How should I price IT for a new dental build?
On this page
- Key facts
- Why do dental build-out IT quotes go wrong?
- How should the project be broken into phases?
- What should the cabling price be based on?
- How should hardware be priced?
- How do allowances and change orders protect both sides?
- How should the project be billed?
- Which free tools help with this?
- How FloorStack helps
- Free tools for this step
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Price it as a construction project, not a support contract: a fixed fee per phase tied to a device-by-device plan, hardware as a separate bill of materials, cabling quoted from a drop schedule, and written change orders for anything after sign-off. Keep every run within the 90-meter permanent-link limit (Fluke Networks). That's the 2026 baseline.
Key facts
| Item | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cable run limit | Permanent link maximum 90 meters; channel 100 meters | Fluke Networks |
| What buyers compare | HHS 405(d) tells practices to ask MSPs for estimated total cost of ownership in an RFI | HICP Technical Volume 1 |
| Change orders | AIA A201 defines a Change Order as a written instrument signed by owner, contractor and architect | AIA A201-2017 sample |
| Allowances | A201 requires allowances stated in the contract documents to be included in the contract sum | AIA A201-2017 sample |
| What dental attorneys look for | Change order procedures and payment schedules tied to milestones, not calendar dates | Dental & Medical Counsel |
| Schedule | Lease to CO runs five to nine months for a ground-up dental build | Curve Dental |
| Hardware floor | PMS vendors publish server and workstation requirements, e.g., Dentrix | Henry Schein One |
Why do dental build-out IT quotes go wrong?
Three reasons I see over and over. The quote was written before the floor plan was final, so drops and devices moved. Hardware and labor were blended, so every model swap reopened the whole number. And nothing defined what happens when the dealer adds a CBCT in month four. The fix for all three is the same: price from a plan everyone has signed.
The doctor is comparing you with other bids and with the general contractor's low-voltage line. HHS 405(d) advises practices to request each MSP's organizational profile, implementation model, ongoing support and "estimated total cost of ownership," then rate capabilities and pricing side by side (HICP Technical Volume 1). Make your proposal easy to compare on exactly those terms.
How should the project be broken into phases?
| Phase | Typical deliverable | Pricing approach |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Design | Device schedule, drop map, rack elevation, network plan | Fixed fee |
| 2. Low-voltage cabling | Certified runs, labeled both ends, test results | Per-drop or lump sum from the drop schedule |
| 3. Hardware | Firewall, switches, APs, UPS, server, workstations, displays | Itemized bill of materials at cost-plus or pass-through |
| 4. Build and configure | Imaging, PMS, M365, backups, security baseline | Fixed fee per scope |
| 5. Go-live | Imaging, restore, failover and power tests on site | Fixed fee |
| 6. Hypercare | First weeks of open-office support | Fixed block of hours |
| 7. Recurring | Managed services after opening | Separate agreement |
Phase 1 is the one most MSPs give away. Don't. A good design phase is the reason phases 2 to 5 come in on budget, and it's the document the GC, dealer and architect will build around. The doctor-facing breakdown of these line items is in dental office IT setup cost.
What should the cabling price be based on?
A room-by-room drop schedule, not a square-foot guess. Count every workstation, chair, sensor PC, printer, phone, display, camera and access point, add spares, and check that no run from the rack exceeds the 90-meter permanent-link limit (Fluke Networks). If the rack location pushes runs long, say so in Phase 1 rather than pricing a second closet in a change order. Drop counts by room are covered in network drops per operatory. Price cabling for installation before drywall; retrofit work costs more and should be priced separately.
How should hardware be priced?
Separately and line by line, so a model change touches one line. Spec from the software up: Henry Schein One, for example, publishes Dentrix server and workstation requirements and notes it no longer supports installing Dentrix on Windows 10 after June 30, 2026 (Henry Schein One). Disclose any markup. Register hardware, licenses and warranties in the practice's name (who owns dental office passwords).
How do allowances and change orders protect both sides?
Use allowances for anything not yet chosen, like the CBCT workstation or the TV brand, and state them in dollars. AIA's A201 general conditions require allowances stated in the contract documents to be included in the contract sum (AIA A201-2017 sample). For changes, borrow the construction model: A201 defines a Change Order as a written instrument signed by the owner, contractor and architect that states the change in the work and any adjustment to price and time (AIA A201-2017 sample). Dental attorneys look for exactly this: defined change order procedures and payment tied to milestones (Dental & Medical Counsel).
How should the project be billed?
By milestone: a deposit at design sign-off, cabling at rough-in, hardware at order, the balance at go-live tests. Align your milestones with the GC's schedule so you aren't waiting on drywall to invoice work you finished. A typical schedule runs five to nine months from lease to certificate of occupancy for a ground-up build (Curve Dental), so a long gap between phases is normal. Price your remobilization trips in. Coordinate the timing with when to involve IT in a build-out and the IT onboarding checklist.
Which free tools help with this?
The network & IT plan generator (free tool, coming soon) is planned to turn a floor plan into a network, drop and rack plan. The build-out cost & timeline calculator (free tool, coming soon) is planned to estimate build-out cost and timeline from square footage and operatory count. FloorStack Studio (live, free plan) places every device on your floor plan and gives you a device schedule with rooms, ports and cable lengths (FloorStack FAQ).
How FloorStack helps
FloorStack is a dental build-out platform that gives every bidder the same plan to price. Studio (live, free to start) turns the floor plan into a device schedule, low-voltage drop map, rack layout and bill of materials with a budget range (FloorStack). The free Network & IT plan generator (coming soon) will produce the drop schedule your cabling price depends on, and the free Build-out cost & timeline calculator (coming soon) will let the doctor see where IT sits in the total budget and schedule. Visit the Dental Office IT Setup hub.
Free tools for this step
- Network & IT plan generator: drop schedule and network plan to price from (free tool, coming soon).
- Build-out cost & timeline calculator: IT in the context of the whole budget (free tool, coming soon).
- Studio: device schedule, drop map and bill of materials (live).
Frequently asked questions
Fixed fee or time and materials?
Fixed fee per phase once the plan is signed; time and materials only for undefined work, with a cap.
Should the MSP or the GC's low-voltage sub do the cabling?
Either can, as long as it's priced from the same drop schedule and tested and labeled to the MSP's spec.
Should hardware be bundled into the project price?
No. Itemize it. Bundling makes every model change a renegotiation.
How do I handle a late CBCT or scanner addition?
As a written change order with its price and schedule impact, following the A201 model (AIA A201-2017 sample).
Should design be free to win the job?
I'd charge for it. The design is the document the GC, dealer and architect use, and it protects your margin later.
When should managed services pricing start?
At opening, under a separate agreement with a BAA, as covered in BAA with your dental IT company.
Sources
- FloorStack: Frequently asked questions
- Fluke Networks: Channel, Permanent Link, Patch Cords, MPTL, E2E
- HHS 405(d): HICP Technical Volume 1 (PDF)
- AIA Contract Documents: A201-2017 General Conditions, sample preview (PDF)
- Dental & Medical Counsel: A Dental Lawyer's Guide to Your Dental Office Build-Out
- Curve Dental: How to Start a Dental Practice, a Launch Sequence
- Henry Schein One: Dentrix System Requirements (PDF)
- FloorStack home page
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