Design drawings
Permit- and bid-ready construction documents your GC, architect and AHJ can actually build from.
- Riser & floor plan drawings
- Drop schedules & device counts
- Rack elevations
- Submittals & as-builts
What is structured cabling?
Structured cabling is a standardized system of copper and fiber optic cable, pathways, patch panels and telecom rooms that carries every low voltage signal in a building — data, voice, wireless access points, cameras, access control and building systems — over one documented infrastructure instead of separate cable runs for each device.
Because it is built to a published standard (ANSI/TIA-568) rather than improvised, a structured system can be tested, labeled, warrantied and expanded without re-cabling the building every time hardware changes. That is the difference between a cabling system and a pile of point-to-point wire.
What we design and install
Six disciplines, one crew, one point of accountability. Most projects combine several — which is exactly why splitting them across separate vendors causes the finger-pointing you are trying to avoid.
Data & voice cabling
Horizontal copper build, terminate, test and certify — from a single drop to thousands.
- Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A
- Shielded & plenum-rated
- PoE / PoE++ device drops
- Full permanent-link testing
Fiber optic backbone
Single-mode and multimode backbone between buildings, floors and telecom rooms.
- OS2, OM3, OM4 & OM5
- Fusion splicing & termination
- OTDR & loss testing
- Inter-building & campus runs
Pathway & support
The conduit, tray and J-hook infrastructure that keeps a cable plant serviceable for twenty years.
- Cable tray & ladder rack
- Conduit & core drilling
- Firestopping at penetrations
- Backbone & horizontal routing
MDF / IDF build-out
Telecom room layout, grounding and dress-out — designed for airflow, access and future growth.
- Room layout & rack elevation
- Racks, cabinets, cable management
- Bonding & grounding (TIA-607)
- Labeling per TIA-606
Testing & certification
Every link tested, documented and handed over — not spot-checked.
- 100% permanent-link results
- Fluke certification reports
- Infrastructure audits
- Remediation of failed plants
Built to standard, not to memory
Cabling that fails inspection or fails certification costs more to fix than it did to install. Here is what we build to.
- TIA-568
- Commercial building telecommunications cabling — the performance standard every link is tested against.
- TIA-569
- Pathways and spaces. Governs how tray, conduit and telecom rooms are sized and routed.
- TIA-606
- Administration and labeling, so the plant is still legible to whoever inherits it.
- TIA-607
- Bonding and grounding for telecommunications infrastructure.
- BICSI
- Our designers and installers hold BICSI and manufacturer certifications. Drawings follow BICSI TDMM practice.
- NFPA 70
- National Electrical Code — plenum ratings, firestopping and abandoned cable removal.
- Title 24
- California energy and building code requirements applicable to low voltage work.
- Licensing
- California C-7 low voltage contractor [[INSERT LICENSE #]]. Fully bonded and insured.
How much does structured cabling cost in San Diego?
Most contractors will not put numbers on a page. We will, because a budget number is the first thing you actually need. In San Diego, a standard Cat6 data drop typically runs [[$185–$325 — CONFIRM]] installed, terminated and tested. The ranges below cover the majority of commercial work we quote; your actual number depends on the factors listed underneath.
| Item | Typical range | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat6 data drop | [[$185–$325]] | per drop | Terminated, tested, labeled. Standard ceiling access. |
| Cat6A data drop | [[$250–$450]] | per drop | Required for 10G and higher-power PoE devices. |
| Wireless access point drop | [[$275–$500]] | per AP | Includes overhead mounting and PoE verification. |
| Camera / access control drop | [[$225–$425]] | per device | Exterior and conduit runs price higher. |
| Fiber backbone | [[$14–$32]] | per linear ft | Varies with strand count, pathway and splice points. |
| Fiber termination | [[$45–$95]] | per strand | Fusion spliced, OTDR tested, results documented. |
| MDF/IDF room build-out | [[$3,500–$18,000]] | per room | Racks, ladder, grounding, dress-out, labeling. |
| Design drawings only | [[Quoted per project]] | — | Riser, floor plans, schedules, rack elevations. |
What moves the number: cable category and shielding · drop length and total quantity (volume lowers per-drop cost) · ceiling type and accessibility · whether conduit or core drilling is required · occupied vs. shell space · after-hours or weekend work · union or prevailing-wage requirements on public projects · asbestos or hazardous-material protocols in older buildings.
How a project runs
A real sequence, in order, so you know what happens and when you need to be involved.
Site walk
We walk the space with you, or work from your plan set if the building does not exist yet. No charge, no obligation.
Design & drawings
Riser diagram, floor plans, drop schedule and rack elevations — issued for permit, bid or construction.
Fixed proposal
Line-item scope with quantities, materials and exclusions stated plainly. What is in, what is out, no surprises.
Rough-in
Pathway, sleeves and cable pulled above ceiling, coordinated around the electrical and mechanical trades.
Terminate & test
Jacks, panels and racks dressed and labeled. Every permanent link certified, not sampled.
Close-out
Test results, as-built drawings, labeling schedule and warranty registration delivered as a documentation package.
Forty years of San Diego buildings
ATEL has cabled hotels, hospitals, city facilities, labs, warehouses and professional offices across San Diego County since 1985 — often as the same contractor a client calls back for the next three buildings.
ATEL always provides top notch service. We enjoy working with Kathy and Skyler. ATEL is our go-to for all cabling needs, techwork, etc.
Commercial real estate · LA & San Diego
Let me compliment you on the cabling work ATEL has done so far. Very nice.
Professional services · San Diego
Man you guys are awesome — great job!
General contractor · San Diego
40+Years in business
5,000+Clients served
95%Customer retention
98%Customer satisfaction
Industries we cable
Structured cabling FAQ
What is the difference between Cat6 and Cat6A?
Cat6 supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to roughly 55 meters; Cat6A supports it across the full 100-meter channel and handles heat better under high-power PoE. If you are running PoE++ devices — modern wireless access points, PTZ cameras, powered displays — or you expect the cabling to outlast two hardware refreshes, Cat6A is usually the better long-term spend. For standard desktop and phone drops in a smaller footprint, Cat6 is still appropriate.
How long does a structured cabling installation take?
A small tenant improvement with 20–40 drops is typically one to three days on site. A full floor of 150–300 drops usually runs one to two weeks. Multi-floor and campus projects with fiber backbone and multiple telecom rooms are scheduled in phases alongside the other trades. The variable is rarely the cable — it is ceiling access, pathway, and how the general contractor has sequenced the job.
Do you provide the design drawings, or do I need an engineer?
We produce them. ATEL delivers riser diagrams, floor plans, drop schedules and rack elevations suitable for permit, bid or construction. If you already have a consultant's drawing set, we build to it and flag any conflicts during submittal review rather than in the field.
Do you test and certify every cable?
Yes. Every permanent link is tested against the applicable TIA-568 performance category and the results are delivered to you as part of the close-out package, alongside as-built drawings and the labeling schedule. Spot-checking a percentage of drops is common in the industry; it is not how we hand over a job.
Can you work in an occupied building?
Routinely. Much of our work is in operating hotels, medical offices and government facilities where the building cannot go down. We schedule around business hours, work nights and weekends where required, and stage the cutover so the old system stays live until the new one is tested.
Do you remove old abandoned cable?
Yes, and in most cases the code requires it. NFPA 70 requires that accessible abandoned communications cable be removed, and inspectors in San Diego do cite it. We quote removal as a line item so you can see what it costs rather than discovering it mid-project.
What areas do you serve?
All of San Diego County — including downtown San Diego, Kearny Mesa, Sorrento Valley, Mira Mesa, Carlsbad, Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Poway, El Cajon, La Mesa, Chula Vista and National City. For clients with locations outside the region, we coordinate multi-site rollouts nationally through our national accounts team.
Can you handle the other low voltage systems on the same job?
That is the main reason clients bring us in. Cameras, access control, wireless, paging, AV, DAS and phone systems all ride on the same cable plant. Running them through one contractor means one set of drawings, one schedule, and nobody blaming the other trade when a device will not come online.
Systems that ride on this cable plant
Start with a walkthrough
Tell us what the building is and what has to work in it. We will walk the space, put real numbers to it, and show you the drawings before anyone pulls cable.