Security Camera Setup/Cost
Member since 2024 · 19 posts · 11 votes
Security Camera Setup/Cost
5 Replies
- Investor · VA · Member since 2015 · 21k+ posts · 19k+ votes1mo
Get a good system and expect to pay around $3-$5k for it. We have put several In on similar properties and depending on number of cameras etc that's where it's typically been
7e investments53 Reviews - Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes1mo
I've had several systems in the past, from a Costco special NVR system for a smaller property with fewer than a dozen cameras, to a larger commercial system with nearly 50 cameras. Several systems were coordinated with an access control as well, with proximity readers and fobs for the residents to enter the building. Access control gives you the added benefit of positive identification of who is using the access point, and at what date and time. It does also require that you track the issuance and return of those fobs for it to be of most value. This can help you coordinate with the video to determine who may have responsibility. And keep strangers out of the building.
There are several critical issues to bear in mind. Motion triggered cameras are HORRIBLE. They do not pick up motion soon enough when you need it, and on breezy days they are constantly triggering if you use virtual fencing. You need to plan for continuous recording of all cameras. This means you need significant storage if using a Network Video Recorder, or Cloud storage. Technology has improved greatly, day/night color is ideal, although certainly must be color for daytime. Cameras have their own infrared illumination, so if you were thinking lighting for the system, there is no need. Most systems have some level of "zoom" available on replay, but the quality may diminish, depending on the system.
Side note, motion lights are horrible too! use dusk to dawn sensors on wall pack lighting fixtures for durability and actual security.
Back to cameras, critically you must have "evidence quality" imagery. If you cannot clearly see faces, features, license plates, and smaller details, it is absolutely not worth spending money on. Usually this means 4 mpx cams, but there are options also for the size of the field of view, remote zoom, and other features on the cams themselves. It is wise to always have every camera covering another nearby camera, so you have evidence when someone damages or steals one.
You can use a storage closet for the NVR unit, feeding all the cameras to that point with cabling in conduit. You need a monitor to view on site for setup and periodic use, but most of the work you would do remotely, scanning through the saved videos rapidly to locate the incident and isolate clips and screengrabs for downloading and providing to Police or for documenting rule violations to assess fines. Typically you download direct from the NVR onto a thumb drive to hand over to the police and establish chain of custody. The NVR software for performing these tasks should be pretty simple and quick to utilize. Some systems are a PITA, so check out the actual functioning. There are a lot of features with different software, I mentioned fencing, which is identifying an area within the view that will trigger an email or audible alarm if a person, or car, enters that restricted area, for example. You can of course set alarm triggers to only be active at specified times or days...lots of flexibility.
- Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 538 posts · 308 votes1mo
I wouldn’t start with the camera company. I’d start with the coverage map.
For an 8-unit brick building, I’d usually be thinking 4 cameras as the absolute minimum and probably 6 once you account for entrances, parking, blind corners and the difference between “seeing somebody” and actually getting an identifiable image.
I’d strongly favor hardwired PoE cameras → local NVR → secure phone access over a bunch of Wi-Fi cameras and monthly cloud subscriptions. You get a more reliable system, centralized recording, fewer batteries/connections to babysit, and you’re not dependent on the internet for the actual footage. Put the recorder/router on a UPS so a quick power interruption doesn’t erase the exact event you needed recorded.
Also separate the lighting decision from the camera decision. Motion lights should improve identification without blasting the camera into overexposure at night.
The biggest mistakes I see are cameras mounted too high, huge overlapping views with no useful facial detail, blind approaches to entrances, and spending money on features before determining what evidence you actually need the system to capture.
For something this size, I’d rather spend a few thousand once on a properly designed wired system than save $1,000 up front and discover after an incident that I recorded six beautiful videos of somebody nobody can identify.
If you want, send me a rough drawing/photos of the four sides of the building and where the entrances/parking are. I’m happy to map out where I’d put the cameras and what I’d actually budget before you start calling installers.
- Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 576 posts · 339 votes1mo
For an 8-unit building, I’d get 2–3 quotes from local security/low-voltage companies and make sure they’re all quoting the same coverage. A few things I’d compare:
Hardwired/PoE vs. Wi-Fi — I’d lean hardwired for a permanent rental setup.
Nighttime image quality and whether you can clearly identify a person at the entrances.
Local recording vs. cloud storage, how long footage is retained, and any monthly fees.
Phone access and how easy it is to actually pull and save footage when something happens.
The cost of running cable through that brick building. That could be a bigger variable than the cameras themselves.
I’d also have them quote the motion lighting at the same time. For budgeting, I’d trust the site-specific quotes more than a per-camera estimate since the wiring and installation can change the number quite a bit.
- 1moAshish AcharyaBusiness MemberCPA, CFP®, PFS · FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
Matt, for an 8-unit building I’d focus less on the brand first and more on coverage, reliability, storage, and who is responsible for maintaining the system.
For a setup like yours, I’d want the front entrance, rear entrance, parking areas, and any common access points covered without creating blind spots. I’d also think through night visibility, weather resistance, motion alerts, how long footage is stored, whether you want cloud or local storage, and whether multiple users can securely access the feed.
One thing I’d avoid is relying only on Wi-Fi cameras if the building has weak coverage or frequent outages. For a larger property, a wired or PoE setup can be more reliable and easier to manage long term.
From the tax side, keep the camera purchase and installation costs documented separately. Depending on the cost and how the system is installed, it may be treated as equipment that gets depreciated rather than a normal repair expense. If you’re adding cameras as part of a larger property upgrade, clean invoices make the tax treatment much easier.
I’d also make sure tenants are clearly informed about cameras in common/exterior areas and avoid placing them anywhere that could create privacy issues.
Feel free to DM me, I’d be happy to send over a few resources that might help with property-level recordkeeping and expense tracking.
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