How much does solar CCTV installation cost in the UK?

Solar CCTV installation cost depends on the number of cameras, the size of the panel and battery, the mobile data plan and how hard the site is to reach. There is no single national price. Published UK price guides cover wired systems, so this guide uses them as a benchmark and explains what changes the sum for solar.

We do not publish a price list. Every site differs, so we survey first and give a fixed quote. What follows will help you judge any quote you receive, ours or anyone else’s.

What solar CCTV installation cost is made of

A solar camera system has five main cost blocks. The first is the camera itself, including its lens, night vision and recording. The second is the solar panel. The third is the battery and the controller that manages it.

The fourth block is connectivity. Remote cameras usually send footage over 4G, so they need a modem or a built-in SIM and a data plan. The fifth is labour and fixings: the pole or bracket, the cabling between panel and camera, and the time to fit and test everything.

Each block scales with the job. Two cameras at one gate cost far less than six cameras round a yard. Similarly, a position that gets great winter sun needs a smaller panel than a shaded one. That is why survey-led quotes beat brochure prices.

What wired CCTV costs: a UK benchmark

Wired systems have published prices, which makes a handy yardstick. The Fantastic Services 2026 guide lists home CCTV supplied and installed at £400 to £1,500 including VAT. Its breakdown runs from £150 to £350 for a single smart camera up to £1,200 to £2,500 for six to eight cameras.

The same guide says London and the South East cost about 20 to 30% more. It also lists cloud storage plans at £3 to £30 a month. Trade2base’s 2026 guide gives wireless cameras at £100 to £250 and a four-camera home system at £600 to £1,500. For business, it shows eight cameras at £1,500 to £4,000 and 16 cameras at £4,000 to £10,000 or more.

Checkatrade, in contrast, says a basic four-camera wired system starts from about £800 plus VAT. These guides do not cover solar or 4G units, and they assume a normal building with power nearby. Treat them as a floor for ordinary sites, not a prediction for yours.

Why solar costs more per camera but can save elsewhere

A solar camera carries extra parts that a wired camera lacks. It needs its own panel, battery and charge controller. It often needs a mobile modem as well. Those parts add cost to each unit.

However, solar removes costs that wired systems carry. There is no cable run, no trench and no new circuit. The Planning Portal notes that a new electrical circuit for CCTV is notifiable work under the building regulations. Avoiding that work can save both money and delay.

Distance decides the balance. A camera on a house wall with a socket inside is cheap to wire. A camera at a field gate hundreds of metres from power can be cheaper to run on solar. For a fuller comparison, read our comparison of solar CCTV versus mains-wired CCTV.

The factors that move the price

Several choices push the total up or down. Knowing them lets you ask better questions.

• Number of cameras. Each position needs its own power and mounting.
• Panel and battery size. Darker sites and longer recording need more of both.
• Battery type. Chemistry affects both the price and the cycle life.
• 4G data. Plans range from light alerts to continuous video.
• Mounting height. Poles and towers cost more than a wall bracket.
• Access. Muddy tracks and long carries add labour time.

Battery choice deserves a closer look. Battery University lists LFP chemistry at 2,000 cycles or higher, against 1,000 to 2,000 for NMC. One LiFePO4 datasheet claims more than 3,000 cycles at full depth of discharge. Because cycle life varies so much, a battery that costs more but lasts longer can work out cheaper per year. Our guide to how long solar CCTV batteries last goes deeper.

Extras that catch buyers out

Some costs only appear after the first quote. A site with heavy shading may need a pole to lift the panel above a hedge. Meanwhile a camera on a tall mast needs stronger fixings and safe access. These items are normal, yet they should appear on the quote, not as a surprise.

Storage is another example. Footage can sit on a memory card at the camera, in the cloud, or both. Cloud plans add a monthly fee, but they protect footage if a thief takes the camera. Therefore decide early how long you want to keep recordings.

Alerts and lighting add cost too. For instance, a floodlight or siren draws extra power, so the battery and panel grow to match. Specifically, ask whether the quote sizes the power system for those extras. A supplier who sizes for the camera alone may leave you short at night.

Running costs after installation

A solar camera has no electricity bill. That is its main running-cost advantage. You still pay for mobile data if the camera uses 4G, and for cloud storage if you choose it.

The good news for cost is that Ofcom reports 4G on at least one network over 96% of the UK’s landmass. Coverage is therefore wide, but it is not universal. Test the signal at the camera position before you buy, because a weak signal changes what the camera can do.

Maintenance is modest. You wipe the panel, check the battery reading and look at the mounting after storms. Trade2base puts maintenance contracts for wired systems at £100 to £300 a year, which is a fair guide to what a service plan might cost. Ask any supplier whether upkeep is included.

What a loss can cost you

Cost looks different next to the price of a theft. NFU Mutual’s 2026 report estimates that rural crime cost the UK £41.5m in 2025. Agricultural vehicle theft alone cost an estimated £8.3m, up 18%, and quad bike theft cost £3.5m, up 31%.

Those are national totals, not your risk. Nevertheless, they show why an exposed gate or barn deserves cover. Our rural crime guide for farmers sets out the wider picture. A camera that deters one theft can repay itself, although we cannot promise that outcome.

How to compare quotes properly

Cheap quotes can hide gaps. Ask each supplier to list what is included and what is not. Check these points before you decide.

• The number of cameras, panels and batteries, with sizes stated.
• The battery chemistry and its expected life.
• Whether a survey was done, and whether it covered winter shading.
• Mobile data and cloud storage, with ongoing costs.
• Mounting, cabling, setup and handover.
• Who you contact if a part fails.

A quote that gives only a total price tells you little. A quote that breaks down each item lets you compare like for like. If you are weighing off-grid options, our guide to off-grid farm security setups and our explainer on off-grid security cameras with no WiFi show typical system layouts.

Where solar CCTV costs make the most sense

Solar pays off most where power is remote. Field gates, outbuildings and rural homes with no outdoor supply are the classic cases. Our rural and off-grid home security page covers these. Sites that need a tall, mobile camera may suit our 4G solar camera towers, and single positions suit our solar CCTV cameras.

We cover England, Scotland and Wales. For local detail, see our pages on solar CCTV installation in Norwich, solar CCTV installation in Exeter and solar CCTV installation in Lincoln. They explain how we work in each area without claiming a local base.

Get a fixed quote for your site

The only reliable way to price solar CCTV is a survey. We look at the positions, the sun, the signal and the access. Then we give a fixed quote that lists every item.

Request a site survey and tell us what you need to protect. We will explain the options in plain terms and show you what each one costs.