How to Hide Tv Wires: Step-by-Step Guide

A wall-mounted TV looks great until you notice the black snakes dangling down to the outlet. Learning how to hide tv wires takes anywhere from 15 minutes with a $12 cord cover to a full Saturday with a recessed in-wall kit. Your best method depends on whether you rent or own, whether the wall is drywall or plaster, and how invisible you actually need the result to be.

Option 1: Paintable Cord Covers (Rental-Friendly)

Plastic surface-mount raceways stick to the wall with adhesive backing and swallow up to six cables. Legrand Wiremold makes a one-inch-wide version that disappears once painted to match the wall. Installation takes 15 minutes, costs about $25 for a six-foot run, and leaves zero damage when removed.

This is what I recommend for renters and anyone who wants a job done before dinner.

Option 2: In-Wall Cable Management Kit

Kits from Sanus, Echogear, and DataComm include two plastic boxes with brush plates: one behind the TV, one behind the outlet below. You cut two drywall holes, fish the cables vertically through the stud bay, and plug the bottom end into a standard outlet.

Important: running the TV’s power cord inside the wall violates electrical code unless you use a UL-listed power relocation kit like the PowerBridge. A basic PowerBridge Two-PRO runs $80 and adds a proper receptacle behind the TV wired back to the existing outlet.

Option 3: Cut Drywall and Run Low-Voltage Only

If you only need to hide HDMI, Ethernet, and speaker wire, skip the power kit. Low-voltage cabling can legally run inside any wall cavity. Cut two 4-inch round holes with a drywall saw, drop a fish tape from the top opening to the bottom, pull your cables through, and install low-voltage mounting brackets from Arlington Industries for $8 each.

Option 4: Baseboard Raceway

For horizontal runs along the floor to a distant outlet, baseboard-height raceways like CordMate II blend into existing trim. Paint them the baseboard color and they visually vanish. This works particularly well when an outlet sits six feet to the side of the TV rather than directly below it.

Option 5: Recessed Floor Outlet

The cleanest solution pulls power up through the floor directly behind the TV stand or wall. This requires access from below (basement or crawlspace) and a new 15-amp circuit if you’re adding a dedicated outlet. Expect $300 to $500 for an electrician. Overkill for most homes, perfect for media rooms.

Tools and Materials Checklist

• Stud finder with AC detection (Franklin ProSensor M210, $50)
• Drywall saw or oscillating multi-tool
• Fish tape, 25 feet minimum
• Low-voltage mounting brackets (Arlington LV1 or LV2)
• Velcro cable ties for organizing cables behind the TV
• Dust mask and goggles for drywall cutting

Step-by-Step for In-Wall Installation

1. Use the stud finder to map studs and confirm no wiring, plumbing, or HVAC runs in the target stud bay.
2. Mark two holes: one 6 inches below the planned TV center, one 4 inches above the existing outlet.
3. Cut both holes with a drywall saw. Wear a mask; drywall dust is no joke.
4. Install the PowerBridge kit per instructions, connecting the supplied whip to the existing outlet via the included junction box.
5. Fish your HDMI, Ethernet, and any other low-voltage cables through the stud bay using fish tape.
6. Mount the brush plates. Plug in. Admire the wall.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not run extension cords inside walls. Ever. This is both a code violation and a real fire hazard. Do not cut holes without verifying the stud bay is empty; I’ve pulled insulation out of holes that were almost holes into a running HVAC duct. And do not forget to leave 18 inches of cable slack behind the TV so you can pull the unit off the mount for service later.

Budget Summary

Surface raceway: $25 and a lunch break. In-wall kit with PowerBridge: $120 and a weekend afternoon. New floor outlet with electrician: $400 and a phone call. All three solutions achieve a cleaner finished look than the dangling mess that came before.

Brick, Stone, and Plaster Walls

Drywall techniques don’t transfer to masonry. For brick and stone fireplace installations, route cables behind the TV bracket and down the side of the chimney into a baseboard raceway. Some installers drill through the mortar joints (not the brick itself) with a hammer drill and 1/2-inch masonry bit, then fish low-voltage only through a rigid conduit and patch with color-matched mortar. Plaster walls over lath demand extra care; use a Rotozip rather than a drywall saw to avoid cracking surrounding plaster, and expect to find horizontal keys of plaster blocking your vertical fish run every 16 inches.

Choosing the Right Cables for In-Wall Runs

• HDMI: Only use CL2 or CL3 rated cables for in-wall installation. Standard Amazon HDMI is not code-compliant.
• Length limit: Passive HDMI starts degrading past 25 feet; use an active or fiber HDMI for longer runs.
• Ethernet: CAT6 plenum-rated for any wall runs, especially over ductwork.
• Speaker wire: 14 AWG in-wall rated for runs over 50 feet to preserve signal.

Aesthetic Finishing Touches

After hiding the wires, painted-match brush plates make the result look factory. Arlington makes plates in white, ivory, almond, and paintable versions. For darker walls, a small tube of Behr color-match paint from Home Depot ($4 in a sample size) blends any raceway or plate seamlessly. Finish the job by using Velcro One-Wrap cable ties behind the TV to bundle slack, keeping the back of the unit as clean as the front of the wall.