How Much Does CCTV Cost in Northern Ireland?

The cost of a CCTV system in Northern Ireland depends on the type of site, the number of cameras, the cabling required and what the system needs to do. Prices vary considerably, and the cheapest option is rarely the most appropriate for a business or farm.

This guide gives you realistic price ranges and explains what affects the cost so you can make a sensible comparison when getting quotes.

Typical Price Ranges

Small office or retail premises (4 to 8 cameras)

A straightforward commercial installation with IP cameras, an NVR recorder, Cat5e or Cat6 cabling within the building, remote viewing configured, and cameras set up on an isolated VLAN typically costs between £1,500 and £4,000 for supply and installation.

The range reflects differences in camera quality, cable runs, building construction (brick vs stud wall), number of access points covered, and whether the job can be done in a single visit or requires multiple sessions.

Warehouse or industrial unit (8 to 16 cameras)

Larger premises with longer cable runs, higher mounting points and more cameras to cover a bigger area typically cost between £3,500 and £8,000. High-bay installations, external cameras with weatherproofing and longer cabling through concrete or steel structures add to the time and materials.

Farm or rural yard (4 to 12 cameras with 4G connectivity)

Farm installations have additional complexity. Cameras often need to cover multiple buildings spread across a site, sometimes with no existing cabling infrastructure between them. Where fixed broadband is not available or not practical across all locations, 4G SIM routers are used to enable remote viewing.

Farm systems typically cost between £2,500 and £7,000 depending on site size, camera count, distance between buildings and connectivity requirements. 4G hardware adds to the cost but removes the need for extensive underground cabling in some cases.

Construction site (temporary 4G system, 4 to 8 cameras)

Temporary construction site systems that use 4G connectivity and can be relocated when the project finishes typically cost between £2,000 and £5,000 depending on camera count and site requirements. Solar power options are available for sites without mains electricity, which adds to the cost.

What Affects the Price

• Number of cameras: more cameras mean more hardware and more installation time.
• Camera quality: 4MP and 8MP cameras cost more than 2MP but give clearer images at distance and in low light. For most business and farm applications, 4MP or higher is recommended.
• Cable runs: longer runs, difficult routing (through concrete, up height, across outbuildings), and the need to conceal cabling properly all affect installation time.
• NVR storage: the recorder and the amount of storage included. Systems that need to retain footage for 30 days or more at high resolution require more storage than a basic 7-day retention setup.
• Connectivity: sites without fixed broadband need a 4G router for remote viewing. This is an additional hardware cost.
• Network isolation: a properly installed business CCTV system places cameras on a separate VLAN so they cannot communicate with office computers. This requires a managed switch and router configuration, which adds cost but significantly improves security.
• Site survey: a proper site survey is needed before quoting. Systems quoted without a survey tend to have unexpected costs added during installation.

What a Proper Installation Includes

A professional CCTV installation for a Northern Ireland business should include:

• A free site survey to assess coverage requirements and camera positions
• IP cameras (not analogue) with appropriate resolution for the site
• NVR recorder with appropriate storage for the required retention period
• Structured cabling properly installed and secured
• Remote viewing configured on your phone before the installer leaves
• Cameras placed on an isolated network VLAN
• A brief walkthrough of how to use the system
• Written quote before work starts, with no unexpected extras

Why Not to Choose the Cheapest Option

Consumer-grade cameras installed with consumer-grade NVRs and no network isolation are common in the cheapest quotes. They work initially but tend to have reliability issues, offer poor image quality in low light, lack proper remote access, and introduce network security risks by placing cameras on the same network as business computers.

A professional installation costs more upfront but gives you a system that works reliably, captures usable footage when you need it, can be accessed remotely, and does not create a security liability on your network.