SC-05 · MDF · IDF · Fiber backbones · Rack builds
Build the server room once. Right.
MDF / IDF buildouts, racks, PoE switching, and inter-building fiber trunks. Done so the next 15 years are someone else's easy day.
RACKS
2 / 4 POST
Anchored floor + ceiling per spec
FIBER
OS2 · OM4
Inter-building + inter-rack
PDU + UPS
SIZED
30-min runtime, monitored
AS-BUILT
EVERY JOB
Drawings + photos + IP schedule
§ 01 · Reality check
The server room is where everything either makes sense or it doesn't.
Walk into 9 of 10 commercial server rooms in West Texas and you'll find: cable spaghetti hanging out the back of the rack, no labels, mixed Cat5e and Cat6, the UPS bypassed because somebody tripped over it, an extension cord powering the switch, ambient temperature at 88°F, and a sticky note on the door that says "don't touch."
We build server rooms (MDFs and IDFs) that look like they belong in a data center. Two- or four-post racks anchored to the floor and ceiling. Cable management front and back. Power distribution sized to actual draw with 50% headroom and a UPS rated for at least 30 minutes of runtime. Cooling thought through. Patch panels labeled in TIA-606 format. Fiber trunks dressed and protected. Photos taken before the door closes.
Twelve years from now when you sell the building, the next IT person walks into your IDF, looks at the labels, the patch schedule, and the as-built drawings, and says: "Whoever built this knew what they were doing." That's the bar.
§ 02 · What it costs to leave it broken
The hidden cost of a bad server room.
- Hour of downtime, business-wide$1,800+When the unlabeled cable in the spaghetti rack is the wrong one to unplug. Average mid-size West Texas business hourly opportunity cost.
- UPS surprise outageWhole rack downBattery never tested, fails on actual brownout. Switches reboot, calls drop, POS dies until somebody power-cycles.
- Cooling failureSwitch / NVR replacementServer-room temp creeps over 95°F all summer. Switch capacitors swell. NVR drives die early. $3K–$8K of avoidable replacement.
- Audit findingInsurance / SOC / HIPAAAuditor sees rack chaos and writes you up. Insurance carrier raises rate. SOC 2 audit fails on physical security.
§ 03 · The scope of work
What a real MDF / IDF buildout includes.
- ›Site survey. Existing power, cooling, ground, conduit pathway, sprinkler/clean-agent suppression
- ›Two-post or four-post commercial rack. Anchored to floor + ceiling per seismic + manufacturer spec
- ›Vertical + horizontal cable management front and back of every rack
- ›Patch panels organized by floor / room / VLAN with TIA-606 labeling
- ›PoE switching sized to actual draw plus 25% headroom, with chassis or stack architecture for high availability
- ›PDU sized to load + 50% headroom, monitored (SNMP) where uptime matters
- ›UPS sized to 30+ min runtime on critical load, with self-test schedule and battery refresh tracking
- ›Cooling. Split mini-split or dedicated CRAC for rooms over 5 kW load. Ambient temp monitor + alert
- ›Grounding to building ground per TIA-607. Every rack, every shelf, every bonding bus
- ›Fiber backbone: OS2 single-mode for inter-building, OM4 multi-mode for inter-rack, fusion-spliced and OTDR-tested
- ›Cable management: lacing, Velcro (never zip ties on data cable), service loops, color coding
- ›As-built CAD drawings of the rack elevation, patch schedule, IP schedule, fiber map
- ›Environmental monitoring. Temperature, humidity, water leak detection, door sensor
- ›Photos of front and back of every rack, before and after, bound into binder
§ 05 · Standards & specifications
We follow the spec. Even when no one's checking.
- Rack type
- 4-post for switches/servers, 2-post for patch & lightweight gear
- Anchoring
- Floor + ceiling, per manufacturer + seismic zone
- Cable management
- Vertical + horizontal, front and back, lacing or Velcro
- Labeling
- TIA-606-C. Racks, ports, fiber, patch panels
- Grounding
- TIA-607 bonding to building ground bus
- Fire suppression
- Coordinated with AHJ. Typically clean-agent or pre-action sprinkler
- PDU
- Monitored, switched outlets where uptime matters. Sized to load + 50%
- UPS
- Online double-conversion, 30-min runtime min, auto-shutdown integrated
- Cooling target
- ASHRAE A1. 64°F to 80°F, 20–80% RH
- Monitoring
- Temp, humidity, water leak, door. SNMP + email alert
- Battery cycle
- Tracked + replaced per manufacturer schedule (typ. 3–5 yr)
§ 06 · How a project runs
Boring process. Predictable result.
01
Site eval
Power, cooling, ground, fire, pathway. Fit-for-purpose check + AHJ coordination.
02
Design + BOM
Rack elevation drawing, fiber map, PDU/UPS sizing, BOM, fixed quote.
03
Build
Rack anchored, cable dressed, patch panels labeled, fiber spliced + tested.
04
Commission + binder
Load tested, environmental monitor live, as-builts delivered, walk-through.
§ 07 · Where we run this work
Structured Cabling installation across West Texas.
- Lubbock, TX
- Midland, TX
- Odessa, TX
- Amarillo, TX
- Abilene, TX
- San Angelo, TX
- Plainview, TX
- Levelland, TX
- Brownfield, TX
- Snyder, TX
- Big Spring, TX
- Hereford, TX
Headquartered in Lubbock. Regional truck in the Permian Basin. Same-day onsite for go-live week and emergency response across our coverage area.
§ 08 · Common questions
Real questions we answer on the jobsite.
- Q.01
How much does a server room buildout cost?
Small IDF (one rack, 24 PoE ports, basic UPS, no cooling): $9,500–$16,000. Standard MDF (one rack, full PoE, 6 kVA UPS, mini-split, environmental monitor): $22,000–$48,000. Compliance-grade hardened room (HIPAA / SOC 2 / DSHS): $55,000+. Inter-building fiber trunks priced separately by run length.
- Q.02
Two-post vs. four-post rack. Which do I need?
Two-post is fine for patch panels, network switches, and lightweight gear. Four-post is required for any rack-mount server, NVR, or anything with rear-rail support. Most commercial IDFs end up with one of each. Two-post for patch and four-post for active equipment. We anchor both to floor + ceiling.
- Q.03
How much UPS do I need?
Sized to your critical load (switches + firewall + NVR + phone) plus 50% headroom, with at least 30 minutes of runtime so you can ride out a typical brownout or shut down gracefully. For a small IDF: 1500–3000VA. For a full MDF with multiple racks: 6–10 kVA online double-conversion. We size from actual measured draw, not the spec sheet.
- Q.04
Do I need cooling in the server room?
If your active load exceeds about 3 kW continuous in a closed room, yes. Without dedicated cooling the temp will climb above 85°F in the summer and cook your gear early. We install ductless mini-splits sized to load. For larger MDFs we coordinate with a mechanical sub for proper CRAC or in-row cooling.
- Q.05
Can you trench fiber between two buildings?
Yes. Direct-burial OS2 fiber in Schedule-40 or Schedule-80 PVC conduit, depth per local code (typically 18–24"), with a tracer wire for future locating. We coordinate locates, trench, sleeve, pull, fusion-splice, OTDR-test, and document. Where trenching is impractical (caliche, paving, easement issues), we install outdoor wireless point-to-point bridges as an alternative.
- Q.06
Will you do environmental monitoring and alerting?
Yes. Temp, humidity, water leak under the rack, and door-open sensor, with SNMP + email alert when thresholds are crossed. Critical for any room with active gear, required for compliance audits.
§ 09 · Related disciplines
We almost never install this in isolation.
LV-04
Low-Voltage Wiring
Horizontal cable runs into the IDF. Same crew, one design, no scope gaps.
Read spec sheet →
RF-01
Wi-Fi & Networking
Switching, firewall, controller all live in the rack. Network and rack designed as one system.
Read spec sheet →
VS-02
Security Cameras
NVR, switching, and storage all sit in the IDF. We size the rack for the camera count up front.
Read spec sheet →
Next step · Free site survey
Let's walk your building.60 minutes. Free. No pitch.
You leave the call with a real plan for your structured cabling project. Heat map, blind-spot diagram, written report. Yours to keep whether you hire us or not.
TDPS #B31108601 · SDVOSB · HUB Certified · Veteran-Owned