In the 1980's wireless equipment for residential alarm systems was used as a last resort, was done when running a wire was too difficult and exposing that wire was not aesthetically acceptable. Usually, wireless equipment augmented a hardwired system and did not make up the bulk of the system. In new construction, pre-wire was the standard, and every accessible door and window was wired, as were the keypads, glass breaks, motion detectors, phone line, bell, siren, etc.
Over the years wireless equipment has improved to the point where hard wiring a home is no longer a consideration, especially in retrofitting a home. Now, alarm systems are practically wire free in terms of fishing wire. Keypads are about the last thing left that can be hardwired and that is usually a short run to a plug-in power supply. Also, the All-In-One systems, such as Honeywell's Lyric can do so much more than the hardwired panels I've been using for many years such as the Vista 20P, 21iP, 128BPT and the 250BPT. For the past 20 years, whenever I encountered residential retrofits, those were quoted as wireless with the foundation of a hardwired panel, all window, door, motion, and glass breaks were wireless, while the keypads, bell, siren, telephone were hardwired. However, during that period I would still pre-wire new construction residential alarm systems. The past several years, for retrofits, I've been doing completely wireless systems, and foregoing the hardwired components all together.
I used to shun wireless systems because the sensors were bulky, needed battery changes and I wasn't confident in their reliability. That has changed as well, now the sensors are much smaller, can be recessed, are aesthetically pleasing, are reliable, are easy to install and to replace. When someone calls about replacing their windows and doors in a hardwired system, I cringe at the thought. So many things have to be considered such as will there be wire damage during the replacement, will I need to drill the new windows and door jambs, or will the door/window installers do that, if they drill will they do it right, will I need to relocate the sensor requiring rerouting of the wire, will the windows have two vents now requiring additional sensors? When I hear from someone with a wireless system about to do a door and window replacement, it's stress free as it's quite simple to remove the wireless sensor and replace it when the windows and doors are installed. Double stick tape in most cases, for the window sensors, is about all that's needed.
So now I'm reconsidering the new construction residential pre-wire. I'm thinking that wiring new construction residential for an alarm system would be quite limited, if at all. Maybe wiring for keypad / console power supply is about the extent of the alarm pre-wiring for today's alarm system. I'm interested in what others are doing in this situation. Are some people still pre-wiring residential alarms?
I still pre-wire for network, landline telephone, CATV, home audio, home theater and cameras.