Images you can actually use
Cameras framed at entry routes and mounting heights chosen for facial identification, with night performance verified on site rather than assumed from a datasheet.
Derby · Hikvision & Ajax partner
CCTV, Alarms And AccessControl In Derby ThatTalk To Each Other
Cameras positioned to give usable evidence, alarms that alert the right people, and door entry that works from your phone — all wired by the electrical contractor and integrated into the same system that runs your lighting.
Hikvision and Ajax partner installations · £10m public liability · 6-year NAPIT-backed workmanship guarantee on qualifying installations
16+ years
Domestic, commercial and industrial experience
Full Scope
NAPIT registered for all aspects of electrical work
6-year
NAPIT-backed workmanship guarantee on qualifying installs
£10m
Public and employers' liability cover
Free
Initial consultation, no obligation
The service
Security that produces evidence, not just footage
This service covers three connected layers: CCTV that records identifiable images at the points people actually enter; intruder alarm systems that detect and notify without crying wolf every windy night; and access control from a video doorbell on a family home to fobs, keypads and gates on a commercial site.
Camera choice matters far less than camera position. A high-resolution camera mounted high on a gable wall gives you a clear picture of the top of someone's head. The same camera at the right height and angle across an entry route gives you a face. We survey the property for entry points, light levels and sightlines first, then select equipment to suit those positions.
As Hikvision and Ajax partners we install professional-grade hardware rather than consumer kit, and because we are also the electrical contractor, the power, the data cabling and the integration into your automation system are all part of the same job. A camera event can raise the exterior lighting; an alarm state can change what the heating and lighting do.
Who this is for
- Homes in Derby and Derbyshire wanting proper coverage of entrances, driveways and outbuildings
- Properties with detached garages, workshops or stables that need monitoring and lighting
- Commercial premises needing recorded coverage, door control and staff access records
- Landlords and holiday-let owners needing remote access without handing over keys
- Anyone whose existing camera system produces footage too poor to identify anyone
- Clients who want security events to drive lighting and automation, not sit in a separate app
What it costs to leave it
Unusable footage is worse than no footage, because you thought you were covered
The moment a system's value is tested is the moment you discover its weaknesses. Cameras aimed at the middle of a driveway rather than the entry point. Night images washed out by a security light directly in frame. Recording retention set to a few days when the incident happened last week. None of these show up in normal use — they only surface when you need the footage.
Alarm systems fail differently. False activations from poorly sited detectors train everyone to ignore the alerts, and once the household ignores them the system might as well be off. Notifications configured to a single phone that is on silent overnight. Sensors covering the hallway but not the patio doors that were the obvious entry point all along.
Access control is where cost creeps quietly. Keys copied by former staff or tenants with no way to know, leading to a lock change every time somebody leaves. No record of who entered a building and when. Gates and entry systems wired as isolated islands so a delivery means someone physically walking to the door regardless of where they are in the property.
Mistakes we get called out to fix
- Cameras mounted as high as possible, capturing hats rather than faces
- Recording retention left on defaults, overwriting the footage you eventually need
- Security lighting placed directly in a camera's field of view, blinding it at night
- Detectors sited where pets, heat sources or draughts cause repeated false alarms
- Alerts sent to one phone with no secondary contact or escalation
- Cameras and alarms on consumer cloud services with no local recording if the line drops
How the job runs
A fixed sequence, so nothing
gets decided on the fly
01
Free site survey
We walk the property, identify genuine entry routes, assess existing light levels and sightlines, and agree what each camera and detector actually needs to achieve.
02
Design (chargeable)
Camera positions and lens choices, detector layout, recorder sizing and retention, cable schedule, access control hardware and how it all integrates with your automation.
03
Installation
Cameras, detectors, recorders, panels, door hardware and gate controls installed on properly protected circuits with structured cabling back to the rack position.
04
Configure and verify
Every camera framed and focused on site, detection zones tuned to cut false alarms, notifications tested to every recipient, and access credentials issued and recorded.
05
Hand over and support
Walkthrough of the app, recordings and arming routines, documentation of the installed system, and remote maintenance available afterwards.
What you actually get
Measurable outcomes, not adjectives
Alerts you trust enough to act on
Detection zones and sensitivities tuned during commissioning so notifications mean something, instead of being muted after the third false alarm.
Security drives the whole building
A camera or alarm event can raise external lighting, switch on interior scenes and change heating state, because it all sits on one integrated system.
Access without keys
Fobs, codes and app entry can be issued and revoked individually, so a departing member of staff or tenant never means changing a lock again.
Local recording that survives an outage
Footage is recorded on site rather than depending solely on a cloud service, so a broadband failure does not mean losing the evidence.
Guaranteed installation work
Qualifying installation work carries a 6-year NAPIT-backed workmanship guarantee, with a minimum one-year guarantee on other work.
In detail
Cameras, detection, door hardware and integration in detail
Security hardware is only as good as its siting, its cabling and its configuration. This is what we specify and install across domestic and commercial sites in Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
CCTV systems
We install Hikvision as a partner, sized properly for the site. Resolution, lens angle, mounting height and infrared or white-light performance are chosen per position rather than buying an identical four-camera kit for every property.
- Turret, bullet and dome cameras selected per position and lighting condition
- Number plate and facial identification positions designed around approach angles
- PoE structured cabling back to a central NVR rather than local power supplies
- NVR storage sized for a retention period you actually agree, not a default
- Motion and line-crossing detection zones configured to ignore roads and trees
- Remote viewing with local recording maintained if the internet connection drops
Intruder alarm systems
As an Ajax partner we install wireless and hybrid alarm systems with encrypted communications and long battery life, which suits both occupied homes and retrofit commercial premises without extensive rewiring.
- Ajax wireless and hybrid systems with encrypted device communication
- Perimeter door and window contacts alongside internal movement detection
- Pet-tolerant detector selection and siting to reduce false activations
- External sounders, strobes and multi-recipient app notification
- Part-set modes so upstairs stays live while the house is occupied downstairs
- Smoke, leak and environmental sensors reporting through the same system
Access control and door entry
Access hardware ranges from a video doorbell to a full commercial door controller with audit trails. The right answer depends on how many people need access and how often that list changes.
- Video door entry with call routing to phones, keypads and internal panels
- Fob, card and keypad access with per-user credentials issued and revoked centrally
- Maglocks, strikes, door controllers and correctly interfaced emergency release
- Automatic gate control with intercom, safety edges and vehicle detection
- Access event logging for commercial sites needing a record of entries
Residential versus commercial
Domestic systems prioritise simplicity, discretion and useful alerts. Commercial systems add compliance, record-keeping and the ability to manage many users without calling an engineer.
- Residential: entrances, driveways, outbuildings, garden zones and parcel deliveries
- Commercial: perimeter, yard, loading, stock and staff-only areas with retained footage
- Multi-site remote viewing and centralised user administration
- RAMS issued on request and works planned around occupied trading hours
- Integration with lighting and BMS so out-of-hours events raise light and alert staff
Before you enquire
CCTV, alarms & access questions,
answered straight
How much does a CCTV or alarm installation cost in Derby?
It varies with the number of positions, cable routes and retention requirements, so we do not publish prices. The site survey and initial consultation are free, and you receive a written quotation before any commitment.
How long does installation take?
A domestic camera and alarm installation is typically one to two days. Commercial sites with gates, door controllers and longer cable runs take longer, and we programme the work around your trading hours.
Will you install cameras on a finished house without damage?
Yes, in almost all cases. Cable routes are planned through lofts, eaves and external containment, and we agree every visible route with you before drilling anything.
How long is footage kept?
That is a design decision, set by the recorder storage we specify. Tell us the retention period you want and we size the system to it rather than accepting a manufacturer default.
Do the cameras keep recording if the internet fails?
Yes. Recording is local to the NVR on site. Remote viewing pauses until the connection returns, but nothing is lost.
Can I stop getting false alarms from my current system?
Usually. Most false activations come from detector siting or detection zones rather than faulty equipment, and both can be corrected. We will assess the existing system before recommending replacement.
Can security be linked to my lighting and automation?
Yes, and that is one of the main advantages of using a single contractor. Camera and alarm events can trigger external lighting, interior scenes and away modes automatically.
Do you offer emergency call-outs?
Emergency and out-of-hours support is available on request for commercial and automation clients. It is not sold as a standard guaranteed service, but ask and we will tell you what we can do.
What guarantee applies to the installation?
Qualifying installation work carries a 6-year workmanship guarantee backed by NAPIT, with a minimum one-year guarantee on other work. We hold £10m public liability, £10m employers' liability and £1m professional indemnity.
Which areas do you cover?
Derby, Duffield, Belper, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Ripley, Ashbourne, Matlock, Burton upon Trent, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield and the wider East Midlands.
Related services
Where we work
Derby · Nottingham · Duffield · Belper · Burton upon Trent · Sheffield · Ilkeston · Long Eaton and the wider East Midlands. See areas covered, read more about the company or return to the homepage.
Find out what your
cameras are really seeing
Book a free site survey and we will tell you honestly which positions give usable evidence and which are decoration — including on a system you already own.
NAPIT Full Scope · Official Loxone Partner · 6-year workmanship guarantee on qualifying installations · £10m public liability