Answers to everything you're wondering.

Most residential installations (4–8 cameras) are completed in a single day. Larger commercial projects typically run 2–5 days depending on building size and existing wiring. Multi-site enterprise deployments run 2–4 weeks, scheduled in phases so each location comes online individually.

You'll receive an exact timeline in your written proposal, along with a scheduled start time and expected completion window.

For residential installs, we prefer someone 18 or older to be present at the start and end of the visit — mainly so we can confirm camera positions with you and hand off the mobile app walkthrough. If that's not possible, we can coordinate with a neighbor, property manager, or use a lockbox you provide.

Commercial installs often proceed without an owner on-site after the initial sign-off, especially in spaces where staff are already present during business hours.

Residential installs are usually scheduled 5–10 business days after proposal approval. Commercial projects typically run 2–3 weeks from first contact to install day, accounting for permits and coordination with building management.

We do offer rush scheduling when crew availability allows — if you need installation completed sooner, ask your project manager and we'll do our best to accommodate.

We cover all of Greater Austin — including Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Lakeway, Kyle, San Marcos, and surrounding areas of Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties.

Our standard service radius is 35 miles from our West 45th Street headquarters. Beyond that radius, we still take on projects with transparent travel pricing. See our service areas page for a full map and ZIP code checker.

Yes. We hold Texas DPS Private Security Bureau License #B-12088, which covers electronic surveillance, access control, and intercom installation. We carry $2M in general liability coverage plus workers' compensation for every employee.

Certificates of insurance are available on request for commercial clients and property managers.

Never. Every technician who works on your property is a W-2 employee of SecureVista Tech — licensed with the Texas DPS, background-checked, and trained in-house. We've never subcontracted a job in 14 years of operation, not even during our busiest periods.

It's a fundamental part of how we operate, and the reason you'll see the same familiar faces on your maintenance visits year after year.

Most single-family homes in Austin do well with 6–8 cameras: two in front (entry + driveway), two in back (patio + sliding door), and one on each side. Larger properties or homes with detached garages often need 10–14.

We'll give you the exact number after the free site walk — no guesswork, no pressure to buy more than you need.

Not automatically — but we offer a 4-hour battery backup unit (UPS) as an add-on that keeps both cameras and the NVR running during outages. Many of our customers add this specifically because summer storms in Central Texas can knock out power for hours.

With cloud storage, footage is preserved even if the NVR goes offline during the outage.

Yes — every camera we install has an onboard microphone and captures audio alongside video. You can also speak through outdoor cameras with two-way audio, useful for talking to delivery drivers or warning off intruders.

Texas is a one-party consent state for audio recording in most residential contexts, but check your local HOA rules to be sure.

Absolutely. Every system comes with a mobile app that works over Wi-Fi or cellular data anywhere in the world. View live feeds, review recorded clips, receive motion alerts, and use two-way audio — all from your phone, tablet, or laptop.

We configure and test the app before we leave your home, so you know it works before we're gone.

Yes. Our wired systems use ethernet or PoE (Power over Ethernet) cables, so they record locally to the NVR regardless of Wi-Fi status. You only need Wi-Fi to view live footage remotely.

For homes with weak Wi-Fi coverage, we can add a mesh extender as part of the install — we'll check signal strength during the site walk.

You own the equipment, so you have options. If you sell the home, we can either transfer the system to the buyer (a nice selling point) or uninstall it for you at a discounted rate.

If you move to a new place within Greater Austin, we'll reinstall the same equipment at your new address for about 40% of a new install cost.

For a 2–4 site deployment, typical timeline is 3–4 weeks from signed proposal to fully operational. This includes permitting, cabling, hardware installation, cloud configuration, and staff training.

Larger rollouts (5+ sites or industrial facilities) run 6–10 weeks. We sequence installs so each site comes online individually — you're never left with a half-finished system.

In most cases, yes. We integrate with major platforms including Honeywell, Lenel, Genetec, and Brivo, as well as most modern cloud access control systems.

If you're running a legacy system, we'll evaluate it during the site survey and either integrate via API or replace it with a modern equivalent — whichever makes better financial sense.

We integrate natively with Square, Clover, Toast, Lightspeed, Shopify POS, and most major retail and restaurant POS platforms. For proprietary systems, we typically integrate via API or through a scheduled export bridge.

Bring your POS system details to the site survey and we'll confirm compatibility in the proposal.

Footage continues recording locally to the site's NVR regardless of internet status. When connectivity returns, the NVR automatically syncs any new footage to the cloud.

You can still view live footage on-site, and alerts resume the moment the connection comes back. Most of our commercial clients never notice a brief internet outage.

Multi-tenant deployments are one of our specialties. Each tenant gets their own dashboard login with access limited to their space and common areas. Landlords and property managers get a master view.

We handle all tenant communication, scheduling, and coordination — you just forward us the tenant list and we take it from there.

We're authorized installers for Hikvision, Dahua, Axis Communications, Reolink, Ubiquiti Networks, and Honeywell. For access control, we're certified on Honeywell, Lenel, Genetec, and Brivo. For intercoms, we work with Aiphone, Comelit, 2N, and Doorbird.

We'll recommend the right brand for your specific needs — never the one with the highest margin.

In some cases, yes. If you have specific hardware you want installed (or already purchased), we'll evaluate it during the site survey. We install customer-supplied equipment when it meets professional-grade standards and we can confirm compatibility with our cabling and configuration.

Note that our warranty on customer-supplied hardware is limited to labor only — we can't warrant equipment we didn't source.

Both — but we recommend wired (PoE) systems whenever possible. Wired systems are more reliable, have better video quality, don't require battery changes, and aren't affected by Wi-Fi signal issues.

Wireless systems are best for small installs, rental properties, or locations where running cable simply isn't feasible. We'll recommend the right approach during the site walk.

Our standard residential and commercial systems record in 4K (3840×2160), with 2K available for smaller installs or budget-conscious projects. 4K is important for reading license plates, identifying faces, and capturing fine details.

All cameras include full-color night vision, weatherproofing (IP66+ for outdoor units), and AI-based person/vehicle detection.

Our standard systems retain 30 days of footage locally on the NVR. Cloud storage is optional and can extend retention to 30, 90, or 180 days depending on the plan.

Commercial and enterprise systems can be configured for longer retention windows if required by your industry or legal team.

Our most common residential packages start at $899 for a 4-camera condo system and $1,899 for a full 8-camera single-family home install. Commercial projects typically start around $2,899 for single-location systems.

Every quote is finalized after the free site walk — so you know exactly what you're paying before you commit. See individual service pages for detailed pricing breakdowns.

Yes. We offer 0% financing for 12 months on installations over $2,500 through our partner lenders. Approval is typically instant and doesn't affect your credit score to apply.

Commercial customers can also access Net-30 and Net-60 terms, plus equipment leasing options for larger enterprise deployments.

No mandatory monthly fees. You own your equipment from day one, and there's no required monitoring subscription. Cloud storage is optional and month-to-month — typically $10–$25/month depending on retention length.

Our maintenance plans ($29–$59/month) are also optional, though most customers enroll after the first year.

We accept all major credit cards, ACH bank transfers, and checks. For commercial projects over $5,000, we also accept wire transfers.

Payment is typically split — 50% deposit to schedule installation, 50% upon completion. Larger commercial projects can be billed in milestone payments.

Yes, completely free with no obligation. We visit the property, document what we find, and deliver a written proposal within 24 hours (residential) or 48 hours (commercial).

There's no charge for the visit, no pressure to move forward, and no follow-up sales calls if you decide not to proceed.

It's optional — but the majority of our customers enroll for one simple reason: catching small issues before they become expensive ones. A dirty lens or a failing hard drive isn't visible day-to-day, but it can mean the difference between usable footage and lost footage when you actually need it.

The annual inspection catches these problems early. See our maintenance plans page for full details.

Response time depends on your plan tier:

• Essential Plan — 48-hour response
• Professional Plan — 12-hour response
• Enterprise Plan — 4-hour response, 24/7
• No Plan — scheduled around plan customers' availability, typically 5–7 days

Most issues are diagnosed and resolved remotely before we ever dispatch a technician.

In most cases, yes. We support most major camera and NVR brands including Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, Reolink, Ubiquiti, and Honeywell.

We'll do a one-time system review during enrollment to make sure we can properly service it. If we can't — usually because the equipment is too obscure or discontinued — we'll tell you upfront rather than sell you a plan we can't deliver.

Yes, any time — no penalty, no cancellation fee, no notice period. Just call or email us and we'll stop the next billing cycle.

If you pause and later want to re-enroll, we simply resume where you left off. We'd rather you stay because the service is worth it than because you're locked into a contract.

Every installation includes a 2-year workmanship warranty covering our labor and any installation-related issues (loose mounting, cable damage, configuration errors). Commercial enterprise installations include a 3-year warranty.

Equipment carries the manufacturer's own warranty, which we manage on your behalf during the covered period — including filing claims if hardware fails.

Call our support line and we'll diagnose remotely first — many issues are resolved over the phone in under 30 minutes. If on-site repair is needed, we schedule it within 48 hours (or same-day for plan customers).

If the camera is still under manufacturer warranty, we handle the replacement claim at no additional labor charge.

Yes. Every customer — plan or not — gets lifetime phone and remote support at no charge. Call or text our Austin office any time for the life of your system. No per-ticket fees, no hold music, no upsells.

If on-site work is needed, our standard service call rate applies, or enroll in a maintenance plan for priority scheduling and included labor.

Your warranty and any active maintenance plan are fully transferable to the new owner at no cost — which is actually a nice selling point when listing a home or commercial property.

If you're moving within Greater Austin, we can transfer your plan to your new system instead, or cancel it at any time without penalty.

Phone and remote support is available 7 days a week during business hours. After-hours and weekend emergency service is available for Enterprise plan customers and for critical commercial issues.

Residential customers can reach us by phone or text any time — after-hours messages are returned first thing the next business morning.