How Much Does Security Camera Installation Cost in South Florida?
Updated: Jul 31
It is the first question almost everybody asks us, and most companies dodge it.
We are not going to dodge it. Here is what security camera installation actually costs in South Florida, what makes the price go up or down, and how to tell when a quote is too good to be true.
The short answer
Nationally, professional security camera installation averages around $1,290 and typically lands between $590 and $2,040 for a home system, according to 2026 industry cost data. Per camera, published guides put professional installation at roughly $125 to $450 including labor.
Commercial work varies far more widely than residential, because ceiling height, cable runs, the number of buildings and whether a lift is needed drive the labor more than the camera count does. We quote every commercial property individually after walking it.
That is a wide range on purpose. Two houses on the same street can come in hundreds of dollars apart. The rest of this page explains why.
What you are actually paying for
A camera system has four costs bundled into it:
The cameras. A 4MP camera and an 8MP camera look the same on the wall and do not cost the same. Neither do a plastic camera and a metal one that survives salt air.
The recorder and hard drive. This is the box that stores your footage. How many days you want to keep is the main thing that moves this number. Thirty days of eight cameras needs a lot more drive than seven days of four cameras.
The cable and the labor to run it. This is the part people underestimate. Running Cat5e through an open attic is quick. Fishing cable through a two-story concrete block wall in a finished house is not. On our jobs, the cable run is usually the single biggest driver of price.
Setup and training. Getting cameras on the wall is half the job. Setting up remote viewing on your phone, tuning motion alerts so you are not getting a notification every time a palm frond moves, and showing you how to pull footage - that is the other half.
What makes the price go up
Long cable runs. Anything past 150 feet needs Cat6 instead of Cat5e, and sometimes a switch closer to the camera.
Concrete block and stucco. Very common in South Florida, and much slower to drill and fish than frame construction.
Two-story homes. More ladder work, more time, sometimes a lift.
Finished ceilings with no attic access. The hardest cable runs we do.
More recording days. Going from 14 days to 30 days can mean a bigger drive or a bigger recorder.
Adding remote monitoring. A monitored system costs more up front and monthly, but somebody is actually watching.
What brings the price down
New construction or a remodel. If the walls are open, prewire is a fraction of the cost. If you are building or renovating, call before the drywall goes up.
Fewer, better-placed cameras. Six cameras in the right spots beat twelve in the wrong ones. Most quotes we replace have too many cameras covering the same driveway.
Reusing existing cable. If you have an old analog system, we can sometimes reuse the runs and only replace the cameras and recorder.
What about the cheap systems?
You can buy a four-camera kit online for a few hundred dollars. Some of them are fine. Here is what usually happens with them:
The cameras work for a year or two, then one fails and the exact model is discontinued. The app requires an account with a company that may not exist next year. The footage you actually needed was overwritten because nobody set the retention right. And when something goes wrong, there is nobody local to call.
We install commercial-grade equipment from Hikvision, Uniview, and Lorex because we can still get parts for it in five years, and because we are the ones who have to come back out and fix it.
That said - if a DIY kit fits your budget and your risk, buy it. We would rather tell you that straight than sell you something you do not need. We also stock cameras, recorders and parts in our online store if you want to build your own.
Watch out for these
Phone quotes. Anyone who gives you a firm price without seeing the property is guessing, and the guess will change on install day.
Long monitoring contracts. Three and five year monitoring agreements are common in this industry. Read what happens when you want out.
Free equipment. The equipment is not free. It is financed inside the monitoring bill, and you usually cannot take it with you.
Unlicensed installers. Low voltage work in Florida requires a license. Ours is EG13000794. Ask for the number and look it up.
How we quote it
Every project starts with a free onsite walkthrough. No phone quotes, no remote estimates - we come out, look at the property, and design a system around it.
You get a written quote with the equipment listed by model, the labor broken out, and the monitoring cost stated plainly if you want it. No contracts, no hidden fees.
Get a real number for your property
Call (954) 573-9193 or fill out the form below and we will come take a look. We serve Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties.
HD Smart Solutions - licensed Florida low voltage contractor, License # EG13000794.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install one security camera?
Adding one camera to an existing system is usually the cheapest way to expand, since the recorder is already there. The cable run drives the price far more than the camera itself does, so the number depends on where it is going. A single camera as a brand new system costs more, because you still need a recorder.
Is it cheaper to install security cameras yourself?
Up front, yes. A DIY kit costs less than a professional install. The cost shows up later in poor camera placement, footage that was not retained, and no local support when something fails.
How much does CCTV installation cost per camera?
Industry cost guides put professional installation at roughly $125 to $450 per camera nationally, including labor. Wherever your property lands in that range, the first camera always costs more than the eighth, because the recorder cost is spread across the whole system. That is why we quote the system rather than a per-camera rate.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. Onsite estimates are free and there is no obligation.
How long does installation take?
A typical four to six camera home install is one day. Larger commercial and HOA jobs run two to five days depending on cable runs.