CCTV Installation Cost
If you’re wondering how much a CCTV system will cost, the answer depends very much on the following:
- The number of cameras you’re going to need
- The type of cameras you require
- Where each camera will be placed
- How much of a task it will be to route cables around the property
- The type of building you’re intending on protecting with CCTV
Ultimately, there is no “one size fits all” approach to costing a CCTV security system for installation. It’s difficult to put a price on your peace of mind, although your budget will certainly dictate how complex your CCTV system will be. In this article, we’ll focus on the essentials, and offer advice and guidance to improve your CCTV system where required.
Home CCTV vs. Commercial CCTV Costs
The cost of your CCTV system will almost certainly be affected by whether you’re installing it at home or for a business. Commercial CCTV systems generally tend to cost more because businesses:
- Typically have higher expectations of what their CCTV system can do.
- Require more cameras in comparison to home CCTV systems.
- Require specialist cameras, such as Pan Tilt Zoom cameras.
- Need to store greater volumes of CCTV data for longer.
- Require more cabling for their CCTV systems.
Most homeowners don’t require internal CCTV within each room of the house. Instead, a home CCTV system can provide adequate protection with a small number of cameras fixated on the exterior entry points of the building. It is therefore accepted that home CCTV systems cost considerably less than commercial CCTV systems.
I’ve bought my own CCTV system – can I pay for installation only?
It’s possible to pay a CCTV engineer to install and set up a CCTV system which you have purchased from a third-party. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that most CCTV installation companies have good working relationships with manufacturers of premium-quality security equipment. This means that you can often get a better deal on high-end equipment for less than you would by procuring it from another vendor.
View our install only packages
If you’re intending on purchasing a CCTV system from a third-party, it’s also worth considering the reliability of the equipment. There are many unscrupulous vendors offering sub-par CCTV equipment which can be difficult to install, cumbersome to configure, confusing to operate and at times unreliable. When you choose a trusted brand via a CCTV installation company with a great reputation for customer service, you’ll have peace of mind that you can rely on your system, and that help and advice is a mere phone call away.
Could reducing the number of cameras I need reduce the cost of my system?
The number of cameras you require will almost certainly impact the cost of your new CCTV system. However, the type of cameras required will also affect the price you pay – and in some cases, smart camera choices could help you to reduce the overall cost of your system.
For example, if you need CCTV coverage across the entire floor of a building, you might initially think that a standard bullet camera in each corner of the room will offer the best protection. However, a single fish-eye camera situated in the middle of the room could serve the same purpose without the need to splash out on multiple pieces of hardware. While a good fish-eye camera might cost slightly more than a bullet camera, you’ll only need one – thereby reducing your overall CCTV system costs.
Wired CCTV vs. Wireless
The length of cable required and the labour costs involved in routing cable around a building can impact the cost of your CCTV system. For some, the solution is to install wireless cameras, which connect to the system via Bluetooth or wifi. However, if your wireless router goes down, this could affect the reliability of your system. Generally, most commercial CCTV systems use cables for reliability and durability. However, a simple home CCTV system (such as a doorbell monitoring service) is ideal for wireless connectivity.
Storage capacity
If you’ve got multiple HD CCTV cameras, you’re going to need sufficient disk space to store data. If you want to keep storage costs down, there are several things you can try, such as:
- Setting your cameras to motion record only (this requires motion-sensor cameras).
- Use recording compression to “compress” the captured footage (this results in a slight degradation in quality).
- Reduce the recording frame rate (this could affect image capture).
Get a CCTV system installation quote today
If you require a new CCTV system, we are more than happy to discuss your requirements and offer a quote based on what you need to protect your business or home. Call us on 0800 211 8310.