Motorized shades should be planned window by window, not added as a single note on the electrical plan. In a Houston custom home, the rough-in needs to account for the shade type, mounting condition, motor side, power method, controls, trim details, and access for future service.
The most important deadline comes before insulation and drywall. By then, the project team should know which openings may receive shades, how each shade will be mounted, where wiring needs to land, and which details still need a final field measurement.
Start With the Shade and Mounting Condition
A wire at the top of a window is not a complete plan. The team first needs to know what the opening is supposed to receive.
Possible conditions include an exposed roller, a shade behind a fascia, a recessed pocket, dual shades, or motorized drapery. Each one changes the space around the window and may change the power, wire exit, blocking, access, and finish details.
ETG reviews the window schedule, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, interior details, and control goals before recommending the rough-in. The selected shade system and mounting condition should drive the construction detail. A generic pocket size or a copied detail from another project can leave the shade, brackets, fabric roll, or service access fighting the finished opening.
Build a Window-by-Window Shade Schedule
Even when several windows look identical on the drawings, they should have separate identifiers. Field dimensions, trim, mullions, nearby cabinetry, and motor orientation can differ.
A useful shade schedule tracks:
- Room and window identifier
- Number of openings in the group
- Shade or drapery type
- Inside, outside, fascia, or recessed mounting condition
- Single or dual treatment
- Planned power and control method
- Motor side and intended wire exit
- Control group, keypad, or automation goal
- Pocket, blocking, trim, and access notes
- Current status of field measurement and finish selection
This schedule gives the architect, designer, builder, electrician, shade fabricator, and technology integrator one record to compare against the plans and the jobsite.
Confirm the Pocket, Fascia, and Finish Condition
Recessed pockets need more than a framed recess. The pocket has to suit the selected shade, fabric roll, bracket condition, and finish detail. The team also needs to know whether the bottom of the pocket stays open, receives a closure, or coordinates with another trim component.
ETG checks the pocket against:
- Window head, frame, and mullion locations
- Ceiling height and ceiling transitions
- Crown, casing, drywall returns, tile, stone, or wood trim
- Curtain tracks or decorative drapery
- Blocking and bracket attachment points
- Access to the motor, brackets, wiring, and service connections
- Space required by the selected product and configuration
Product-specific dimensions belong in the approved shade detail. They should not be guessed from a typical condition. If the design changes from one shade to two, or from an exposed roller to a recessed pocket, the framing and wiring notes need to change with it.
Plan Power and Control Wiring
Motorized shades can use different power and communication methods. Some are battery powered. Some use hardwired power with wireless communication. Others use wired power and control. The correct cable and power-supply arrangement depends on the selected system.
That means "wireless shade" cannot automatically be treated as "no wire needed." The project team should confirm the product path before the electrician and low-voltage team finish their work.
The rough-in review should settle:
- Which openings need hardwired power
- Which trade provides each part of the wiring
- Where the power supplies or panels will be located
- Whether those components remain accessible after finish work
- How shade wiring reaches the equipment or power-supply location
- Which control method the homeowner expects
- How the shade groups will connect with lighting control or home automation
Line-voltage work belongs with the electrician under applicable code and manufacturer instructions. The technology plan should show the intended connection points without asking one trade to guess what another trade will provide.
Coordinate the Motor Side and Wire Exit
The motor side is a small notation with a large effect. If the cable lands on the wrong end of the opening, the installer may face an exposed wire, an avoidable splice, a changed motor orientation, or a conflict with the bracket.
During prewire, ETG checks that the motor side on the schedule matches the field mark. We also look at where the cable exits relative to the pocket, bracket, window frame, and finished trim.
The cable needs enough accessible length for termination and service, but a large coil stuffed into a pocket can interfere with the shade. The final landing point should follow the selected manufacturer's detail and remain reachable after the ceiling and trim are finished.
If the motor side changes, update the plan and the field mark. Do not leave two competing notes at the same window.
Check the Rest of the Window, Not Just the Header
Shade planning touches more than the top of the opening. Walk each window and look for details that can change fit or operation:
- Window cranks, handles, locks, and screens
- Deep sills, divided lites, and projecting mullions
- Doors that swing across a treatment
- Cabinetry, built-ins, shelving, and countertops
- Tile, stone, paneling, casing, and crown
- Furniture or artwork planned near the opening
- Drapery rods, tracks, side channels, or decorative treatments
- Sensors, contacts, keypads, and other devices sharing the wall
- Glass exposure, privacy goals, and glare at different times of day
These checks help determine whether the planned treatment can move freely, cover the intended glass, and stay aligned with the interior design.
Bring Lighting Control Into the Same Conversation
The shade plan should describe how the homeowner will use the system, not just how it will receive power.
Control needs change by room. A bedroom may need privacy and wake-up positions, while a media room may be concerned mainly with glare. Larger living areas often work better when shades and lighting respond together without filling the wall with extra controls. Other spaces may need only a simple individual command.
ETG coordinates motorized shades with lighting and control so keypad locations, scenes, and groupings are decided with the room's use in mind. If the home will connect shades with smart-home automation, that control intent should be recorded before programming begins.
The goal is not to automate every movement. It is to give the homeowner simple control over privacy, glare, daylight, and room scenes.
What ETG Checks During Prewire
The shade portion of a prewire walk should leave a clear record at every planned opening.
We verify:
- Window ID matches the current plan and shade schedule
- Mounting condition matches the architectural detail
- Motor side is marked once and matches the cable location
- Correct wiring is present for the selected system
- Cable path returns to the planned, accessible power or control location
- Pocket, blocking, and bracket area are clear
- Wire exit will not be buried behind trim or block the bracket
- Nearby keypad, contact, drapery, and finish conditions are coordinated
- Field changes are marked on both the plan and the opening
- Photos show the full window, the wire location, and nearby framing
This is one focused part of the broader low-voltage rough-in review. The shade schedule and photos should be stored with the rest of the pre-drywall documentation.
Final Field Measurements Come Before the Order
Plans are useful for design and budgeting, but they are not final shade measurements. Each opening should be measured on site after the relevant window, pocket, and finish conditions are stable enough to verify.
This is also the time to confirm that the approved construction detail matches what was built. If the pocket depth changed, a trim return moved, or two nominally equal windows differ in the field, the shade order should reflect the actual opening.
Final measure is not a substitute for prewire planning. Waiting until final measure to discover a missing cable or inaccessible pocket is too late. The two steps protect different parts of the job:
- Prewire confirms infrastructure, pathways, motor side, and construction coordination.
- Final measure confirms the built dimensions and order details for each opening.
What to Send ETG
Send the current information, even if every fabric and product choice is not final yet:
- Floor plans and window schedule
- Interior elevations and reflected ceiling plans
- Pocket, fascia, trim, and drapery details
- Lighting-control and keypad plans
- Motorized shade goals by room
- Privacy, glare, and daylight concerns
- Electrical and low-voltage rough-in schedule
- Photos of framed openings and any field changes
- Product selections already made by the designer or shade fabricator
Send ETG the plans and shade schedule before pocket details, electrical work, and low-voltage wiring are closed behind finishes.
FAQs
Do motorized shades need low-voltage wiring?
It depends on the system. Some shades use batteries. Others need hardwired power, and the communication method may vary. Choose the product path before rough-in so each opening receives the right infrastructure.
Does wireless control mean a motorized shade needs no wire?
No. Wireless describes how commands reach the shade, but some wireless-controlled shades still receive hardwired power. Check the product design before deciding an opening needs no cable.
When should shade pockets be framed?
Coordinate the pocket during design and framing once the team understands the intended shade and mounting condition. Hold the final dimensions until the product-specific detail is available.
Can final shade sizes come from the architectural drawings?
Use the drawings to budget and coordinate. Before ordering, measure every opening on site because framing, trim, and pocket conditions can differ from the plans.
Who should coordinate motorized shade wiring?
The designer, architect, builder, electrician, shade provider, and technology integrator each own part of the result. One shared window schedule keeps the mounting, finish, wiring, and control decisions aligned.
