How much does it cost to install CCTV?

As we now occupy an increasingly familiar Big Brother society, CCTV has become a popular means of home security – find out how much it costs to install CCTV here.

Protect your home by installing CCTV

CCTV is fairly simple to install and acts as a deterrent to burglars, provides you with valuable peace of mind and could even produce evidence to use in a legal case. The cost of CCTV has reduced in recent years as it has become a more common form of home security. You must always keep in mind however, that CCTV should not be relied upon as a sole means of home security; it is simply one line of defence.

It’s also important to note that a poor quality or badly installed CCTV system may not be as effective and could be useless as a form of evidence against criminals. Another thing to bear in mind is that good home security, including CCTV, could bring the cost of your home insurance down.

The options and hardware you will need for a home CCTV system are as follows:

Outdoor cameras - these must be weatherproof and robust enough to last outside. There are also vandal resistant cameras available, if you believe them to be necessary for your property. Other things to consider are protection from sunlight and careful placement to ensure that the cameras aren’t damaged or tampered with and are also accessible for maintenance and cleaning. An IP or ‘internal protection’ rating of 66 is also recommended for outdoor CCTV cameras.

Indoor cameras - there are hard wired or wireless indoor cameras available, as well as ‘powerline’ cameras which plug straight into the sockets, transmitting images to a storage device. Popular types of indoor CCTV include dome and covert cameras which are discreetly hidden in typical home appliances such as clock radios.

The minimum resolution for CCTV cameras is around the 352x288 pixels. The date and time must be correct and visible too.

Storage - a means to store CCTV footage is obviously essential to monitor anything unusual and provide evidence for your home security. You can use either personal computer hard drive storage or standalone DVR or digital video recorder storage. Both are useful, however if there is limited space, files would need to be updated regularly to make sure new footage can be stored. An example of a type of technology you could use to cut down unnecessary footage is motion sensors on cameras, which only record when the sensor is activated. It is also wise to make sure your footage can be used in various widely used video formats, in the case where evidence is being summoned.

Other useful technologies to monitor CCTV footage are e-mail and text messaging alerts, as well as internet and applications on smart phones.

Night - night footage, especially outdoors is best recorded in monochrome, which most colour cameras still have the function to do and may automatically switch to when light conditions are not so good. Infra red however is another way to enhance viewing quality in low light, but be wary as poor IR cameras may not produce good enough quality footage.

How much does installing CCTV cost?

The prices for CCTV and the above mentioned hardware obviously vary due to brands, quality and means of installation. It is wise to avoid trying to save a bit of money by buying the cheapest equipment; we can’t all afford to buy the most expensive high-tech CCTV system; however you must buy equipment which is suitable for the job, providing good quality images to protect your home.

Prices for a home CCTV kit, including four wireless infrared cameras and reasonable storage can range from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands of pounds. This kit is suitable for most home security needs but the important thing is to buy to your specifications and what you think is necessary to protect your home. Also the array of cameras available, different size storage and extra hardware is so vast that it is impossible to provide a standard list of prices but there are many companies (both large and small) who can help you to find the best possible deal. The minimum price you probably would be spending however is in the region of £200-300 for a system which will do the job. Remember, you can’t put a price on the protection and safety of your home!