Britain has always been an early adopter for new technology and maybe this is why the UK has between 4 and 6 million CCTV cameras installed, the third highest globally with only the US and China respectively, ahead of us in total cameras used. This is according to the British Security Industry Association (BSIA). This shouldn’t be surprising, with so many businesses and private residences adopting CCTV systems for their security solutions. It is however, important to note that the BSIA states that only 1 in 70 cameras are used by local authorities with organisations and small businesses investing money into security solutions through CCTV technology. With this in mind, we take a look at the CCTV installation cost involved for domestic and commercial settings.With the market growing in this sector over the years, prices have become more affordable and installations are offered for all sorts of scenarios to help protect your property. CCTV is a great deterrent against burglars and that’s why private homeowners even invest in high-tech solutions to protect their homes. Statistically proven to deter theft and break-ins, with a constant eye cast on your property, CCTV systems are essential investments particularly for business.
How Much is CCTV Installation?
How Much Does CCTV Cost to Install At Home?
It will always vary depending on what setup you require, as to how much it will cost, such as how many cameras you have, what storage solution you have installed and how it’s networked. Some properties will need multiple cameras to cover front and back doors as well as indoor/outdoor alternatives for full coverage. This will significantly effect the cost of the installation but we will always recommend a call-out quote first in order to assess the recording area. CCTV installation cost can vary but our starting standard system costs for both the product and installation would be between £600-£800 plus VAT. This would be the Hikvision camera system which would normally be recommended for domestic properties, offering a basic recording functionality and reliable storage options.
Install Costs
- Labour Costs of installation ranges between £200 – £700 (dependent on size of property)
- Installation Time ranges from 3 hours to One or Two days
- Hikvision Camera System Domestic – £600 – £800
Camera and DVR Costs
- Total Ranges Between £30 – £2000 (dependent on the type and application required)
- Domestic or Commercial Cameras cost between £40 – £120
- DVRs and NVRs start from £130 and range up to £2000
- Average costs range between £150 – £300
For more advanced equipment and higher resolution systems, our prices can range between £800 – £1200 depending on the number of cameras required. For example, an 8 camera system with high resolution recording capabilities and advanced storage networked options can range roughly between £10,000 – £15,000. Again, it really depends on what you need for recording and storage.
CCTV Installation Near Me
Based near Cardiff and operating across South Wales, Vantage Systems can provide CCTV installation from accredited SSAIB installers and quotes for your installation. We can offer timely assessments of the property and which system would be beneficial for your security needs. Within the assessment we will advise on the best camera setup to use, placement, as well as installation costs and what to expect in terms of storage and maintenance.
Free App Install from Vantage
With many domestic systems, customers usually choose the remote monitoring option, for reviewing and self-monitoring at home. If you have strong-enough internet we offer a free remote monitoring app. Alternatively, we can install the remote monitoring system where an external monitoring station is networked to your cameras and will notify you with 24 hour surveillance operations should an alarm be tripped.
Camera Types Available
There are so many cameras available to choose from and following an assessment from us, we will be able to advise you on the best solution for your property. Commercial buildings and retail settings, for example, will require different options compared with a domestic home setting for security and this is something we can advise on.
- Analogue HD Cameras range between £40 – £150
- IP Cameras range between £65 – £200
So why choose a bullet camera over a dome camera? Or a networked camera system over a wireless setup only? With some installations, you may even be able to reduce your CCTV installation cost overall by choosing the right equipment for the job and avoiding unnecessary hardware which isn’t going to benefit you. Let’s take a look at the different camera systems available.
Wireless vs Wired
It makes sense now with most devices operating wirelessly, that networked camera security systems would also offer wireless access too and we can install wireless solutions throughout your home and business. In comparison to wired hardware it is of course the easiest option, resulting in quicker installation and setup, less disruption and less obstacles to remove for the wiring install. Some properties can have issues with carpets or furniture which needs moving in order to get everything set up but this can be disruptive and offer less convenience, particularly in a business setting where it may not be possible.Wireless setups offer a great way to install a system quickly and to confidently record footage to a remote back-up system, using your wireless network. This can also be relayed to an offsite storage solution if necessary. Using your Wi-Fi network over cabling, /they are much more discreet.
Day and Night Cameras
Night vision cameras are ideal for low light level areas outside (perhaps where there isn’t much street lighting or ambient light) and indoor recording for warehouses or offices at night. Clarity and consistent recording can be crucial in court cases where recording footage is required and there is definitely a benefit to using low light level cameras. Regular daytime security systems can still record footage in low light but of course, they are not as effective for detail, particularly at night. All of our camera installed systems are capable of clear footage in well lit conditions and offer results against glare and reflections.
Dome Cameras and HD
Dome cameras are used mostly as mounted solutions in retail environments for full coverage of the area. They can also be used outside due to their robust build and setup. Usually these are used in high-risk environments, such as retail or even outside with vandal-proof encasing and a covering which offers protection from the elements as well as tampering.HD cameras are definitely the choice for most people and this is because we are now in an age of high resolution and clarity, so much so that using SD cameras is pointless. HD cameras are more affordable and with even mobile phone recording capabilities offering 4k, there’s no way that we would recommend anything less than HD. These start at 720p resolution which is a good standard base for some however, if cost allows, 1080p is the normal preferred option, with 4K the best available currently.
What to Consider on CCTV Installation Cost
It can be difficult to know exactly what to expect when purchasing a CCTV system and what the considerations are for not only installation but also overall costs. Just some of these include:
- Size – The size of a camera system is important because if you have one that’s too small, you risk not providing enough coverage for filming and it can also be harder to maintain. If you have a larger property, then multiple cameras will be needed but the cameras themselves will need to be big enough (lens-wise) to ensure you have enough coverage for security. On the flipside, a system that is too big, can be more expensive than necessary, as well as being too conspicuous and making it easier for would-be thieves to spot and to potentially work-around.
- Extra Features – All of our camera systems come with various features to suit different needs. Will you need night vision? Or perhaps you need remote monitoring with offsite storage back-up? Or maybe you need motion sensor triggers as part of your setup? These are just some of the considerations when choosing what to install. There is pretty much no limit to what you can have installed regarding security monitoring, with so many viable options available from all of our leading system suppliers.
- Resolution One of the biggest issues found by prosecutors when using camera security footage in court, is camera resolution. It’s vital that if you should be running a system for your business, that you invest in a camera option that gives you great clarity and the best resolution possible. Should you be unfortunate enough to be broken into, the last thing you want is for your camera footage to let you down. High resolution, HD cameras can give surprisingly clear and detailed images and although camera footage is always contested in a court setting, it helps when it is as clear as possible. It also helps to have high resolution for insurance companies, as well as remote monitoring of staff or the workplace generally, for effective security.
Where You Should Have Your Cameras Installed
Camera positioning is half the battle with security systems and so it’s important to ensure you have good coverage and no obstructions, such as tree branches, signage or buildings. We recommend an assessment before installation so that we can plan out where we can install the system to be the most effective. For indoor and outdoor camera placement, it’s recommended to install them in rooms or areas where there are lots of valuables, or where the most valuable property resides. There’s also a key consideration which is an absolute must for any business property and that is to install cameras at each entry and exit point. Back doors, main windows and garage entry points are all possible break-in areas which could be vulnerable areas of the property. Outdoor camera placement can be more complex simply because of the legal rules that need to be applied. Explained simply, in the UK, laws state that an outdoor camera which is installed on property or in the vicinity of a building, whether commercial or domestic, should not offer coverage of the public footpath and be primarily focused on the property area. This way you can record footage of customers and private residency events, without violating privacy laws and filming the public without their knowledge. For more information on privacy laws and recording rules see our Business CCTV Guide.
Why Choose a Professional CCTV Installer?
There are many customers who would consider installing their CCTV system themselves, whether to save money on labour and install costs or just for perceived convenience however, in general, this isn’t a good idea. CCTV installation cost can be quite high depending on the setup you have but it is like any important home install in many ways; you need something to be installed correctly, the first time, without complications and errors so as to avoid issues and additional costs later down the line. With CCTV this is even more crucial in that it could be the difference between capturing important security footage and missing it completely or not having it backed up.
The benefits of using approved installers include:
- All operatives are police screened and CRB checked
- We are inspected annually & UKAS accredited as well having earned the SSAIB certification for security installations nationwide
- We install only reputable branded products with full warranties attached
- We operate a secure business premises and protect our customers information and details
- We provide regular maintenance contracts for continued reliability from your install
- We offer support and advice to all of our customers before and following an install
- We operate within the GDPR act regarding the protection and collection of data
- We are an NICEIC approved contractor & Domestic Installer and work to industry standards for electrical compliance
- We have over 25 years of experience across our team
- We stock and install HD and IP systems and offer these for domestic and commercial customers
- We stock leading brands in security camera technology and offer a variety of solutions including IP, HD/HD-SDI and Day and Night cameras
- We can perform assessments to current setups and create a plan for additional installations
- We can provide free surveys to make it easy and offer no-obligation assessments
- Our alarm receiving centre operates on a 24/7 hour basis, providing you with round the clock protection and peace of mind
Hard Drive Capacity
Hard drive space is always one of the biggest questions people have with regards to their CCTV systems. Ultimately, there’s no point in capturing footage if you have limited space to store it. There are a few factors to consider:
- Capacity vs Time – How many days worth of footage will you capture before needing to backup potentially to an offsite system and additional storage? and how long can this run for before extra storage is needed
- What resolution are you running? – 720p and 1080p footage are still big files but at 4k, data files can be large in size and require more storage space for higher quality video
- Are you recording motion-only? – Rather than capturing everything all of the time which would use more storage space, you could set your system to record only movements within the recording zones (particularly at night time)
- What compression system if any, are you using? – H.265 is a high quality compression technique which can help with storage limits.
Data storage is becoming a factor in almost every aspect of technology that we use. Whether it’s with phones, ipads, TV set boxes, internal storage and streaming capabilities is all about capacity and CCTV is no different. We will assess your needs based on your environment, number of cameras and overall requirements for recording. We can then suggest which hard drive capacity you would need for local storage, choosing between a 2TB drive up to 8TB. Additional storage drives can be used if necessary and alternatively, you can utilise offsite networked storage for an extra layer of security. Data storage can drive CCTV installation cost up but it’s crucial for ensuring you capture and store safely any footage you may need later on.