The Hidden Cost of “Cheap” Security Installations — and How ProCCTV Gets It Right the First Time
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 frequently misfire or fail altogether.
Network instability – Most budget installers lack proper knowledge of IT network topologies, leading to bottlenecks, IP conflicts, and system-wide instability.
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.
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.