Portland data & low voltage systems
Structured cabling, fiber, security cameras, and network racks for Portland businesses and homes, installed by the same electricians running the power, and tested and labeled at both ends before anything is handed over.
What's included in a Portland low voltage project
The cable is the cheap part. What sets the price is how many drops there are, the pathway each one has to take, and whether the walls are open or finished. We count all of it on the walk-through, and because the same crew handles the electrical, power and data are planned once, on one schedule.
Structured cabling & data drops
Cat6 and Cat6A drops to desks, access points, printers, TVs, and door hardware, run back to a patch panel, terminated, tested, and labeled at both ends.
Fiber optic installation
Fiber backbones between floors and network closets, and building-to-building runs in conduit, underground or aerial, with terminations and test results at both ends.
IP security cameras
Camera cabling, mounting, and setup on Power over Ethernet, one cable for power and video, with positions chosen on the walk-through so the views cover what they need to.
Network racks & closets
Wall-mount and floor racks set, patch panels terminated, cable managed and dressed, with the dedicated circuit and grounding the rack needs.
Wi-Fi access points
Ceiling-mounted access points on their own cabled drops, placed for coverage rather than wherever a cable already ended up.
Homes & remodels
Cat6 to the rooms that need it, a central network closet, and wired access points for upstairs coverage, often during a remodel or rewire while the walls are open.
The full scope we take on in Portland:
- Structured Cabling
- Fiber Optic Installation & Terminations
- Security Camera Installation
- Network Infrastructure
- Data Drops & Cat6 Cabling
- Building-to-Building Fiber
- Network Rack Installation
- Cable Termination & Testing
- New Construction Low Voltage
- Existing Building Retrofits
- Access Control Wiring
- Commercial Low Voltage Systems
Why choose Multiphase Electric
- One contractor, power and data. The crew pulling your feeders is the crew pulling your Cat6. No coordinating two trades, no arguments about whose conduit that is, and one permit schedule instead of two.
- Labeled at both ends. Every drop is tested and labeled, and the rack is dressed rather than bundled. It is the difference between an hour and a morning the next time something goes down.
- Built for the next device, too. We size pathways and leave the capacity for the cameras, access points, and drops that come after this phase, so the next addition is a pull rather than a new pathway.
Licenses and certifications
- Oregon CCB — Electrical contractor
How a project runs
Every Portland low voltage job follows the same steps. The count in the first one is what the price is built on, and the testing in the last one is what makes the system easy to work on later.
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Walk-through and count
We walk the drawings or the building and count the drops, the camera positions, the access points, and the pathway each run actually has to take, including any fiber between buildings.
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Fixed written quote
You get a fixed price built on that count, naming the cable category, the rack and patch panels, the cameras if we're supplying them, and the permit, so nothing is priced per square foot and guessed.
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Permit and rough-in
We pull the low voltage permit and rough in alongside the electrical, so separation from power, pathways, and firestopping are right before the walls close. In an occupied building we fish existing walls and keep the openings small.
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Terminate, test, and label
Every run is terminated, tested, and labeled at both ends, the rack is dressed, and cameras and access points are mounted and brought online if they're in our scope.
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Inspection and handoff
We schedule the inspection and hand over the test results and a port map, so the next person to touch the rack knows what every port does.
What data cabling costs in Portland
Every job is quoted at a fixed price after the walk-through, so these are typical ranges for the Portland metro, not a quote. The per-drop rows include the cable, the jack and plate, the patch panel port, testing, and labeling. What moves the number most is whether the walls are open, the distance back to the rack, and how many drops share a pathway. Large commercial projects are priced from the drawings.
| Scope | Typical range | Timeline | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data drop, open walls | $150 – $250 per drop | Alongside the electrical rough-in | Cat6 run to the rack, jack and plate, patch panel termination, testing, and labeling. |
| Data drop, finished walls | $200 – $400 per drop | Most homes and small offices in 1–2 days | Cat6 fished through finished walls, jack and plate, patch panel termination, testing, labeling, and patching of access holes. |
| IP security camera | $300 – $600 per camera | 1–2 days for a typical system | Cable run, mounting, connection to the PoE switch or recorder, aiming, and setup. Camera hardware is priced separately. |
| Wi-Fi access point | $250 – $450 per access point | Usually done with the data drops | Dedicated Cat6 drop, ceiling mount, and connection. Access point hardware is priced separately. |
| Network rack or closet | $1,500 – $5,000 | 1 day on site | Rack or wall cabinet, patch panels, cable management, a dedicated circuit, and grounding. |
| Building-to-building fiber | $4,000 – $15,000 | 2–5 days on site | Conduit and trench or aerial run, fiber, terminations at both ends, and test results. |
What our clients say
“I was referred to Multiphase Electric. We now use them from small changes, to our biggest projects. Clear communication, punctual, and guaranteed results. Highly recommend.”
“Really happy with these guys. We did a complete rewiring of the whole house and New panel. Leti is awesome running the office. Very responsive. Vitaliy, John and all the other Electricians were fantastic. They are pros! Highly recommend this company.”
“I have been a customer of Multiphase since 2007, I wouldn't think to go anywhere else they go above and beyond and nothing but Quality work, you definitely can go to bed knowing you were in safe hands, Dave and the whole team has been better than Good to me”
Portland and Multnomah County
We install data cabling, fiber, and cameras across Portland and Multnomah County and the rest of the Portland metro, from Hillsboro and Beaverton to Gresham and Oregon City, for businesses and homes alike.
Nearby in Multnomah County: Gresham, Corbett, Fairview and Troutdale.
Portland data & low voltage systems FAQs
Do you install data cabling in Portland?
Yes. We run structured cabling, fiber, camera cabling, and network racks for businesses and homes across Portland and the rest of the metro, from the walk-through and count through the final inspection.
How much does a data drop cost in Portland?
A Cat6 drop through finished walls usually runs $200 to $400, tested and labeled, and less when the walls are open during construction. A camera is typically $300 to $600 installed, before the camera itself. You get a fixed price after the walk-through.
Does low voltage work need a permit in Portland?
Yes. Oregon treats data, camera, and similar wiring as limited energy work, which is permitted and inspected. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection the same way we do on the power side.
Can you run cable in a finished building without opening walls?
Mostly. We fish existing walls from above and below, use the pathways the building already has, and keep any openings small, out of sight where the framing allows, and patched when we're done.
Cat6 or Cat6A?
Cat6 covers most offices and homes. Cat6A is worth it for long runs, for access points and equipment that need multi-gigabit speeds, and for high-power PoE devices. We'll recommend one on the walk-through based on what the drops will carry.
Do you install the cameras and network equipment, or just the cable?
Either. Some clients want the cable pulled and terminated and leave the equipment to their IT provider. We can also mount and set up the cameras, rack, and access points and hand the system over working.
Can you run fiber to a detached building or a shop?
Yes. Building-to-building fiber in conduit, underground or aerial, is normal work for us, and it often shares a trench with the power feed, which is where having one contractor for both saves money.
Why use an electrician for low voltage?
Because the pathways, separation from power, and firestopping are planned with the electrical rather than worked around it. One crew, one permit schedule, and nobody arguing about whose conduit that is.
Will the Wi-Fi upstairs get better if you run cable?
Usually, yes. One cable to a ceiling-mounted access point or a wired mesh node on the second floor does more than another router, because the floor between them is what weakens the signal.
About Multiphase Electric
Multiphase Electric LLC is a licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Oregon City, serving residential and commercial clients across the Portland metro since 2005. Reach us at (503) 908-1593, see our data & low voltage systems page, or see every city we serve.
Keep looking: Data & low voltage systems, The hidden reason your Wi-Fi struggles upstairs, Commercial electrical services in Portland, Residential electrical services in Portland, and Everything we do in Portland.
