The right installer is licensed, insured, puts everything in writing and hands you the passwords at the end. Here is how to check.
In Queensland, installing security cameras is licensed work. The installer needs a security provider licence from the Office of Fair Trading covering security equipment installation. That licence requires fingerprints and a criminal history check, which makes sense for someone who will know exactly how your security works.
The cabling side has its own rules. Network cabling must be done by someone registered with the Australian Communications and Media Authority through an approved registrar.
Ask for both numbers. For the record, Richard holds QLD Security Provider Licence 4930731 and ACMA cabling registration A058225. The Office of Fair Trading licence search lets you check a security licence online.
Someone working in your roof space and on ladders around your home should have public liability insurance. Ask how much. We carry $20 million.
A written quote should name the camera make and model, the recorder model, the hard drive size, the cable type and where it will run, the warranty on equipment and on workmanship, and a total including GST. Without those details you cannot tell what you are buying, or compare it with anything else.
Will the cable go through the roof and walls or along the outside? Inside, wherever the building allows, is what you want.
How many days of recording will the hard drive hold? Two to four weeks is reasonable for a home.
Will you install the app on our phones and show us how to save a clip? That should be part of the job.
Who is doing the work? You should know whether it is the person quoting or someone else.
What happens if something stops working next year? Look for a direct phone number and a clear answer.
A price far below everyone else’s. Pressure to sign on the spot. Free cameras tied to a long monitoring contract. No licence number anywhere. A verbal quote only. An installer who keeps the master password.
A cheap install that has to be pulled down and redone ends up costing more than a careful one. Camera prices have fallen a long way over the past decade. The labour of running cable properly through a roof has not, and that is usually where the difference between quotes lies.
The Queensland Office of Fair Trading has an online search for licences, registrations and certificates. Enter the licence number or name.
Equipment usually carries the manufacturer's warranty, often three years. Workmanship warranties vary. Ours is five years. Get both in writing.
Some do. Ask who will actually come to your house and whether they hold the licences themselves.
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Send a few details about the property and you'll get a written quote with every item listed.
Thanks, Richard has your details (QLD Lic #4930731, ACMA #A058225). He'll go through what you've sent and get back to you with an itemised written estimate, normally within 15 to 30 minutes during trade hours.