Most cost guides for security cameras are written by people who have never run a cable through a soffit. Here is the honest version from someone who does it for a living: a 4-camera 4K install in Ontario runs $999 to $1,999 fully installed in 2026 — cameras, wiring, recorder, hard drive, app setup, and warranty included. A 6-camera setup runs $1,499 to $2,599. An 8-camera setup runs $2,149 to $3,500. Anything outside those ranges deserves a question.
A 4-camera 4K security camera install in Ontario costs $999 to $1,999 fully installed in 2026; 6-camera setups run $1,499 to $2,599; 8-camera setups run $2,149 to $3,500.
| Setup | Basic (5MP) | Standard (4K) | Premium (4K colour night) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 cameras | $999 | $1,599 | $1,999 |
| 6 cameras | $1,499 | $2,199 | $2,599 |
| 8 cameras | $2,149 | $2,700 | $3,500 |
Those are our actual 2026 install prices in Durham Region — the same numbers on our packages page, not a guess. Ontario averages quoted by national directories usually run higher, and the rest of this post explains why, what drives the number up or down, and where some installers hide costs.
Matt, owner. Family-run. We’ve installed 70+ systems across Durham Region. Last reviewed June 2026.
Key Takeaways
- A fully installed 4-camera 4K system in Ontario costs $999 to $1,999 in 2026; 8-camera systems run $2,149 to $3,500
- “Fully installed” should include cameras, cabling, recorder (NVR), hard drive, app setup, and a warranty — get that in writing
- Camera count, resolution, and cabling difficulty are the three biggest cost drivers
- We price by the package, not by the hour, so a longer install day never changes your bill
- There is no required monthly fee on a local-recording system — that saves $600 to $1,200 over five years versus subscription cameras
What’s actually in the price (the real line items)
When we say “fully installed,” every one of these is in the number we quote — not a separate line you discover later:
- Cameras — the count and tier you choose
- Recorder (NVR) — the network video recorder, the box that holds the footage
- Hard drive — 1TB to 2TB, sized to your recording window
- Cabling — Cat6, run cleanly through soffits, attic, or walls
- Mounting and weatherproofing — proper housings on every outdoor camera
- Mobile app and remote viewing setup — configured and tested before we leave
- A walkthrough on the day — you learn the system in about 20 minutes
- Warranty — 3 years on parts and labour, in our case
Here is what some installers quote low and then bill back to you later. Ask any company you’re considering whether these are included:
- Second-storey cameras (extra ladder time)
- Long cable runs over 50 feet
- Yard sign and window decals (we include them; some don’t)
- Travel charge outside the service area (we don’t charge anywhere in Durham; many do)
That’s the whole job. See the four-step process we follow for how an install day actually runs.
What drives the price up
Three things move the number more than anything else, and a few smaller ones round it out.
Camera count
Each camera beyond the first four is roughly $200 to $400 of hardware plus $100 to $150 of labour. This is the single biggest lever on your total. More angles, more cable, more mounting time.
Resolution
The jump from 5MP to 4K to 4K full-colour night vision roughly doubles the camera cost at each step. In 2026 the gap between tiers is small enough that most people pick 4K — the detail difference on faces and licence plates is worth it.
Cabling difficulty
A brick exterior, a finished basement ceiling, a two-storey soffit run, or a house where asbestos is suspected all add hours. A bungalow with an accessible attic is the easy case; a three-storey townhouse is not.
The smaller drivers: recorder size (4-channel to 8-channel to 16-channel), hard-drive size (1TB holds about two weeks on four 4K cameras, 2TB about four weeks, 4TB about eight), indoor versus outdoor cameras (outdoor housings are rated IP66/IP67 and cost more), and the rare case where a permit or electrical work is involved.
One thing that does not change your bill: how long the day takes. We price by the package, not by the hour. If the cable run is fussy or the weather slows us down, that’s our problem to absorb — there’s no incentive on our side to drag the day out, and no surprise hourly charge on yours.
What pulls the price down
- Four cameras instead of six, when four cover what matters
- A bungalow with an accessible attic instead of a three-storey home
- Indoor cameras where outdoor-rated housings aren’t needed
- Choosing 1080p instead of 4K — which we don’t recommend in 2026, because the picture is unusable past about 15 feet at night
If an installer can reuse existing cabling, that helps too — but in practice there’s rarely anything worth keeping, so don’t count on it.
Residential vs commercial: how the bill changes
A typical home install is a single day: four to eight cameras, one recorder, footage on a drive in your utility room. That’s the $999 to $3,500 range above.
Commercial jobs change shape. A storefront, warehouse, or contractor yard usually means more cameras (8 to 16), longer cable runs, sometimes a rack-mounted recorder in a server room, and recording windows that an insurer or franchise sets. Commercial installs in Ontario generally land between $3,000 and $15,000 depending on count and complexity. We don’t publish a flat commercial price because no two spaces are the same — we quote those on-site after a walkthrough. If you run a small shop, our no-subscription setup guide covers the same logic at a smaller scale.
The three packages we install (and what’s actually in them)
These mirror what’s on our packages page. This is the section where camera brands matter, so here they are.
Basic — $999 (4-cam) · $1,499 (6-cam) · $2,149 (8-cam)
5MP cameras (Foscam / AI Guard), a 1TB recorder, black-and-white infrared night vision. Best for a starter setup watching the driveway and front door. Trade-off: solid daytime picture and usable night vision, but it won’t pull a licence plate from across the street the way 4K does.
Standard — $1,599 (4-cam) · $2,199 (6-cam) · $2,700 (8-cam)
True 4K (8MP) cameras (Hikvision), a 2TB recorder, sharper detail in low light. Best for where most of our customers land. Trade-off: night vision is still black-and-white infrared, so it’s detailed but not full-colour after dark.
Premium — $1,999 (4-cam) · $2,599 (6-cam) · $3,500 (8-cam)
4K cameras with full-colour night vision (Hikvision ColorVu), a 2TB recorder. Best for the best image quality we install, day or night. At the 8-camera count we default to this tier — most 8-camera buyers are covering a full perimeter or a commercial frontage, and that’s exactly where full-colour night vision earns its keep. Basic and Standard 8-camera setups are still there for a homeowner adding coverage on a budget.
Subscription fees: the part most blogs skip
There is no required monthly fee on the systems we install. Your footage records to the hard drive in your house, not to someone else’s cloud. Remote viewing through the manufacturer’s app is free.
If you want an off-site copy, an optional third-party cloud backup runs about $5 to $10 a month — your choice, not a requirement. Compare that to subscription-first cameras like Ring, Nest, or SimpliSafe, which run roughly $10 to $20 a month indefinitely to unlock recording. Over five years that’s $600 to $1,200 you simply don’t pay with a local setup.
One honest caveat: professionally monitored systems (ADT, Telus, and similar) include a monitoring service for that monthly fee — that’s a different product, not just camera storage. If you specifically want 24/7 monitored response, weigh that separately.
Common cost mistakes Durham homeowners make
- Buying the cheapest 1080p kit online. The picture is unusable past about 15 feet at night, which is exactly when you need it.
- Hiring a national installer. They usually run 30 to 50 percent higher because the work gets subcontracted out.
- Skipping a written quote. A verbal number binds no one. Get it itemized, on paper.
- Paying for a monitoring contract you don’t need. Plenty of homes do fine on self-monitored, local-recording systems.
- Letting an installer hide the cable type. Cat5e is fine and Cat6 is better — but you should know which one is going in your walls.
How to get a real quote (free in-home assessment)
If you’re researching for Durham Region — Courtice, Bowmanville, Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering, Ajax, Clarington, Uxbridge, Brock, or Scugog — we come to your house, walk the property, and send a written quote within 24 hours. Free, no pressure, no on-site sales pitch.
Book your free in-home assessment → /contact/
Frequently asked questions
How long does a 4-camera install take?
Four to six hours is typical — a single day on site. The exact time varies with wiring type, house and property size, and how long the cable runs are. Because we price by the package and not by the hour, that timing variance never changes your bill.
Do I need a permit to install security cameras in Ontario?
Generally no, for residential exterior cameras on your own property. The thing to get right is recording: pointing cameras at public spaces and recording people brings privacy obligations. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada sets out the PIPEDA guidance worth reading before you install.
Will my home insurance go down?
Sometimes. Many Ontario insurers offer credits for documented security measures, and a recorded camera system can qualify. The Insurance Bureau of Canada is a good starting point, but ask your own broker directly and get the discount confirmed in writing before renewal.
Is 4K actually worth it over 1080p?
In 2026, yes. The price gap between tiers is small now, and the detail jump is large — faces and licence plates become genuinely useful instead of a blurry smudge. We break down exactly why in why 4K matters for licence plates.
What’s the difference between cloud and local recording?
Cloud recording means a monthly fee and your footage living on someone else’s server. Local recording means the footage sits on a hard drive in your house, with no subscription. We install local recording by default, with optional cloud backup if you want an off-site copy.
How much does a commercial camera install cost in Ontario?
Commercial systems generally range from $3,000 to $15,000 depending on camera count and complexity — ceiling height, access points, cabling runs, and required recording windows all affect it. We quote commercial jobs on-site after a walkthrough rather than guessing a flat number.
Honest numbers, on paper, before you commit. That’s the whole idea. We install 4K camera systems across Durham Region — all 10 towns we cover, from Courtice and Bowmanville to Pickering and Scugog — for the prices on this page. When you’re ready, we’ll come walk your property for free.
