Hawthorne is a Norwich-based commercial security and fire systems company. We design, install and maintain CCTV, intruder alarms, access control and fire detection across Norwich and the surrounding Norfolk area.
Indicative price for a Norwich installation
Use the Hawthorne pricing calculator for a quick range based on your sector, system type, size and complexity. Norwich and surrounding postcodes covered as standard.
Quick answer
Hawthorne is based in Norwich (NR6) and works directly with Norwich and Norfolk commercial customers across CCTV, intruder alarms, access control, fire detection and integrated security. We hold SSAIB accreditation for security and ISO 9001 for quality management, and our powered gate work is carried out by a Gate Safe trained engineer.
Typical Norwich projects span small office and retail fit-outs, multi-camera CCTV upgrades, BS 5839 fire alarm installs in care homes and schools, access control on multi-tenanted buildings, and integrated security for warehouses and industrial estates.
What Hawthorne does in Norwich
CCTV. IP camera systems from small four-camera installs through to multi-site enterprise NVR with analytics. Coverage typically includes building entry, internal traffic flow, perimeter and yards, with images served to a recorder kept on-site and accessible remotely by the customer.
Intruder alarms. Grade 2 and Grade 3 commercial systems to EN 50131, installed to SSAIB standard with dual-path signalling and connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre with monitored response. We work to insurer schedule requirements rather than to a generic spec.
Access control. Card, fob, mobile credential and biometric systems on single doors through to networked multi-door installations with central management software. Common Norwich applications include offices, multi-tenanted buildings, schools, care homes and industrial sites.
Fire detection. BS 5839-1 designed installations, L1 to L5 categories, including the higher categories required in care homes, schools and HMOs. Our team handles design, install, commissioning and the recurring six-monthly service that keeps the system compliant. See our BS 5839 compliance guide for the full breakdown of categories.
Gates and barriers. Hawthorne installs powered gates, barriers and access points to the current safety standards, with the work carried out by a Gate Safe trained engineer. This matters in Norwich's mix of industrial estates, residential developments and farms where powered gates are common.
Areas of Norwich and Norfolk we cover
We work across the full Norwich postcode area, including NR1 to NR8 in the city, and the wider NR9 to NR35 across Norfolk. Common locations include:
Norwich city centre and the Riverside area, Hellesdon, Sprowston, Thorpe St Andrew, Wymondham, Hethersett, Drayton, Costessey, Cringleford, Long Stratton, Aylsham, Reepham, Acle, Loddon, North Walsham, Cromer and the surrounding rural and coastal areas.
For projects further afield, see our coverage in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire commercial corridor. Our Norfolk coverage page covers the county as a whole.
Sectors we work with locally
Care homes. L1 fire detection, nurse call integration, dignity-aware CCTV in communal areas, access control supporting freedom of movement.
Warehouses and industrial estates. Perimeter detection, loading bay coverage, internal CCTV, monitored response.
Schools and academies. Access control on entrances, CCTV in shared areas, fire detection across teaching and boarding spaces, lockdown integration where required.
Offices and multi-tenanted commercial. CCTV on entries and shared spaces, access control on tenant suites, intruder alarms on individual demises, fire detection across the building shell.
Retail. CCTV with high-density coverage at point of sale and entrances, intruder alarms with monitored response, integration with stockroom and back-of-house access control.
Accreditations and standards
SSAIB. Independent inspectorate certification covering intruder alarms, CCTV, access control and monitored signalling. Insurers and the police URN scheme both require an SSAIB or equivalent accredited installer for many commercial schedules.
Gate Safe trained engineer. Gate Safe sets the industry standard for the safe installation and maintenance of powered gates and barriers. Our gate installations are carried out by an engineer who has completed Gate Safe training.
ISO 9001. Quality management standard covering how we run jobs from quote through commissioning to service, and how customer issues are handled.
Fire detection to BS 5839. Fire systems are designed, installed, commissioned and maintained to BS 5839, the British Standard your insurer and fire risk assessor work from.
How we typically work with a Norwich customer
Site survey. A free survey for projects above a small threshold. The survey results in an itemised, plain-English quote rather than a one-line "CCTV system" number.
Design and installation. Our Norwich-based engineering team handles the install, commissioning and customer handover. Cabling, containment, mains feeds and network connectivity are all included in the quoted scope, not added later.
Maintenance. A standing service contract covering scheduled six-monthly visits for fire systems, annual visits for security, certificate renewals, and a known response time for faults. The maintenance fee is normally 8 to 15 percent of the installed value per year.
Monitoring. Where the customer wants connected monitoring, we set up the link to an Alarm Receiving Centre with the appropriate response level. Police URN application support is included where applicable.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Hawthorne based in Norwich?
Our office and engineering team are in NR6, north Norwich. We work across the full Norwich postcode area and the wider Norfolk commercial corridor as standard.
Do you cover small commercial jobs as well as large?
Yes. A four-camera CCTV install in a Norwich retail unit and a multi-system integrated security project on a Norfolk industrial estate are both within our normal scope. The pricing calculator covers both ends of the range.
Are you on the police-approved installer list?
We hold SSAIB accreditation, which is the basis on which insurers and the police URN scheme accept commercial intruder alarm installers. For projects where police response is in scope, we handle the URN application as part of the installation.
Can you take over a security system installed by another company?
In most cases yes, subject to a site visit and a check that the system can be brought to a maintainable standard. Where a takeover is not practical, we are upfront about that during the Norwich survey rather than discovering it after a contract is signed.
Do you work outside Norwich and Norfolk?
Yes, across the East of England. See our location pages for Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, and contact us for projects elsewhere.
How quickly can you respond to a Norwich callout?
For customers on a maintenance contract, response times are defined in the contract and typically same-day for system-down faults in Norwich. For non-contract customers, we attend as soon as the engineering schedule allows and quote the visit fee upfront.
Get a Norwich-specific quote
Use the pricing calculator for an indicative range, or contact our Norwich team for a free site survey and a fully itemised quote.
About the author
Dr Andrew Threadgold is Co-Owner of Hawthorne. Hawthorne acquired Security Solutions Yes Limited in December 2024 and rebranded as Hawthorne in January 2026. The technical content of this article was reviewed by Hawthorne's engineering team.
About Hawthorne
Hawthorne is a Norwich-based commercial security and fire systems company, working with businesses, care providers, schools and industrial customers across Norwich, Norfolk and the wider East of England. Co-Owner Dr Andrew Threadgold leads the commercial side of the business; the engineering team is based in NR6.
Last updated: May 2026