Remote Video Monitoring Cost: Complete 2025 Pricing Guide & ROI Calculator

“How much does remote video monitoring actually cost?”

It’s the first question every business owner asks—and the answer determines whether you invest in modern security or stick with expensive traditional guards.

Here’s the good news: remote monitoring costs 60-90% less than security guards while providing superior 24/7 coverage. But the pricing structure is more nuanced than a simple monthly fee.

This comprehensive guide breaks down every cost component: equipment, installation, monthly monitoring fees, optional features, and hidden expenses. You’ll discover exactly what you’ll pay upfront, monthly, and over five years—plus see real ROI calculations showing when your investment pays for itself.

By the end, you’ll know precisely what remote monitoring costs for your specific situation, and why it delivers dramatically better value than traditional security.

Quick Cost Overview

Compare to traditional security guards: $140,000 – $215,000 annually

Typical savings: $119,600 – $194,600 per year (60-90% reduction)

Equipment Costs: What You’re Actually Buying

Camera Systems

The foundation of any remote monitoring system is the camera infrastructure:

Typical business needs:

• Small business (1,500 – 5,000 sq ft): 4-8 cameras
• Medium business (5,000 – 20,000 sq ft): 8-16 cameras
• Large facility (20,000+ sq ft): 16-32+ cameras

Equipment package examples:

SMALL BUSINESS PACKAGE (8 cameras)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

8× Professional HD Cameras: $3,200
Network Video Recorder (NVR): $800
Cabling & Connectors: $600
Power Supplies (PoE): $400
────────────────────────────────────────
Subtotal Equipment: $5,000

Installation Labor: $3,500
Network Configuration: $800
System Setup & Testing: $600
────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL INSTALLED: $9,900

MEDIUM BUSINESS PACKAGE (16 cameras)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

14× Professional HD Cameras: $5,600
2× PTZ Cameras: $3,200
Enterprise NVR (32-channel): $2,400
Cabling & Infrastructure: $1,800
PoE Switch (24-port): $800
────────────────────────────────────────
Subtotal Equipment: $13,800

Installation Labor: $6,500
Network Infrastructure: $2,200
System Configuration: $1,200
────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL INSTALLED: $23,700

Network Video Recorders (NVR)

NVRs store your video footage locally:

Storage considerations:

• 30-day retention (8 cameras, HD): 2-4 TB
• 90-day retention (16 cameras, HD): 6-12 TB
• Compliance requirements may mandate 90+ days

Additional Hardware

️ Installation Costs: Professional Setup

Professional installation ensures optimal camera placement, proper network configuration, and reliable system performance.

Installation Cost Factors

Per-camera labor:

• Simple installation (wall mount, nearby network): $200 – $400
• Complex installation (high ceiling, long cable runs): $400 – $800
• Very complex (outdoor weatherproofing, underground conduit): $800 – $1,500

Project-based pricing:

• Small project (4-8 cameras): $2,500 – $5,000
• Medium project (8-16 cameras): $5,000 – $10,000
• Large project (16+ cameras): $10,000 – $25,000+

What’s included in professional installation: ✅ Site survey and camera placement planning
✅ Camera mounting and alignment
✅ Network cabling (up to 300 ft per camera typically)
✅ Network configuration and testing
✅ NVR setup and configuration
✅ System testing and validation
✅ Staff training on system operation
✅ Documentation and support

DIY vs Professional Installation

Reality check: Most businesses attempting DIY installation end up calling professionals anyway—after wasting time, purchasing wrong equipment, and creating configuration issues.

Recommended: Professional installation for business applications

Monthly Monitoring Service Costs

The ongoing monitoring service is where remote video monitoring delivers its value—licensed security professionals watching your property 24/7.

Monitoring Service Pricing Models

Per-Camera Pricing:

• Basic monitoring: $50 – $100 per camera/month
• Professional monitoring: $100 – $150 per camera/month
• Premium monitoring: $150 – $250 per camera/month

Per-Location Pricing:

• Small location (4-8 cameras): $400 – $800/month
• Medium location (8-16 cameras): $800 – $1,500/month
• Large location (16-32 cameras): $1,500 – $3,000/month

What determines monitoring cost:

What’s Included in Monitoring Service

Standard monitoring includes: ✅ 24/7/365 professional surveillance
✅ Real-time threat detection and verification
✅ Law enforcement coordination and dispatch
✅ Two-way audio intervention
✅ Incident documentation and reporting
✅ System health monitoring
✅ Technical support
✅ Cloud backup storage
✅ Software updates and maintenance

Premium monitoring adds: ✅ Faster guaranteed response times (<15 seconds)
✅ Dedicated account manager
✅ Custom protocol development
✅ Integration with access control systems
✅ Advanced analytics and reporting
✅ Priority technical support

Total Cost Breakdown: Real Examples

Example 1: Small Retail Store

Business profile:

• Single location, 2,500 sq ft
• 6 cameras (4 interior, 2 exterior)
• Standard monitoring, 24/7 coverage
• 30-day video retention

YEAR 1 COSTS
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Equipment:
├─ 6× HD Cameras ($350 each): $2,100
├─ 8-channel NVR: $600
├─ Cabling & hardware: $400
└─ Subtotal: $3,100

Installation:
├─ Labor (6 cameras × $300): $1,800
├─ Network setup: $500
└─ Subtotal: $2,300

Monitoring Service:
└─ $65/camera × 6 × 12 months: $4,680

────────────────────────────────────────
YEAR 1 TOTAL: $10,080
────────────────────────────────────────

YEARS 2-5 (annual):
└─ Monitoring only: $4,680/year

5-YEAR TOTAL: $28,800
────────────────────────────────────────

VS SECURITY GUARD (5 years):
└─ Cost: $700,000+

 TOTAL SAVINGS: $671,200 (96%)

Example 2: Medium Office Building

Business profile:

• 12,000 sq ft office
• 12 cameras covering perimeter and common areas
• Professional monitoring with 30-second response guarantee
• 60-day retention for compliance

YEAR 1 COSTS
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Equipment:
├─ 10× Professional HD Cameras: $4,500
├─ 2× PTZ Cameras: $3,000
├─ 16-channel NVR (8TB): $1,600
├─ PoE Switch: $500
├─ Backup power (UPS): $600
└─ Subtotal: $10,200

Installation:
├─ Labor: $5,400
├─ Network infrastructure: $1,800
├─ Configuration & testing: $1,000
└─ Subtotal: $8,200

Monitoring Service:
└─ $110/camera × 12 × 12 months: $15,840

────────────────────────────────────────
YEAR 1 TOTAL: $34,240
────────────────────────────────────────

YEARS 2-5 (annual):
└─ Monitoring: $15,840/year

5-YEAR TOTAL: $97,600
────────────────────────────────────────

VS SECURITY GUARDS (5 years):
├─ 24/7 coverage (3.5 guards): $1,575,000
└─ Part-time coverage: $750,000

 SAVINGS: $652,400 - $1,477,400 (85-95%)

Example 3: Multi-Location Operation

Business profile:

• 5 retail locations
• Average 8 cameras per location (40 cameras total)
• Centralized monitoring
• 30-day retention

YEAR 1 COSTS (5 LOCATIONS)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Equipment (per location × 5):
└─ $8,000 × 5 locations: $40,000

Installation (per location × 5):
└─ $4,000 × 5 locations: $20,000

Monitoring Service:
├─ Base monitoring: $500/month
├─ Additional locations: $150/month × 4
└─ Monthly total: $1,100
└─ Annual: $13,200

────────────────────────────────────────
YEAR 1 TOTAL: $73,200
────────────────────────────────────────

YEARS 2-5 (annual):
└─ Monitoring: $13,200/year

5-YEAR TOTAL: $126,000
────────────────────────────────────────

VS SECURITY GUARDS (5 locations, 5 years):
└─ One guard per location: $3,500,000

 TOTAL SAVINGS: $3,374,000 (96%)

Key insight: Multi-location operations see the most dramatic savings—guards cost $140K+ per location while monitoring adds locations for just $3K-6K annually.

Ongoing Costs & Hidden Expenses

Predictable Ongoing Costs

Total typical monthly: $480 – $1,980

Occasional Maintenance Costs

What’s typically included at no extra cost: ✅ Software updates
✅ Remote troubleshooting
✅ System monitoring
✅ Standard technical support
✅ Monitoring service adjustments

What may cost extra:

• Camera replacement (damage, vandalism): $200 – $800 per camera
• On-site service calls: $150 – $300 per visit
• Major system upgrades: Varies by scope
• Additional camera additions: Equipment + installation costs

Annual maintenance budget: $500 – $2,000 for occasional repairs and updates

What Remote Monitoring Does NOT Require

❌ Benefits and payroll taxes (guards require)
❌ Workers compensation insurance (guards require)
❌ Uniforms and equipment (guards require)
❌ Training and certification (guards require)
❌ Vacation and sick day coverage (guards require)
❌ Turnover and replacement costs (guards require)
❌ Management and supervision (guards require)

These “non-costs” represent $40,000 – $80,000 annually in expenses you simply don’t have with remote monitoring.

Cost Optimization Strategies

1. Phased Implementation

Instead of installing everywhere at once:

Phase 1: Highest-risk areas (Month 1)

• Cost: $8,000 – $15,000
• Prove ROI before expanding

Phase 2: Secondary areas (Month 3-6)

• Add $4,000 – $10,000
• Redirect savings from Phase 1

Phase 3: Complete coverage (Month 6-12)

• Final $5,000 – $15,000
• Fully replace guards with monitoring

Total cost: Same, but spread over 12 months instead of upfront

2. Equipment Ownership vs Leasing

Purchase outright:

• ✅ Pros: Lower total cost, own equipment, no ongoing payments
• ❌ Cons: Higher upfront investment

Lease/finance:

• ✅ Pros: Lower upfront cost, preserve cash flow, tax benefits
• ❌ Cons: Higher total cost, monthly equipment payments

Example comparison (16-camera system):

Best for most businesses: Purchase equipment, pay monthly monitoring only

3. Business Hours vs 24/7 Monitoring

Business hours only monitoring:

• Cost: 40-50% less than 24/7
• Coverage: 10-12 hours/day, 5-6 days/week
• Best for: Low-crime areas, minimal after-hours activity

24/7 monitoring:

• Cost: Standard pricing
• Coverage: Complete
• Best for: Most businesses (after-hours is highest-risk period)

Reality: Most incidents occur outside business hours. Saving 40% on monitoring but losing 80% of security benefit rarely makes sense.

4. Multi-Location Discounts

Most providers offer volume discounts:

• 2-3 locations: 10-15% discount
• 4-6 locations: 15-25% discount
• 7-10 locations: 25-35% discount
• 10+ locations: 35-45% discount

Example:

• Single location: $900/month
• 5 locations: $3,600/month ($720 each = 20% savings)

ROI Calculator: When Does It Pay Off?

Payback Period Calculation

Formula:

Payback Period = Total Initial Investment ÷ Monthly Savings

Example: Medium business

• Initial investment: $25,000
• Guards currently cost: $12,500/month
• Monitoring costs: $1,200/month
• Monthly savings: $11,300
• Payback period: 2.2 months

After payback, you save $135,600 annually

5-Year Total Cost of Ownership

CUMULATIVE COST COMPARISON
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Security Guards (24/7):
Year 1: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $150,000
Year 2: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $307,500
Year 3: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $472,875
Year 4: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $646,519
Year 5: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $828,845

Remote Monitoring:
Year 1: ▓▓▓▓ $35,000
Year 2: ▓▓▓▓▓ $49,400
Year 3: ▓▓▓▓▓▓ $63,800
Year 4: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $78,200
Year 5: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ $92,600

 5-Year Savings: $736,245 (89%)

ROI Beyond Direct Cost Savings

Theft prevention:

• Average business theft loss: $50,000 – $200,000 annually
• Remote monitoring detection rate: 95%
• Value: $47,500 – $190,000 prevented loss

Insurance premium reductions:

• Average discount: 15-30% with verified monitoring
• On $50,000 annual premium: $7,500 – $15,000 savings
• 5-year value: $37,500 – $75,000

Liability reduction:

• Fewer confrontations = lower liability exposure
• Complete documentation = better legal defense
• Value: Difficult to quantify, potentially $100,000+ in avoided claims

Total 5-year value:

• Direct savings: $736,245
• Theft prevention: $237,500 – $950,000
• Insurance reductions: $37,500 – $75,000
• Total potential value: $1,011,245 – $1,761,245

Financing & Payment Options

Common Payment Structures

Option 1: Outright Purchase

• Pay equipment and installation upfront
• Monthly monitoring fee only
• Best for: Businesses with capital, lowest total cost

Option 2: Equipment Financing

• Finance equipment over 24-60 months
• Monthly payment includes equipment + monitoring
• Best for: Cash flow management, tax benefits

Option 3: Security-as-a-Service

• Single monthly fee covers everything
• Provider owns equipment
• Best for: Minimal upfront investment, all-inclusive simplicity

Example comparison (16-camera system):

Most cost-effective: Purchase equipment if you have capital

Tax Benefits & Depreciation

Section 179 Deduction:

• Deduct full equipment cost in year of purchase
• Up to $1,000,000+ equipment expense
• Reduces taxable income significantly

Standard Depreciation:

• 5-7 year depreciation schedule
• Spread deduction over equipment life

Monthly Monitoring:

• Fully deductible business expense
• Immediate tax benefit

Consult your CPA for specific tax advantages

Common Cost-Related Questions

“Why is remote monitoring so much cheaper than guards?”

Economies of scale:

• One monitoring station handles 50+ businesses simultaneously
• Technology scales; humans don’t
• No benefits, insurance, turnover costs

Technology efficiency:

• AI handles initial detection (no labor cost)
• Humans verify only potential threats (10% of detections)
• Same professional monitors hundreds of cameras vs one guard watching 1 area

Result: Professional oversight at 1/10th the cost

“What’s the catch? Why isn’t everyone using this?”

No catch. Many businesses don’t realize:

1. The technology has matured significantly
2. True guard costs exceed what they calculate
3. Monitoring effectiveness exceeds guard effectiveness

Adoption is accelerating: Remote monitoring grew 400% since 2020 as businesses discover the cost-benefit reality.

“Can we start small and expand?”

Absolutely. That’s the recommended approach:

Month 1-3: Install 4-6 cameras at highest-risk areas

• Investment: $6,000 – $12,000
• Monthly: $300 – $500
• Prove effectiveness

Month 4-6: Add secondary coverage

• Investment: $4,000 – $8,000
• Total monthly: $600 – $900

Month 7-12: Complete system

• Investment: $4,000 – $10,000
• Total monthly: $900 – $1,500

Final state: Same total investment, spread over 12 months

“What if we need to cancel monitoring?”

Month-to-month contracts available:

• No long-term commitment
• Cancel anytime (30-day notice typical)
• You own equipment

Compare to guards:

• Can terminate guards anytime
• But still need security alternative

Reality: <5% of businesses cancel monitoring—because it works and saves money

Cost Comparison by Industry

Retail Stores

Traditional security: $140,000/year per location
Remote monitoring: $8,000 – $15,000/year per location
Savings: $125,000 – $132,000 per location (89-94%)

Bonus: Loss prevention features reduce shrinkage 35-65%, adding $20,000 – $100,000+ value

Learn more about retail video surveillance

Healthcare Facilities

Traditional security: $445,000/year (24/7 coverage)
Remote monitoring: $60,000 – $100,000/year
Savings: $345,000 – $385,000 (78-86%)

Bonus: HIPAA-compliant documentation included, avoiding potential $50,000 – $1.5M penalties

Learn more about healthcare video monitoring

Construction Sites

Traditional security: $150,000/year per active site
Mobile monitoring: $8,000 – $15,000/year per site
Savings: $135,000 – $142,000 per site (90-95%)

Bonus: Prevents average $50,000 – $200,000 equipment theft per site

Learn more about construction surveillance

Cannabis Dispensaries

Traditional security: $200,000/year (high-security guards required)
Remote monitoring: $75,000 – $120,000/year (compliance-ready)
Savings: $80,000 – $125,000 (40-62%)

Bonus: State-compliant 24/7 documented surveillance prevents $100,000+ regulatory fines

Learn more about cannabis security

Apartment Communities

Traditional security: $120,000/year (lobby security 24/7)
Virtual gate guard: $12,000 – $24,000/year
Savings: $96,000 – $108,000 (80-90%)

Cost per unit (200-unit property): $5 – $10/month per unit

Learn more about apartment security

Making Your Decision

Calculate Your Specific Costs

Step 1: Current Security Costs

• Guard wages: $______/year
• Benefits & insurance: $______/year
• Management & overhead: $______/year
• Total current cost: $______/year

Step 2: Remote Monitoring Investment

• Equipment estimate: $______
• Installation estimate: $______
• Monthly monitoring: $______ × 12 = $______/year
• Year 1 total: $______
• Years 2+ annual: $______

Step 3: Calculate Savings

• Current cost: $______
• New cost (Year 1): $______
• Year 1 savings: $______
• Annual ongoing savings: $______
• 5-year savings: $______

Key Questions to Ask Providers

When getting quotes, ensure you understand:

✅ What’s included in monitoring service?

• 24/7 coverage or business hours only?
• Law enforcement coordination?
• Technical support included?
• Video storage duration?

✅ What are the contract terms?

• Month-to-month or fixed term?
• Cancellation policy?
• Price increase clauses?

✅ Who owns the equipment?

• Can you take it if you cancel?
• What happens to equipment after contract?

✅ What additional costs might arise?

• Service calls?
• System upgrades?
• Additional camera additions?

✅ What’s the response time guarantee?

• How fast do they respond to alerts?
• Service level agreements?
• Penalties for missed response times?

Ready to Get Accurate Pricing?

Digital Security Guard provides transparent, all-inclusive pricing with no hidden fees.

What Sets Our Pricing Apart:

✅ Clear per-camera pricing – no surprises
✅ All-inclusive monitoring – support, storage, updates included
✅ No setup fees or activation charges
✅ Month-to-month contracts available
✅ Multi-location discounts up to 45%
✅ Flexible financing options
✅ Price match guarantee

Get Your Custom Quote

Receive detailed pricing breakdown specific to your property:

Our security experts will:

• ✅ Assess your exact coverage needs
• ✅ Recommend optimal camera placement
• ✅ Provide itemized equipment costs
• ✅ Calculate exact monitoring fees
• ✅ Show complete 5-year cost projection
• ✅ Compare to your current security costs
• ✅ Demonstrate guaranteed savings

Contact Us Today

Call (800) 829-7459 or request a quote online

Learn more:

• Complete guide to security alternatives
• Remote monitoring vs security guards comparison
• Commercial video monitoring solutions

Connect with us:

• Website: digitalsecurityguard.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/digitalsg
• Phone: (800) 829-7459

Get transparent pricing and proven savings. No obligations, no pressure—just clear answers to your cost questions.

Digital Security Guard serves businesses nationwide with upfront, transparent pricing and guaranteed cost savings of 60-90% compared to traditional security guards. Request your custom quote today and discover exactly how much you’ll save.