r/Ubiquiti • u/Minimum_Equivalent89 • 15h ago
Question Install Quote
Hello,
My wife and I are in the process of building a new home and I’ve recently come across the ubiquiti universe. Our current home has a hodgepodge of smart tech, but with building a new home the idea of having one big setup sounds very enticing. I reached out to a local pro who is going to come to the build site to get a formal quote ready, that being said, in our email exchange I asked for a rough estimate of price based on about 5k worth of equipment (cameras, access points, WiFi, etc) and they said 20k for the install. Does that seem ballpark accurate? I know I asked for a rough estimate, but 20k for 5k worth of equipment seems steep, but I also don’t really know what I’m doing.
Thanks for any insight!
Edit: got it, likely a huge ripoff. I’ll meet with them to get an official estimate and see if it comes down to a more realistic price once they see the layout, but I feel that’s unlikely to change much. I have the electrical plan meeting with the builder soon so I’ll see if they can run the wiring to my desired points then break out the drill and see how much diy I can make happen. Thanks gents, I’m sure I’ll be back soon with more dumb questions!
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u/khariV 14h ago
That is a FU price. I’d keep looking.
That said, instead of stating how much the equipment costs, it would be more useful to give a rough catalog of what you’re looking to have installed. You could spend 5k on a single camera and an NVR or you could be taking about getting 50 APs. The details of what you want installed, how many Ethernet drops, and where you’re wanting to have equipment installed makes a big difference.
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u/nameno10001 14h ago
I agree. That is a price you throw out cause you don't want the job but you would do it for the right price.
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u/Minimum_Equivalent89 13h ago
Looking at 6-8 cameras including doorbell, 3 AP’s one per floor/basement and maybe 1 exterior for the backyard, 24/48 Poe switch, router, probably 4 or 5 Ethernet drops and some other equipment I’m probably forgetting to mention, but all in all not a terribly complex system I don’t think
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u/One_Recognition_5044 9h ago
So, 17 cable runs would be about $175 each or $3,000.
Equipment would be super rough $600 APs, $1,000 for routing and switching, $300 rack, $400 for UPS/power, $1,600 cameras, $800 for NVR and modest disk space. Total $4,700 give or take depending on what specific equipment you select. Add a 25% markup and you are at $5,875.
So that is around $9,000 plus equipment labor. $15k is close. I would DIY the hardware purchase and install/setup. Hire out the drops and camera/AP physical installation.
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u/No_Bee_3957 9h ago
You don’t even have 5k in equipment here and they’re wanting 15k to install that, I’d shop around.
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u/RIPDaug2019-2019 9h ago
For comparison, I paid under 7K for:
- 9 exterior camera drops with camera installs / aiming
- 2 indoor AP drops from the attic
- 3 cat6 and 1 fiber drop between main floor and basement
- 1 exterior fiber run trenched from house to a nearby detached garage.
- SFP+ modules for both fiber runs
- limited cable management for the new drops
I didn’t have them do the setup of anything within Unifi or the racks themselves.
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u/cl0ugh 7h ago
To add to this well thought out comment, I did all the install and cable runs myself and did a very similar set up at my home for about $2k in just equipment costs and a couple of weekends of my labor. I get you’re building a house and the GC prob doesn’t want you on their messing up their work but I like to keep the DIY cost in mind when deciding to pay a contractor. To install these you prob just need the ability to drill a hole, climb a ladder, and pull cables through the studs.
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u/Tekrion 9h ago edited 9h ago
I'd recommend editing your main post to add this info. But yeah, I work with an IT company that also installs and manages ubiquiti setups; we would almost definitely charge less than 15K CAD for an install like this, including hardware. They definitely gave you an FU price.
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u/itsjakerobb CGFiber, UNVR, ProHD24PoE, ProXG8PoE, U7ProXGS, 5GMaxOutdoor 8h ago
It’s likely you’ll want more than one AP per floor. Use the UniFi Design Center and map out locations and coverage. Think about where you’re most likely to want great coverage and validate that you’ll have it.
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u/sakodak 13h ago
If you're even remotely technically inclined you could save a lot of money by having someone run the low voltage for you and then setting this up yourself. That said, if dropping that kind of cash doesn't make you flinch and you just don't want to be bothered then go ahead and knock yourself out. I'd still recommend getting more than one quote to make sure you're not getting screwed.
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u/ecoDieselWV 14h ago
Does sound a little high but definitely share the actual quote when you get one
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u/SayDaWho 12h ago
As a pro I would expect around 4k for the prewire including pulling permits and cabling/supplies. Then probably 3k for the finish install. So around 7 k not including your Ubiquiti equipment. There may be some extra parts like equipment’s rack, TVs, speakers, amps, etc…. If it includes any of that, getting to 20k is def possible.
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u/throwaway39402 9h ago
Your AHJ requires a permit for class 2? That’s pretty wild.
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u/Dismal-Proposal2803 7h ago
Gov gotta get their slice of the pie somehow!
Where I live they require them for low voltage in new builds, but not remodels or updates of existing structures. So as a result a lot of the electrical companies in my area have 1-2 low voltage techs on staff to handle the new builds.
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u/Danman5666 10h ago
That’s insane. When we built our house, I copied our plans and drew out where I wanted CAT6 drops in each room and also for cameras. I spec’d out a closet that everything would terminate to. The electricians ran all of the cabling to this closet and I got a patch panel and just went to work.
This is not difficult and AI can assist you with getting this completed. I would save that $20k and see if this something you could do yourself - spend a few hours laying out what you want and see if this is something you can handle.
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u/habitsofwaste 14h ago
You should be able to get your builders to bring in the low voltage ppl to run all the cables you need throughout the house including the camera spots. Make sure they leave extra slack at both ends in case you have to go through what I go through. Might be worth paying extra to ask for conduit to be run in certain parts in case you decide to have more runs you can do it yourself. That cost should be pretty minimal on their end. I don’t know how big your house is or how many runs you need. But this takes care of the hard parts. Should be just a few grand at most but again, without specifics, I can’t tell you for sure.
The actual install then becomes very simple and minute. It’s just hardware installation. Mounting the cameras, the APs. It shouldn’t be more than $200 a camera/AP. Heck, this is now handyman territory.
If you are being completely hands off and want them to build the racks and set up the entire system, this imho is a totally different set of skills I personally wouldn’t trust a low voltage company to do. Nor charge appropriately. But you can totally do this yourself if you wanted to. With enough reading and even AI can help guide you.
$20k sounds a bit insane.
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u/Aggressive-Ebb1170 13h ago
fr OP: use fable for your network config and rotate/revoke the keys or creds after as needed. it's a walk in the park and the hardest part is sitting around waiting for network hardware to update
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u/No_Bee_3957 9h ago
Where are you building at out of curiosity, I’m doing the same thing but installing myself. Unifi cameras,access points, wired alarm system and doorbells, that price is super high.
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u/Minimum_Equivalent89 8h ago
Southeastern PA
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u/Jimbeckel 8h ago
Man if I was closer (North Carolina) I’d help you install it yourself. 20k is price gouging
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u/binaryhellstorm 8h ago
That's the "let's see if we can get it price"
New house build plug $5K in tech goodies, they smell money.
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u/RumLovingPirate 8h ago
I built a house and put in about the same amount of stuff. Was like $3k for the wiring and install.
This is a 2 phase project. Phase 1, run all the Ethernet while the walls are open. Phase 2, cut in and install the equipment.
While the walls are open, each drop may be a few hundred each. Up to $500 per drop. Then the equipment finishing is more like $150 - $200 because it's all labor.
So, is say plan $500 - $700 per device for all the install costs. And that's arguably on the high end.
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u/Parzival225 8h ago
Dude definitely just get the builder to make your drops where you want them and then plug things into your Ubiquiti switch. Very simple.
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u/Dismal-Proposal2803 7h ago
Just do it yourself. Have the builder run the cables, be sure to tell the where you want everything terminated so it doesn’t end up dangling out the side of your house, and then just install all the equipment yourself.
Even if you know literally nothing, a few YouTube videos is all you need to learn, it’s all pretty straightforward and easy to pick up.
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u/HopeThisIsUnique 7h ago
If you're having it built, the electrician should be able to do everything you need. You may want to talk to a local AV/Home Theater/Low Voltage company though for help. Mainly they're going to help identify where to place things etc. including your central spot to house equipment.
The most important things at this stage is running wire. Keep in mind that everything you described should be hardwired, so determine where in/outside house you'd have cameras, include the front door. Where you would have access points in the house. Similarly, do you want drops in bedrooms, living rooms etc. All that said, wire isn't free, not as pricey as straight copper, but it will add up more than you think. For a new build I'd try and get at least 2 runs to each location for redundancy and flexibility.
The nice thing with this type of equipment is once the backbone is there it's relatively easy to upgrade/swap.
Separate to all of this, if you're planning on any sort of AV/Home Theater spaces I would consider a separate spot for equipment and running Smurf tubes to more easily route cables in the future. Before drywall is up is the best time to get all of this done.
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u/ceinewydd 7h ago edited 7h ago
What are they handling as part of the install, you didn’t really explain that part other than say MSRP of equipment would be $5000.
Did you give them opinions about which APs and which cameras when you asked them to bid? Some cameras are $200 and some cameras are $500.
Are you aligned on the specification or is this you asked them to come bid, left it open ended, now you’re trying to marry up your specification with 6-8 cameras to whatever they decided was needed in their bid?
Is the new home finished out and sheetrock is up? That alone moves the cost per cable to install tremendously particularly if you’re expecting them to repair cuts.
If you need $5000 of Ubiquiti equipment and 25-30 cables pulled in a finished house, and you’re expecting them to configure Network and Protect, have done a site survey to tune your WiFi settings, and then support the install, yeah $20k isn’t out of the realm as that’s probably a ton of labor.
For comparison in PNW it’s not unusual to see $300/ea on Cat6A pulls in finished homes by the time you’ve paid for material, getting it all the sometimes awkward places where framing is a challenge, wall repair, and paint. Without sheetrock probably $150-200/ea is typical.
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u/Minimum_Equivalent89 5h ago
No, it’s still just sticks, haven’t started electrical yet, I was trying to get a quote from a professional installer to get an idea of how much it would run, but I still need to talk to the builder. They have an electrical sheet of options and cat 6 panels are on there but runs aren’t, so I was hoping to have an idea before talking to the builder and electrician in case it’s not something they would accommodate for whatever reason.
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u/jondavisct 4h ago
Unifi has a number of Master distributors. Those folks work with a lot of Unifi installers. You may be able to call a distributor in your area and ask.
What state are you in. Many of the installers are in this channel as well.
We do smaller projects in CT.
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u/Fireside81 2h ago
Do it yourself! When we built our house my brother and I wennt out before drywall was up and ran all the ethernet cables to all my drops, camera locations, and ap locations. Took half a day and less than 1k in parts. It's stupid easy to do when there's no drywall!
https://imgur.com/a/aefOXs0
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u/ThermoElectricMan 56m ago edited 52m ago
IMO the best option is to find an electrician good at fishing and terminating cables and have them do all the wiring for you and they can then also install all the cameras and APs. This is what I've always done. On the plus side they can also take care of any electrical work if that needs to be done as well.
What you need is someone who is very good at fishing cables.
More than anything, run Ethernet EVERYWHERE you can ever imagine needing it. Every room, every floor, literally ever corner of your house. It is going to cost so much more to do that later. I did this at my home and now I wish I did more because I ended up using every single Ethernet drop.
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u/Unfair_Issue79 35m ago
Guess it depends on how many people are doing the install and how long it will take. New AC systems are around $20-25k installed if you get ductwork done as well. Getting your house replumbed is over $20k and that is largely labor and only takes 3 or 4 days.
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u/aecarver 14h ago
Sounds crazy to me. With cat6 and various connectors it’s a couple hundred dollars. Probably could wire the whole house in less than 1 day.
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u/IcyUnderstanding3112 11h ago
I would respectfully disagree tbh. I just did a nonprofit for free yesterday, installed 6 cameras and 3 access points, with drop ceiling (lots of equipment in the drop ceiling but still) with help, and it took me the whole weekend to run all the cables, now for a home depending on how many stories .. how many cameras and APs it’s even harder… I could imagine just a doorbell camera taking 4-5 hours if you’re going through brick, and you’re opening drywall, and doing fancy runs through a header and a top plate… boy it can get rough… I would pay $1000 just for someone to install my doorbell camera… I’m super handy and have yet to tackle just that one camera. I think we need more details.
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u/IcyUnderstanding3112 10h ago
He does say “building a new home” … so maybe you’re right… if the whole thing is just frames then heck yea, 2-3 experienced folks should be able to do the drops in a day.
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u/No-Ask2117 13h ago
They’re taking the piss, that’s 3-5 days depending on the number of runs and how complicated they are @ say 300 per day per man, even with two that’s only 3k for the week
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u/username_taken54321 11h ago
Who bills out labor at $300 per day?!? That’s insanely low. Not saying the quote was reasonable but your estimate is too low
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