CCTV Camera Cost for a Shop UK 2026: Full Guide

What a shop pays for CCTV depends on how many cameras it needs, how far the cable has to run, how much footage it must store and who does the labour, not on the cameras alone. This guide gives you formulas with slots for current prices rather than fixed totals, because kit prices move. As a rough sanity check only, a straightforward IP PoE system is often quoted at around £350-£600 per camera installed, and long cable runs, lifts or awkward ceilings will push a job above that.

How much does CCTV cost for a shop in the UK?

Shop CCTV cost is camera count × (camera plus its share of recorder, drive, switch and cable), plus labour. The three tiers differ mainly in who supplies that labour and how heavily the kit is specified.

The three tiers

• DIY kit: suits an owner who is happy to run cable, or whose own electrician will fit it. You pay for equipment only, so the shop CCTV camera price is lowest here, but design, fixing and aiming are down to you.
• Professional install: your chosen installer supplies the labour and a call-out charge on top of the kit. It suits owners who want one person accountable for cable routes, camera positions and commissioning.
• Full business system: more cameras, a PoE switch, larger storage and remote access. It suits bigger premises, stockrooms and back offices, and anyone who needs to check footage off-site.

For a professionally fitted job, budget roughly £350–£600 per camera installed. That assumes straightforward IP PoE; long runs or lifts cost more.

Is CCTV expensive?

Not because of the cameras. The cost of CCTV systems for shops is driven by cable runs, the hours needed to route them, and access equipment such as lifts or ladders for high or external fixings.

The recorder and drive add to this, since they must hold enough footage for the retention period you choose.

Two quotes for the same number of cameras can therefore differ widely. The building, not the lens, sets the price.

Clear Security sells the equipment only, so your own electrician or installer fits it. Each product's datasheet or installation guide will tell them what the kit needs.

Which costs do most shop CCTV quotes leave out?

Most shop CCTV quotes leave out the PoE switch, adequate storage, real cable runs, labour, a clear VAT basis and ICO paperwork. Each is easy to size with a formula before you compare prices.

• PoE switch: add up the wattage of every camera and compare the total with the switch's PoE budget, not just its port count. 802.3af and 802.3at are the usual guides to per-port power, but check the datasheet for both the per-port limit and the total budget.
• Storage: GB per day = bitrate (Mbps) × 10.8. Retention days = usable drive capacity ÷ (cameras × GB per day). Use a surveillance-rated drive, since it is built for continuous writing.
• Cable, per metre: a Cat5e or Cat6 run has a 100 m channel limit, so measure the real route round corners and through ceilings rather than the straight line. Then add connectors, brackets and junction boxes.
• Labour call-out: ask for a day rate or a fixed price, and whether it includes making good after drilling and cabling. We sell equipment only, so your own electrician or installer fits it.
• VAT: prices on this site include 20% VAT, while trade quotes are often ex-VAT. Confirm which basis each quote uses before comparing totals.
• ICO: if your cameras record people, you are normally a data controller. That usually means paying the ICO's data protection fee, unless an exemption applies, and displaying clear signage. Check the ICO's current guidance and fee.

What do 1, 4 and 8-camera shop systems cost? Worked examples

The cost of a 1, 4 or 8-camera shop system is its parts list priced at today's product-page figures, so the quantities below are what you multiply.

Item	1-camera corner shop	4-camera convenience store	8-camera retail unit
Cameras	1	4	8
Recorder channels	1 or more	4 or more	8 or more
Drive	1, sized to your retention period	1, sized to your retention period	1, sized to your retention period
PoE switch ports	1	4	8
Cable (metres)	Measure each run	Measure each run	Measure each run
Connectors and brackets	1 set	4 sets	8 sets
Labour days	Per your installer's quote	Per your installer's quote	Per your installer's quote
Signage	Visible at entry points	Visible at entry points	Visible at entry points

If the recorder has built-in PoE ports, the switch row drops out.

Total = (cameras × live camera price) + recorder + drive + switch + (metres × live cable price per metre) + labour, then add VAT only if the quote is ex-VAT. Prices here are shown including VAT, so nothing is added to those. The live figures come from the product pages, which is why no totals appear above.

What drives each example

These are typical design patterns, not measured installations.

• Corner shop: one camera positioned to catch the till and the door together. A stockroom is usually what pushes a shop into the next tier.
• Convenience store: door, till, a sales-floor view and the stockroom or back door. Cable length is the main swing factor.
• Retail unit: the same coverage plus a rear yard or loading area. Outdoor positions need cameras with a suitable IP rating and longer, weather-protected runs, which is where metres and labour grow fastest.

Your own electrician or installer fits the kit, so ask them to quote labour against the datasheet or installation guide for each product.

How do you compare quotes like for like and spot red flags?

Check that every quote names exact models, specs, retention, cabling and handover terms, so each price describes the same system.

What each quote should state

• Models: make and model for every camera and the recorder, not "4 x dome cameras".
• Image spec: resolution in megapixels, sensor size, and the low-light figure in lux.
• Outdoor rating: the IP rating under IEC 60529 / BS EN 60529 for any exterior unit.
• Retention: days of footage at a stated bitrate. The sum is usable disk capacity divided by the combined daily recording rate of all cameras.
• PoE budget: the switch's total wattage against the cameras' combined draw, with headroom left over.
• Cabling: cable type and length allowed per camera.
• Warranty: length and what it covers.
• VAT: whether the price includes it.
• Access: who sets the password and configures remote viewing.
• Compliance: signage, plus a note on the ICO data protection fee, which most (not all) organisations using CCTV must pay.

Red flags

• No model numbers anywhere.
• "Unlimited storage", which no disk delivers.
• "HD" or "full HD" with no stated resolution.
• No cable allowance, so the real cost arrives later.
• No mention of retention.
• Handover without the admin credentials.
• One unexplained lump-sum price.

A quote that passes this list lets you price the same spec elsewhere. If you would rather build from itemised parts, you can browse the range at Clear Security or ask for a suggested system.

Evidence map and cuts

Plan on roughly £350-£600 per camera installed for a straightforward IP PoE shop system, and treat that as a planning range, not a quote. Cable runs, ceiling access and outdoor mounting push a job towards either end, so any shop CCTV camera price you see should be read against the install it assumes. We sell equipment only, so your own electrician or installer fits it, and their labour is what the installed figure includes.

I've left out a total for a four-camera shop. Totals bake in prices that change, so use these formulas with your own numbers:

• Storage per camera per day (GB): bitrate in Mbps × 86,400 ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000. Multiply by camera count and retention days.
• Running cost: device watts × hours ÷ 1,000 gives kWh. Multiply by your tariff per kWh.
• PoE budget: the combined camera wattage must stay under the switch's rated PoE budget.

Prices here include 20% VAT, so a VAT-registered shop should net that off before comparing against ex-VAT quotes.

Three standards matter for CCTV for shops in the UK. IEC 60529 defines IP ratings, which is how you judge weather protection. UK GDPR and the ICO's CCTV code govern recording people in a business, including signage, so check the ICO's current guidance for what applies to you.

Related products

Related products from our own range:

• Hilook THC-T240-M-R 4MP Turret Camera, 40 m IR — 4 MP Turbo HD turret camera with 40 metres infrared night vision, IP66 housing and switchable video output. Prices include VAT. Free UK delivery over £100.
• Hilook 4 MP Fixed Mini Bullet Camera THC-B140-R — 4MP Turbo HD mini bullet camera for home and business CCTV, with a fixed view for entrances and corridors. Prices include VAT. Free UK delivery over £100.
• Hilook 3 MP Fixed Mini Bullet Camera THC-B230-R — 3 MP Turbo HD bullet camera for entrances and corridors. Needs a compatible Turbo HD DVR to record. Prices include VAT. Free UK delivery over £100.
• VIPER PRO 5MP 3K ColorVu Camera - 24-Hour Smart Light — VIPER PRO 5MP 3K ColorVu camera with 24-hour smart light for full-colour CCTV footage in low light. Prices include VAT. Free UK delivery over £100.