A good camera system is mostly planning. Which doors, paths and driveways need covering, where the footage is stored, who can see it and how long it is kept matter more than the brand on the box. We install home and business security cameras across Christchurch, from family homes in Papanui and Avonhead to shops and yards in Hornby and Sydenham, wired back to a recorder and viewable on your phone.
Because we are licensed electricians, we can also do the parts a camera installer often cannot: new power points, mains-fed floodlight cameras and the data cabling that ties everything together. Cameras pair naturally with sensor lighting, so it is worth planning both at once.
Pricing: a free quote and a fixed price agreed before we start. You get a written, itemised quote, and small jobs can be quoted from photos.
Plan coverage, and respect the neighbours
We start with a walk around the property: entry doors, side paths, the garage, the driveway, the back fence and any outbuildings. Each camera gets a job, such as identifying a face at the front door or showing a vehicle in the drive, and the lens and mounting height are chosen for that job.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has clear guidance for home CCTV. Talk to your neighbours before you put cameras up, do not point a camera directly at a neighbour's property, doors or windows, and do not record activities that would otherwise be private. It also suggests putting up signs, not recording all the time from every angle, not keeping footage longer than you need, and showing neighbours footage of themselves if they ask. We aim and mask cameras to keep them on your property.
- Front door and visitor identification
- Driveway and vehicle coverage
- Side paths, back doors and garages
- Privacy masking where a view crosses a boundary
Business CCTV and the Privacy Act 2020
Businesses and organisations have more formal duties. The Privacy Commissioner says an agency may collect personal information only when it is necessary for a purpose connected to its functions, and should collect the least it can. Before cameras go up, decide the purpose, whether you need audio, how footage will be used, how long it is kept, how it is secured and who can access it.
People must be told they are being recorded, and most businesses use signs that say who operates the system and how to contact them. Audio is more invasive, so if you do not need it, switch it off; if you record sound, you must say so. Under principle 6 of the Privacy Act, people have the right to ask for footage of themselves, so your system needs a simple way to find and export a clip. For wider site work, see our commercial electrician services.
How It Works
Wired PoE, wifi or battery cameras
Our default is wired cameras on power over Ethernet (PoE). One data cable carries both power and video from each camera back to a recorder or PoE switch, so there is no power point needed at the camera and no battery to charge. Wired cameras do not drop out when the wifi is busy, and the video stays on your own network.
Wifi cameras still need power at the camera and depend on a strong signal, which brick veneer, concrete block and long distances to a garage can weaken. Battery cameras are simple to mount but need recharging and usually record short clips rather than continuously. We will tell you honestly where each type makes sense on your property.
- PoE: one cable for power and video
- Wifi: needs power and a strong signal
- Battery: easy to fit, needs recharging
- Doorbell cameras wired to existing bell wiring or PoE
The recorder, storage and remote viewing
A network video recorder (NVR) stores footage from all the cameras on its own hard drive. We put it somewhere ventilated and out of sight, often alongside the router in a hall cupboard or comms cabinet, so a burglar cannot simply walk off with it. Recording is set to match your purpose: continuous, on motion, or on a schedule, with retention set so footage is not kept longer than needed.
We set up the phone app with you, create separate user logins, replace default passwords and apply firmware updates at handover. If your network will grow, we can run spare cables while the ceiling is open.
Mains power needs a licensed electrician
The data cable to a PoE camera is extra-low voltage. Anything connected to your 230 V fixed wiring is different: a new power point for a wifi camera or NVR, a floodlight camera that replaces an existing security light, or a supply run to a gate or shed. WorkSafe says fixed wiring work must be done by a licensed electrician, and it comes with a Certificate of Compliance.
That is why we install cameras as electricians. Mains connections, data cabling and the camera system are done by the same team in one visit, and you get the paperwork for the electrical work. If you need extra outlets for the recorder or a wifi unit, see our power point installation page.
Built for Christchurch weather
Christchurch averages around 80 ground frost days a year, and the nor'wester can reach storm force, so outdoor cameras need solid housings, firm brackets and sealed connections. We fit weather-rated cameras, use proper junction boxes rather than taped joins, form drip loops in cables and mount under eaves where possible, so water and frost do not work their way into the connectors.
Near the sea at New Brighton, Southshore and Sumner, salt spray corrodes cheap brackets and screws, so we choose corrosion-resistant fixings. We also check the view at different times of day, so a camera does not stare straight into the sun or lose detail to glare off a wet driveway.
- Weather-rated camera housings
- Sealed junction boxes and drip loops
- Corrosion-resistant fixings near the coast
- Aim checked for glare and sun
Why Choose Cheeky's Electrical for Security Cameras
Electricians, not just camera fitters
Mains power, data cabling and cameras done by one licensed team, with a CoC for the electrical work.
Privacy built into the plan
Cameras aimed and masked to your property, with signage and retention that follow the Privacy Commissioner's guidance.
Wired for reliability
PoE cameras on a dedicated recorder, so footage does not depend on busy wifi.
Set up on your phone before we leave
App, user logins, passwords and recording settings configured with you at handover.
Security Cameras FAQs
Can my security camera see the neighbour's property?
The Privacy Commissioner advises not pointing a camera directly at a neighbour's property, doors or windows, and talking to neighbours before installing. We aim and mask cameras to keep them on your property.
Do I need signs for CCTV?
Businesses must tell people they are being recorded, and most use signs. The Privacy Commissioner also suggests signs for home cameras.
Should I use wired or wifi cameras?
Wired PoE cameras are more reliable and need no power point at the camera. Wifi cameras suit spots where a cable cannot reach, but need power and a strong signal.
Do I need an electrician to install cameras?
Not for the low voltage data cable itself. Any new power point, floodlight camera or mains supply is fixed wiring work for a licensed electrician, with a Certificate of Compliance.
How long should footage be kept?
The Privacy Commissioner says not to keep footage longer than necessary. We set retention on the recorder to match the reason you have cameras.
Can someone ask for footage of themselves?
Yes. Under principle 6 of the Privacy Act, people can ask for information about themselves, including CCTV footage, so businesses need a way to find and export clips.
Security Cameras Near You
Find your region or suburb for local security cameras information:
Related Electrical Services
See the electrician prices guide or every service we offer.
Sources and further reading
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner: CCTV at home
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner: Privacy and CCTV
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner: Responding to access requests for CCTV footage
- Privacy Act 2020
- WorkSafe: Getting electrical work done
- Wikipedia: Christchurch (climate, frost days)
- Te Ara: Canterbury region, climate and the nor'wester