The Hidden Cost of “Cheap” Security Installations — and How ProCCTV Gets It Right the First Time

May 24

When a client calls us in a panic because their brand-new system is misbehaving—or, worse, the original installer has vanished—the culprit is almost always the same: cut-price workmanship delivered by an unlicensed contractor or “men-in-a-ute” outfit. That modest up-front saving soon snowballs into a long-term liability as repair bills, downtime and insurance gaps pile up.

Below, we unpack why this happens so often in Australia’s under-regulated security market—and how ProCCTV’s licensed, premium-first approach protects you from day one.

1 Licensing: the non-negotiable many installers still ignore

Personal licences – Anyone who advises on or installs security equipment must hold a Security Adviser and/or Security Equipment Installer licence.
Corporate licence – Any company employing installers also requires a Class 2 firm licence.
Open Cabling Registration – Installers who touch structured cabling must carry the correct endorsements for copper, fibre or coax.

Skipping these credentials can void product warranties, leave you uninsured if a fault or break-in leads to a claim, and force you to chase the contractor personally because their insurer won’t cover unlicensed work.

2 What “race-to-the-bottom” pricing really buys you

Cheap quotes rely on predictable shortcuts—and the results are all too familiar:

Sub-standard conduit work – Unglued, shallow, or poorly supported conduits lead to water ingress, cable breaks, and premature system failure. The outcome? Leaking roofs, wall repairs, cable re-runs, and costly downtime.
Non–gel-filled underground cabling – These cables corrode within a few years, requiring full excavation and reinstallation—with the added risk of hardware damage.
Grey-market or white-label components – Often marked up behind the scenes, these unknown brands come with no firmware lineage, no local support, and no upgrade path. You're left with early failures and vulnerabilities—often while paying a premium for inferior gear.
Minimal labour budgets – Rushed installs mean no commissioning or user training. The result? False alarms, confusing controls, and features that never function as intended.
Inferior hardware – Glitchy firmware and poor compatibility increase maintenance costs and often force complete system replacement well before expected lifespan.
Gimmick-heavy cameras – Flashy lights and speakers might look impressive but rarely deliver meaningful deterrence. With limited PoE power, these features fail to deter when it matters most. Camera deterrents are also based on the camera analytics capabilities which are typically ony 70% accurate, so be prepared for frequent false triggers
Network instability – Most budget installers lack proper knowledge of IT network topologies, leading to bottlenecks, IP conflicts, and system-wide instability. This not only hinders the surveillance systems reliability, but also any other system or user that is reliant on the network such as office staff, critical IT infrastructure, etc.
Inadequate PoE provisioning – Cameras randomly dropping offline? It’s often due to insufficient PoE budgets or excessive cable runs that strain the system’s power delivery.
Poor cabling standards – Runs over 100m, untested terminations, pass-through connectors, or mid-run damage can result in shorts that destroy network hardware or cause critical system failures.
Consumer-grade hardware in industrial environments – We regularly encounter non-rated consumer devices installed in high-temperature, dusty or enclosed environments—racks with no airflow, switches mounted sideways—leading to thermal stress, system crashes, and premature equipment failure.
No Strategic Foresight - Low-cost installers often lack the experience or foresight to design systems that align with long-term goals or enterprise requirements. For basic, one-off installs, this may not be immediately obvious—but if your business plans to scale, integrate multiple sites, or unify systems under a single platform, those early savings can turn into costly mistakes.
What’s the risk?
Your system may not support advanced features like centralised intrusion and access control, BMS integration, or secure remote management. Worse yet, upgrading might mean a complete rip-and-replace because the original infrastructure wasn’t designed with scalability or compliance in mind.
We’re seeing it more and more:
- IT departments are tightening up on cybersecurity. Surveillance systems must now comply with NDAA standards.
- Access management is evolving. Features like SSO, Active Directory integration, and remote credentialing are now baseline expectations. Centralised database management is a minimum requirement for multi-site organisations
- Maintenance costs explode when outdated or siloed systems can’t be monitored or serviced remotely mandating the need for onsite call outs.
What seemed like a budget-friendly install today could become an expensive liability tomorrow.
No After Sales Support - “Money is the oxygen of any business” and when a company wins your job by being the cheapest, you have to ask: what’s left to support you after the installation?
If the business model relies on undercutting the competition just to survive, it likely isn’t built to deliver ongoing service or invest in long-term customer care. These operators often cut corners to reduce upfront costs, but the trade-off becomes painfully clear when issues arise down the track.
So what happens when your system needs tweaking, updating, or troubleshooting?
For many low-cost providers, the answer is simple: nothing. Once the invoice is paid, so is the relationship. You're left chasing a ghost company or paying someone else to clean up the mess.
Reliable support doesn’t come free—it’s a critical part of a sustainable service model. At ProCCTV, we structure our business to ensure you’re looked after long after the system is installed. Because real security isn’t just about what goes in on day one—it’s about who’s still answering the phone on day 365.

These failures are rarely accidental. More often than not, they stem from engaging “low-cost” quotes where every extra minute on-site eats into the installer’s margin. As a result, corners are cut to stay profitable—and future breakdowns become an opportunity to recoup losses through service fees. In other cases, it’s not about strategy at all—it’s simply inexperience. Either way, the outcome is the same: a system that fails you when it matters most. So what’s worse? Deliberate shortcuts or someone learning on your job and you pay for the privilege?

3 The ProCCTV difference

Fully licensed and insured – Every technician holds the correct personal licences; ProCCTV carries the corporate Class 2 licence and full insurances.
Premium, privacy-compliant hardware – Only European or South-Korean platforms with proven cyber-security track records—never grey-market or low cost substitutes.
Engineered for lifecycle value – We design for usability, redundancy and future expansion, not just today’s parts list.
Managed-service mindset – Through sister business Dynatec Services we deliver 24/7 remote support, proactive health monitoring and rapid triage. Every ProCCTV system is engineered for remote maintenance, slashing costly call-outs in future.
Workmanship warranty that means something – We respond to every warranty or service request within one business day and aim to resolve issues inside five working days, not weeks or months.
Senior expertise on every project – A senior specialist is on-site for every installation; juniors never lead your job.
Detailed engineering and documentation – Floor-plan notes, cable schedules and commissioning checklists are standard; complex projects receive full schematics for your as-built records.
NDAA-compliant surveillance – We refuse non-compliant hardware to safeguard your privacy and data.
Quality over shortcuts – If budget is tight, we reduce functionality, never quality.
Two-year full replacement warranty – Parts and labour are covered for 24 months up to the value of $1000ex per component.
User experience first – Systems are vetted for simplicity; if it’s hard to use, we don’t touch it.
Robust safety system – Comprehensive WHS procedures ensure our technicians—and your site—stay safe.
Transparency through systems – Every job and service call is tracked, every serial number recorded, all customer communication logged and visible.

4 Your due-diligence checklist (before signing any contract)

Verify licence numbers—both individual and corporate—through your state regulator.
Confirm Open Cabling endorsements for anyone touching structured cabling.
Review project history and references for similar security and IT-integrated projects.
Demand a clear maintenance pathway—make sure the provider’s business model can support you long-term. If one person “wears all the hats,” who answers when something breaks and they have back to back installs scheduled?

Final thoughts

Security should be an asset, not a liability that costs double down the track. Paying a little more for licensed professionals, robust hardware and a solid service framework beats rewiring a water-logged conduit or replacing flaky cameras later. Cost is quickly forgotten—problems always persist.

At ProCCTV, we quote once—properly—so you never pay twice. Ready for a system built to last? Contact us today for a no-obligation design consultation.

Kenton Matthews