Security & low voltage
Security Camera Cost Calculator
Prices a camera system, where coverage is a design question rather than a camera count.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus equipment and the call-out. The equipment is cameras, a recorder, storage and cabling, and the labour is almost entirely pulling cable. What determines whether a system works is not resolution but placement: a camera needs to be close enough that a face or a plate occupies enough pixels to identify, which is a function of distance and sensor rather than of megapixels alone. Four well-placed cameras routinely outperform eight badly placed ones.
What moves the number
- Number of cameras and, more importantly, where they go.
- Cable runs, since labour is mostly routing cable through a building.
- Whether the recorder is local or cloud, which changes the cost structure.
- Storage and retention, which scales with bitrate and days kept.
Where this one goes wrong
Audio is where systems create legal problems. Recording video in areas where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy is generally lawful, but audio is governed separately, and in states requiring all-party consent a camera capturing conversations can breach wiretap law. Many cameras record audio by default, so disabling it or confining it is a deliberate decision rather than an oversight. Camera aim matters for the same reason: a camera pointed into a neighbour's windows or garden invites a legitimate complaint whatever the law says locally. Signage is worth raising, since some jurisdictions require notice of recording.
Before you quote
- Decide deliberately whether audio is recorded, and check the state rule.
- Aim cameras within the customer's property, not into neighbours' windows.
- Design for identification distance rather than counting megapixels.
- Check whether notice signage is required locally.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Is it legal to record audio with security cameras?
Video and audio are governed differently. In states requiring all-party consent, recording conversations can breach wiretap law even where the video is lawful, and many cameras record audio by default. It is worth checking your state's rule and disabling audio unless you have a reason to keep it.
Do more megapixels mean better identification?
Only in combination with distance. Identification depends on how many pixels fall across a face or a plate, so a high resolution camera too far away performs worse than a modest one placed close. Placement and lens choice matter more than the headline resolution figure.
Can my camera cover my neighbour's property?
Pointing a camera into a neighbour's windows or private garden invites a legitimate complaint and in some places a legal one, regardless of where the camera is mounted. Designing coverage to stay within the customer's property avoids the issue, and masking is available on many systems.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 8 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $115.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $900.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 8 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $115 |
| Parts and materials | $900 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $1,915 |
| Labour | $920 |
| Before tax | $1,915 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $1,915: $920 of labour, $900 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $58 | $1,459 |
| $86 | $1,683 |
| $115 example above | $1,915 |
| $173 | $2,379 |
| $230 | $2,835 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 8 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $115.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $900.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.