The cost of a CCTV installation in Sydney comes down to camera count and type, cabling distance and access, storage sized to your retention period, analytics such as number-plate recognition, site access and timing, brand tier, and any 240 V electrical work. A free site visit and an itemised ex-GST quote show each factor as its own line.
Why isn't there a standard price for CCTV?
Because two four-camera systems can be very different jobs. One is a single-storey house with an accessible roof space and a recorder in the garage; the other is a double-brick shop with a concrete ceiling, a car park out the back and a recorder that needs its own power.
The hardware might be identical; the labour, cabling and electrical work are not. That's why a sensible installer quotes after walking the site.
Below are the factors that move the number on every CCTV quote we write across Sydney and the Sutherland Shire. There are no prices here on purpose; they'd be wrong for your site. But you'll know what to look for on anyone's quote.
How much do camera count and type matter?
Camera count is the obvious driver, but type matters as much. A fixed turret for an entry costs less than a bullet with a long-throw lens for a fence line, which costs less than a multi-sensor unit covering four directions from one pole, which costs less than a PTZ somebody will actually drive.
Within each type, resolution and low-light performance step the price up again.
The trap is buying count instead of coverage. Fewer, better-placed cameras that each have a job — a face at the gate, a plate at the boom — beat a big number of cheap ones that show you a blur. Agreeing what each position has to prove is where the site visit earns its keep.
What does cabling add to the cost?
More than most people expect. Every camera needs a cable back to the recorder or a PoE switch, and the cost of that run depends on distance, access and whether existing conduit can be reused. The first point on a visit carries the attendance and set-up; the second, third and fourth cost materially less each.
- Run length and routing: ceiling space above a manhole is quick; solid ceilings, double brick and fire-rated walls slow every run
- Reusing what's there: sound conduit paths, and sometimes existing coax, save real money
- Cable grade: Cat6 covers most sites; Cat6A costs more per metre and per termination but carries higher PoE loads
- Detached buildings: a shed, gate or carport camera usually means trenching, conduit and reinstatement, priced per metre and shaped by ground type
If you're building or renovating, get the cabling in while the walls and ceilings are open. It's the cheapest it will ever be.
How do storage and retention change the price?
The recorder (an NVR or VMS) and its drives are sized to three things: how many cameras, at what resolution, kept for how long.
Thirty days is a common retention target, but a strata by-law or a workplace policy may set something else, and longer retention means bigger drives. We size storage to the retention you've agreed, not to the smallest box on the shelf.
Do analytics like number-plate recognition cost more?
Yes, so make them a deliberate choice. Number-plate recognition (ANPR) and object recognition need cameras that support them and, on most platforms, licences to run them.
They earn their keep on car parks, boom gates and site entries where an event should trigger something: open the gate, bookmark the clip, send an alert. On a home with three cameras they're often a line you don't need.
What about site access and timing?
- Height — cameras on a warehouse eave or a light pole can mean elevated work platform hire for the day
- Occupied sites — shops, clinics and offices often need installation outside trading hours
- Strata — common-property cameras usually need a committee or general-meeting resolution first; we provide the plans that make that approval easy
None of these change the hardware; all of them change the labour.
Does the brand tier matter?
A Dahua or VIP Vision build and an AXIS or Avigilon build will both record your driveway. They do it at different price points, with differences in image quality, analytics and support life that matter more on a commercial site than on a granny flat.
We install AXIS, Hikvision, Dahua, Hanwha WiseNet, Avigilon, Verkada, Uniview and Ubiquiti, and we quote the tier that fits the risk, not the dearest one that fits the budget.
Is there electrical work hidden in a CCTV quote?
Often, and it's the line that separates a complete quote from a cheap one.
- A power point for the recorder
- A supply for the PoE switch
- A circuit run to a detached building
- RCD protection on an older switchboard that has none
In NSW that is electrical wiring work for a licensed electrician, and a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) must follow.
Because Bioni Security & Electrical holds both NSW Security Master Licence 000108088 and NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 350318C, the same crew does the camera work and the 240 V work, and certifies it. It appears on our quotes as its own line instead of turning up later as 'you'll need an electrician for that'.
Can you reuse what's already there?
Sometimes, and we quote both ways when it's line-ball. Existing conduit paths are the big saving. Older cameras are rarely worth keeping — the sensor is usually the reason you're upgrading — but the holes, brackets and routes they left behind often are. We assess what's reusable at the site visit.
What does it cost to keep it working?
An optional maintenance plan covers lens cleaning, firmware patching, drive health and a retention check so the footage is there on the day you need it. It's a separate, optional line you can decide on once the system is in.
Our installation workmanship is warranted for 12 months from completion, and hardware carries the manufacturer's warranty.
How to get a price you can trust
- Book a free site visit, free within 100 km of Caringbah. We walk entries, approaches, night lighting and cabling paths with you.
- Get a camera schedule and an itemised ex-GST quote: every camera, the recorder, drives sized to your retention, switching, cabling runs and any electrical work on separate lines.
- Tell us your budget honestly. We design to it, and we'll say which lines you can drop and what you lose.
- Compare like for like. If another quote is cheaper, check whether it includes the power, the storage for your retention period and the CCEW.
A CCTV quote with no site visit, no camera schedule and no mention of electrical work isn't cheaper. It's incomplete.
Frequently asked questions
- Will a bigger camera count always cost more?
- In total, yes, but the per-camera cost falls as the count rises on the same visit, because attendance and set-up are shared.
- What's the single biggest variable on a Sydney CCTV job?
- Cabling access. Distance, and whether the route is accessible or blocked, moves the labour more than any single piece of hardware.
- How long does the installation take?
- A 4–6 camera home system is usually a day; a strata or commercial site runs two to five days depending on cabling access. We confirm the schedule with the quote.
Ready for a number that's actually yours? Request a free site visit and we'll quote your CCTV installation line by line, ex-GST, with the electrical work included and certified.