What to Ask Before Hiring a Security Camera Installer in Florida

Low voltage work in Florida is licensed, and plenty of the people quoting camera jobs are not licensed to do it. Here is what to ask, and why each question matters.

Are you licensed, and what is the number?

Alarm system and low voltage work in Florida requires a state license. Ask for the number and look it up on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation site. It takes a minute. Ours is EG13000794.

This is not a formality. An unlicensed installer cannot pull a permit, which matters on commercial and HOA work, and your insurance company may take a very different view of a claim involving unpermitted work.

Are you insured, and can I see the certificate?

If someone falls off a ladder on your property or puts a drill bit through a water line, you want that to be their insurance company's problem, not yours.

Who owns the equipment and the system?

Ask whether you own the cameras and recorder outright, whether you get the admin passwords, and whether another company could service the system later. Some installers keep the admin credentials so you have to call them for everything. That is a business model, not a security feature.

What cable are you running?

Ask specifically whether it is solid copper. Copper-clad aluminum is cheaper, is common, and causes power problems on longer camera runs that are difficult to diagnose later.

Are these NDAA compliant cameras?

If the property is commercial, government-adjacent, or you simply care about the sourcing of the equipment, this matters. It also affects whether you can use the system for certain contracts down the line.

Will you come look at the property first?

If someone quotes a full system over the phone without seeing it, either the number will change or it is padded. Neither is good.

What happens when something breaks?

Ask about the warranty on labor separately from the warranty on equipment. Ask how service calls are billed. Ask whether they answer the phone. A cheap install from someone unreachable in eighteen months is not cheap.

Will you show me the views before you drill?

A good installer will hold the camera up, show you the actual field of view on a phone or a laptop, and adjust before anything is permanently mounted. It costs a few extra minutes and it is the difference between a camera that watches your driveway and one that watches your neighbor's hedge.

HDSS is a licensed Florida low voltage contractor, License #EG13000794, serving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. Call (954) 573-9193 for a free onsite walkthrough.