Existing wiring
Reusable, verified wiring may reduce work. Unsupported, damaged or poorly routed cabling may require replacement.
Rough cost guide • Southern California
How much does a security system cost?
Use these numbers only to establish a preliminary budget for a property in Los Angeles, Orange, or Ventura County. Every range is rough. Accurate pricing requires a professional site assessment, field verification, and a written Three Factor Security proposal.
Important: every price shown is a rough planning range
These numbers are not a quote or guaranteed price. A professional site assessment and field verification are required before Three Factor Security can provide accurate pricing and a written proposal.
At-a-glance planning ranges
A rough starting point for every service we offer.
These broad ranges help owners, managers, boards and facility teams establish a preliminary budget. They are not suitable for purchasing approval without a site assessment and written scope.
| Project or service | Rough planning range | What usually affects the range |
|---|---|---|
| Residential security cameras | $1,000–$15,000+ | Camera count, recording, wiring, property size, detached structures and equipment tier. |
| Commercial security cameras | $1,000–$100,000+ | Camera count, retention, network infrastructure, lifts, conduit and specialty coverage. |
| Existing camera or wiring upgrade | $1,000–$30,000+ | Condition and compatibility of existing cameras, recorder, cabling, power and network. |
| NVR, recording or storage upgrade | $550–$30,000+ | Channel count, resolution, retention target, redundancy and compliance requirements. |
| License plate recognition | $1,300–$12,000+ per lane | Vehicle speed, angle, lighting, mounting, network and lane geometry. |
| Residential alarm system | $300–$15,000+ | Protected openings, motions, glassbreaks, keypads, sirens and property size. |
| Commercial alarm system | $300–$20,000+ | Openings, zones, roll-up doors, partitions, communications and integrations. |
| Access control | $1,500–$12,000+ per opening | Reader, controller, lock hardware, door condition, egress and wiring. |
| Video intercom or telephone entry | $1,500–$50,000+ | Entrances, answering stations, tenant count, door hardware and platform. |
| Gate access or intercom integration | $2,500–$60,000+ | Gate operator, trenching, pedestal, relays, network and custom fabrication. |
| Camera monitoring and active deterrence | $99–$250+ per camera / monthMultiple-camera discounts are available. | Coverage hours, operator response, analytics, audio, incident volume and existing equipment. |
| Early-detection perimeter security | $1,000–$150,000+ | Perimeter length, terrain, sensor type, detection distance and response workflow. |
| Structured cabling and low-voltage wiring | $175–$950+ per run | Distance, access, conduit, exposure, firestopping, lifts and working hours. |
| Existing wiring cleanup or correction | $500–$40,000+ | Number of areas, pathway condition, concealment method, labeling and rewiring. |
| Security lighting and visible deterrence | $350–$30,000+ | Fixture count, posts, power, mounting, controls and site access. |
| Protective cages, posts and enclosures | $350–$25,000+ | Quantity, fabrication, finish, locks, foundation, conduit and installation. |
| Integrated cameras, alarm and access control | $5,000–$250,000+ | Property size, system layers, sites, integrations and operational requirements. |
| Security consulting and system design | $450–$25,000+ | Property count, drawings, specifications, risk analysis and coordination. |
| Diagnostics and preventive maintenance | $388+ first hour; $288+/hour after | Device count, access, repair time, maintenance scope and site complexity. Preventive-maintenance agreements are scoped separately. |
Rough planning ranges only. Accurate pricing requires a site assessment, equipment and infrastructure review, field verification, and a written project scope.
Camera installation costs
Residential and commercial video systems.
Camera count alone does not determine cost. Recording, retention, low-light performance, coverage objectives, existing wiring, PoE switching, network readiness, lifts, conduit, posts and specialty cameras must be assessed on site.
Residential camera systems
| System size | Rough range | Typical planning scope |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 cameras | $1,000–$3,500+ | Basic recording, mounting, setup and mobile access under straightforward conditions. |
| 5–8 cameras | $3,000–$8,000+ | Recorder or storage, PoE switching, installation, configuration and training. |
| 9–16 cameras | $6,000–$15,000+ | Expanded recording, network equipment, exterior coverage and commissioning. |
| Large home or estate | $15,000–$100,000+ | Multiple structures, gates, long pathways, premium cameras and integrations. |
Rough numbers only. A site assessment is required for accurate residential camera pricing.
Commercial camera systems
| System size | Rough range | Typical planning scope |
|---|---|---|
| 4–8 cameras | $2,000–$12,000+ | Small office, retail, restaurant or small common-area project. |
| 9–20 cameras | $10,000–$35,000+ | Multifamily, school, warehouse or mid-size commercial property. |
| 21–50 cameras | $25,000–$100,000+ | Large warehouse, campus, industrial or multi-building property. |
| 50+ cameras | $75,000–$250,000+ | Enterprise, multi-site, compliance or long-retention project. |
Rough numbers only. A site assessment is required for accurate commercial camera pricing.
Recording retention
More cameras, higher resolution, longer retention and redundancy increase recorder, storage and network requirements.
Specialty cameras
LPR, PTZ, thermal, 180°, 360° and multi-sensor cameras require different hardware and commissioning.
Pathways and access
Conduit, trenching, exterior work, high ceilings, lifts, firestopping and occupied-hours work increase labor.
Network and power
PoE capacity, switches, UPS equipment, bandwidth, connectivity and equipment-room conditions affect design.
Integration
Linking cameras with alarms, doors, gates, audio or monitoring adds equipment, programming and testing.
Alarm, access and intercom costs
Protection and controlled entry.
Protected openings, door and frame condition, egress requirements, lock hardware, gate infrastructure, answering stations, tenant count and integrations must be verified before accurate pricing is possible.
| Project or service | Rough planning range | Typical planning scope |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment, condo or small-home alarm | $300–$2,800+ | Panel, app setup and a limited group of protected openings and interior devices. |
| Typical single-family-home alarm | $500–$9,000+ | Expanded doors, windows, motions, glassbreaks, sirens and user setup. |
| Small storefront or office alarm | $500–$3,500+ | Panel, communications, protected openings, motions and typical storefront coverage. |
| Mid-size retail or small warehouse alarm | $2,500–$8,000+ | Additional zones, roll-up doors, motions, keypads and users. |
| Large commercial alarm | $5,000–$20,000+ | Many openings, partitions, high ceilings, integrations and multiple operating areas. |
| Card, fob or mobile access-controlled door | $3,000–$6,500+ | Reader, controller, credentials, typical lock hardware and commissioning. |
| Door requiring substantial hardware work | $4,500–$9,000+ | New strike or maglock, power, request-to-exit, door work and field fitment. |
| High-security or custom opening | $5,500–$12,000+ | Specialty hardware, fabrication, advanced credentials or difficult pathways. |
| Commercial video intercom | $2,500–$8,000+ | Video station, answering workflow, network, installation and setup. |
| Gate intercom with access integration | $4,000–$15,000+ | Station, pedestal or mount, gate relay, access controls and connectivity. |
All alarm, access-control, intercom and gate figures are rough. Accurate pricing requires a site assessment and field review of every applicable opening, pathway and existing system.
Camera monitoring and active deterrence
$99–$250+per monitored camera / month
Multiple-camera discounts available
Pricing factors
The monitoring setup determines the rate.
The rough range depends on monitoring hours, event type, analytics, operator review, audio talk-down, notification or dispatch instructions, incident volume, network reliability and whether existing cameras and equipment can be used.
Event-based, scheduled, after-hours or extended coverage
Operator review, live audio deterrence and escalation procedures
Existing-camera compatibility, analytics and field-of-view readiness
Multiple-camera discounts based on the approved monitoring scope
One-time setup, tuning and equipment upgrades scoped separately
Assessment requiredAccurate monitoring pricing starts with the camera and site.
A camera and site assessment is required before accurate monthly pricing, discount eligibility or monitoring compatibility can be confirmed.
Perimeter and infrastructure costs
Detection, wiring and physical support.
Outdoor work varies significantly because terrain, vegetation, distance, weather, fence condition, conduit, trenching, power and communications must be understood in the field.
| Project or service | Rough planning range | Typical planning scope |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor-motion perimeter | $4,000–$10,000+ | A limited number of outdoor zones under suitable site conditions. |
| AI camera-based perimeter detection | $3,000–$20,000+ | Cameras, analytics, configuration, alerting and typical supporting infrastructure. |
| Multi-zone commercial yard perimeter | $15,000–$50,000+ | Multiple detection areas, network, power, integration and response planning. |
| LiDAR, thermal, microwave or radar solution | $35,000–$150,000+ | Advanced sensors, engineered coverage, integration and extensive commissioning. |
| Standard Cat6 low-voltage run | $175–$450+ | Accessible pathway and ordinary distance without unusual exterior work. |
| Exterior, long or conduit-supported run | $350–$950+ | Weather-rated materials, pathway support, access equipment and longer labor time. |
| Wiring cleanup, labeling and concealment | $1,500–$15,000+ | Molding, conduit, junction boxes, rerouting, termination and documentation. |
| Full outdated-cabling correction or rewire | $3,000–$40,000+ | Multiple areas, new pathways, replacement cabling, testing and handoff. |
| Protective cage or locking enclosure | $900–$2,500+ each | Custom size, fabrication, finish, hinge, lock, mounting and fitment. |
| Motion-activated security lighting | $500–$10,000+ | Fixture count, posts, controls, power availability and site conditions. |
Every perimeter, cabling, conduit, cleanup, enclosure and lighting figure is rough. A site assessment is required to verify distances, pathways, access, power, terrain and installation conditions.
Service, maintenance and design costs
Support for existing and future systems.
Diagnostics, maintenance and design are scoped according to the system, property, documentation, access conditions and level of investigation or engineering required.
| Project or service | Rough planning range | Typical planning scope |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic service | $388+ first hour | Initial investigation and testing; parts and corrective work are separate unless approved. |
| Additional diagnostic or repair time | $288+ per hour | Additional time when required and authorized after the initial hour. |
| System health check | $388–$1,500+ | Varies by camera count, access, cleaning, aiming and recording verification. |
| Annual preventive maintenance | $1,500–$6,000+ | Typical small or mid-size site; large and multi-site agreements are custom. |
| Focused property review or upgrade plan | $750–$2,500+ | Existing-system review, priorities and a practical upgrade direction. |
| Detailed security-system design | $2,500–$7,500+ | Layouts, storage, network, access, integration or multi-system planning. |
| Campus, multi-site or specification consulting | $7,500–$25,000+ | Enterprise standards, detailed documentation and stakeholder coordination. |
Rough service and consulting numbers only. Accurate pricing requires review of the installed system, documentation, property access, requested deliverables and anticipated field time.
Pricing questions
What to know before budgeting.
The short answer is consistent throughout this guide: these are rough numbers, and a site assessment is required for accurate pricing.
Are the prices on this page exact quotes?
No. Every amount is a rough planning range only. Accurate pricing requires a professional site assessment, field verification, an agreed scope and a written project proposal.
Why is a site assessment required?
The assessment verifies coverage, device count, wiring, network and power, door and gate conditions, pathways, mounting heights, recording needs, permits, access conditions, integrations and reusable equipment. Those conditions can materially change final pricing.
Can existing cameras, wiring or other equipment reduce cost?
Sometimes. Existing equipment can reduce project cost only after it is tested for condition, capacity, compatibility, manufacturer support, cybersecurity, code considerations and required performance.
How much does active camera monitoring cost?
A rough planning range is $99–$250+ per monitored camera per month. The final rate depends on monitoring hours, analytics, audio talk-down, operator response, dispatch procedures, event volume, network readiness and existing equipment. A site and system assessment is required for accurate pricing.
What usually makes an installation cost more?
Long cable runs, conduit, trenching, lifts, difficult ceilings, exterior exposure, specialty equipment, longer video retention, custom door or gate work, after-hours labor, permits, integrations and incomplete infrastructure are common cost drivers.
Do the rough ranges include permits, taxes, software or electrical work?
Not automatically. Those items are included only when they appear in the written proposal. Permit fees, taxes, recurring services, software, special access equipment, custom fabrication and line-voltage electrical work may be separate.
Turn the rough range into accurate pricing.
Schedule a professional site assessment so we can verify the property, existing system, infrastructure and required scope before preparing an itemized proposal.