Plain-English ranges for CCTV, intruder alarms, access control, fire alarms and monitoring in 2026, plus the things that move the price up or down.
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Quick answer
For a typical UK commercial building in 2026, expect:
- Small office or retail unit: £4,000 to £12,000 for a basic CCTV plus intruder alarm package, installed.
- Medium commercial (office, light industrial, healthcare): £15,000 to £45,000 for a fully integrated CCTV, intruder, access control and fire system.
- Large or multi-site: £50,000 to £250,000+ depending on coverage, monitoring and integration with IT systems.
These are typical UK commercial market ranges, not specific Hawthorne quotes. The next sections break each system down.
What drives commercial security cost
Three factors do most of the work.
Coverage. Number of cameras, doors, alarm zones, and detection devices. This is the biggest single cost driver and the one most directly under your control. A four-camera system and a 32-camera system on the same building are not comparable in price; they are different products.
Equipment grade. Insurance category, manufacturer, image resolution, and certification. Grade 3 intruder alarms cost more than Grade 2; 4K cameras cost more than 1080p; SSAIB accredited installation costs more than non-accredited. The grade is usually set by your insurer or fire risk assessment, not by preference.
Integration. Whether the systems talk to each other and to your wider IT and building systems. A standalone CCTV system is cheap. CCTV that triggers access control on intruder activation, logs to your facilities database, and pushes alerts to a phone app is significantly more expensive but much more useful.
CCTV cost ranges
Small system (4 to 8 IP cameras, basic NVR): £2,500 to £4,500 installed. Suitable for a small retail unit, a single-floor office, or perimeter coverage on a small yard.
Medium system (16 to 32 cameras, integrated NVR, remote viewing): £8,000 to £20,000 installed. Suitable for a typical commercial office, a warehouse, or a multi-area site.
Large system (50+ cameras, enterprise NVR, analytics, integration): £25,000 to £100,000+ installed. Used in large warehouses, data centres, multi-site operations, and any building where CCTV is integrated with access control or analytics platforms.
Add 10 to 25 percent for outdoor or vandal-resistant cameras, PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras, or advanced analytics like number plate recognition.
Intruder alarm cost ranges
Intruder alarms are graded 1 to 4 by EN 50131. Grade 2 is the most common commercial standard; Grade 3 is required by some insurers; Grade 4 covers high-security premises like jewellers and banks.
Small commercial (Grade 2, single zone): £1,500 to £3,000 installed.
Medium commercial (Grade 2 or 3, multiple zones, dual-path signalling): £3,500 to £8,000 installed.
Larger or higher security (Grade 3 or 4, full coverage, monitored): £8,000 to £25,000+ installed.
Connection to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) for monitoring is priced separately, typically £300 to £900 per year depending on grade and response level.
Access control cost ranges
Basic (1 to 3 doors, standalone or simple networked): £1,500 to £3,500 installed per door.
Mid-range (5 to 15 doors, networked, with central management software): £6,000 to £18,000 installed in total.
Enterprise (50+ doors, integrated with IT identity systems, anti-passback, audit trails): £25,000 to £150,000+ installed.
Cards, fobs, biometric readers, mobile credentials and lift integration all change the price. Most commercial installs end up in the mid-range bracket.
Fire alarm cost ranges
UK commercial fire alarms are designed to BS 5839-1, and the cost depends mostly on the category (L1 to L5 for life safety, P1 and P2 for property protection). For a full breakdown of categories, see our text-primary hover:underlineBS 5839 compliance guide.
L4 or L5 in a small commercial unit: £1,500 to £4,000 installed.
L3 in a typical office or retail building: £4,000 to £12,000 installed.
L1 in a larger or higher-risk building (care home, hospital, multi-storey): £15,000 to £45,000+ installed.
Annual maintenance is normally 10 to 15 percent of the installed value. Skipping maintenance is the most common reason a fire system stops being compliant.
Monitoring cost ranges
Connected monitoring is priced separately from installation and is usually billed annually.
Keyholding only (ARC notifies a keyholder of activations): £200 to £400 per year per system.
Live remote video monitoring (operator views CCTV on activation): £600 to £1,500 per year per site.
24/7 monitored response with verified alarm: variable, depends on response level and police response category.
What you should ask for in a quote
A useful quote should be structured so you can compare it like-for-like with another. Ask for:
An itemised equipment list. Number, make, model and grade of every camera, panel, sensor and reader. A single line for "CCTV system" tells you nothing.
A clear statement of what is included in installation. Cabling, containment, mains feeds, network connectivity, configuration, commissioning. The cheaper installer is often the one who has left half of these out.
Maintenance terms in writing. Service interval, response time, what is covered under contract, what is chargeable, and what happens at end of warranty.
Compliance and accreditation. SSAIB, ISO 9001, manufacturer certifications. Whether the installer is named on your insurance policy schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest commercial CCTV system?
A four-camera IP system with a basic NVR, designed for indoor use in a small commercial property, typically starts around £2,500 to £4,500 installed. Below that, you are usually looking at consumer-grade kit which is not appropriate for commercial use.
Why are commercial security quotes so different between installers?
Quotes vary because installers can interpret the same brief very differently. Equipment grade, accreditation level, cable routing, integration with existing systems, and post-installation maintenance terms all change the price. Compare quotes on equivalent specifications, not headline numbers.
Should I expect to pay for a site survey?
Most reputable UK commercial security installers include the site survey free for projects above a certain value. For smaller jobs, a paid survey is reasonable because designing a system properly takes time. Ask upfront how the survey is charged.
What does maintenance typically cost?
A standard maintenance contract for a commercial security or fire system is normally 8 to 15 percent of the installed value per year. That covers scheduled service visits, response to faults, and certificate renewals. Connected monitoring is priced separately.
Is leasing or finance available for commercial security?
Yes. Most UK commercial installers offer finance options, either through their own arrangements or via independent providers. Lease agreements typically run three to five years and cover installation plus ongoing maintenance in a single monthly payment.
Get a Hawthorne-specific price for your building
The ranges above are typical UK market values. For a Hawthorne indicative range based on your sector, system type, size and complexity, use the pricing calculator. For a full quote with a site survey, talk to our team.
About the author
Dr Andrew Threadgold is Co-Owner of Hawthorne. The cost ranges in this article reflect typical UK commercial market values in 2026, compiled from Hawthorne's own quoting experience and industry-published benchmarks. They are not Hawthorne-specific quotes; for that, use the calculator or request a survey.
Last updated: May 2026