"How much does a network installation cost?" is one of the most common questions we get, and it is the hardest to answer honestly without seeing the building. Cost is driven by physical distance and the number of drop points far more than by the equipment. A quote that ignores a site survey is a guess.

The cost drivers, in order of impact

1. Number of cabling points

Each point — a work desk, a printer, a camera, an access point — needs a cable run, a keystone and a port on a switch. This is usually the largest line item on a typical office, and it is where cutting corners shows up later as intermittent faults.

2. Distance and building constraints

Cable length affects labour, containment and the switches and ports required. Multiple floors, ceilings already full of services, or a building with no accessible pathway all add time.

3. Access points

Wi-Fi coverage is a design problem, not a device count. One high-quality access point often covers more than two cheap ones, and the number needed depends on walls, floor area and the density of users.

4. Switching and firewall

PoE capacity, port counts and uplink speeds determine the switch tier. A firewall with genuine IPS capability costs meaningfully more than a basic router, but is the right choice for a business carrying ERP and cloud traffic.

5. Labour and certification

Termination quality determines whether the network works reliably in year three. Ask whether installation includes a certification test report per run and documented patching.

Questions to ask any installer

  • Is there a site survey before quoting, and is it free?
  • Does the quote include cable, containment, patch panels and terminations, or labour only?
  • Will every run be tested and certified, with a report supplied?
  • Are switches and access points PoE-managed, and what is the total PoE budget?
  • Do you hand over as-built documentation and port labelling?
  • What is the warranty on both hardware and workmanship?

Why we publish this instead of a price list

Hardware prices move, and quoting from a website invites the wrong comparison. We quote after a survey, per point, in writing, with the equipment specified by model. That way the quote means the same thing to both sides.

Getting a reliable quote

Send us a floor plan or a description of the space, the number of users, and what you want connected. We will come back with a per-point quote you can compare like-for-like against other installers.