Cat6 Installation Cost UK  

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What is the Cat6 installation cost for my building?

Cat6 installation cost is different for each project although an average estimate can be taken for similar projects. However, certain factors will affect that estimate, so it’s always best to have a survey undertaken to confirm an accurate quotation. This is why we always aim to undertake a free survey to confirm details and provide firm accurate pricing

Cat6 Installation Cost Estimate

The industry is continually guided by a price-per-point estimate. That is how much will it cost for each data cabling outlet for my project. As the following article will show, an industry average can never be accurate as so many factors can change

However, for a Cat6 structured cabling project with a minimum of 20-24 data cabling outlets in a standard office environment, we can estimate a price range that will be accurate based on the experience of previous projects

For this type of project, Cat6 installation cost average will range from £42.00 per point up to £57.00 per data cabling outlet

This is allowing for the Cat6 cable, Cat6 patch panels, and Cat6 modules. 

Certain factors will cause the estimate to move within that range. Furthermore, other factors will cause it to move out of that range. Sometimes higher, sometimes lower

Cat6 Installation cost per point

As previously mentioned, a lot of inquiries start with a request based on a price estimate per point. The starting point of £42.00 to £57.00 per point is a good estimate. 

Further discussions and information can then lead to firming up the accuracy of the quotation. Furthermore, an on-site survey will be a very accurate quotation. One that is fixed and that we honour once submitted and agreed.

For off-site estimates, we can request the following information to enhance the accuracy of the quotation. However, an on-site survey is always best

Additional off-site elements for quoting purposes are

1. The provisions of floor layouts
2. Photos of the building and the routes 
3. The location of the building. From the location, we can estimate access, parking, and deliveries
4. The working hours. For example, does it need to be out of hours
5. Any restrictions such as noise
6. Whether the location is empty of occupied and operational

Cat6 cabling can be affected by the following

• The working hours of the project. Evenings and weekends create a different cost than midweek
• The location of the building, the access, and parking
• The construction of the building and whether false ceilings or floors are present
• The distance of the outlets from the main communications room
• The requirements to install any new data cabinets
• The overall total number of Cat6 data cabling outlets
• The spread of the Cat6 outlets. Are they bunched in sections or spread far and wide
• The type of building. A warehouse for example will be more complicated than a standard office
• Is the building occupied or operational
• Requirements for any additional containment
• Requirements for any builder’s works such as making routes and holes
• The mixture of internal cabling against external cabling

What will make the Cat6 cabling average closer to the £42.00 per point estimate?

The type of building

An office with existing false floors and ceilings will be more suitable for structured cabling installation. An office with solid ceilings and minimal existing routes will be more problematic.

Therefore, a building with good existing routes will allow a smoother installation of data cabling. Thus, a smoother installation will result in a lower average cat6 installation cost

The spread of the cabling outlets

Following on from the example above, an office is again a good example of where it is suitable to better average cabling costs. Generally, a group of office desks will be placed together. Therefore, a larger number of cables will be installed in the same area. Thus reducing installation time.

By contrast, in a school, you may have a single Cat6 cable to each classroom. In this scenario, additional installation time is required to access each area for a single cable. Thus, you can see that an office would have a lower average price per point

Increasing numbers of overall Cat6 outlets

Generally, the more Cat6 outlets there are in a single location, the lower the overall average per point. Certain elements remain fixed, so when you increase the number of outlets, the average cost reduces. For example, if you install 48 Cat6 cables instead of 24 for 24 desks, the cost doesn’t double. It will only increase by an incremental amount. Therefore, the overall average will be lower for 48 than 24

What will make the Cat6 cabling average cost closer to the £57.00 per point estimate?

The location of the building

The location of the building and the access to that building will make a difference. Central London will have greater parking costs and access considerations than an office in Greater London. Besides, an office in Greater London may have parking on-site and therefore at no cost to the client 

Taking into consideration London parking and access will increase the overall cost of the project. Thus, the increase in overall cost increases the average price per point. However, the larger the number of outlets, the less the increase as an average

The requirement for additional containment

In a building with existing routes and containment, the only requirement is to install the data cabling. However, in a building with little containment or poor routes, additional containment will need to be installed. Thus, additional containment results in an increased quotation. 

The final increase will depend on how much additional containment is required. Sometimes it can be 5-10% extra, in others, the quotation can be more for the containment than for the data cabling. Hence, why we always insist on a virtual or even better an on-site survey to avoid these surprises

Existing containment that’s not suitable

In a similar fashion to the item above, this is where there is existing containment, but it’s not 100% suitable. The containment may have previously contained Cat5e cables, but now the requirement is for Cat6. Cat6 cable is larger than Cat5e. Therefore, fewer Cat6 cables can fit in the same containment.

In this situation, additional containment will be added to the existing to contain the required cable. However, as much of the containment is already in place, a smaller increase will be seen.

Working Hours

The requirement for the working hours can make a difference. Evenings and weekends can affect the price. However, working when the building is unoccupied can also be an advantage and allow the works to be completed quicker when compared to working among existing staff. Furthermore, working out of hours can sometimes be the safest way.

 Cat6 installation cost estimate outside of the average range

As previously mentioned, all projects are unique. There are some projects whose elements are more complicated and therefore not suitable to the average estimate. 

These types of buildings either involve additional time, additional materials, or bespoke elements such as powered access.

These buildings can either have difficult routes, extra height considerations, or require a wider range of cabling dispersal

The following buildings and situations may have a range outside of the estimated average

1. Warehouse and extra height buildings
2. Hotels, Hostels, and Apartments due to lots of subsections of rooms
3. Care Homes due to their solid construction and lack of routes
4. Schools with no solid ceilings or access routes
5. External building links
6. Construction projects where work is phased

Cat6 Cabling Quotation Summary

As the article above shows, pricing can vary so much depending on the situation. Furthermore, within that type of requirement pricing can also change. For example, installing into an empty warehouse will be lower than installing into one that is operational

Therefore, we advise that all quotations are undertaken on-site so an accurate quotation can be provided. In cases where access cannot be arranged, a structured virtual survey can provide some accuracy.

Please call our sales team, and they will be able to provide options for your requirements.

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