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HiringStructured Wiring

Should I hire a low-voltage contractor to wire my house for Ethernet?

Hire one if the walls are finished, the route crosses a fire-rated wall or you want many jacks and a central rack. Do it yourself for one or two cables along an easy path. In Virginia cabling is a licensed specialty, and for work valued at $1,000 or more the contractor must hold a valid licence in the right category.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Count the runs

    Write down how many jacks you want and which floors they are on.

  2. Step 2: Judge the route

    Note finished walls, fire-rated walls such as the garage wall, and any run that needs new holes in framing.

  3. Step 3: Decide DIY or hire

    Do one or two easy runs yourself; hire for finished walls, fire-rated walls or many runs.

  4. Step 4: Check the licence

    Look up each contractor's licence number and class on the DPOR site.[3]

  5. Step 5: Collect three written bids

    Give every bidder the same room list and compare the bids.[3]

  6. Step 6: Limit the deposit

    Agree to an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less.[3]

When hiring makes sense

Hiring buys three things: access, speed and accountability. A pro has the tools and experience to fish cable through insulated exterior walls, past fire blocking and into finished ceilings without wrecking the drywall. A pro can finish many runs in a day that would take a homeowner weekends. And a licensed contractor is accountable if something goes wrong.

Hire when:

  • the house has finished walls on more than one floor, or the cable has to pass through insulation or fire blocking
  • you want a central rack or cabinet, a patch panel and a switch, not just a couple of jacks
  • the plan means more than a few runs, or runs to ceilings and outdoors
  • a run would cross a garage wall or any other fire-rated wall or ceiling
  • you want every run tested and documented

Do it yourself when you have one or two cables and a clear route. How to run Ethernet cable through walls covers the method and the limits.

A white wall plate with a single Cat6 Ethernet jack
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Who is licensed

Virginia treats cabling as its own specialty. The Board for Contractors defines electronic/communication service contracting as the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of electronic or communications systems annexed to real property including telephone wiring, computer cabling,[1] data and network installation among them. An electrical contractor can do the same work: the ELE classification provides for all work covered by the electrical provisions of the USBC, including electronic/communication service contracting (ESC).[2]

For work valued at $1,000 or more, DPOR says a valid Virginia Contractor's License is required for the license category in which the contractor is to work.[3] DPOR says unlicensed contracting is against the law, and the benefits of hiring a licensed contractor include being eligible for the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund in case of improper or dishonest conduct.[3] Read how to check a contractor's licence in Virginia before you pay a deposit.

What about permits

Usually there is nothing to file. The building code says that application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for installation of wiring and equipment that (i) operates at less than 50 volts, (ii) is for broadband communications systems,[4] unless the work is in a plenum or penetrates fire rated or smoke protected construction.[4] A good contractor will tell you if your route crosses a fire-rated wall and what that means for your locality.

How to hire well

Ask for at least three written bids on the same room list. DPOR says to get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications so you can compare prices and contractors.[3] Ask each bidder for the licence number and class, the cable category, the number of runs, testing, patching and who supplies the equipment, and keep any deposit to no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.[3] A contract should be in writing and never signed blank.

Stop and call a pro if

  • Your route needs new holes in framing, or passes through fire-rated or smoke-protected construction or a plenum.
  • Any run would sit beside line-voltage wiring or share a box with it.
  • The job is valued at $1,000 or more and the person quoting it cannot show a licence number.[3]
  • You want new outlets or circuits alongside the cabling. That is electrical work with its own licence and permit.

Getting help in Virginia

For the price side, read what it costs to wire a house for Ethernet. If Wi-Fi is the goal, see whether to hire someone to set up mesh Wi-Fi. Browse security and smart home pros or more smart home answers.

When you are ready, describe your cabling job once and licensed local pros quote it.

Common questions

Do I need a licence to run Ethernet cable in my own house?
DPOR's licensing guidance is about contractors doing work for others. For work you hire out and that is valued at $1,000 or more, the contractor must hold a valid Virginia contractor licence in the right category.
Is a low-voltage contractor the same as an electrician?
Not exactly. Virginia has a specialty for electronic and communication service contracting that covers computer cabling, and an electrical contractor licence also provides for it. Check the licence class and that it fits the work.
Will a contractor need a permit?
Usually not for low-voltage wiring that operates at less than 50 volts and is for broadband communications, but the exemption does not apply in a plenum or where the cable penetrates fire rated or smoke protected construction.
What if the contractor has no licence but is cheaper?
DPOR says unlicensed contracting is against the law and that hiring a licensed contractor makes you eligible for the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. A lower price from an unlicensed bidder carries that risk.
How many jacks justify hiring someone?
There is no fixed number. The route matters more than the count: easy runs through an open basement or attic suit a homeowner, while finished walls, fire-rated walls or a central rack point to a pro.

Sources

  1. [1] 18VAC50-22-30, Definitions of specialty services, Virginia Administrative Code, Board for Contractors. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] 18VAC50-22-20, Definitions of classifications (Board for Contractors Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Board for Contractors. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] 13VAC5-63-80, Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.