The spec only calls for riser cable. Why are you recommending a plenum-rated product?

The composite access control cable we stock is only available in a CMP/CL2P plenum rating, which is above the CMR/CL2R your building requires. Plenum cable is permitted where riser is required, so it can be used in your riser and general spaces. The installer should confirm this with the local authority having jurisdiction before the pull.

Can I just buy four separate cables per door instead of the composite?

You can, and it will cost a little less per foot since the composite runs about $0.71 per foot. The trade-off is four pulls per door instead of one, plus four cables to dress and label at each controller. For 14 doors the labor saved on pulling and terminating usually covers the difference.

How did you arrive at two 1,000 ft reels for 14 doors?

The estimate assumes about 100 ft per door from the door to the controller closet on the same floor, which is 1,400 ft. Adding 15% for service loops and terminations brings it to 1,610 ft, so two 1,000 ft reels. If some doors are farther from the closet, measure those runs and adjust before ordering.

Is the 18 AWG pair heavy enough to power the electric strikes?

At 12 VDC, 18 AWG handles a typical strike out to roughly 200 ft, which covers 100 to 150 ft runs comfortably. If any door is farther than that, or if you have 12 VDC maglocks instead of strikes, send us the distances and we will check the voltage drop or suggest 24 VDC supplies.

How should the shield on the reader pairs be terminated?

Land the drain wire at the controller end only and leave it floating at the reader. Grounding both ends can create a ground loop that interferes with reader data. The 22 AWG 3-pair shielded section gives you six conductors, enough for Wiegand or OSDP with spares.

Will the price hold long enough to get a purchase order issued?

Cable prices follow the copper market and can change daily, so the price shown today is not guaranteed for later. You can request a seven-day written quote from the cart, which locks the price for that period. Keep in mind each floor controller also usually needs a Category 6 drop to the IT closet, so add that to the quote if it is not already installed.

Job guides

Access control for 14 doors on two floors, riser

Access control for 14 doors on two floors of an office building. Readers and electric strikes at every door, door contacts and request-to-exit, controllers in a closet on each floor. Riser rated is enough; no plenum spaces.

Fourteen doors, each needing a reader, strike power, door contact and REX back to a controller closet on the same floor. The simplest way to do that is one composite access control cable per door: it bundles all four circuits under one jacket so you pull once per door instead of four times. The only one we carry is plenum-rated, which exceeds your riser requirement and is fine to use in riser spaces; you pay a little more per foot but make it back in labor.

Buy listAbout $1,420.00 before shipping and tax

One pull per door: reader, lock power, REX, door contact

Composite Access Control Cable - Plenum CMP/CL2P (22/3PR Shielded, 18/4C, 22/4C, 22/2C)

ACCCMP184223RY$710.00 per reelIn stock

It carries every circuit a single door needs in one jacket: 22 AWG 3-pair shielded for the reader (six conductors, enough for Wiegand data, power, LED and beeper, or OSDP with spares), 18 AWG 4-conductor for strike power with a spare pair for lock monitoring, 22/4 for REX, and 22/2 for the door contact. Each sub-cable is color-striped so terminations at the controller go fast and mistakes are rare. It is CMP/CL2P rated, which is above the CMR/CL2R your building needs, so it is acceptable in riser and general spaces. At roughly $0.71 per foot it runs a bit more than buying the four cables separately, but you pull once per door instead of four times and end up with one cable to dress and label.

14 doors x 100 ft = 1,400 ft, plus 15% for service loops and terminations = 1,610 ft, so two 1,000 ft reels.

Also consider: Build it from riser components: 1804UCMRRG (18/4 lock power), 2202UCMRBW (22/2 for door contacts and REX relay) and 1804SCMRRG (18/4 shielded) for readers. It saves roughly 10 to 20 percent on cable but means four pulls per door, and the 18/4 shielded only works for OSDP readers; we do not carry a 22/6 shielded riser cable for Wiegand readers.

$1,420.00

2 reels

Product page and datasheet

Everything on the list is in stock.

What we can't supply for this job

We do not carry readers, electric strikes, door contacts, REX devices, controllers or lock power supplies.
We do not carry a 22 AWG 6-conductor shielded riser cable, so a component build for Wiegand readers is not possible from this catalogue; the composite cable is the way to cover them.

Assumed: Average run of about 100 ft from each door to the floor closet, since controllers are on the same floor as the doors they serve. Standard 12 or 24 VDC electric strikes drawing under 500 mA, not maglocks. Readers are either Wiegand or OSDP; the 22 AWG 3-pair shielded element in the composite covers both. Conventional door contacts and REX relays with no powered REX sensors that need more than four conductors.

Plenum (CMP/CL2P) cable is permitted where riser (CMR/CL2R) is required, but confirm with your local authority having jurisdiction before the pull.
All four circuits are power-limited Class 2; keep the cable separated from line-voltage conductors and out of the same boxes unless properly barriered.
Strike voltage drop: 18 AWG at 12 VDC handles a typical strike out to roughly 200 ft; if any door is farther than that or you have 12 VDC maglocks, tell us and we will check the run or suggest 24 VDC supplies.
Terminate the reader shield drain wire at the controller end only and leave it floating at the reader to avoid ground loops.
Reader distances: Wiegand is generally good to about 500 ft on 22 AWG and OSDP further, so 100 to 150 ft runs are well within limits.
Each floor controller usually needs a Category 6 network drop to the IT closet; we stock Category 6 riser in 1000 ft boxes if those are not already in place.
Prices follow the copper market daily; a seven-day written quote is available from the cart.

Your job is different? Adjust it.

Change the numbers to yours and get your own list at today's prices.

Describe the job. Get the buy list.

You get the parts, the quantities, today's prices and the reasoning, ready to add to the cart.

Questions that come up on this job

The spec only calls for riser cable. Why are you recommending a plenum-rated product?: The composite access control cable we stock is only available in a CMP/CL2P plenum rating, which is above the CMR/CL2R your building requires. Plenum cable is permitted where riser is required, so it can be used in your riser and general spaces. The installer should confirm this with the local authority having jurisdiction before the pull.
Can I just buy four separate cables per door instead of the composite?: You can, and it will cost a little less per foot since the composite runs about $0.71 per foot. The trade-off is four pulls per door instead of one, plus four cables to dress and label at each controller. For 14 doors the labor saved on pulling and terminating usually covers the difference.
How did you arrive at two 1,000 ft reels for 14 doors?: The estimate assumes about 100 ft per door from the door to the controller closet on the same floor, which is 1,400 ft. Adding 15% for service loops and terminations brings it to 1,610 ft, so two 1,000 ft reels. If some doors are farther from the closet, measure those runs and adjust before ordering.
Is the 18 AWG pair heavy enough to power the electric strikes?: At 12 VDC, 18 AWG handles a typical strike out to roughly 200 ft, which covers 100 to 150 ft runs comfortably. If any door is farther than that, or if you have 12 VDC maglocks instead of strikes, send us the distances and we will check the voltage drop or suggest 24 VDC supplies.
How should the shield on the reader pairs be terminated?: Land the drain wire at the controller end only and leave it floating at the reader. Grounding both ends can create a ground loop that interferes with reader data. The 22 AWG 3-pair shielded section gives you six conductors, enough for Wiegand or OSDP with spares.
Will the price hold long enough to get a purchase order issued?: Cable prices follow the copper market and can change daily, so the price shown today is not guaranteed for later. You can request a seven-day written quote from the cart, which locks the price for that period. Keep in mind each floor controller also usually needs a Category 6 drop to the IT closet, so add that to the quote if it is not already installed.

Other jobs

Prices are today's and follow the copper and aluminum markets each weekday; quantities are for the example job. Confirm code requirements with your inspector. How we price