Cost guide
Commercial security camera cost: 2026 Southern California pricing
What commercial cameras cost installed, what a whole system costs at three sizes, how cloud and on-premises compare over five years, and what to check before you compare quotes. From a CSLB-licensed integrator working across Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties since 2003.
The short answer
Most commercial projects land at $900 to $3,000 per camera installed. That covers the camera, its cable drop, a share of the network switching, mounting, configuration and first-year software or cloud licensing. Where you fall in that range depends mostly on camera type and whether you record in the cloud or on-site.
System size
Cost by system size
Per-camera cost falls as systems grow, because switching, recording and commissioning are shared across more cameras.
Small: 4–12 cameras
$5,000–$36,000
Single-location retail, office, clinic or restaurant. Cloud is usually the simpler fit.
- $1,100–$3,000 per camera
- 2–5 business days
- One PoE switch
Mid-size: 13–50 cameras
$15,000–$140,000
Corporate office, school, multi-site retail, mid-size warehouse or plant.
- $1,000–$2,800 per camera
- 1–3 weeks
- Cloud, on-premises or hybrid
Enterprise: 50–500+ cameras
$50,000–$1M+
Hospital, campus, district, large distribution center, government site.
- $900–$2,800 per camera
- 4–12 weeks, often phased
- Redundant recording, integrations
Camera type
Hardware cost by camera type
Most commercial systems are about 80 percent fixed domes and bullets, with multisensor or PTZ cameras at parking lots, entries and large open areas.
| Camera | Hardware only | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed dome or bullet, 4–8 MP | $400–$1,200 | Hallways, entries, offices, sales floors, most indoor coverage. |
| Multisensor, 180° or 360° | $1,500–$4,000 | Parking lots, intersections of aisles, building corners. One camera replaces three or four. |
| License plate recognition | $1,500–$4,000 | Gates, driveways and dock entrances. |
| PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) | $2,000–$5,000 | Large yards and lots where an operator follows activity. |
| Thermal | $3,000–$8,000 | Perimeters, utilities and sites with no lighting. |
Each camera also needs a cable drop. A new Cat6 drop typically adds $150 to $400; see the cabling cost guide.
Architecture
Cloud vs on-premises: five-year cost for 30 cameras
The recording architecture is the biggest decision for long-term cost. Cloud systems skip the server but carry a yearly license per camera. On-premises systems cost more on day one and less over time.
| Cost, 30 cameras over 5 years | Cloud-managed | On-premises |
|---|---|---|
| Cameras | $18,000–$36,000 | $13,500–$30,000 |
| Recording servers and storage | Included | $5,000–$12,000 |
| Software or cloud licenses, 5 years | $22,500–$37,500 | $6,000–$15,000 |
| Cabling, installation, commissioning | $13,500–$29,000 | $13,500–$29,000 |
| PoE switching | $3,000–$6,500 | $3,000–$6,500 |
| Five-year total | $57,000–$109,000 | $41,000–$92,500 |
On-premises comes in about 15 to 30 percent lower on hardware and software. The table leaves out IT labor, which is where cloud earns back part of the gap: no servers to patch, no drives to replace, one dashboard across sites.
Cloud tends to fit when
- There's no dedicated IT or security operations staff
- You manage several sites from one place
- You prefer a yearly operating expense
- Retention needs are 30 to 60 days
On-premises tends to fit when
- Rules require local storage, such as CJIS environments
- Retention runs 90 days or longer
- You have IT staff comfortable running servers
- Site bandwidth is limited
Examples
Itemized cost examples
Three typical systems with mid-range commercial cameras, 30-day retention and new cabling, priced the way we quote them.
10 cameras, small business, cloud-managed
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 10 cameras, indoor and outdoor | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| Cloud licenses, year 1 | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| PoE switch | $700 | $1,800 |
| 10 Cat6 drops | $1,500 | $3,500 |
| Mounting and installation labor | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Configuration, commissioning, training | $500 | $1,500 |
| Year-one total | $12,700 | $26,300 |
| Per camera | $1,270 | $2,630 |
| Licenses each year after | $1,500 | $2,500 |
30 cameras, office building, cloud-managed
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 30 cameras: domes, two multisensors, one PTZ | $18,000 | $36,000 |
| Cloud licenses, year 1 | $4,500 | $7,500 |
| PoE switching | $3,000 | $6,500 |
| 30 Cat6 drops | $4,500 | $10,500 |
| Mounting and installation labor | $7,500 | $15,000 |
| Configuration, commissioning, training | $1,500 | $3,500 |
| Year-one total | $39,000 | $79,000 |
| Per camera | $1,300 | $2,633 |
| Licenses each year after | $4,500 | $7,500 |
100 cameras, warehouse or campus, on-premises
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 100 cameras including PTZ, multisensor and exterior | $45,000 | $110,000 |
| Recording servers with redundant storage | $12,000 | $30,000 |
| Video management software licenses | $8,000 | $20,000 |
| PoE switching | $8,000 | $16,000 |
| Cabling, pathway and conduit | $15,000 | $35,000 |
| Mounting and installation labor | $22,000 | $45,000 |
| Engineering and commissioning | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| Training | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Project total | $118,000 | $276,000 |
| Per camera | $1,180 | $2,760 |
| Software support and maintenance, each year after | $5,000 | $12,000 |
Public projects in California require prevailing wage, and some buildings require union labor; both raise labor cost. Reusing existing cabling in good condition lowers it.
Building type
Cost by building type
| Building | Per camera | Why it lands there |
|---|---|---|
| K-12 school | $1,000–$2,600 | High camera counts, perimeter coverage, lockdown integration, often prevailing wage. |
| Retail and franchise | $1,000–$2,600 | Loss prevention focus, point-of-sale integration, standard design across locations. |
| Multi-tenant office | $1,200–$3,000 | Common areas only, riser cabling, building access rules. |
| Warehouse | $1,300–$3,200 | 24 to 40 foot ceilings, lifts, long runs, dock doors, gates and LPR. |
| Manufacturing | $1,300–$3,200 | Dust and heat-rated housings, conduit, OT network separation. |
| Hospital | $1,400–$3,200 | Longer retention, infection-control work rules, emergency department and parking coverage. |
| Data center | $1,600–$3,800 | High-resolution coverage, redundant recording, access control integration. |
Comparing quotes
What low quotes usually leave out
Camera quotes for the same building can differ by 50 percent or more. The gap is usually scope, equipment grade or licensing term, not a better price on the same work.
- Network upgrades. PoE switches, bandwidth and a camera VLAN are often quoted separately or not at all. Undersized networks are the most common reason a new system underperforms.
- Licensing after year one. Cloud systems renew every year. Check whether the quote covers one, three or five years.
- Cabling and conduit. New camera locations in parking structures, exteriors and finished spaces often need conduit. Make sure it isn't marked "by others."
- Retention. Thirty days is standard. Longer retention for healthcare, cannabis or public agencies adds storage or license cost.
- Removal of the old system. Taking out legacy cameras, recorders and cable typically adds 5 to 15 percent.
- Integration and training. Linking door events to video and training staff are often separate line items.
- Licensing and permits. Commercial camera work in California calls for a licensed contractor, and some exterior and pole-mounted work needs a permit.
Our quotes list cameras, licensing term, network, cabling, labor and training as separate lines, and we recommend the platform that fits the site, whether that's Verkada, Rhombus, Avigilon or Axis. Request a site walk.
FAQ
Security camera cost questions
How much does commercial security camera installation cost in Southern California?
Most commercial projects in Southern California land at $900 to $3,000 per camera installed. That covers the camera, its cable drop, a share of the PoE switching, mounting, configuration and first-year software or cloud licensing. On-premises systems usually run $900 to $2,200 per camera and cloud-managed systems $1,300 to $3,000.
Is cloud or on-premises camera storage cheaper?
Cloud costs less upfront because there is no recording server. Over five years, on-premises usually comes in 15 to 30 percent lower on hardware and software, because cloud systems carry a license of roughly $150 to $250 per camera per year. Cloud often earns back part of that gap in lower IT labor and simpler multi-site management.
How much do security cameras cost for a small business?
A small business with 4 to 12 commercial cameras typically pays $5,000 to $36,000 installed, depending on camera types, whether cabling already exists, and cloud or on-premises recording.
How much does it cost to put cameras in a warehouse?
Warehouse cameras typically cost $1,300 to $3,200 per camera installed because of high ceilings, long cable runs, lifts, exterior housings and coverage at dock doors and gates. A 100,000 square foot warehouse with 25 to 40 cameras commonly runs $40,000 to $120,000.
Are security cameras E-Rate eligible?
No. Cameras are not E-Rate eligible, but the network that carries them, including cabling, switches and wireless, can be funded under Category 2. Pairing a camera project with an E-Rate network upgrade can lower the total cost for schools. See E-Rate solutions.
How long does a commercial camera installation take?
About 2 to 5 business days for 8 to 12 cameras, 1 to 3 weeks for 30 cameras including network preparation, and 4 to 8 weeks for 100 cameras. Multi-site projects are usually phased.
Related
Related guides and services
Regional camera pages: Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Inland Empire.
Get a quote
Get a line-item quote for your site
Ranges are a starting point. Your price depends on camera count and type, recording architecture, retention and site conditions. We walk the site and send a quote with every line item shown.