What affects the cost of a video intercom for a commercial building?
A plain guide for property managers, condo boards and business owners in Alberta and BC. There are no prices here: every building is different, so we give you an itemized quote after a site visit.
Updated
The quick answer
Every building is different, so the cost depends on the number of entrances and suites, whether the system has a cloud subscription or a one-time cost, and how it connects: a phone line, cellular or the internet. The fastest way to get a real number is a site visit and an itemized quote.
The main cost factors
| Factor | Why it changes the cost |
|---|---|
| Number of entrances | Each front door, side door, parkade entrance or gate that visitors use needs its own panel and door release. |
| Number of suites or tenants | Some systems charge a subscription per suite or per user, and bigger directories may need a larger touch screen panel. |
| Cloud subscription or one-time cost | Cloud intercoms that residents answer on their phones usually have an ongoing subscription. Systems that dial phone numbers are mostly a one-time cost plus the line. |
| Phone line, cellular or internet | Each connection has its own monthly cost and wiring. Cellular suits buildings with no phone line; internet needs a reliable network. |
| Panel type | Touch screen, video, weather-rated and vandal-resistant panels are priced differently. |
| Integration with access control | Fob readers at the same door, elevator access for visitors, delivery access and parcel lockers add hardware and programming. |
| Replacing an old enterphone | Removing the old panel, reusing or replacing its wiring and fitting the new panel to the wall. See Enterphone replacement. |
One-time and ongoing costs
One-time costs
- Intercom panels and door releases
- Cabling, power and the labour to install them
- Setting up the directory, calling and delivery access
- Training, admin access and documentation
Ongoing costs
- A cloud subscription, on systems that have one
- A phone line, cellular plan or internet connection
- Directory updates as residents move in and out
- Maintenance visits and repairs
Ask any installer for the full cost of ownership over the years you plan to keep the system, not just the install. A system that’s cheaper to install can cost more to run.
Ways to keep the cost down
Reuse what’s still good. Door hardware, power and some wiring from an old enterphone can often stay. We check it during the site visit.
Pick the right connection. Cellular can save running a phone line, and an existing network can carry an internet intercom if it’s built properly.
Match the system to the building. A small commercial building and a 300-suite tower don’t need the same panel or subscription.
Plan it with access control. One design for the intercom, fobs and parkade avoids buying two readers for one door.
Use solid copper cable. Cheap copper-clad aluminum (CCA) cable can cause power and network drop-outs at panels.
What’s in a Hightower quote
Every Hightower quote is itemized. It lists every panel, door release, reader and network part, the subscription terms if there are any, with the make and model number of each part, the cabling, the labour, any licences, subscriptions or monitoring, and what we hand over at the end. Admin access and full documentation are handed over on every project.
That makes it easy to compare with other quotes line by line, see exactly what you’re paying for, and spot anything a cheaper quote has left out.
What to have ready for a quote
The number of entrances, gates and elevators, and the number of suites or tenants.
What you have today (brand, and whether it dials phones or uses an app), and whether there’s a phone line or network at the panel.
How you handle couriers and deliveries now, and whether you have or want parcel lockers.
Comparing systems? Read ButterflyMX vs 1VALET and intercom replacement.
Want a real number for your building?
Book a site visit. We’ll look at every entrance and give you an itemized quote with make and model numbers.
Related: video intercomEnterphone replacementaccess control cost guidecamera cost guide
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.
Help: Export Avigilon video
Video intercom cost questions
How much does a video intercom cost?
It depends on the entrances, the number of suites, any subscription and the connection. We don’t publish prices; after a site visit you get an itemized quote.
Can you reuse our old enterphone wiring?
Sometimes. It depends on the cable and what the new panel needs. We check it during the site visit.
Is a cloud intercom cheaper than one with no subscription?
Not always. A cloud intercom has a subscription but no phone line to each suite; a dial-out system has no subscription but needs a line. Compare the total over the years you plan to keep it.
Do we still need a phone line?
Not always. Many intercoms connect over cellular or the internet instead. We recommend the connection that suits the building.
Can the intercom work with our fobs?
Usually, yes. We check your access control system during the site visit and plan the two together.
How long does installation take?
It depends on the number of entrances, the wiring and access to the building. Your quote includes a schedule.
Why don’t you publish prices?
Because a price without a site visit is a guess. Door hardware, cabling routes and what you already have change the cost from one building to the next, so we quote each building on its own.
More answers: Video intercom questionsGlossary: video intercommobile credential
Get an itemized quote
Tell us about the building: entrances, suites and what you use today. We’ll follow up to book a site visit.
Call and a real person answers, 24/7 for emergencies.