In New York City, a professionally installed wired security camera typically costs between $300 and $700 per camera in 2026, once labor, cable, mounting and setup are included. Specialty cameras run higher: a PTZ camera commonly costs $900 to $3,000 installed, and a license-plate camera $1,500 to $4,500. The number you see on a box at a hardware store is only a small part of what a camera costs once it is working on your building.
Per-camera pricing is useful for rough budgeting, but it can also mislead. The first camera in a system almost always costs more than the fifth, and a camera in one location can cost twice as much as an identical camera on the other side of the same building. This guide shows how per-camera cost is built, where it varies, and how to use it without being fooled by it. All figures are planning ranges for the New York metro area, not quotes.
1. Per-Camera Cost by Camera Type (2026 Planning Ranges)
| Camera type | What it is | Typical installed cost per camera |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet | Tube-shaped, visible, good for long outdoor views | $300 to $650 |
| Dome | Round housing, harder to tamper with, good indoors and under eaves | $300 to $650 |
| Turret | Ball-shaped, often less glare at night than a dome | $320 to $700 |
| Varifocal | Adjustable zoom lens for a specific distance such as a driveway | $450 to $900 |
| PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) | Motorized camera that can be steered or follow movement | $900 to $3,000 |
| License-plate capture | Tuned shutter and lens for reading plates | $1,500 to $4,500 |
| Video doorbell (labor only) | Replaces or adds to a doorbell | $150 to $350 plus the device |
| Wireless or battery camera | Setup labor only | $100 to $300 |
The wide gaps reflect resolution, lens quality, low-light performance and how difficult the installation spot is.
2. Why the First Camera Costs the Most
If you price a one-camera system, you pay for much more than one camera. You are also paying for a recorder, a hard drive, power supplies or a PoE switch, network setup, phone app configuration and the installer's travel and setup time. Those costs exist whether you have one camera or eight.
That is why a one-camera system might cost $900 while a four-camera system costs $1,800. The extra three cameras added only $900 together, or about $300 each. This is called the marginal cost of adding a camera, and it is usually much lower than the average cost per camera.
When you are trying to decide between four and six cameras, ask the installer for the added cost of each extra camera. If the answer is a few hundred dollars each, coverage is cheap to expand while the installer is already there. If the answer is much higher, there may be a recorder or cabling limit worth understanding.
3. What Makes One Camera Cost More Than Another
Distance from the recorder. Cable length drives labor. A camera 25 feet from the recorder behind drywall is easy. A camera 150 feet away through brick and a crawlspace is not.
Wall type. Drywall is simple. Plaster and lath, brick, block and concrete are slower and need better tools.
Height. A porch-ceiling camera takes minutes. A second-story corner or a flat-roof mount may need a tall ladder or a lift.
Weather exposure. Outdoor cameras need sealed connections, proper mounts and sometimes extra protection from water and salt air.
Resolution and lens. A 4-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel (4K) camera can differ by hundreds of dollars installed. The lens, sensor and low-light performance matter as much as the pixel count.
Power. PoE cameras use one cable for power and video. Cameras that need a separate power source may require an outlet or extra wiring.
4. How to Turn Per-Camera Pricing Into a Real Budget
A simple method homeowners and business owners can use:
- List every location where you want a camera: front door, driveway, side passage, back door, register, stockroom, rear alley.
- Mark each as easy, medium or hard based on distance, wall type and height.
- Use $300 to $450 for easy spots, $450 to $600 for medium and $600 to $900 for hard.
- Add a one-time system cost for the recorder, storage and setup, typically $400 to $1,200 depending on size.
- Add $200 to $600 for extras such as a surge protector, battery backup or network upgrade if needed.
For a four-camera house with two easy spots, one medium and one hard, that math lands near $1,900 to $3,200, which matches the typical range for installed four-camera systems in the area. The method is not a replacement for a quote, but it keeps expectations realistic.
5. Per-Camera Pricing in Different Types of Buildings
Detached houses (Staten Island, Queens, Long Island, New Jersey). Outdoor runs are usually longer, but access is often good. Expect mostly easy and medium spots.
Brownstones and row houses (Brooklyn, Manhattan). Interior routes are narrow and finished. Plaster and masonry push many spots into the medium and hard categories.
Walk-ups and apartment buildings (Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens). Inside a private unit, cabling is usually simple, but common areas require permission and sometimes different equipment.
Storefronts. Cameras near the door and register are easy to wire if the ceiling is open. Finished ceilings and shared walls slow the job.
Warehouses. Long runs and high ceilings raise labor, but when you install many cameras at once, the marginal cost per camera often drops.
6. Cheap Cameras and What They Cost You Later
A very low per-camera price should make you ask why. Common reasons include:
- Small hard drive. Footage overwrites in days instead of weeks.
- Low-light weakness. Cameras look fine in daylight and fail at night, when you most need them.
- Short warranty or none. Cameras fail, and someone has to replace them.
- Cloud lock-in. Cheap cameras that require a monthly plan can cost more over five years than a better recorder-based system.
- Equipment that is hard to service. Unbranded parts can be difficult to replace.
You do not have to buy the most expensive camera, but you do want a camera that works at night, has a decent lens and can be supported. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission also keeps a public Covered List of communications equipment deemed a national security risk, which is worth knowing about if you do business with the government or want to avoid certain vendors.
7. Picking Where to Spend More
If your budget is limited, spend more on the camera positions that matter most and less on the ones that are nice to have. For most homes, the most valuable single camera is the one covering the main entrance at face height. For most businesses, it is the camera at the door and the one on the register. A good camera in the right spot beats three average cameras in the wrong spots.
Recent local news shows why detail matters. In July 2026, police released surveillance images of a suspect and his SUV in a string of evening burglaries in Flushing, Oakland Gardens and Bayside, but the license plate was partly covered, according to QNS. A single well-placed camera aimed at where vehicles stop can add information that wide views cannot.
Want a number for your property? Call Revolvis at 347-258-9165 for a custom quote after a site visit.
8. Using Per-Camera Pricing to Compare Quotes
Suppose one installer quotes $2,000 for four cameras ($500 each) and another quotes $2,800 ($700 each). To compare, ask both for the recorder size, number of storage days, cable type, warranty, and what is excluded. You may find the first quote uses a 1 TB drive and the second uses 4 TB. Or one includes network setup and the other bills it separately. The cheaper quote is not always the better deal, and the expensive one is not always padded. Put both in the same table and look at the differences. Also ask what each installer would charge to add a fifth camera later. A clear answer on the marginal cost tells you the quote was built honestly, and it tells you how easy it will be to grow the system as your needs change.
More From Revolvis
Cameras are one layer of a secure property. The same in-house crew also handles the rest:
- Keyless entry installation and smart lock installation
- Access control systems and commercial access control
- Video doorbells and intercoms
- Alarm system installation
- Complete unified security
Learn more about Revolvis, meet the team, see all services, browse the blog or contact us.
Areas We Serve
Revolvis installs residential and commercial camera systems across the New York metro area. Every borough and county has its own building stock, rules and wiring challenges, so the plan for a Queens two-family is not the plan for a Manhattan co-op.
- Staten Island: houses, detached garages and shop fronts. See security camera installation in Staten Island.
- Brooklyn: brownstones, row houses and storefronts. See security camera installation in Brooklyn.
- Queens: attached brick homes, two-families and busy commercial strips. See security camera installation in Queens.
- The Bronx: pre-war buildings, bodegas and warehouses. See security camera installation in the Bronx.
- Manhattan: co-ops, condos, offices and retail. See security camera installation in Manhattan.
- Long Island: Nassau County and Suffolk County.
- New Jersey: Jersey City, Newark, Hoboken and nearby towns.
The full list is on the service areas page.
Get a Custom Quote After a Site Visit
Revolvis prices every job after a site visit, because the building sets the cost as much as the equipment does. A few things make the estimate faster and more accurate:
- The address and property type: house, apartment, co-op, condo, storefront or warehouse.
- Which doors, sides and areas you want covered, and what worries you most.
- Photos of those spots and any spots where you already have cabling or power.
- How many days of footage you want to keep and whether you want to watch on your phone.
- Any landlord, board, lender or insurer requirement.
Call 347-258-9165 or use the contact page to book a site visit. The quote you receive is written and itemized, so you can compare it line by line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cost per security camera installed in NYC? Most wired cameras run $300 to $700 each installed in 2026. Specialty cameras such as PTZ and license-plate models cost considerably more.
Why does the first camera cost more? Because the recorder, storage, power or PoE equipment and setup are needed no matter how many cameras you have. Additional cameras cost less because those pieces are already in place.
Is it cheaper to buy cameras myself and pay only for labor? Sometimes, but many installers prefer to supply equipment they can warranty and support. If you bring your own cameras, ask whether labor changes and who handles failures.
Do wireless cameras cost less per camera? Often the setup labor is lower, but battery changes, Wi-Fi coverage and subscription fees can add up. For constant, reliable coverage, wired is usually the better value.
How much does it cost to add one more camera later? If the recorder has an open channel and the cable route is easy, often $300 to $600. If the recorder is full, you may need to upgrade it first.
Do extra cameras raise my monthly costs? Not on a standard recorder-based system with no subscription. Cloud-based systems may charge per camera.
Ready for a custom quote? Call Revolvis at 347-258-9165 for a site visit and a written, itemized estimate.
Safety note: A camera system supports, but does not replace, good locks, lighting, alarms and everyday habits. If you are in danger or witnessing a crime, call 911. Prices and legal summaries in this guide are general information for the New York metro area, not an offer or legal advice. A written quote after a site visit governs your actual price, and for legal questions you should confirm with the agencies linked in the article or a licensed attorney.