How Much Does it Cost to Install Telephone Jacks and Wiring?

A dead battery can make a mobile phone useless, and many areas have interference from electric lines and other factors that can leave homeowners with no signal in their homes. Phone jacks give complete access to a home phone, no matter what the weather looks like outside or what type of interference electronics face. Some people think that because they use cordless phones they only need one jack, but installing two or more phone jacks lets those homeowners keep multiple phones around the home and lets them use the phone even if one of the other jacks suffers from technical problems.

Phone Jacks vs. Wires

There are two major components of a home phone system: the wires and the phone jack itself. The jack is a small component that looks similar to an outlet. It features a small hole on the front that lets a homeowner plug in a phone cord. The wires inside the walls send a signal back to the lines run by the phone company that let the user make and receive calls.

Phone Jack vs. Digital Phone

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and other major cable companies offer renters and homeowners the chance to have digital phone in their homes. Digital phones use an Internet signal to make and receive calls, and these phones plug right into the back of the modem used in the home. As digital phones need the Internet to work properly, even the most minor of storms can knock out the signal. A phone jack does not use the Internet and can withstand some of the issues that affect digital phones.

How to Install a Phone Jack

Installing a phone jack takes some hard work. Installers will need a drywall saw that lets them cut through the drywall in a room to gain access to the inside of the wall. They will also need a flashlight, a coat hanger and a stud finder. The stud finder ensures that they don't attempt to cut through any studs, and the coat hanger and flashlight lets them look inside the walls and watch out for any pipes, electrical lines or other hazards.

Once installers decide where the phone jack will go, they need to use the coat hanger or a fish tape tool to carefully remove the telephone wire from its spool and slip it through the wall. A professional can use standard tools to carefully run the lines from the telephone pole to the house and then inside the walls. Professional installation companies will also turn off the electrical system in the home and use other safety measures to reduce the risk of electrical fires and other potential problems.

Full Inter-Wall vs. No Inter-Wall Access

One of the main factors that determines the cost of installing a phone jack and any necessary wires is whether the installer has access to the inter-walls. The walls in the average home feature several layers of drywall and other materials. In new construction homes, installers can lay the telephone wires and attach those wires to new jacks before the drywall goes up. In existing homes, the installer typically won't have full inter-wall access. The installer will need to make a series of small holes in the house and connect the wires in multiple spots, which will increase the total cost.

Existing Wiring vs. New Jacks and Wiring

Homeowners often can't tell whether the phone jacks and wires in an existing home work. Even if the home was built in the last few years, rust, water damage and other factors can affect the wires and damage the connection between the jack and the wires. A telephone installer can use a special tool that determines if there is a signal between the two components, and experts can also use other methods to check the wires inside the walls.

If the home needs new wires, the installer will typically need to cut into the walls and repair or replace the existing wires. They can splice new wires into the existing wires to create a more functional system, but if the problem relates to a connection between the telephone pole and the wires, the entire system may need work. This can cause the price of installing one or more jacks and wires to double or even triple.