Why We Won't Quote a Camera System Over the Phone
People call and ask what six cameras cost. It is a fair question and we understand why it is frustrating that we will not answer it on the phone. Here is what we are actually looking for when we come out, and why it moves the price in both directions.
Where the cable can go
This is the single biggest variable. A two-story house with attic access over the whole footprint is a different job than a concrete block house with a flat roof and no attic. Same six cameras, very different labor. On the phone we cannot tell which one you have.
What you are actually trying to see
Six cameras placed by someone who walked the property will outperform twelve placed from a floor plan. We are looking at where a person would actually approach from, where the sun is going to sit at the worst time of day, and which views will still be useful at night. Sometimes the walk means you need fewer cameras than you thought.
What is already there
Old coax from a previous system can sometimes be reused. There may be conduit nobody knew about. There may be a panel from a previous provider that can be reactivated instead of replaced. All of that lowers the number, and none of it is visible over the phone.
The stuff that only shows up in person
Where the recorder can live so it is not sitting in a hot garage. Whether your network can support the system. Whether the exterior is stucco, block, or wood, which changes every mount. Whether an HOA architectural committee needs to approve exterior equipment.
The real reason
A phone quote is a guess, and guesses go one of two ways. Either it is low and we show up with a number that is higher than what you were told, which is a bad way to start, or it is padded to cover the unknowns and you overpay. Neither of those is how we want to do business.
The walkthrough is free, there is no obligation, and you get a real number for your actual property. If we walk it and think you need less than you called about, we will tell you that too.
HD Smart Solutions 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.
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