How much does a security system cost for a typical home?

A standard-tier home system (8 cameras, 6 PIRs, 2 doors, 12 alarm zones, 30 days storage, with installation) runs ~€4,500-7,500 in EU markets (2026). Budget tier drops to €2,500-3,500, premium climbs to €10,000-14,000. The biggest line items are usually cameras (~30% of equipment), labor (~23% of total), and NVR + storage (~12%).

What's the price difference between budget and premium CCTV?

Budget IP cams start at €80-120 each (off-brand 4MP, no AI). Standard mid-line cams (Hikvision, Dahua) at €180-280 each have AI motion detection and reliable 5-year service life. Premium (Axis, Hanwha, Bosch) at €400-600 each offer hardware AI, 24/7 colour, Grade-3 alarm integration, and 3-5 year warranties. The price gap reflects sensor quality, AI compute, and build quality — not marketing.

How much should I budget for installation labor?

Industry rule-of-thumb in EU markets (2026): labor = ~30% of equipment cost. A €5,000 equipment quote should land at ~€6,500 installed. Labor varies by region — UK and DE run higher (~35-40%), PL and CZ lower (~20-25%). DIY-capable systems (Reolink, Ring) skip labor entirely but lose pro-grade reliability.

What does NVR storage cost?

Storage scales with cameras × bitrate × retention days. Rule of thumb for H.265+ mid-tier: ~50 GB per camera per day. An 8-camera system at 30 days needs ~12 TB, fits one 16 TB WD Purple HDD (~€390). 90-day retention triples that. Add ~€100-200 for RAID-1 redundancy if downtime matters.

Should I pay for 24/7 monitoring service?

Pro monitoring (~€30/mo) is worth it if: nobody's home during business hours, the property is remote, or insurance requires monitored alarm response. Self-monitored systems (push notifications to your phone) are fine for most homes — but ensure someone can respond to alerts during sleep/travel. Monitoring is annual ~€360, so over 5 years that's €1,800 — fund it from premium tier savings or DIY install.