A useful closed-circuit television (CCTV) quote explains what each camera is intended to show, how the system will keep recording, who will control it and what happens after installation. Start by asking every bidder to price the same written scope. A low total beside an impressive camera count tells you very little if the views, storage assumptions, power protection and handover are unclear.
Use the method below for a home, shop, office, apartment block or small compound. It will show you whether two installers are pricing the same result; it does not set a universal fair price. Once the scope is clear, use the guide to choose a security company in Kenya to check the contracting entity and the wider service around the installation.
Begin with the purpose of every camera
Ask the installer to label each proposed camera on a simple site plan. Beside each label, write the job it must do and the conditions in which it must work.
For example:
- Gate camera: show a useful view of a person entering after dark.
- Till camera: show activity around the counter without being blocked by staff or customers.
- Parking camera: cover the agreed bays and entrances, including strong headlights at night.
- Corridor camera: show movement through the passage without leaving an avoidable blind area.
Camera count or headline resolution cannot establish whether the image will be useful. Distance, angle, lighting, scene movement and the purpose of the view all matter. Technical guidance on pixel density also starts with the operational requirement rather than the camera label alone. Ask what image the installer expects at each important point and how that expectation will be checked during commissioning. Axis technical guidance and a Kenyan institutional CCTV tender both support defining the intended result and checking the installed system.
Put every quote into one comparison sheet
Do not compare a one-line package with a detailed proposal at face value. Ask each bidder to complete the same headings.
On a narrow screen, focus this region and swipe horizontally to read every column.
| Compare this | What the quote should make clear | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Camera positions | Location, view, mounting height and intended scene | What must this camera show, by day and at night? |
| Camera and lens | Exact make, model and lens or field-of-view choice | Is this the exact model you will install? |
| Recorder and storage | Recorder model, usable capacity and recording assumptions | What assumptions produce the stated retention period? |
| Cabling and network | Cable type, routes, switches, containment and internet dependency | Which parts fail if the router or internet connection fails? |
| Power | Power supplies, protection and any backup included | What keeps working during a power interruption, and for what designed load? |
| Viewing | Local monitor, phone access, remote access and user accounts | Who owns the administrator account at handover? |
| Installation | Drilling, poles, brackets, weather protection and making good | Which building works are included or excluded? |
| Handover | Tests, labels, drawings, manuals and training | What evidence will show that each agreed view works? |
| Support | Warranty scope, maintenance, call-out terms and recurring charges | What is covered, for how long, and what can trigger another bill? |
An itemised quote also makes later substitutions visible. If a model becomes unavailable, ask the installer to identify the proposed replacement and explain its effect on the agreed result in writing before installation.
Challenge storage promises
A storage label does not equal a guaranteed number of recording days. Retention depends on the number of video streams, recording settings, schedule, scene activity and usable capacity. A design tool can estimate storage, but the estimate rests on its inputs. Axis Site Designer describes this as part of system design.
Ask the bidder to state:
- the target retention period;
- whether recording is continuous, scheduled or activity-based;
- the settings used in the estimate;
- the usable recording capacity after system overheads;
- what happens when storage is full; and
- how retention will be checked after the real scenes have been observed.
A credible retention promise states the design assumptions and includes a commissioning check. Avoid accepting a drive-size-to-days guarantee with no calculation or operating conditions.
Check compatibility without trusting a broad badge
For an internet protocol, or IP, system, “ONVIF compatible” is too broad on its own. ONVIF publishes different profiles for particular feature sets and maintains information about conformant products. Ask which profile and exact products support the function you need, such as video streaming or another agreed integration. Generic support does not prove that every recorder, camera and feature will work together. See the ONVIF profiles overview.
If you expect to add cameras later, ask whether the recorder has suitable spare capacity and whether expansion would require new licences, storage, switching or power equipment.
Treat accounts and remote access as part of the installation
Remote viewing can create an avoidable security problem when the installer keeps the only administrator account, reuses a default password or leaves ownership unclear. General cyber guidance identifies default configurations as a recurring weakness. CISA and NSA guidance is not a camera certification, but it supports asking for deliberate credential setup.
Put these handover terms in writing:
- the customer receives control of the administrator account;
- default credentials are changed;
- named users receive only the access they need;
- the quote states whether cloud access or an app creates recurring charges;
- the installer explains how access can be removed when staff or suppliers change; and
- the customer receives the configuration, device list and support contacts needed to change provider later.
Ask the Kenyan privacy questions early
Identifiable CCTV footage can be personal data. The Data Protection Act addresses lawful processing, security and data protection impact assessments, while regulation 49(1)(h) of the Data Protection (General) Regulations identifies systematic monitoring of a publicly accessible area on a large scale as high-risk processing. The Act also contains a personal or household exemption, so the correct treatment depends on the actual installation and use. Do not assume that every home system has the same obligations, or that every installer automatically has the same data role.
Before accepting the quote, establish:
- why each area is being recorded;
- who decides the purpose and use of the footage;
- who can view, download or share it;
- how long footage should be kept;
- whether remote or cloud services move footage to another service provider or country;
- what happens to footage and access when the contract ends; and
- whether the proposed processing needs a data protection impact assessment.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner FAQ gives additional registration guidance, but the facts of the processing still matter.
Verify the supplier, then inspect the work
The Private Security Regulation Act includes CCTV and security-equipment services within its scope and provides for individual and company registration. Ask for the exact legal name and registration details of the installer you will contract, then verify them through the Private Security Regulatory Authority FAQ process.
Registration is an entry check. It does not prove that the proposed design is suitable or that the workmanship will be good. Keep the site plan, itemised quote and acceptance checklist attached to the contract. At handover, check each agreed view under the conditions that matter, confirm recording and playback, test the agreed power and network behaviour, receive the accounts and documents, and record unresolved defects.
Compare totals only after the scope is clear
Compare the totals only after every serious bidder has priced the same written outcome. If an installer cannot explain a camera's purpose, storage assumptions, system failure points, privacy handling and handover, its total is not yet comparable. Ask for the missing detail before negotiating the price. If the proposal also includes alarm monitoring or guarding, continue with the alarm-response guide and guarding-service cost guide to compare those parts on their own terms.
Sources and update note
This article uses Kenyan law and regulator guidance alongside technical and procurement examples. Manufacturer and tender documents illustrate design questions; they do not prove an installer's performance or create universal legal requirements. Sources were reviewed for this article as at 8 September 2026. Recheck registration status, legal guidance and product specifications before purchase.