# How to choose a CCTV installer in Sydney > Check the licence, ask who actually does the work, and get an itemised quote. Here's how to choose a CCTV installer in Sydney without getting burned. Canonical: https://cctv-installers-sydney.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-cctv-installer-in-sydney/ Publisher: One Orange Cow (https://www.oneorangecow.com/) Author: Brendan Byrne Updated: 2026-09-15 Choosing a CCTV installer in Sydney comes down to four things: a valid licence, insurance, clarity on who actually does the work, and a quote itemised enough that you know what you're paying for. Everything else - brand preference, how flashy the website is, how quickly they answer the phone - matters less than those four. ## Check the NSW Security Master Licence Any business installing CCTV commercially in New South Wales should hold a Security Master Licence under the Security Industry Act 1997, and you can verify any licence number in a couple of minutes on the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate's (SLED) public register run by NSW Fair Trading. This isn't a formality - it confirms the business is entitled to operate in this industry at all, and a search takes less time than reading a single Google review. Some installers hold an electrical contractor licence instead of, or as well as, a Security Master Licence, particularly businesses that come from an electrical background and do CCTV as an extension of that work. Either can be legitimate, but ask which licence type applies to the person doing your job specifically, and check the number against the relevant register rather than taking a website badge at face value. ## Confirm they're insured Ask for confirmation of public liability insurance, ideally in writing, before anyone gets on your roof or runs cable through your ceiling. This matters more than it sounds - CCTV installation involves ladders, roof spaces and sometimes working near power, and if something is damaged during the job you want to know it's covered rather than finding out afterwards it wasn't. A licensed operator should be able to produce a certificate of currency without hesitation, and it's reasonable to ask for a copy for your own records, particularly on a larger commercial or strata job where the body corporate may want it filed. ## Find out who actually turns up A lot of CCTV work in Sydney is quoted by one person and subcontracted to someone else for the actual install, which isn't automatically bad but is worth knowing before you agree to anything. If a different person turns up on install day than the one who walked your property and gave the quote, you lose some of the value of that initial site assessment - the installer doing the work may not know why a particular camera position was chosen, or what you specifically asked for. Ask directly: "Will you be doing the install yourself, or will someone else?" A straight answer either way is a good sign. AVsion in Maroubra is a business built around answering that question the same way every time - the person who quotes the job is the one who installs it, which means nothing gets lost between the site visit and the cabling. ## Ask about warranty on labour Hardware comes with a manufacturer's warranty regardless of who installs it, usually one to three years depending on the brand. What varies a lot between installers is the warranty on their labour - the actual mounting, cabling and configuration work. Twelve months is a reasonable minimum to look for, and it should be in writing, not just a verbal assurance. If a camera stops working eight months after installation, a labour warranty is what determines whether the callout is free or billed, and whether you're chasing the installer or paying someone else to fix a job you already paid for once. ## Get quotes that actually itemise the job A proper quote should break down the number and type of cameras, the recorder or NVR model, the length of cable run and where it's routed, and the labour cost, rather than a single lump sum. This makes it possible to compare two quotes properly - a $2,800 quote and a $3,600 quote might use exactly the same cameras, with the difference being cable routed through the roof space in one case and stapled along an eave in the other, or 30 days of storage versus 14. Our guide to CCTV installation costs in Sydney has typical price ranges by camera count and brand if you want a sense of what's reasonable before you start getting quotes. It's worth getting at least two or three quotes for anything beyond a simple two-camera job, not to squeeze the price down but to see how consistent the specifications are. If one installer proposes four cameras and a decent NVR for roughly the same price another quotes for two cameras and a cheaper recorder, that tells you more about what you're comparing than the headline number does. ## Check references and reviews properly Google reviews are a reasonable starting signal but read past the star rating to what people actually say. Comments about the installer turning up on time, leaving cabling tidy, and being responsive afterwards if something needed adjusting are more useful than a generic five-star rating with no detail. For businesses with a smaller number of reviews, ask directly for a couple of recent customers you can call, particularly if the job is a larger commercial or strata installation. ## Questions worth asking before you book Before committing to an installer, it's worth asking who will physically do the install, what their Security Master Licence or electrical licence number is so you can check it, what warranty applies to labour versus hardware, how many days of footage the proposed storage will hold, and whether remote viewing works without you needing to change router settings. A good installer will answer all of these without hesitation, because they're basic parts of doing the job properly, not unusual requests. ## Red flags to watch for Be cautious of a quote with no itemisation at all, an installer who can't or won't provide a licence number, cash-only pricing with no invoice, or pressure to sign and pay a deposit on the same visit as the quote. Also be wary of a quote that seems well below every other one you've received for the same camera count and brand - it usually means a cheaper recorder, shorter storage retention, or cable run shortcuts that will show up as a problem later rather than genuine efficiency. None of these signs automatically mean something is wrong, but together, or even individually, they're worth pausing on before you commit. If you'd rather skip the comparison shopping, our [Top 5 CCTV installers in Sydney](/top-5-cctv-installers-sydney/) page ranks installers against these exact criteria, and the [installer directory](/installers/) has profiles for each one including licence details and service areas. For a deeper look at what a quality installation actually involves once you've picked someone, see our guide on [what makes a good CCTV installation](/guides/what-makes-a-good-cctv-installation/). ## Frequently asked questions **Do CCTV installers in NSW need a licence?** Yes. Installing CCTV as a business in NSW generally requires a Security Master Licence issued under the Security Industry Act 1997, and anyone doing the physical work often needs a Security Operator or Installer Licence too. You can check any licence number on the SLED public register in a couple of minutes. **How much should I expect to pay for a home CCTV system in Sydney?** A basic four-camera system typically runs from around $1,800 to $3,500 supplied and installed, depending on brand and cable runs. Our [cost guide](/guides/cctv-installation-cost-sydney/) breaks down pricing by camera count and brand in more detail. **Should I worry if an installer subcontracts the work?** It's not automatically a problem, but you should know about it upfront. Ask directly whether the person quoting the job is the person doing the install, and if not, who is, and whether that person is separately licensed and insured. **What warranty should I expect on a CCTV installation?** Most reputable installers offer at least 12 months on labour, on top of the manufacturer's warranty on the hardware itself, which is usually one to three years depending on the brand. Get the labour warranty in writing before you pay a deposit. **Are Google reviews a reliable way to judge a CCTV installer?** They're a useful signal but not the whole picture, especially since review counts and ratings can be thin for smaller local operators. Look at the actual content of reviews for mentions of turning up on time, tidy cabling and after-installation support, not just the star rating. ## Frequently asked questions **Do CCTV installers in NSW need a licence?** Yes. Installing CCTV as a business in NSW generally requires a Security Master Licence issued under the Security Industry Act 1997, and anyone doing the physical work often needs a Security Operator or Installer Licence too. You can check any licence number on the SLED public register in a couple of minutes. **How much should I expect to pay for a home CCTV system in Sydney?** A basic four-camera system typically runs from around $1,800 to $3,500 supplied and installed, depending on brand and cable runs. Our cost guide breaks down pricing by camera count and brand in more detail. **Should I worry if an installer subcontracts the work?** It's not automatically a problem, but you should know about it upfront. Ask directly whether the person quoting the job is the person doing the install, and if not, who is, and whether that person is separately licensed and insured. **What warranty should I expect on a CCTV installation?** Most reputable installers offer at least 12 months on labour, on top of the manufacturer's warranty on the hardware itself, which is usually one to three years depending on the brand. Get the labour warranty in writing before you pay a deposit. **Are Google reviews a reliable way to judge a CCTV installer?** They're a useful signal but not the whole picture, especially since review counts and ratings can be thin for smaller local operators. Look at the actual content of reviews for mentions of turning up on time, tidy cabling and after-installation support, not just the star rating. --- One Orange Cow publishes this site; AVsion is a One Orange Cow client. Rankings use the criteria at https://cctv-installers-sydney.com/how-we-rate-installers/.