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Florida de-novo IT build-out checklist

250+ build-outs. This is the first-night-at-the-felt piece, rewritten for people who actually pour concrete.

Journal · Academy · C·07 | Last reviewed: October 1, 2026 | 3 min read | By CyberDental Group LLC, Hialeah, Florida

Short answer: The most expensive IT mistakes in a new dental office are made before drywall: closet location, cabling counts, internet lead times, imaging design and power. Involve your IT partner at floor-plan stage, order internet early, label every run, design for Florida storms, test every sensor before opening, and have day-one support scheduled.

At a glance
When to involve IT At floor-plan stage — before cabling and cabinetry are final
Longest lead item Business internet service (can take weeks to months)
Florida-specific Storm readiness: closet location, UPS, off-site backups
Go-live proof Every sensor, printer, phone and workstation tested before patients
CyberDental experience 250+ dental build-outs

When should IT be involved in a new dental office?

At floor plan, before the cabling plan, cabinetry orders and closet location are final. After construction, every IT change is a change order. CyberDental has completed 250+ dental build-outs, and the pattern is consistent: the offices that open smoothly are the ones where IT was at the table early.

What should be decided before construction?

  • Operatory and workstation count, including the front desk, sterilization, business office, consult room and any lab or milling area.
  • Imaging plan: sensors, panoramic or CBCT, intraoral scanner, and where each connects.
  • PMS and hosting choice (server in the closet or cloud). See Server in the closet vs cloud PMS.
  • Closet location and design: away from water risk and plumbing walls, ventilated or cooled, on its own power, with room for the rack, UPS and backup device.
  • Cabling: the number and location of network drops (including ceiling-mounted access points, cameras, TVs, printers and phones), cable category, labeling scheme and home-run to the closet.
  • Power: dedicated circuits and UPS for server, switch, firewall and operatory computers where appropriate.
  • Phones: VoIP vs. legacy, and where handsets sit.

What has the longest lead time?

Internet service. Business-class circuits, especially fiber, can take weeks to months to install depending on location and provider. Order as soon as the lease or address is certain, and ask about a second, diverse connection for storm resilience. Confirm the demarcation point so cabling reaches the closet.

What does a good build-out checklist look like?

  1. Design: network diagram, VLAN plan (clinical, front desk, guest), IP scheme, firewall and switch model selection.
  2. Pre-construction: floor-plan review, drop schedule, closet specification, ISP order.
  3. Rough-in: cabling installed and certified; every cable labeled at both ends.
  4. Equipment staging: devices configured and tested at a bench before going on site.
  5. Install: rack, switch, firewall, UPS, server or cloud connection, Wi-Fi.
  6. Workstations and imaging: workstation builds, sensor installation, PMS and imaging integration.
  7. Security baseline: EDR, MFA, patching, backups, least-privilege accounts. See MFA for dental practices.
  8. Compliance setup: BAA, documented risk analysis for the new location, policies and staff training.
  9. Testing: acquire a test image from every sensor; print from every workstation; place and receive test calls; restore a backup.
  10. Go-live support: an engineer available during the first days of patient care.

What is different about building in Florida?

Storm season (June 1 to November 30) is a design input, not an afterthought: place the closet above likely flood levels, protect against power loss, keep backups off-site, and write the hurricane plan before the first storm. See How should a Florida dental practice handle IT in hurricane season?.

What are the most common de-novo mistakes?

  • Too few network drops, and Wi-Fi used where a wired connection is needed.
  • A closet in a utility room with no ventilation and no dedicated power.
  • Internet ordered after the build is almost finished.
  • No spare cable or spare sensor PC.
  • Skipping label discipline, then paying for it for a decade.
  • A "temporary" consumer router that stays forever.

See also How to open a dental office IT-ready in Florida for the owner's view.

Frequently asked questions

When should I contact an IT company when opening a dental office in Florida?

As early as the floor-plan stage, before cabling, cabinetry and the server closet are finalized. Order business internet as soon as the address is certain.

How long does it take to get business internet for a new dental office?

Lead times vary by location and provider, from a few weeks to a few months for fiber. Ordering early is the safest approach.

What should be tested before a new dental office opens?

Every sensor must acquire a test image; every workstation must print; phones must be tested; backups must be restored; and the PMS and imaging integration must be verified.

Sources and further reading

Related in the Journal

About CyberDental

CyberDental Group LLC is a dental-exclusive managed IT and cybersecurity provider headquartered in Hialeah, Florida. Founded in 2016 by Mr. Dimitri Lopez, it supports 1,000+ licensed dental practices, has completed 250+ dental office IT build-outs, and operates a dental-only HelpDesk. Plans are priced per location: Remote $350/month, Priority $650/month, Ultimate $1,200/month; Concierge is quoted for multi-location groups and DSOs. CyberDental signs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with every practice it serves.

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