The lowest installation quote may leave important operating costs unanswered. It may also be a sensible choice. A five-year comparison helps you distinguish the two by showing what each proposal includes and which assumptions still need evidence.
Use five years as a planning horizon, not a claim about the life of every camera. The worksheet should describe your site's requirements and supplier quotations. It should not assume that every system expands, every device fails or a fixed percentage of cost appears after installation.
Compare the same requirement first
Write one common brief for all bidders: required views, recording settings, retention target, analytics events, user access, support responsibilities and any expansion already planned. A lower total for fewer functions is not an equivalent quote.
Separate mandatory items from optional ones. If remote monitoring is optional, show its cost separately rather than quietly including it in one proposal and leaving it out of another. The AI CCTV price guide helps organise the initial quotation.
Use a worksheet with evidence beside each number
| Cost group | What to record | Evidence to request |
|---|---|---|
| Initial installation | Equipment, cabling, labour and commissioning | Itemised quotation |
| Software | Channels, features, term and renewals | Licence and support scope |
| Recording | Storage and any hosted retention charges | Settings and capacity estimate |
| Operations | Energy, connectivity and review effort | Measured loads or stated assumptions |
| Maintenance | Included visits, labour and exclusions | Service agreement |
| Changes and exit | Planned additions, migration and disposal | Separately priced options |
Axis describes ownership cost across installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. That is a useful framework; its customer averages should not be imported into a PGAK budget as if they were your own results. Read the lifecycle-cost overview.
Give every line a quantity, unit cost, applicable year and source date. Mark missing information “not quoted” rather than zero. Keep tax treatment consistent across bids and have your accounts team confirm the treatment appropriate to the purchase.
Keep renewals and exclusions visible
Ask what happens at the end of each subscription or support term. Establish which functions remain, which stop and what access you retain to recordings, exports and configuration. Record the quoted renewal basis rather than assuming today's price lasts indefinitely.
Read maintenance exclusions carefully. Hardware warranty, on-site labour, access equipment and emergency attendance may be separate items. A service agreement should explain the scope and response commitment; the word “AMC” alone does not define either. Use the maintenance scope checklist.
Separate a base case from possible changes
The base case should reflect the system you actually intend to operate. Add separate scenarios for a planned new entrance, longer retention or replacement of unsupported equipment. State what would trigger each scenario and avoid counting the same hardware twice.
For electricity, use measured or documented equipment consumption and the applicable tariff. For storage, use the proposed camera settings and recording schedule. If those inputs change, recalculate the affected lines; a higher camera resolution alone does not provide a complete storage estimate.
Keep benefit claims outside the cost total
A proposed benefit needs its own evidence. Time saved searching footage, fewer interruptions or reduced loss may be reasons to evaluate a system, but none should be entered as guaranteed savings because a supplier showed a demonstration.
Record a baseline, the measurement period and who will verify the change. If the effect cannot yet be measured, leave it as an evaluation question. This keeps the purchasing decision useful even when the honest conclusion is that the expected benefit remains uncertain.
AI Alerto by PGAK can review the intended analytics scope alongside your existing CCTV. Share the equipment count, intended events and current quote. Ask for an itemised proposal and a clear acceptance plan so the budget reflects a defined project rather than an assumed return.
Common questions
Must every CCTV system be replaced within five years?
No. Use the actual equipment condition, warranty, support information and operational requirements. Keep possible replacement as a clearly labelled scenario rather than an automatic purchase.
Can a cheaper camera quote have a higher ownership cost?
Yes, depending on the rest of the scope and operating costs. Compare equivalent requirements and documented assumptions before deciding which proposal is cheaper overall.