Quick answer
The price of a CCTV system depends mostly on how many cameras you need, how hard the cables are to run and how much footage you want to keep. Our 4-camera HiLook home system is $1,599.00 fully installed on a standard single-storey home with a tiled roof. Every other job gets a fixed, itemised quote after a free site check.
What affects the price
Two homes with the same number of cameras can cost quite different amounts to protect. These are the factors that make the biggest difference.
Number of cameras
Each camera adds the camera itself, a cable run and labour to mount and aim it. Most single-storey Melbourne homes are well covered by four cameras. Larger homes, corner blocks and properties with long side paths often need six to eight. Our guide on how many cameras a house needs explains how to work out the right number.
How hard the cables are to run
Running cable through an accessible tiled roof is quick. Metal roofs, flat roofs, double-storey homes, double brick and rendered walls all take longer, and sometimes need conduit or different mounting. This is the main reason a site check matters before you get a firm price.
Camera quality and features
Higher-resolution cameras, colour night vision and smart detection of people and vehicles cost more than basic models, but they make footage more useful. A camera that can identify a face at the front door is worth more than one that only shows a blurry shape.
Recording time
Footage is stored on a hard drive in the recorder. More cameras, higher resolution and longer recording time all need a bigger drive. Most homes keep two to four weeks of footage.
Recorder size
A 4-channel recorder takes four cameras. If you think you’ll add cameras later, an 8-channel recorder costs a little more now but saves replacing the recorder later.
What a good quote should include
Many CCTV quotes just say “4 cameras installed”. That makes it impossible to compare installers. A good quote lists:
- The exact camera and recorder models
- Hard drive size
- Number of cable runs and type of cable
- Labour and anything that is not included
- App setup and warranty
Our quotes list every part number, so you can check exactly what you’re getting and compare it fairly with any other quote.
Costs people don’t expect
Ask about these before you accept any quote, so the final bill matches the price you agreed:
- A monitor or TV if you want to view cameras on a screen at home
- Electrical work, such as a new power point near the recorder
- Extending an internet data point to where the recorder sits
- Extra work for double-storey homes, metal roofs or hard walls
- Ongoing cloud subscriptions on some wireless camera brands
DIY kits vs professional installation
Supermarket and online CCTV kits look cheap, but the price usually leaves out the hardest part: running cables neatly and safely, aiming cameras so they capture faces, and setting up recording and phone access securely. Poorly installed systems often end up with cameras facing the wrong way, cables exposed to weather or default passwords that leave the system open to hackers.
A professional install costs more up front, but you get a system that records useful footage, works on your phone and comes with a workmanship warranty.
How to get an accurate price
The quickest way to a firm price is a site check. We look at your roof space, wall types, entry points and internet connection, talk through where cameras should go, then send a fixed, itemised quote within 24 hours.
Want advice for your property?
Book a free site check and get a fixed, itemised quote within 24 hours.