CCTV Installation Quotation Format: Sample and Checklist

A CCTV installation quotation lists the cameras, recorder, storage, cabling and labor you will provide for a specific site, with prices, taxes and the terms under which you will do the work. Because security buyers often know little about resolution or storage, the quote doubles as a short technical proposal: it should explain what the customer gets as well as what it costs. Below is a CCTV installation quotation format you can copy, a filled-in 8-camera sample, and the details that most often cause disputes.

Fields every CCTV quotation should include

Header

• Your business name, address, contact details and tax registration number
• Quotation number, issue date and "valid until" date (see our quotation numbering guide)
• Customer name, site address and contact person on site
• Site survey date and who carried it out

System summary

A short paragraph or box above the price table: number of cameras (indoor and outdoor), camera technology (IP or analog HD), resolution, recorder type and channels, storage capacity and the expected retention period, and whether remote viewing on a mobile app is included. One line such as "8 x 4 MP IP cameras, 8-channel PoE NVR, 4 TB storage, approx. 20-25 days continuous recording" tells the customer most of what they need.

Itemized equipment and labor

Each line should give the item, specification, quantity, unit price and amount. Separate equipment, materials and labor. For cameras, mention lens or field of view, night vision range and weather rating (for example IP67) for outdoor units.

Terms

Payment schedule, timeline, warranty, exclusions, and what happens if cable runs turn out longer than surveyed. If you send a covering letter with the quote, our quotation letter format shows how to keep it short.

CCTV installation quotation format: sample

The sample below is for a small warehouse office in the US, priced in dollars. Figures are illustrative, not market rates.

Quotation No: CQ-2026-031   Date: November 12, 2026   Valid until: December 12, 2026
Customer: Riverside Storage LLC, 41 Mill Road
Scope: 8-camera IP system, 3 indoor and 5 outdoor, PoE recorder, 4 TB storage, remote viewing setup

#	Description	Qty	Unit price ($)	Amount ($)
1	4 MP IP turret camera, 2.8 mm lens, 30 m IR, IP67 (outdoor)	5	95.00	475.00
2	4 MP IP dome camera, 2.8 mm lens, vandal resistant (indoor)	3	85.00	255.00
3	8-channel NVR with 8 built-in PoE ports	1	240.00	240.00
4	4 TB surveillance-grade hard drive	1	110.00	110.00
5	Cat6 outdoor-rated cable (per ft, estimated)	650	0.45	292.50
6	Junction boxes, RJ45 connectors, conduit and clips	1 lot	135.00	135.00
7	Small UPS for NVR and network equipment	1	95.00	95.00
8	Installation labor, 2 technicians (hours)	14	75.00	1,050.00
9	Configuration, motion zones, mobile app setup and handover training	1	150.00	150.00
	Subtotal			2,802.50
	Sales tax 7% on equipment and materials (lines 1-7: 1,602.50)			112.18
	Total			2,914.68

The math: equipment and materials are 475 + 255 + 240 + 110 + 292.50 + 135 + 95 = 1,602.50. Labor and configuration are 1,050 + 150 = 1,200. Subtotal 2,802.50. Tax at 7% on the taxable part is 112.175, rounded to 112.18. Whether labor is taxable depends on the state, which is why the tax line names its base; our guide to sales tax on services by state covers this.

Payment: 50% on acceptance ($1,457.34), balance on handover ($1,457.34).
Timeline: 2 working days on site, scheduled within 10 days of deposit.
Cable adjustment: cable is billed at the rate above for actual footage used; we will tell you before exceeding 750 ft.

Working out the numbers

Storage and retention

Customers often ask "how many days will it record?" Answer it in the quote. A 4 MP camera using H.265 at about 2 Mbps continuous produces 2 megabits x 86,400 seconds = 172,800 megabits a day, which is 21,600 MB or about 21.6 GB. Eight cameras produce about 173 GB a day, so a 4 TB drive (about 4,000 GB) holds roughly 23 days. Motion-only recording stretches that; busy scenes and higher bitrates shorten it. Write the result as an approximate range.

Cabling

Walk every run during the survey and add 10 to 15% for routing around obstacles. Quote cable per foot or meter and say so. PoE over Cat6 is reliable to about 100 meters (328 ft) per run; longer runs need a switch or extender, which should appear as its own line.

Labor

Estimate time per camera (mounting, drilling, termination, aiming) plus time for the recorder, configuration and handover. In the sample, 8 cameras at about 1.5 hours each with two people, plus setup, comes to 14 technician hours. For the wider question of markups on parts, see materials markup rates, and for billing the finished job, our labor and materials invoice guide.

How to prepare the quote, step by step

1. Survey and agree coverage goals. Entrances, parking, cash points, stock areas. Mark each camera location on a simple floor plan you can attach.
2. Choose camera types per location. Wide lenses for rooms, varifocal or higher resolution for gates and number plates.
3. Size the recorder and storage using the retention the customer needs.
4. Measure cable runs and decide on conduit, trunking or open clips.
5. Estimate labor hours including any work at height or after-hours access.
6. Add tax correctly on the right base.
7. Write terms: deposit, schedule, cable adjustment, warranty, exclusions, validity.
8. Attach the camera plan and send the quotation as a PDF.

Writing the scope so customers understand it

Most customers buying CCTV are not technical, so the scope section should translate specifications into outcomes. Instead of only "4 MP, 2.8 mm, 30 m IR", add a plain line under each camera group: "covers the full width of the loading bay; faces identifiable at about 5 m, including at night." If a customer expects to read number plates at the gate, say whether the quoted camera can do it, and if not, offer an upgrade line with a varifocal or plate-recognition camera at its own price.

Attach a simple plan showing each camera number, its position and its approximate field of view. When the customer later asks why a corner is not covered, the plan they approved answers the question. It also makes the handover easier, because the camera numbers on the plan match the channel names on the recorder.

Optional lines that win jobs

Listing a few optional extras below the main total lets the customer upgrade without asking for a new quote:

• Larger hard drive for longer retention, for example 8 TB instead of 4 TB, with the extra cost and the new approximate number of days
• Extra monitor at reception for live viewing
• Warning signage pack
• Annual maintenance visit
• Extended warranty on the recorder

Keep optional items outside the main total and mark them clearly so the customer does not think they are included. If they accept one, issue a revised quote with a new revision number before starting work.

Variations you may need

India and Pakistan

Quotations are usually in rupees with tax shown per line or on the total (GST in India; provincial sales tax on services and federal sales tax on goods can both be relevant in Pakistan). Analog HD (DVR) systems are still common for budget jobs, so specify clearly whether you are quoting IP or analog. Mention power backup, since outages affect recording.

UK

Quote prices with VAT shown separately if you are registered. Recommend signage and short footage retention in the proposal, because businesses using CCTV have data protection duties. If you also offer monitoring of public-space CCTV under contract, the operators may need a licence; the government page find out if you need an SIA licence explains which roles are covered. This is general information, not legal advice.

Maintenance contracts

Offer an optional annual maintenance line (for example two visits a year to clean lenses, check recording and update firmware) priced separately so the customer can accept or decline it without changing the main total.

Common mistakes

• "8 cameras, complete, $2,500" with no specifications. The customer cannot compare it, and you have no protection if they expected 4K.
• No retention estimate. The first complaint after a theft is usually "it only kept a week".
• Fixed cable price with no adjustment clause. One hidden obstruction can wipe out your margin.
• Mixing manufacturer and installer warranties. Spell out each.
• Forgetting the internet and app setup. If remote viewing depends on the customer's router or data plan, say so.

For related trades, our AV installation invoice template covers billing for similar low-voltage work, the electrical estimate template helps when the job needs new power points, and our workmanship warranty template gives wording for your installation guarantee.

When you are ready to send it, open our free invoice generator, title the document "Quotation", add your camera and labor lines, set the tax rate and save it as a PDF. No account is needed, and the same lines can become your deposit invoice when the customer accepts.