Business Security Camera Systems: What Goes In, What It Costs
Cameras, licenses, switching, and install — at US list prices from the June 2026 pricebook, with a worked 12-camera budget. One dashboard, no NVR server. HTS is a Verkada Diamond Plus partner serving PA, NJ, and DE.
The short answer
A camera system has two costs: hardware, paid once, and a license per camera, paid per term ($249 per camera per year at list on a 1-year term, or $659 for three years). There is no recorder, no VMS license, and no drives to swap. A 12-camera two-floor office — entries, open work areas, the parking side — runs $23,596 at US list for hardware and 3-year licenses. Get a quote for your building.
HTS is a Verkada Diamond Plus partner serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware since 2019 — we quote the cameras, install them, and answer the phone at 1-877-877-9080 after they’re up.
What’s actually in the system
- Cameras. Domes indoors, bullets outdoors, fisheyes over open floors, multisensors at corners — from $999 at list.
- Licenses. One per camera, per term: $249 per year at list on 1-year, $659 for 3 years, $1,099 for 5, $2,199 for 10.
- PoE switching. Cameras take power and network on one cable. Existing switches often have spare PoE ports; the quote says when they don’t.
- Installation. Mounting, cabling, switch configuration, aiming, and user setup — quoted per site, not per hour.
- Optional. 30-day cloud backup storage ($149 per camera per year at list), viewing stations for a monitor wall.
Camera hardware at list price
The models most small and mid-market buildings use:
| Model | What it is | List price |
|---|---|---|
| CD42-256 | Indoor dome, 5MP, fixed lens, 256GB onboard | $999 |
| CD52-256 | Indoor dome, 5MP, zoom lens, 256GB onboard | $1,199 |
| CD42-256E | Outdoor dome, 5MP, fixed lens, 256GB onboard | $1,199 |
| CB52-256E | Outdoor bullet, 5MP, zoom lens, 256GB onboard | $1,899 |
| CF81-30E | Outdoor fisheye, 12MP, 512GB onboard | $1,999 |
| CH52-1TBE | Outdoor multisensor, 4 × 5MP sensors, 1TB onboard | $4,099 |
| CP52-512E | Outdoor PTZ, 5MP, 512GB onboard | $4,299 |
Source: Verkada Reseller US Pricebook (Diamond Plus partners), effective June 5, 2026.
What a 12-camera office costs
A worked example at list prices: eight indoor domes across two floors of halls and entries, three outdoor bullets on the parking side, one fisheye over the open work area, all on 3-year licenses.
| Line item | Quantity | Unit (list) | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD42-256 indoor dome | 8 | $999 | $7,992 |
| CB52-256E outdoor bullet | 3 | $1,899 | $5,697 |
| CF81-30E fisheye | 1 | $1,999 | $1,999 |
| 3-year camera license | 12 | $659 | $7,908 |
| Hardware + licenses, 3 years | $23,596 |
About $1,966 per camera position over three years, at list, before tax and shipping.
What installation depends on
Not in that number: installation. Install cost depends on cable-run length, ceiling type (an open plenum ceiling is a different job from finished drywall), how many floors the cameras span, mounting surfaces, and whether your switches have spare PoE ports and budget. Send a camera count and a floor plan, and the quote includes the install line — not just the gear.
How to read the quote you get
Every HTS quote itemizes three lines — hardware, licenses, installation — at partner pricing, because we are a Verkada Diamond Plus partner rather than a pass-through reseller. Each line can be compared against any other bid on its own. The same team that quotes the cameras mounts, aims, and configures them, and one dashboard covers every site you add later — office, warehouse, or storefront.
If you already have cameras
Keep the ones that still work. Cameras that record reliably stay; the ones tied to an aging recorder get replaced around them, and both appear as separate lines in the same quote.
Buy or browse the hardware
The same SKUs from this page are in the HTS store — browse families, check stock, and request a quote from the product page.
Where to go next
Full pricebook tables are on our Verkada pricing page. For the wider project: security camera installation, commercial security system installation, and access control installation.