I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched crews curse their past selves for not running an extra conduit or leaving a chase open. One project, we had to retrofit fiber lines into a buildin...
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but sometimes the “just in case” approach can go overboard. I’ve seen buildings with so many unused chases and stubs that it actually made future work confusing. There’s a balance—future-proofing’s smart, but too many extras can be a headache too.
Had a project a few years back where we tried to “future-proof” a mixed-use building. We left so many extra runs and stub-outs that, when it came time for the next phase, even the GC was scratching his head trying to figure out what went where. Ended up spending more time tracing dead ends than actually installing anything new. I get wanting to plan ahead, but sometimes less really is more...
Totally get where you’re coming from. When I built my place, I kept hearing “future-proof, future-proof” from everyone—architect, builder, you name it. Ended up with a couple of mystery conduits in the walls that I have no clue about. At the time, it felt smart, like I was being proactive, but now I’m not sure it was worth the headache. I kind of wish I’d just stuck with what I actually needed, and planned to adapt later if tech changed.
Here’s what I’m curious about: if you could go back and do it again, would you put in fewer stubs and just rely on flexible systems, or is there a sweet spot between over-prepping and being caught off guard? I feel like there’s got to be a balance, but it’s hard to know until you’ve lived through it.
I kind of wish I’d just stuck with what I actually needed, and planned to adapt later if tech changed.
I totally get that feeling. When we did our build, I was so worried about missing out on “the next big thing” that I let the electrician talk me into running extra ethernet and speaker wires everywhere. Now, half of them just sit there unused, and I’m not even sure where they go. If I could do it again, I’d focus more on open access points and less on hardwiring for stuff I might never use. There’s definitely a sweet spot, but I think it leans more toward flexibility than over-prepping. Tech changes way faster than walls do.
Honestly, I’m right there with you. We went a little overboard with smart switches and extra wiring “just in case,” but now I’m realizing wireless tech is catching up so fast that half of it feels pointless. Did you guys do anything for future-proofing that actually paid off? I keep wondering if conduit or something would’ve been smarter than all these cables I’ll probably never use...
