How do I hide the TV wires above a fireplace?
The clean way is to run the wires inside the wall. Low-voltage AV cables like HDMI and speaker wire can legally run through the wall in a raceway; the TV's power, though, can't just be buried — code requires a recessed in-wall power kit with a proper outlet, and that electrical work is an electrician's job. Plan both before drywall.
Low-voltage versus line-voltage — the rule people miss
The wires behind a wall-mounted TV fall into two categories, and they follow different rules. Low-voltage signal cables — HDMI, coax, network, speaker wire — can legally run inside the wall, usually through a flexible raceway or conduit, so those disappear cleanly. The TV's power cord is different: it's line voltage, and code won't let you bury a standard cord in the wall.
The right fix is a recessed in-wall power kit that relocates a proper receptacle up behind the TV, and installing that receptacle is licensed electrical work — never a DIY job. We flag this early because homeowners routinely assume the power cord can just go in the wall like the HDMI — it can't.
The cleanest results are planned, not patched
By far the best outcome comes from roughing in the in-wall power and AV pathways before the media wall is closed up, so every wire is invisible from day one. If the wall's already finished and you can't open it, a paintable surface-mount raceway is the honest fallback — tidy, though not truly hidden.
On a bumped-out media wall we build a chase into the framing specifically so the gas, venting, and cabling all route out of sight. That's the version that looks factory-built when it's done.
Who handles which wire
It helps to know the lanes. Steady Flame builds the firebox, venting, gas line, and the non-combustible framing that keeps clearances correct — and we frame the chase for the cabling. Your electrician handles the TV outlet and AV runs, since running power is their license, not ours; ours is gas.
We map the order of operations on a free design consultation so nothing's buried that shouldn't be — getting it right the first time saves opening a finished wall later. Call (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- Should I recess the TV into the wall above the fireplace?
- Should the TV go above the fireplace or beside it?
- What is a media wall fireplace?
- How do I design a media wall with an electric fireplace?
- Where should a soundbar and speakers go in a fireplace media wall design?
- What are the best materials for a fireplace surround?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
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