How many Wi-Fi access points does a large home need?
Square footage is only part of the answer. Walls, materials and outdoor spaces matter more.
Wire it right while the walls are open.
We plan where every access point, camera, speaker, TV and shade goes in your custom home, before drywall makes every mistake permanent.
Free: 7 Pre-Wire Mistakes Luxury Homeowners Regret, with a printable walkthrough checklist.
Sample low-voltage planFirst floor, about 4,800 sq ft
The decisions that matter happen in a few weeks
Picking a TV can wait. Where its cable runs can't. Between framing and insulation, someone runs wire through open studs, and whatever isn't planned by then becomes a wall repair later.
- DesignFloor plans and finishes take shape.
- FramingWalls go up. Shade pockets and TV blocking get framed.
- Pre-wireLow-voltage cable runs to every device location.
- WalkthroughEvery location is checked against the plan.
- DrywallWalls close. Changes now mean cutting finished walls.
Seven mistakes we see in nearly every high-end home
None of them cost much to prevent. All of them cost a lot to fix. The free guide walks through each one, with diagrams and a checklist for your builder walkthrough.
One router in a closet
Large homes with stone, stucco and low-E glass need wired access points planned room by room.
No real home for the equipment
Network and audio gear stuffed in a coat closet with no cooling or dedicated power.
Cameras placed wherever there was a soffit
Too high to identify a face, aimed into the sunset, missing the side gate.
Wiring before deciding where you'll sit
Speakers centered in the ceiling instead of around the seating, TVs mounted too high.
No conduit for what comes next
Today's cables sealed in, with no path for tomorrow's.
"We'll decide on shades later"
By the time anyone asks, the window heads are closed and the pockets aren't framed.
Every trade planning its own piece
Electrician, security and AV each assume someone else covered the gaps.
Get the free guide
11 pages, delivered to your inbox.
Plan it yourself, or have us plan it
Both work remotely, wherever you're building. All you need is your floor plan.
Free guide
$0
For anyone starting to think about pre-wire.
- The seven most expensive pre-wire mistakes
- Diagrams for each system
- Printable walkthrough checklist
Pre-Wire & Placement Guide
$97
For owners who want to plan it themselves, properly.
- Room-by-room placement rules
- Wi-Fi, camera, speaker and TV layouts
- Rack, conduit and shade specifications
- Printable plans to review with your builder
Plan Review
from $495
We mark up your floor plan with every device.
| Up to 5,000 sq ft | $495 |
| 5,000 to 8,000 sq ft | $745 |
| Over 8,000 sq ft | $995 |
Add a walkthrough call. A video call with you and your builder to go through the plan together. Review plus call from $1,250. Book with a call
Bought the $97 guide? Its full price is credited toward a Plan Review within 30 days.
How a Plan Review works
Book and send your plans
Choose your home size, then upload floor plans and answer a short questionnaire about rooms, priorities and wall materials.
We lay out every device
Access points, cameras, speakers, TVs, keypads, shades and the equipment rack, placed for how you'll live in each room.
You get the marked-up plan
A clear drawing with notes your builder, electrician and installer can follow, usually within five business days.
Walk it with your builder
Use the plan and checklist at your pre-wire walkthrough, or add a call and we'll walk through it together.
Built by the people who wire these homes
Open Wall Plan is the homeowner side of Elior AV, a smart home and audio-video integration company serving luxury homes across Dallas–Fort Worth.
Our background spans systems integration and construction project management. That means we plan technology the way builders build: in the right order, with every trade working from the same drawing.
We started this because the most expensive problems we get called to fix are almost always decisions that could have been made in an afternoon, before the walls closed.
- Based in
- Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas
- Work with
- Homeowners, builders and architects, in DFW and remotely nationwide
- Systems
- Networking and Wi-Fi, security cameras, distributed audio, home theater, lighting control and motorized shades
- Installs in DFW
- Through Elior AV
From the articles
Where to put security cameras on a new build
Start from how people approach the house, not from where the soffits are.
Should you mount a TV above the fireplace?
The most common question in custom homes, and what to plan if you do it anyway.
Questions
Do you work outside Dallas–Fort Worth?
Yes. The guides and Plan Reviews are delivered online and work for homes anywhere. Installation is available in DFW through Elior AV.
What do I need for a Plan Review?
Your floor plans (PDF or images), the approximate square footage, and a few minutes for the questionnaire. Electrical plans and elevations help but aren't required.
When should I do this?
Ideally during design or framing, before the low-voltage pre-wire starts. If you're already in pre-wire, a review can still catch gaps before insulation and drywall.
Will my builder or installer use your plan?
That's what it's made for. The plan shows each device location with notes, so any qualified electrician or AV installer can follow it.
Is this engineering or code advice?
No. We provide design recommendations. Final locations, electrical work and code requirements should be confirmed on site by your builder, licensed electrician and installer.