Questions for you PRO CCTV Intallers..?? Pay? Misc? Q n A?

[rory 0]

You can't use PVC above ground, only use EMT.

Thats all they use above ground here ... that or wire mold

Why not use it above ground?

I have some here in my yard for 10 years ... looks fine.

[HTElectrical 0]

In the US it is against code, especially in a commercial application.

[rory 0]

I recall seeing EMT at the Hilton but other than that its rare here.

Funny thing is though, we have stricter hurricane code than the US, most everything is brick outside and inside.

[nDAlk90 0]

Its against code in areas where large people congregate like churches, malls, etc. That's because if you have a fire indoors PVC releases toxic gases.

 

That however doesn't mean you cant use it outside above ground. NEC doesn't exclude its use from residential or outdoor environments. If it was against code in the US why would Home Depot sell it?

 

In the US it is against code, especially in a commercial application.

[HTElectrical 0]

I should of been more specific. The local code will define the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), which will have the ultimate discretion on what is allowed and what is not allowed in your particular instance and it is usually not allowed in living areas. Also it is is not permitted where subject to physical damage, then only schedule 80 is permitted, but Some local codes require the use of metal conduit outside.

[Soundy 1]

PVC Conduit is so cheap that putting it makes sense if the wire is to be run on the outside of a building.

EMT Conduit can be used if you are worried about vandals.

GRC Conduit if you are really worried.

 

Water, heat, rats, etc.

Will it work without conduit outside? Sure maybe for years.

Is it recommended? No.

 

Also...

ENT (electrical non-mechanical tubing, not to be confused with the medical disciplines or giant Tolkienesque trees) can be handy as well - it looks like corrugated PVC; it's flexible, and the connectors just snap on. Costs about the same as PVC.

 

 

Also, if you don't need to protect the wire from physical damage, you can use standard split loom, the type that's often used in cars - if it'll survive years or decades in a car's engine bay, it'll survive a little wind and rain under your eaves

 

[Soundy 1]

Do you mean how to get the wire through the pipe?

 

I would put a pull string in it and then pull the wire. But at 400ft, you will need 40 pieces of 10ft long conduit. For this reason keep the bends and turns in the conduit at a absolute minimum.

Around here, code states no more than four 90-degree bends without a pull box. The larger the bend radius, the easier it will be to pull wire through. Lots of wire lube is your friend - the clear stuff is a lot nicer to work with and will dry out in a while, so it doesn't leave a mess, but if you're pulling big bundles long distances, you'll want to use the waxy yellow stuff.

 

Easy way to get a string through the pipe is with a vacuum: make a "mouse" by folding a little piece of plastic bag on itself into a bubble, then seal it by tying your pull string around the ends... insert that into one end of the conduit, then use a rag or something to seal a vacuum hose tip around the other end of the conduit. Only takes a minute or so per 100' of tubing

 

You can't use PVC above ground, only use EMT.

PVC is a lot easier to get water-tight. If you're running across a flat roof or directly on the ground, you want to protect against water getting into the run, especially if you're somewhere that gets freezing temperatures.

[chaz 0]

Let me go back to the original question.

 

how much do you charge?

do you have insurance in case you get hurt at my house/business

how about insurance to cover the hole in my roof that you drill, the water pipe you broke, or the fire you started when drilling a hole to fish the wires.

 

most states require a license when installing a wire in the walls which also include penetrating the outside wall to get the camera on the outside of the building.

 

all of this is going to come into play when you ask how much do we charge. how much is the equipment? wire isn't cheap. how much is your time worth? and whats your overhead cost such as vehicle and tools (remember the insurance so i can't sue you and take your house away)

[johnny916 0]

Chaz, I was wondering what you guys charge.. I guess we can now include into that equation whether or not you have insurance, nice trucks, etc..

[chaz 0]

one way is to double the cost of the camera and then add labor on top. i don't buy $100 cameras. generally my camera cost is 200-300 and most cameras get installed for $750 plus/minus.

 

we tend to markup our products but others in the business talk about "margins" I'm still trying to figure out how margins work but its something like cost of equipment, parts, labor, commission plus what ever margin (15% - 50%) you have determined you need to stay in business.

 

its one thing to Diy or help out friends on installations but quite different if you want to be in the Business of video. the only way you can stand behind your product and installation is to buy a good product with a good warranty (3-5 yrs), know what your doing on the installation and finally charge enough for the installation that you can afford to make things right for your customer if thing go wrong (you never get paid on GO BACKS)

[johnny916 0]

Well I'm coming up on a 10 camera installation outside a 400' by 70' building, I'm thinking around $1700 for labor alone.. I hope I will not be under bidding.

[rory 0]

I normally do, $75 per indoor camera, $150 per outdoor camera, $50 per dummy camera, more for a PTZ, $150-$350 for DVR, $150 for power. Though it may vary per install, difficult locations will cost alot more. This does not include the wire run.

[johnny916 0]

Rory, wow you get good money.. How much per sq ft for wire runs? Say you have two or three wires going the same way. Price also with conduit and without?

[thewireguys 3]

We charge a hourly rate plus materials. The fixed pricing per camera is fine for small 4-8 camera jobs but when you have larger projects you have no idea what your getting into till you start running wire. A single camera might take all day to install on large projects.

 

Even smaller projects can have issues so I think is just fair to charge per hour plus materials.

[rory 0]

Rory, wow you get good money.. How much per sq ft for wire runs? Say you have two or three wires going the same way. Price also with conduit and without?

I dont run conduit. I sub to electrician.

[ouijadon 0]

I use Pvc conduit outside only. see pics for home installation a couple years ago.

[fa chris 0]

some states/cities/jurisdictions require everything be run in conduit (metal, not pvc). I believe this is the case in chicago, possibly all of illinois. Some spec's/owners require it.

 

Any conduit we do we sub out to an electrician. We sub out the wire pulling and installation on any larger project too, very rarely are our guys pulling 400'.

[jeromephone 6]

3/4 drywall screws a must if you are mountng equipment on backboards most of the time it is 3/4 plywood and longer screws can dig into the unlayment which may be metal or block which can pull the plywood off the wall.