Security system design: tender-ready packages
For property managers, condo boards, building owners, First Nations, school divisions and municipalities who want to tender a security system and compare fair bids.
Updated
The quick answer
Before anyone bids, our team designs the system: where every camera, door reader, intercom and alarm device goes, which brands and models to use (with approved equals), how it’s cabled and powered, and what the installer must hand over at the end. It all goes into a tender-ready package with drawings, specifications and a line-by-line bid form. Every bidder prices the same system, so you compare like with like and pay a fair price for what you need, not for extras you didn’t ask for or shortcuts you can’t see.
What’s in a tender package
| Part | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Device layout drawings | The location of every camera, reader, lock, intercom, alarm device and network cabinet, with camera views shown. |
| Door and device schedule | Each door and what it gets: reader, lock or strike, exit device, door contact, request-to-exit and schedule. |
| Brand and model schedule | A named brand and model for each device as the basis of design, the approved equals, and what an alternate must match. |
| Cabling and network | Cable types and routes, solid copper cable from named makers (never copper-clad aluminum), fibre between buildings, network switches and power for every device. |
| Specifications | Written in the MasterFormat sections consultants use: Division 28 for electronic safety and security and Division 27 for communications. |
| Scope and responsibilities | What the security installer, electrical contractor, door hardware supplier, fire alarm contractor and owner each do. |
| Bid form | One line for each system and option, so every bid is laid out the same way and easy to compare. |
| Closeout requirements | As-built drawings, programming details, admin access and licences in the owner’s name, training and warranty terms. |
Why a design gets you a fair price
Three quotes, no design
- Each company prices a different system, so the numbers can’t be compared
- The lowest quote may leave out cameras, doors, licences or cabling
- Gaps turn into change orders after the job starts
- Admin access and licences may end up in the installer’s name
Bids on one design
- Every bidder prices the same devices, brands and scope
- You compare price, schedule and support, line by line
- Fewer surprises and change orders once work starts
- You own the drawings and can use them for future work
How the design works
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Needs and site walk | We talk to the people who run the building, walk every door and area, and note equipment worth keeping. |
| 2. Layout | We place every device, show what each camera will see, and build the door schedule. |
| 3. Brands and system choice | We explain the options: open platforms, what your staff can manage, licence and subscription terms, and local support. |
| 4. Review | You, your board or your council review the draft, and we make the changes. |
| 5. Tender package | Drawings, specifications, the brand and model schedule and the bid form, ready to issue. |
| 6. Tender support | We answer bidders’ questions, write addenda and go through the bids with you line by line. |
| 7. Install review and closeout | If you want, we check the finished install against the design and confirm everything was handed over. |
Brands: clear choices and fair competition
Naming the brands and models is what makes bids comparable. For each part of the system we name a basis of design and list approved equals, and we write down what an alternate must match, such as camera resolution, recording time, card formats and integrations, so bidders can offer other products without lowering the standard.
We know the 27 brands we install and support, and we choose what suits the building and the people who run it, not what suits one installer. The design also says that licences, admin access and programming belong to the owner, so you’re never tied to one company.
Who it’s for
| Client | How a design helps |
|---|---|
| Condo boards and strata councils | A clear scope and bid form the board can explain to owners before a vote. |
| Property managers | The same standard across every building in a portfolio, priced the same way each time. |
| First Nations | A written plan for Chief and Council and funding applications, then a fair tender. See First Nations communities. |
| School divisions and municipalities | A package ready for a public tender, such as one posted on Alberta Purchasing Connection or BC Bid. |
| Developers and consultants | Security layouts and specs for new builds. See new construction. |
More than security
The same package can cover the network, A/V systems and smart boardrooms, so one design ties every low-voltage system together and nothing is left between two trades.
Can Hightower bid on a design we wrote? That depends on your procurement rules. Some owners want the designer to stay out of the bid, and some invite us to price it. We’ll ask at the start and follow your process.
Planning a tender?
Tell us about the building and your timeline. We’ll design a system every bidder can price the same way.
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Stuck with a system nobody will fix?
We repair and take over cameras, access control, intercoms and alarms installed by other companies, when your current provider has fallen short.
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Security system design questions
What is a tender-ready security design?
A package with device layout drawings, a brand and model schedule, specifications, a scope of work and a bid form, ready to send to bidders.
Why not just get three quotes?
Without a design, each company prices a different system, so the quotes can’t be compared. A design makes every bidder price the same thing.
Do you name brands and models in the design?
Yes. We name a basis of design for each part and list approved equals, with what an alternate must match.
What is an approved equal?
Another product the owner accepts in place of the named one because it meets the same requirements. The design says what it must match.
Can you design around equipment we already have?
Yes. We note what’s worth keeping in the site walk and design the new parts to work with it.
What cable do you specify?
Solid copper cable from named makers, labelled at both ends. We never allow copper-clad aluminum (CCA) cable.
Who owns the drawings?
You do. You can use them for this tender and for future work on the building.
Can you help us compare the bids?
Yes. We answer bidders’ questions, write addenda and go through each bid with you line by line.
Can Hightower also bid on the work?
That depends on your procurement rules. Some owners keep the designer out of the bid and some invite us to price it. We follow your process.
What does a design cost?
It depends on the size of the building and the systems included. After a call and a site walk you get a clear written quote.
More answers: Questions about working with HightowerGlossary: access controlIP camera
Start your design
Tell us about the building, the systems you want and your tender timeline. We’ll follow up to book a site walk.
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