There is no single correct price per Cat6 drop. The profitable price is the one that covers your actual cable, hardware, loaded labor, access difficulty, testing, travel, overhead and risk while still fitting the local market.
Build the price from cost, not from a competitor’s number
Start with expected technician time. A short open-ceiling run and a difficult finished-space run should not share the same labor assumption simply because both terminate in an RJ45 jack.
Cost categories to include
- Bulk cable and waste allowance
- Jacks, faceplates, patch panels and mounting hardware
- Loaded technician labor
- Testing or certification time
- Lift or special access
- Travel and mobilization
- Firestopping and pathway work where included
- Project management and documentation
- Contingency for scope uncertainty
A useful way to quote
Internally, calculate cost per run. Externally, present a clear project price and scope so the customer is not encouraged to compare only a simplistic per-drop number while ignoring pathway and testing differences.
Example planning scenario
If a technician requires 1.25 hours per run, do not multiply only by wage. Add employer burden to find loaded labor. Then add material and project costs before applying your pricing strategy. A $35 wage with 30% burden is a $45.50 loaded hourly labor cost before overhead and profit.
When to increase the price
Finished ceilings, difficult pathways, occupied spaces, after-hours work, high ladders/lifts, long runs, certification requirements and strict closeout documentation can all increase labor and risk.
Need a full project estimator?
The Professional Low-Voltage Estimator adds loaded labor, material and labor markup, testing, termination costs, difficulty, contingency, target-margin checks, cable-box planning and estimate-vs-actual job costing.
See the Professional Estimator