The 20% Efficiency Gap: Optimizing Your Low Voltage Strategy

How streamlining the "Game of Telephone" saves budget and prevents change orders.

In the world of construction, General Contractors (GCs) and Electrical Contractors (ECs) are the backbone of a successful build. They manage the schedule, the heavy infrastructure, and the flow of the job site.

However, as buildings become more intelligent, the process of how Low Voltage technology is procured hasn't kept up with the complexity of the systems being installed.

We believe there is a way to support your GC and EC while saving the developer significant capital. It comes down to fixing the communication chain.

The "Telephone Game" Challenge

In a traditional model, the flow of information looks like a vertical ladder:

1. The Developer has a vision.
2. The GC manages the project scope.
3. The EC manages the power and high voltage.
4. The Low Voltage Partner (WireTech) designs the smart systems.

When a question arises about where to place a smart panel or how to integrate the access control, that question has to climb the ladder up and back down. Even with the best GCs and ECs in the business, this structure creates a "Telephone Game". Information can get delayed or unintentionally and slightly skewed, leading to design friction or change orders later in the project.

The Math: Layered Markups vs. Direct Design

Beyond communication, there is a financial reality to this ladder. When Low Voltage is buried deep in the sub-contracts, "layered markups" occur naturally as part of the business of construction.

The Standard Model: A Low Voltage bid often incurs a management markup from the EC (typically around 16%) and a subsequent markup from the GC (around 4%).

The Result: On a million-dollar technology scope, you might be paying a 20% premium—roughly $200,000—simply for the contract structure, not for better technology.

The WireTech Approach: Collaborative Design

We aren't suggesting you remove the GCs or ECs from the equation—they are vital for the schedule flow. We are suggesting you change when and how you engage with us.

By engaging WireTech for Direct Design and Consulting:

1. You Save the Premium: You invest your budget into the hardware and systems, not the contract layers.
2. You Clear the Line: We work alongside your GC and EC, but we take the design direction directly from you. This eliminates the communication gap.
3. We Support the Trades: We produce a clear design before the EC starts pulling wire, which makes their life easier and keeps the project on schedule.

Whether you are looking to flip the property or hold it for the long term, efficiency is the goal. Let’s clean up the process so your team—and your budget—can work smarter.