Structured cabling and low-voltage installation in San Jose
Cablify installs network cabling, fiber, security cameras, access control and Wi-Fi across Silicon Valley, from Downtown and North San Jose to Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Milpitas and Fremont.
- R&D vacancy, Q3 2026
- 12.9%, down from 13.4%
- R&D leased in Q3 2026
- 2.6 million sq ft
- R&D under construction
- 940,000 sq ft, all preleased
- Data center inventory
- 509.2 MW, Q2 2026
Low-voltage permits change at the city line
Each Silicon Valley city adopts its own list of work that needs no permit, and the lists do not match.
| City | What the city exempts | Where we check |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose | Class 2 and Class 3 low-energy power, control and signal circuits, and equipment under 25 volts and 50 watts, under Bulletin #201 (October 2024). New or reconfigured electrical wiring otherwise needs a permit. | Development Services Permit Center |
| Sunnyvale | Wiring and devices under 25 volts and 50 watts, on a list revised in January 2026. The list does not name Class 2 or data cabling. | Building Safety |
| Palo Alto | Equipment under 25 volts and 50 watts, under the city’s amended building code. | Development Center |
| Santa Clara and Mountain View | We confirm the rule with the Building Division for each scope before we quote. | Building Division |
Fire alarm and radio coverage in San Jose
The San Jose Fire Department requires a permit for any work on a fire alarm or monitoring system. Plans are filed electronically through SJePlans, the installing contractor is the applicant, and that contractor needs a C-10 electrical license.
Emergency responder radio coverage follows a separate Fire Marshal guideline. We plan the risers, pathways and equipment rooms both systems need, and coordinate with your licensed fire alarm and radio coverage vendors so nothing competes for the same shaft.
What the radio coverage guideline asks for
- Approved radio coverage for emergency responders in all buildings
- Buildings over three stories, 30,000 square feet or more, with 5,000 square feet of basement, or used for parking must show on plans that a system can be added
- Registration with the Silicon Valley Regional Interoperability Authority before a construction permit is issued
- Backup power that runs the system for at least 24 hours
- 99% coverage in fire command centers, exit stairs and elevator lobbies
- An annual operating permit held by the property owner
Data centers wait on power
CBRE counted 509.2 MW of data center inventory in Silicon Valley in the second quarter of 2026, with 21.2 MW available.
Santa Clara’s city utility, Silicon Valley Power, serves about 60 data centers, and they use 55% of its power. Its peak load is around 740 MW, and the utility expects about 1,300 MW within five to ten years, according to the American Public Power Association.
CBRE says higher costs, tight infrastructure and regulation have kept new data centers here smaller than those in power-rich states.
Microsoft, North San Jose
Under construction, expected to deliver 49 to 99 MW.
Prologis, city site
Selected by San Jose for a 159-acre campus of four 99 MW buildings.
Prologis, South San Jose
A 99 MW development.
Equinix, Great Oaks
About 16 acres bought next to the campus for future expansion.
In data halls we install fiber trunks, cross-connects, overhead tray and tested copper to the operator’s standards, and follow the site’s escort and access rules.
R&D buildings turn over fast
Tenants leased 2.6 million square feet of Silicon Valley R&D space in the third quarter of 2026, and CBRE put vacancy at 12.9%. AI companies are behind much of it. OpenAI leased about 450,000 square feet across five buildings in Mountain View, and Databricks took 180,400 square feet in Sunnyvale.
Many of these moves are into second-generation buildings, where the last tenant’s cabling is still in the ceiling.
Example
A second-generation R&D building for a new tenant
- Test and document the cable the last tenant left
- Remove abandoned cable, as the electrical code requires for accessible runs
- Rebuild the IDFs around the new floor plan
- Wi-Fi and cameras in labs, shipping and receiving
- Badge readers on lab and server room doors
An illustration, not a design. The building and your drawings decide the scope.
Across Silicon Valley
From the downtown core to the Bay’s southern shore.
Downtown San Jose
Offices and government buildings. Google’s Downtown West plan for more than 7 million square feet of office is still largely unbuilt.
North San Jose
Tech offices and the city’s data center growth, including Microsoft’s project and the site chosen for Prologis.
Santa Clara
NVIDIA’s headquarters, about 3 million square feet, and about 60 data centers on Silicon Valley Power.
Sunnyvale
Applied Materials opened its $5 billion EPIC Center in October 2026, with nearly four acres of cleanroom. Databricks’ offices here total about 635,000 square feet.
Mountain View and Cupertino
Google’s 1.1 million square foot Bay View campus, OpenAI’s new Ellis Street campus and Apple Park.
Fremont and Milpitas
Lam Research’s main offices and R&D, plus manufacturing and warehouse space.
Common questions
Do I need a permit for network cabling in San Jose?
San Jose’s Bulletin #201 exempts Class 2 and Class 3 low-energy circuits and equipment under 25 volts and 50 watts. We confirm how that applies to your scope before we quote, and neighboring cities each have their own list.
Who installs fire alarm and radio coverage systems in San Jose?
The Fire Department’s guidelines call for a C-10 electrical contractor, and the installing contractor files the permit. We plan the pathways and rooms those systems need.
Do you work in data centers?
Yes. We install fiber, cross-connects, tray and copper to the operator’s standards, and follow the site’s access and escort rules.
Which cities do you cover?
Our San Jose market covers Silicon Valley, including Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Milpitas, Campbell and Fremont.
Request a quote in San Jose
Send the address, building type and what you need installed. For a tenant move, include the floor plan and the move date.