What This Standard Covers
- In-ceiling speaker rough-in positions and box dimensions by room type
- Wire gauge selection by run length from amplifier to speaker location
- Amplifier closet or rack location requirements relative to zone layout
- Zone count guidance for standard residential versus full-home distributed audio scope
- Keypad and volume control rough-in positions and conduit requirements
- Home run wiring requirements versus home run versus loop topology tradeoffs
Who It Is For
- Framers and electricians roughing in speaker boxes and conduit on AV-specified projects
- General contractors coordinating audio rough-in with framing schedule
- Architects reviewing distributed audio scope in construction documents
- Homeowners confirming speaker locations before framing is closed
When To Use It
- Before framing is closed to confirm speaker locations are blocked correctly
- During rough-in when speaker wire is being run back to the equipment location
- At pre-drywall walk to verify all speaker boxes and wire runs are in place
- Before amplifier installation to confirm rack space and power feed are ready
Read or Download the PDF
The full standard, including specifications, diagrams, and field references, is in the embedded PDF below. Read it inline or download it for your jobsite folder.
Field Notes
The most common distributed audio rough-in mistake is running too few zones. Adding a zone after drywall means fishing wire through finished walls. This one-pager defines the zone count conversation that needs to happen before framing is closed.
Speaker blocking is the detail most framers miss without a specific call-out. A 5-inch round hole in a joist bay with no backing is not a speaker rough-in. This page specifies what blocking is required and at what dimensions so the framer has clear instructions.