There is a huge range in cost depending on the structure that the wire goes into.
The CAT5 wire ranges from as little as 11 cents per foot (sometimes even less) on up for internal wiring. Exterier wire is more costly. The jacks themselves (no face plate or patch panel) cost about $5-$6 per side but can be less when purchased in larger quantities.
Termination time is only a few minutes a side (5-10 max once rolling). Testing should only add about 3-5 minutes a run for the more thorough test equipment. For the cheap equipment that some installers use, it should be less than a minute to test once rolling.
The actual pull is where the time is sunk. If the structure has "horizontal wire management" such as ladder racks or trays, the pull goes relatively fast. If multiple runs have a similar path. If the structure is older and is more "closed" requiring more drilling and "snaking" of wire, the process can be very tedious and costly.
If climbing, crawling, messenger wiring or fire breaks are involved, the time to pull a given run can extend considerably.
Labor rates can be as low as $60 per hour but usually $75 to as high as $150 per hour.
Using higher costs for materials (15 cents per foot and $6 per end for jacks) the materials are $30.75 per run.
For "easy" runs, I would set the labor cost to between $22.50 to $45.00. (Mainly for larger jobs).
For challenging runs, labor could easily go up to and beyond $150-$300 (two hours).
Total for easier runs would thus range from $53.25 to $106.50. This should be a conservatively high budget for a more modern structure.
- Tom
