Choosing a CCTV installer in Ipswich: 7 questions to ask.
Most CCTV systems look fine until something happens and the footage doesn't show what you need. Seven questions separate a useable install from a bad one. Ask these before you sign.
A useable CCTV system needs three things: cameras placed and angled correctly, resolution and frame rate high enough to identify faces and number plates at the distance you need, and retention long enough that you find out a week later and the footage is still there. The seven questions below test whether the installer is designing for those outcomes or just selling you cameras.
1. Are you a licensed Queensland security firm?
Installing CCTV under a paid contract in Queensland requires a Security Firm Licence issued by the Office of Fair Trading. Ask for the licence number and verify it on the public register. Hardware retailers, electricians, and "we install cameras" tradies aren't always licensed — and an unlicensed install means no industry recourse if the system doesn't perform.
The right answer
A specific Class 1 firm licence number, current expiry date, and willingness to point you at the public register to verify.
2. Will you walk the site before quoting?
A useable CCTV design starts with a site walk. Camera placement, sight lines, sun angles through the day, lighting at night, network access — none of these can be costed accurately from photos. Quotes generated from a phone call alone usually under-spec coverage and end up with cameras pointed at the wrong things.
The right answer
Yes, the site walk is free, takes 30–60 minutes, and produces a written design before the quote.
3. What retention period are you designing for?
The default question most installers don't ask is: how long do you need the footage to last? 30 days is a sensible commercial baseline. Childcare, aged care, and regulated industries often need 60–90 days. The retention drives storage size and recorder cost — get this wrong and your "30-day system" overwrites at 12 days because the cameras are running higher resolution than the storage was sized for.
The right answer
"30 days minimum, sized to your camera count and resolution. Here's the calculation."
4. How does remote access work, and is it secure?
Modern systems support iOS, Android, and desktop browser viewing. The security question is *how* — a recorder exposed directly to the public internet is a known-bad pattern that periodically shows up in news stories about hacked baby monitors and the like. Reputable installers use vendor cloud relay services or VPN access, not raw port forwarding.
The right answer
Vendor cloud relay (Hikvision Hik-Connect, Dahua DMSS, Uniview EZView) or a VPN setup. User roles for different staff. No port forwarding directly to the recorder.
5. What brand of cameras and recorder?
Three professional brands cover most Australian commercial installs: Hikvision, Dahua, and Uniview. There are others. The brand matters less than the line — entry-level consumer kits from any vendor have shorter warranties, weaker low-light performance, and shorter support cycles than the professional ranges. Hardware-store CCTV kits aren't a substitute.
The right answer
A specific professional-range product line with manufacturer warranty terms in writing.
6. Who handles support after the install?
Plenty of installers happily install and disappear. Two years later when a camera dies or the recorder needs a firmware update, you can't find them. Ask about ongoing support — what's the response window, what's the call-out cost, and is the system documented well enough that another installer could service it later if needed.
The right answer
A documented support arrangement (response window, callout cost) and a system handover pack with usernames, IP addresses, and configuration notes.
7. Will you walk me through the design before installing?
The professional version of CCTV installation produces a written design that shows where each camera goes, what it covers, and why. You should be able to push back ("can we move that one closer to the gate?") before holes get drilled. Installers who turn up with a van full of cameras and "figure it out as we go" are skipping the part of the job that actually matters.
The right answer
Yes, here's the design (printed or PDF), here's why each camera is placed where it is, and here's what to push back on.
Bonus: ask about Australian Privacy Act considerations
If your CCTV captures common areas, neighbouring properties, or staff working areas, you have privacy obligations under the Privacy Act and Queensland workplace surveillance rules. A professional installer flags these proactively — what you can and can't record, signage requirements, and how long you can hold footage. If your installer doesn't bring this up, that's a flag.
Get a CCTV design that holds up
Free site walk, written design, fixed-price quote. We work with Hikvision, Dahua and Uniview professional ranges, design retention against your actual needs, and document everything for future support. See how we install CCTV or request a quote.
Published 30 April 2026 · Anthony Tupper, Founder · Tupper Security Services holds Queensland Security Firm Licence (Class 1) #4572076.