A good quote for CCTV installation should answer your questions before you even ask them. Most don't. These are the questions worth putting to any installer in Hermanus, grouped by stage, along with the kind of answer you should hope to hear.
Quick answer: Before booking CCTV installation, ask what each camera will see, where footage is stored and for how long, how cables are routed and sealed against salt air, what happens in a power cut, how you'll view footage on your phone and what support you get afterwards. Clear answers in writing are the best sign of a careful installer.
People often start by asking about brands. It's better to start with the job, because the right camera follows from it.
Ask the installer to walk the property with you and describe each view. "The gate, close enough to read a number plate" is a useful answer. "We'll put one on each corner" is not.
Many cameras show a grey shape after dark. Ask whether the camera uses infrared, colour night vision or a nearby light, and ask to see sample night footage. On a dark street in Voelklip or Fernkloof, this matters more than daytime sharpness.
An honest installer will sometimes suggest fewer cameras placed better. If a quote covers the same patch of lawn twice, ask why. Our CCTV installation and repair team would rather give you four well-aimed cameras than eight that miss the front door.
Footage can sit on a recorder in the house, on a memory card in the camera or in the cloud. Each has trade-offs. A recorder keeps working if the internet drops, but it should be hidden or locked away so a burglar can't simply carry it off.
Ask how long footage is saved before the system records over it. If you're away for a month, a short loop may wipe the very clip you need. Storage size and camera sharpness both change this.
Most systems offer an app. Ask who sets it up, how many family members can log in and whether alerts can be limited to people and cars, so the dassies and birds in the garden don't buzz your phone all day. Phone viewing needs a stable connection, which is where WiFi and network cabling sometimes comes in.
This is where cheap jobs and careful jobs split. The answers tell you how the system will look and last.
Technician tip: Ask the installer to show you one connector they'll use outdoors. A sealed, weatherproof joint with a rubber boot or heat-shrink is what you want on a sea-facing wall. Bare twist-on plugs wrapped in tape tend to fail after a winter or two.
For the reasons behind those coastal questions, see our piece on why coastal installs differ. Salt affects cameras the same way it affects a satellite dish.
Need a hand in Hermanus?
Tell us what you need or what your screen shows. We give you a clear price before we drive out.
Ask whether the recorder, cameras and router will keep running during an outage. Without backup power, recording simply stops. A small UPS or battery system can bridge the gap, and a good installer will size it for your setup rather than guess.
Also ask about surges. Long outdoor cables can carry a spike back to the recorder when the power returns. Our article on surge protection myths covers the basics, and the same thinking applies to camera gear.
The cctv system installation cost should never be a single number with no detail. Ask for a breakdown, then use the table below to judge the answers.
| Ask this | A good sign | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Is the quote itemised? | Cameras, recorder, storage, cable and labour listed | One lump sum |
| Is the camera model named? | Make and model written down | "HD camera" and nothing more |
| Is backup power included? | Listed, or clearly marked as optional | Not mentioned at all |
| Is app setup included? | Yes, with a handover | "You can download the app" |
| Are call-outs after install covered? | Terms explained upfront | Vague answer |
Camera and recorder prices change often, so we don't publish a fixed list. We look at the property and quote first, so ask our team for a current quote that fits your home.
A camera system isn't finished when the ladder goes back on the bakkie. Ask what the handover includes: finding footage, saving a clip, changing passwords and adding a user. Every CCTV camera installation we do ends with that walk-through.
Then ask what happens if a camera goes offline in six months. Who do you call, how quickly can they come out and what's covered? The October post on picking a freelance or company technician has more on judging installers, and it applies to cameras too.
If you've been searching for CCTV installers near me, these answers are a quick way to tell the careful ones from the rest.
A few answers have to come from you before any installer can quote properly.
Holiday homes have their own needs, which our guide to CCTV for holiday homes explains in more detail. Keep cameras pointed at your own property where you can, and tell guests where cameras are.
We work across Hermanus, Onrus, Sandbaai, Vermont, Hawston and out to Stanford and Kleinmond. The same team handles DStv installation in Hermanus, so camera, WiFi and TV work can often be done in one visit.
Bring your list of questions. We'll answer every one. Contact our Hermanus team for a site visit and a written quote before any work starts.
Talk to our Hermanus team
We work across Hermanus, Onrus, Sandbaai, Vermont, Voelklip and nearby. Call or WhatsApp us and we will tell you the practical next step.
Ask what each camera will see, where footage is stored and for how long, how cables are routed and sealed, what happens in a power cut and what support you get after the install. Ask for the answers in writing, along with an itemised quote.
It depends on how many cameras you need, how long the cable runs are, how much storage you want and whether you add backup power. Camera prices change often, so we don't use a fixed price list. We visit the property and give you a written quote first.
A small home with a few cameras and short cable runs is often done in one visit. Bigger homes, double storeys and cameras far from the house take longer because of the cable work. We give you a time estimate with the quote, so you know what to expect.
Many estates and complexes have rules on what can be mounted on outside walls and where cameras may point. Check with your HOA or body corporate before the install. We can plan camera positions and cable routes to fit those rules.
Yes, as long as the recorder or cameras have a stable internet connection at home. We set up the app during handover and show you how to watch live, play back clips and manage alerts. Without internet, cameras can still record locally.