Question about security cameras

I am currently working on talking to vendors to have security cameras. Problem-all the vendors I have been talking to are telling me I need different equipment. prices ranging from $9k-23k. I know nothing about this stuff so no idea what we actually need. does anyone have any resources out there to help sort through this stuff or have any ideas?

What is the purpose of the security cameras and where do you want to install them? Are you needing the entire property monitored or just your Clubhouse or Office area? Camera lenses are an important feature and some cannot give a good picture due to distance. So the farther away the subject is, the grainier the picture. Do you need someone to monitor the cameras? Sometimes, you can run a loop and change out tapes on the system. Sometimes, you need to be able to isolate images for documentation purposes. Do you have electricity available for monitors because in some parts of the property you may have to run lines. This is why it gets expensive! It's also why your pricing is all over the board. Basic systems don't have to be expensive until you decide you need to be able to monitor things from another location, you need the ability to send footage to the police, you need exceptional image quality .... so many variables. Sometimes, working with local vendors will give you the answers you need to make an informed recommendation and decision.

Security Camera King
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Mindy raises some good points. You'll also need to consider weatherproof domes for outdoor cameras for property surveillance, wifi vs. RF communication, line of sight, recording equipment, drive vs. cloud storage, and where you're going to put receivers & transmitters. Oh - and signage. I believe most localities require that you notify if you are conducting video surveillance.

Your vendors with really low bids - ask them why. And google comparisons on the video equipment. The last thing you want is to invest money in a low-quality system that isn't going to perform.

Make some calls and see if any of your comps have video surveillance, and who they used (or didn't) and WHY. Another property manager or regional may be able to give you the low-down on local contractors.

Laurie, we have video on almost all our communities now, and the few that don't are budgeted to add it this year. That said, I'm NO EXPERT! If it weren't enough that vendors use different equipment, technology has changed a lot too, so systems we put in a few years ago can't do some of what we added last year. I'd recommend (and I bet you've done this) that you start with refining your scope of work. For example, being able to log-in remotely was a priority for us. Having a recorder with a few extra "slots" for us to add cameras in the future is something we like, but we sometimes back off to get the prices down. I like to refine my list of "MUST HAVE" camera views, as well as the lower priority views that may get nixed if the bids come in higher than I can afford. Also, where you really need CLARITY (like if you want to capture license plate info or clearly see who's at your pool) make sure you get written info on the resolution you can expect. At one pool the image wasn't clear enough to see WHO was at the pool, and you couldn't see the whole deck/chair area. Having areas of the property covered that are far away from each other can add cost, so we sometimes select some areas that we buy a "canned" system from Costco or someone like them that the box isn't in our office, and it records onto a card, and to see the videos we have to go to the box and pull out/save the info on the card. That works where we only need to access the video if something happens, like at an entrance where we don't need to see the license tag info or car descriptions unless there's been criminal activity.
Last thing I recommend: Do a comparison chart of the bids. Where items are different, go back to each vendor and ask them what the difference between their XYZ camera is compared to someone else's model and brand. That let's them educate you, plus it lets them know you are bidding with others! I've attached a sign we place in all our offices, whether we have video or not. It's better than, "SMILE, YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA!"