How to Compare CCTV Quotes: The 10-Point Checklist

The 10-point comparison checklist

• 1. Camera schedule: model numbers, resolution and lens per position — 'HD camera' is not a specification
• 2. Purpose per camera: identification positions vs overview — placement intent shows design happened
• 3. Storage maths: recorder model, drive size, and the days-of-retention it actually yields at quoted settings
• 4. Night performance: IR ranges or ColorVu-class specified where identification is claimed
• 5. Cabling and making good: containment, routes, and who patches/paints
• 6. Commissioning: focus/angle verification, recording checks, timestamp/NTP setup — listed, not assumed
• 7. App and handover: devices configured, training given, documentation pack
• 8. GDPR: signage supplied, retention configured, basic compliance notes (business installs)
• 9. Warranty and response: parts/labour duration and callout terms in writing
• 10. The company: insurance, references, and certification you can verify (our SSAIB registration covers CCTV — check any installer's on the register)

Why quotes for 'the same' job differ by 2–3×

Strip any two quotes to the checklist and the gap usually explains itself: 2MP no-name cameras against 4MP ColorVu units; a 1TB drive yielding nine days against 4TB yielding thirty-five; clipped-on bell wire against contained Cat6; no commissioning line at all. Labour quality hides hardest — neat soffit routes and sealed glands take hours that bargain installs skip, and you discover the difference the first wet winter. Cheap is occasionally right (simple overview needs), but it should be a choice you make knowingly, not a discovery.

Red flags worth walking away from

No written quote or a one-line WhatsApp price; pressure to decide today; cash-only; no business address or insurance evidence; 'we'll decide camera positions on the day'; storage unstated; warranty 'on the parts only' with no labour; and any reluctance to name equipment models (which usually means whatever's cheapest at the wholesaler that week). Conversely, a slightly dearer quote with a real schedule, real maths and a verifiable certification is the cheaper purchase over five years — it's the one that records the night it matters.