locks belong in the door and hardware package. Some run on batteries; access control can need dedicated wiring. Either way, pick compatible equipment and set the install requirements before the doors are ordered.

5. The equipment closet

Security, cameras, networking and automation all come back to one place. Give it room, dedicated power, ventilation, accessible terminations and space to service it later, in conditioned space rather than the garage. For critical equipment, plan backup power to fit the project. A well-planned closet makes the install easier now and every service call easier later.

How Alarm.com ties security into the rest of the home

Owners today expect more than a keypad that arms and disarms.

With compatible devices, Alarm.com brings security, cameras, smart locks, garage doors, thermostats and lighting into one app. From their phone, an owner can check whether the garage is closed, see who's at the door, lock up, or adjust the thermostat. Scenes tie it together: an Away scene can arm the system, lock the doors, close the garage, and set the lights and heat for an empty house.

For second homes in Sunriver, Sisters, Black Butte Ranch and Powell Butte, that remote view is often the whole point. The owner may be hundreds of miles away and still wants to know who arrived, whether a door was left open, and whether an alert needs attention.

Compatible doesn't mean integrated. A lock, a doorbell and a panel from compatible product families won't automatically do everything together. The specific models, communication protocols, network requirements and service plan all matter. Settling those up front and coordinating with the builder, the electrician and the other technology trades means fewer surprises at commissioning and a complete experience at move-in.

The real cost of waiting until after drywall

Installing equipment after drywall is normal. Cameras and panels go up during finishes all the time.

The trouble starts when the system wasn't designed until finishes.

Picture a custom home with a finished timber ceiling, a stone-clad entry and finished landscaping. If the owner decides after completion that they want a wired camera at the front door, that can mean a hard cable route, a new hole through finished material, or a compromise on where the camera goes. That's extra trades, finish repair and labor that would have been a few minutes at rough-in.

For the builder it goes past the install cost: schedule conflicts, extra sub visits, technology punch-list items that drag past move-in. A security problem discovered after move-in doesn't always stay the security contractor's problem. The homeowner often calls the builder first.

Pre-wiring won't prevent every service call. It removes the avoidable ones.

Oregon permits: who's pulling it?

In Oregon, security wiring is limited energy electrical work. It's permitted, it has to be inspected before it's covered, and burglar alarm and security systems require a Class A limited energy technician. That makes the pre-drywall inspection part of your schedule, not ours alone. Ask whoever is doing your security pre-wire who pulls the permit and what license it's under. We cover the details in what to prewire before drywall.

Build for what the owner will want next

The owner may not want a camera at every door or full access control on move-in day. That doesn't mean ignoring the possibility.

A few infrastructure decisions during construction keep upgrades easy without committing anyone to buying equipment now: spare Ethernet at likely camera locations, conduit to hard-to-reach exterior spots, room in the equipment closet, and a network sized for what's coming.

Think about detached garages, shops, guest houses and driveway gates too. They're common here, especially on acreage. A shop may not need a camera today, but a data pathway dropped in while sitework is underway makes the future install easy. A gate at the end of a long driveway may eventually want video or controlled access; get the conduit in before trenching and landscaping are done.

The goal isn't to install every possible technology. It's to avoid making the next one hard.

Where we'd tell you to skip it

We're not in the business of selling wire nobody needs.

Don't hardwire every sensor. Modern wireless door, window, motion and glass-break sensors are reliable. Save the wire for cameras, the panel, the doorbell and anything concealed.

Don't put a camera on every corner. A house needs the coverage its entries and approaches call for. A good plan usually has fewer cameras than people expect, each doing a specific job.

Don't buy the cameras at framing. Models change. Buy the pathways now and the hardware closer to move-in.

The contractor's security pre-wire checklist

Before the walls close, confirm:

A security integrator has reviewed the current architectural and site plans.
Camera locations are on the exterior elevations, with each camera's job written down.
Camera wiring, power and mounting are coordinated, including soffit and eave details.
The security panel location and its equipment requirements are set.
Concealed door and window contacts are coordinated with the door and window schedules.
Motion and glass-break sensor locations are planned.
Smart locks and the video doorbell are coordinated with the door hardware and electrical plans.
The equipment closet is ready for security, networking and future expansion.
Pathways to detached structures, gates and future cameras are in.
The limited energy permit is pulled and the cover inspection is on the schedule.
The pre-drywall walk is done, with every cable tested, labeled and photographed.

A final walk with the builder, electrician and security integrator catches conflicts before they become finished-wall problems. Then, before the owner moves in, the system gets commissioned and tested: camera coverage, alerts, sensors, locks and every agreed smart-home connection.

Why a dedicated technology partner helps

Every build already involves a lot of coordination: architects, designers, electricians, HVAC, cabinetmakers and specialty trades, each with their own schedule. Security and smart-home technology belong in that coordination, not tacked on at the end.

At SecuraCore, we work with custom builders, remodelers, architects and designers on home security, surveillance cameras, smart-home automation and the network that supports all of it. Working alongside the construction team during design and rough-in, we pin down equipment locations, coordinate cabling and power, and set a practical install plan.

Our goal is simple: make the technology work without creating problems for the people building the home. For builders, it's one less thing to scramble over as move-in approaches.

Frequently asked questions about security pre-wiring

Should a new construction home be pre-wired for security?

It's worth evaluating on every new build. Even when the owner chooses a mostly wireless alarm system, planning camera locations, equipment power, the network and future cable pathways pays off for the life of the house.

Do wireless security systems still need pre-wiring?

Wireless sensors don't need signal cables, but other parts of the system can still need power, Ethernet or mounting provisions. Cameras, video doorbells, the security panel and network equipment should each be reviewed.

When should a contractor bring in a security installer?

During design or pre-construction, before the electrical and low-voltage rough-in is final. That's when camera locations, door hardware, wiring pathways and equipment needs can still be coordinated easily.

What's the difference between security pre-wiring and a complete installation?

Pre-wiring is the infrastructure: cables, pathways, locations and rough-in provisions. The complete installation adds the devices, configuration, testing and homeowner handoff. On a new build, the two can happen months apart.

Can security cameras be added after construction?

Yes. Wired and wireless cameras can both go into a finished home. Some locations will mean harder cable routes or compromises in placement, though. Planning during construction gives you more options and less disruption to finished surfaces.

The best security install starts long before move-in

A well-built home should feel complete when the owner walks in. The panel is where they expect it. The cameras cover what matters. The locks and doorbell work on day one. The technology fits the architecture instead of fighting it.

None of that happens by accident. It comes from planning, proper pre-wiring and coordination between the people building the house. For contractors, that means fewer change orders, less damage to finished work, a cleaner install and a better handoff.

The easiest security callback to handle is the one you never get.

Building or remodeling in Central Oregon? Bring SecuraCore in before drywall. We work with custom builders, general contractors, remodelers, architects and designers in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Sunriver, Powell Butte, Black Butte Ranch and across Central Oregon.

Send us your plans before the walls close. We'll mark up the security infrastructure your project needs and when it needs to go in. Connect with SecuraCore about your next project, call us at (541) 241-8114, or see how we work with design and build partners.

SecuraCore: Technology made simple. More Central Oregon smart home advice on our blog.