Pull up a stud and set down your tools. You just walked into the only corner of the internet where the drywall is still optional and the wiring is always exposed.
This is RoughInRoom – a community for anyone who believes the smart home starts before the walls close. Not with a gadget you screw into an unprepared box. Not with a Wi-Fi repeater you buy in desperation. But with decisions you make when the studs are still singing and the electrician is asking "are you sure about this?"
If you're here, you're one of three people:
A homeowner mid-renovation or just past it – proud of your wiring plan, hungry for validation, and willing to share the full schematic (labels blurred if you like) so the next person doesn't make the same mistake.
An electrician or low-voltage integrator with real project photos and wiring diagrams – posting to build professional reputation and attract clients who value pre-wire depth over post-construction bandaids.
A first-timer with a specific question about a specific stage – your first thread might be a cry for help, but your tenth will be a showcase.
Or maybe you're just lurking for now. That's fine too. We all started somewhere – usually standing in a gutted room with a notebook and a growing sense of dread.
What we're building here
This forum is organised around one simple principle: renovation stage matters more than device type.
You won't find endless threads about "which smart speaker sounds better" or "Alexa vs Google" – there are other places for that. What you will find is a community that understands the difference between:
What you do at rough-in (when the studs are open and the electrician is waiting for your decisions)
What you check at stage check (before insulation, before drywall, before paint)
What you spec for device side (which switches actually work with the wires you pulled)
What you learn from the crash archive (because someone already made that mistake)
And what you celebrate at finished wall (the project you can finally show off)
Every thread in this room answers one question: what should I wire, run, or plan at this stage of my renovation so I don't regret it later?
Where are you right now?
Here's the first thing we want to know about you – not your name, not your job, but your stage.
Are you...
Still in the dreaming phase? Reading plans, gathering inspiration, not sure if you need conduit or just courage?
Deep in rough-in? The electrician is pulling wire, you're making a dozen decisions a day, and you're pretty sure you'll wake up at 3am remembering something you forgot?
Right before insulation? The studs are still open but the truck is coming tomorrow – you have approximately 12 hours to photograph every junction box, label every wire, and pray you didn't miss anything?
Midway through drywall? Too late to change the wiring, but just early enough to wish you had?
Past the finish line? Moved in, smart home working (mostly), and mentally cataloguing everything you'd do differently next time?
An electrician who's seen it all? You've been in attics, crawlspaces, and million-dollar homes. You know what actually works – and what's a waste of copper.
An integrator who inherited someone else's mistakes? You've walked into houses where the homeowner "planned" the pre-wire themselves – and you're here to gently steer the next person away from that fate?
Just here for the crash archive? Because nothing is more educational than a drywall cut that cost someone $2,000?
Whatever your stage, you're in the right room. This forum is designed to meet you where you are – because a question asked at rough-in has a completely different answer than the same question asked after the walls close.
What we're not
Before we go further, let me be clear about what this forum is not:
We're not a general home automation forum. If you want to discuss which Zigbee hub is best for a finished house, there are excellent subreddits for that.
We're not a buying guide. We'll mention products, but we won't shill for them. Affiliate links get you a warning, then a ban.
We're not a place for unsafe advice. If a comment suggests skipping permits, bypassing GFCI protection, or overloading a circuit, we'll flag it. Safety isn't negotiable.
And we're not a sales floor. If you're an electrician or integrator, you can show your work, but you can't pitch your services in a thread. Your signature or profile is where you advertise – your posts are where you build trust.
How to get started
If you're reading this and you're ready to join the conversation, here's what we recommend:
Reply to this thread – tell us:
Your role (homeowner, electrician, integrator, other)
Your current renovation stage (or if you're here from the future, what stage you were in)
One thing you're either worried about or proud of so far
Browse the boards – pick the one that matches your stage:
If you're planning: read the Rough-In board
If you're mid-build: check Stage Check for deadlines
If you're picking gear: Device Side has your answers
If you want caution: Crash Archive will keep you humble
If you're done: Finished Wall is your aspirational gallery
Ask a question – no question is too basic. The only "dumb" question is the one you ask after the drywall is hung. We've all been there.
Share your experience – even if you're not a pro, your story matters. The homeowner who "just did it" often has the most practical advice – because they know what actually works for a normal person with a normal budget and a normal amount of anxiety.
The only rule that really matters
This forum is built on one principle: help the next person.
The homeowner who posts their wiring diagram isn't showing off (okay, maybe a little). They're creating a reference for someone who's about to make the same decisions.
The electrician who answers a question about box fill isn't giving away trade secrets – they're preventing a fire.
The person who posts in the Crash Archive isn't bragging about their mistake – they're saving someone else a drywall bill.
That's the spirit of RoughInRoom. We're all learning from each other, and the only way to learn is to share.
Welcome to the workshop
So pull up a chair – or better yet, stand on a bucket and look at those studs. Take a photo. Ask a question. Share a plan.
The walls are open, the wire is waiting, and the smart home you're building is going to outlast every gadget you install in it.
So let's start at the beginning – tell us: what stage are you at?
Tagging yourself: when you reply, you can add a tag to show your role: Homeowner / Electrician / Integrator / Other. It helps everyone understand where you're coming from. And if you're a professional, you can apply for a verified tag by messaging the admin team – just show us your license or portfolio.
Sample reply format (if you need a nudge)
Role: Homeowner
Stage: Rough-in – electrician starts pulling wire on Monday
One worry: I have no idea if I need conduit to the media wall or if I'm overthinking it
One pride: I got the electrician to agree to a neutral in every switch box – it only took three emails
No letters yet — pray write the first.