The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) issues licences to construction contractors and recommends checking, before hiring a contractor for construction work, that the contractor holds a valid licence. Its list of specialized contractor's licence subclasses includes subclass "17.2 - Contractor – Intercommunications, telephone and surveillance." Ask which licence the company that will cable your premises holds.
Short answer
You describe your premises and your network jack needs: your request is reviewed by the Courtier TI team, then entrusted to the IT services company that will prepare your quote. The number of drops, the cable category and the rack location are set with you.
What the quote should cover
- The number of drops per workstation, meeting room, printer, Wi-Fi access point or camera
- The proposed cable category, and the reason for that choice
- The location and equipment of the telecommunications room or cabinet: rack, patch panels, cable management
- The cable routes and related work: ceilings, walls, conduits, penetrations
- Labelling of each jack and each panel port, following a documented scheme
- Certification testing of each link and delivery of the test reports
- As-built drawings, the RBQ licence of the contractor doing the work and the warranty offered
The steps of a cabling project
- Site visit and needs assessment, based on your floor plans
- Drop plan: location of each jack and of the telecommunications room
- Detailed quote: materials, quantities, related work and exclusions
- Coordination with the building owner and other trades
- Installation of cables, jacks, rack and panels
- Labelling of each link and certification testing
- Delivery of test reports and as-built drawings
Drops, cable category and telecommunications room
The drop plan is the basis of the quote. Think beyond desks: meeting rooms, printers, displays, IP phones, Wi-Fi access points and cameras often need a jack. If your project includes a wireless network, the business Wi-Fi page explains how a coverage survey determines where access points go.
The cable category affects the cost and the possible uses. Rather than relying on a label, ask that the quote state the proposed category, the intended use and the reference standard. The same goes for the telecommunications room or cabinet: location, ventilation, power, secure access and room for growth should be described.
Standards, labelling and certification
Standards govern telecommunications cabling in commercial buildings, for example the TIA-568 family from the Telecommunications Industry Association. Ask the company preparing the quote to state which standard and edition it commits to, and require that the test reports demonstrate it.
Each jack and each patch panel port should carry a unique identifier that appears on the as-built drawings. Without this documentation, finding a cable during troubleshooting or a move takes time. Also require a test report for each link that states the target standard and category, the tester used and the result obtained.
RBQ licence and the building
According to the RBQ, before hiring a contractor for construction work, you should check that the contractor holds a valid licence by entering the licence number in the Licence holders' repertory. Ask the company doing the work for its licence number and the subclasses it holds. The RBQ's list of specialized contractor's licence subclasses includes 17.2, Contractor – Intercommunications, telephone and surveillance.
If you are a tenant, your lease may govern work in the building: penetrations, ceiling pathways, access to the building's telecommunications room. Get the owner's approval before the work and clarify what you will have to remove at the end of the lease.
Questions to ask yourself before requesting a quote
- Do you have up-to-date floor plans of the premises?
- How many people and workstations do you expect, today and in a few years?
- Where will printers, displays, Wi-Fi access points and cameras be located?
- Is there already a telecommunications room or cabinet, and existing cabling to reuse or remove?
- Must the work be done outside business hours?
- Does the building owner impose conditions or a contractor?
Pitfalls to avoid
- Accepting a quote that states neither the cable category nor the target standard
- Receiving no test reports, or reports that do not state the target standard
- Unlabelled jacks or as-built drawings that are never delivered
- Planning only the drops needed today, with no margin for growth
- Placing the rack in a room with no ventilation, no access control or shared with storage
- Forgetting to check the RBQ licence of the contractor doing the work
What to specify in your request
- The address and floor area of the premises, with floor plans if you have them
- The number of workstations and other devices to connect
- Whether it is new premises, a reconfiguration or a move
- The condition of the existing cabling and telecommunications room
- Building constraints: work hours, access, owner requirements
- The target move-in date
You can then describe your project: the team will contact you to clarify your needs and provide a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which cable category should we choose?
The choice depends on the intended uses, the expected life of the installation and the budget. Ask that the quote state the proposed category, the reason for that choice and the reference standard, and that the test reports confirm each link meets it.
Which licence should we check before cabling work?
Ask the company for its Régie du bâtiment du Québec licence number and the subclasses it holds, then check them in the Licence holders' repertory. The RBQ recommends this check before hiring a contractor for construction work. Its list of specialized contractor's licence subclasses includes 17.2, Contractor – Intercommunications, telephone and surveillance.
What is cabling certification?
It is the testing of each installed link, which produces a report. Ask that the quote state the target standard and category, and that each report show the result for the link tested. Require delivery of all reports at the end of the work.
What should I provide to get an accurate quote?
Floor plans, the number of workstations and other devices to connect, the preferred location of the telecommunications room and the building's constraints. A site visit is generally needed.
Does cabling have to be redone when we move?
The cabling stays in the premises you leave. In the new premises, have the existing cabling assessed: category, condition, labelling and available test reports. The quote can then plan to reuse, extend or replace it.