If you have been quoted anywhere from £40 to £150 for a single data point, you are probably wondering which figure is honest. The truth is that both can be, depending on the building, the cable specification and how the job is priced. This guide breaks down realistic per point costs in Scotland and the North of England, and explains what actually drives the number up or down.
A 'point' usually means one cable run from a central patch panel or cabinet to a single wall outlet, terminated and tested at both ends. For a straightforward Cat6 installation in an office or home, most UK installers charge somewhere between £45 and £85 per point. Cat6a, which supports 10 gigabit speeds over longer runs and is better shielded, typically comes in at £70 to £130 per point because the cable is bulkier, costlier and slower to terminate.
Those figures assume a reasonable quantity of points being installed in one visit. A single point on its own often costs £120 to £200 because the installer still has to travel, set up, terminate and test, so the fixed costs land on one outlet. This is why a 20 point office job can work out at half the per point rate of a two point home job.
The biggest variable is the building itself. A modern office with suspended ceilings and dado trunking is quick to cable. A stone tenement in Edinburgh or a Victorian terrace in Newcastle is a different job entirely: solid walls, lath and plaster ceilings, and long awkward routes all add labour time, and labour is most of the cost. Listed buildings add another layer, since surface trunking may not be acceptable and neater routes take longer.
Cable route length matters less than people expect, because the cable itself is cheap relative to labour. What matters is accessibility. If the installer can lift a few floorboards and drop cables through a riser, points stay cheap. If every run needs chasing into walls, decorating repairs afterwards, or out of hours access because the space is in constant use, expect the per point rate to climb noticeably.
A proper quote should cover the cable run, a faceplate and module at the outlet, termination onto a patch panel at the cabinet end, and a test result for every point. Testing matters: a certified test with a cable analyser proves each run will actually carry the speed you are paying for, and gives you a report to keep. If a quote is unusually cheap, it is worth asking whether testing, patch panel termination and making good are included, because these are the items that quietly disappear from bargain pricing.
Cabinets, patch leads, containment such as trunking or basket tray, and any electrical work for cabinet power are normally priced separately. On small domestic jobs a wall mounted cabinet adds £100 to £250 supplied and fitted. None of this is a hidden extra if the quote is itemised, so ask for a breakdown rather than a single lump sum.
The cheapest way to buy cabling is to install everything you might need in one visit. Adding four points while the installer is already on site might cost £50 each; calling them back next year for the same four points could cost double. If you are renovating, cable before the plasterer arrives, since chasing finished walls is where budgets get hurt.
Be wary of copper clad aluminium cable, which is still sold cheaply online and fails to meet the standards genuine Cat6 promises. Ask the installer to confirm they use solid copper cable from a recognised brand, and that the work will be tested rather than just 'checked with a laptop'. In our experience across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the North of England, the difference between a good and a poor installation rarely shows on day one, but it shows the day you upgrade your broadband or move to faster switches.
Sometimes, if the routes are simple and you are confident lifting boards and drilling joists. Most installers will terminate and test customer pulled cable, but they will only certify the termination, not the run, so any damaged cable discovered during testing is your cost to redo.
A double outlet per TV position and desk position is the usual rule, plus a point at each ceiling location where a Wi-Fi access point might go. Points are cheap to add during installation and expensive to add later, so err on the side of more.
For most homes Cat6 is plenty, as it handles gigabit broadband easily and 10Gb over shorter runs. Cat6a is worth the extra £25 to £45 per point if you are futureproofing a full renovation or feeding high end Wi-Fi 7 access points.
Send Scott the details and we'll get a realistic price back to you, usually the same working day.
Tell us about the job. A photo of the cabinet or a rough cable count is plenty to get a price started.