CCTV System Cost Calculator
Camera count, recorder, and installation cost for coverage.
About this calculator
This calculator prices out a full CCTV installation from the camera count and type through to storage and labor. Camera unit cost depends on both resolution/technology tier (analog, HD-TVI/CVI, or IP PoE at 2-4MP or 4K/8MP) and whether it's mounted outdoors, which the calculator prices roughly 40% higher to cover weatherproof housing and IR illumination. The recorder (NVR/DVR) is priced as a base unit cost plus a per-channel charge, with channel count rounded up to the nearest standard size (4, 8, 16, or 32) rather than matching the camera count exactly. Storage is driven by a gigabytes-per-camera-per-day figure that rises steeply with resolution — a 4K camera generates roughly ten times the daily footage of an analog one — multiplied by camera count and retention days, then converted to terabytes and priced per surveillance-grade drive, rounding up to whole drives.
Cabling cost differs by technology (cheaper coax for analog/HD-TVI, pricier Cat6 for IP) and scales with the average run length per camera plus a flat per-camera connector charge; IP systems also add PoE switch cost in blocks of 8 ports. A flat $180 monitor and, if professional installation is selected, per-camera labor plus a $200 system configuration fee round out the total. Treat this as a planning-stage estimate: it doesn't account for conduit, trenching, or existing infrastructure, and real quotes will vary by region and installer.
Inputs
Results
Total system cost
$3,789.00
≈ 4 smartphones
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the number of cameras required and camera resolution/type (IP, analog HD).
- Set the DVR/NVR channel count and storage retention period in days.
- Input cable run lengths and installation labor per camera.
- Review hardware cost, installation cost, and storage capacity required.
- Add 20% contingency for conduit, power supplies, and network switches.
How the result changes with Number of cameras
| Number of cameras | Total system cost |
|---|---|
| 4 | $2,272.00 |
| 6 | $3,081.00 |
| 12 | $5,426.00 |
| 20 | $8,580.00 |
What each input means
- Number of cameras
- Total cameras needed for your property coverage.
- Camera type
- 1 = Analog, 2 = HD-TVI/CVI, 3 = IP PoE (2-4MP), 4 = IP 4K/8MP.
- Outdoor cameras (%)
- Percentage of cameras installed outdoors (weatherproof housing costs more).
- Avg cable run (ft)
- Average cable distance from recorder to each camera location.
- Storage retention (days)
- Number of days of recorded footage to keep on disk.
- Professional install?
- 1 for professional installation, 0 for DIY.
What each result means
- Total system cost
- Complete system cost including hardware, cabling, and installation.
- Hardware subtotal
- All hardware including cameras, recorder, storage, cabling, and monitor.
- Camera cost
- Total cost for all indoor and outdoor cameras.
- Recorder (NVR/DVR)
- Network or digital video recorder cost.
- Storage (HDD)
- Surveillance-grade hard drive cost for required retention.
- Cabling cost
- Cable and connector costs for all camera runs.
- Installation labor
- Professional installation and configuration labor.
- Cost per camera
- Average total cost per camera including all costs.
- Storage needed (TB)
- Total hard drive storage capacity required.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersNumber of cameras = 8, Camera type = 3, Outdoor cameras (%) = 50, Avg cable run (ft) = 75 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total system costTotal system cost = hardwareTotal + installationCost3789 = $3,789
- Calculate Hardware subtotalHardware subtotal = cameraCost + recorderCost + storageCost + cablingCost + poeSwitchCost + monit...2549 = $2,549
- Calculate Camera cost1180 = $1,180
Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do outdoor cameras cost more than indoor cameras of the same type?
The calculator uses a separate price table for outdoor units that runs roughly 40% higher than the indoor price at every technology tier, to cover weatherproof housing and IR illumination for night vision. For example, an indoor IP PoE 2-4MP camera is priced at $120 while the outdoor equivalent is $175 — the split is set by the outdoorPct input, not by any physical placement logic.
How does the calculator decide how many NVR/DVR channels I need?
It rounds your camera count up to the nearest multiple of 4 — so 8 cameras need an 8-channel recorder, but 9 or 10 cameras jump to a 16-channel unit, since recorders are sold in standard channel-count tiers (4, 8, 16, 32) rather than built to an exact camera count. That rounding can meaningfully change the recorder line item right at those boundaries.
Why does storage cost rise so much faster than camera count for 4K systems?
The calculator assigns a gigabytes-per-camera-per-day figure that scales steeply with resolution: 4 GB/day for analog versus 40 GB/day for 4K/8MP, roughly a 10x difference. That daily figure is multiplied by both camera count and retention days before being converted to terabytes and priced per surveillance-grade drive, so higher-resolution systems with longer retention windows can need many times more storage than the camera count alone suggests.
When does the calculator add a PoE switch to the cost?
Only for IP PoE camera types (cameraType 3 or 4) — analog and HD-TVI/CVI systems don't need one. When it applies, the cost is calculated in blocks of 8 ports at $120 per block, rounding your camera count up to the next multiple of 8 the same way the recorder channel count rounds up in multiples of 4.
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