A camera kit bought off the shelf that never got past the box, footage too soft to identify anyone once it matters, or a doorbell camera that drops offline at exactly the wrong moment. Most of what makes a camera system useful is decided before anything is mounted: where the cameras point, how they are powered, and where the recording actually lives. We fit cabled CCTV systems as well as app-based cameras and video doorbells, and we will tell you which suits the job.
Why this comes up
A break-in, an attempted one, or repeated trespass on a property or site.
A garden, driveway, or side access with no view of it from inside the house.
Battery or Wi-Fi cameras that keep dropping out or run flat between charges, usually down to where they were put or how they are powered.
A business or site needing coverage of an entrance, till point, or plant compound.
An existing system where the recorder has failed or the cameras have aged out.
A new build or renovation where camera cable can be run before the walls are plastered.
How we handle it
Walk the property and agree what each camera is actually for. Identification at a gate is a different lens and a different position from general overview of a garden.
Agree the type of system: a cabled CCTV system with a recorder, app-based cameras and a video doorbell, or a mix of the two.
Plan cable routes and power, and for a recorded system a location for the recorder that is not the first place an intruder would look.
Run cable through wall and roof cavities for cabled cameras, and give app-based cameras a permanent power supply wherever the model allows it, so they are not relying on a battery.
Mount, aim, and focus each camera on site, checking the actual picture rather than the specification.
Set up recording and remote viewing with you, and show you how to export footage before you need to.
What to expect
Most cabled domestic systems are a day, longer where cable has to cross a detached garage or an outbuilding. A video doorbell or a couple of app-based cameras is a shorter visit. The picture is set up with you standing there, because a camera aimed from a ladder without checking the monitor is the single most common reason a system turns out useless later. We will be straight about coverage: four cameras cannot watch everything, and it is better to cover the approaches properly than to ring the building with thin coverage.
What it costs
Driven by camera count, cable runs, and for a recorded system the recorder storage, rather than by brand. Running camera cable in the same pass as data or TV cable is far more efficient than a separate visit for each, and doing it during a renovation while walls are open is cheaper again.
Common questions
Should I have cabled cameras or wireless ones?
It depends on the job. A cabled camera takes its power and its picture down the same cable, so there is no battery to flatten and no Wi-Fi to drop out, which suits permanent coverage of a boundary or a site. App-based cameras and video doorbells are quicker to fit and easy to view on a phone, and they work well where the Wi-Fi reaches and they can be given permanent power. We fit both and will say which suits each position.
Can you fit a video doorbell or cameras I have already bought?
Yes. We check they suit where you want them, wire them to a permanent supply where the model allows it, and set the app up with you.
How much recording can I keep?
Depends on camera count, resolution, and whether the recorder only writes on motion. Weeks rather than days is a realistic target, and we size the storage to what you actually want to keep.
Can I view the cameras from my phone?
Yes, and we set that up and test it with you rather than leaving you an app and a manual.
Where should cameras be pointed?
At the ways in: gates, doors, driveways and side access. A camera surveying an entire back garden gives you a wide picture of somebody you cannot identify.
Do I need to tell anyone I have cameras?
If your cameras see beyond your own boundary, into a neighbour’s property, a shared driveway or the street, there are privacy obligations that come with that, and for a business there are more. Worth taking advice on it, and we will flag any camera position where it is likely to apply.
Can you work on a system I already have?
Often yes. If the cabling is sound, replacing cameras or a failed recorder is much cheaper than starting again, and we will tell you which case you are in.
Will installing cameras affect my insurance?
Worth asking your insurer directly. Some recognise a monitored or recorded system, others don’t, and it is not a claim we would make on their behalf.