Cost Per Door
A multifamily budgeting metric that divides total low-voltage scope cost by the number of dwelling units.
What is Cost Per Door?
Cost per door is the shorthand developers and GCs use to sanity-check a multifamily low-voltage budget. Take the total installed cost of the package and divide it by the unit count. It is useful for early budgeting and for comparing one project to another, but it hides a lot: a garden-style walk-up with surface-mounted Wi-Fi and no intercom is a completely different number than a wrap with structured parking, a video intercom at every entry, amenity AV, and a full CCTV package. Common drivers are unit count, amenity square footage, number of IDFs, access-control door count, and whether the owner wants managed Wi-Fi. Treat cost per door as a range, not a price.
Frequently asked questions
Published references
Use the current project documents and adopted code. These links identify the standards owner, regulator, or manufacturer behind this article.
Where EIG PRO uses this
Related terms
Structured Cabling
The standardized cabling infrastructure (Cat6/6A, fiber) that supports networking, voice, video, and low-voltage devices.
IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame)
A secondary networking closet that houses switches and patch panels for a section of a building.
Access Control
Electronic systems that grant or deny entry to doors, gates, elevators, and amenity spaces.
Video Intercom System
A door-station + in-unit (or smartphone) device that lets residents see and speak to visitors and grant entry.