01
Knowing they got home
A notification when the kids are through the door after school, and the option to look if you want to.
Back to Security
Home security · Planning guide
Find the security setup that fits your home.
Start with what you want to see or receive alerts about, and what is already wired into the house. Those details help you choose the equipment and platform and understand any monthly costs.
Request a call about home security
Request a call from our home security team. Tell us how to reach you. Equipment choices and technical details can wait.
Talk through cameras, doorbells, sensors, and the areas of your home you want covered.
Ready for a quote? Complete the security intake2Platforms: Ajax or Alarm.com
OptionalProfessional monitoring*
1Configured system + walkthrough
Section 01
What do you want covered?
What do you want covered?
Describe the situations you want the system to help with.
02
Seeing the door
See who is on the step, check whether a parcel arrived or speak to a visitor remotely. Features depend on the device and package.
03
Checking in while away
A quick look at the house while you are at work, at the lake, or away for a week.
04
Knowing what happened
A recording can help you see what happened after an event.
Section 02
Wired, wireless, or both
Wired, wireless, or both
Existing cabling usually guides the choice. In a new build or a home with a camera rough-in, we recommend hardwired cameras for entrances and driveways. In a finished home without that cable, modular wireless equipment is normally the practical route.
| Type | Power | Reliability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery + Wi-Fi | Battery | Depends on charge + signal | Rentals, temporary placements |
| PoE Hardwired (Cat5/6) | Network cable | Constant power over the cable | Entrances, driveways, perimeter where cable exists |
| Hybrid (wired core + battery add-ons) | Mixed | High | Large homes needing flexibility |
Conditions: retrofitting cable into a finished home is generally not worth the disruption. Continuous on-site recording applies to wired camera packages with a recorder, not to every system. Hardwired cameras still depend on your home network for remote viewing.
Section 03
Start with priority areas, add later
Start with priority areas, add later
Cover your priority areas first, then expand if needed. Camera count, resolution, cabling and storage affect the price.
01
Start with the entrances
The front door, back door and driveway cover many common viewing needs. You can add other areas later.
02
Camera count + resolution
The price changes with camera count, whether you need four cameras or twelve. Higher-resolution sensors cost more and hold usable detail further from the lens. Your package lists the camera resolution.
03
Cable routing
Running cable through a finished basement is harder than in a stud-wall new build. We ask whether a rough-in exists so we can assess the cabling work.
04
Recording + storage
Where a package includes an on-site recorder, its drive capacity affects how many days of footage you keep. Retention also depends on camera count, resolution and whether recording is continuous or motion-triggered.
Conditions: these are cost drivers, not a price list, and camera specifications, storage, alert types, and two-way talk vary by device model and package. Your quote lists the equipment that applies to your system.
Section 04
Control, monitoring, and handoff
Control, monitoring, and handoff
Before installation, confirm who monitors the system, any monthly costs and who owns the accounts.
| Step | Action | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Share priority areas and whether a camera rough-in exists | You |
| 2 | K-Jay recommends a platform, layout, and equipment list | K-Jay Electric |
| 3 | Approve the design + price | You |
| 4 | Install: mounting, cabling where applicable, app setup | K-Jay Electric |
| 5 | Walkthrough + handoff: the accounts are yours | K-Jay Electric |
Conditions: Ajax and Alarm.com are separate ecosystems with their own apps and accounts. We recommend Ajax when it fits the home; it can run without a monitoring subscription. Alarm.com hardware requires a subscription. Devices on the same platform share one app; equipment from different ecosystems does not. Security work does not normally follow the electrical permit and inspection path that EV and solar do. A monitored system may require a one-time homeowner registration with your municipality; we confirm what applies to your address. Monitoring is offered on both platforms at different costs. Your quote sets out the pricing, provider, response scope, contract and cancellation terms, and device eligibility for the selected equipment and monitoring package. This guide does not publish a quote turnaround time.
Who can view security cameras after installation?
Account ownership and permission to view images are separate questions. Ajax’s MotionCam photo-on-demand FAQ describes a right to manage privacy settings, including deciding which users can request or view detector photos and access surveillance cameras. This does not establish the permissions for every camera, recorder or platform.
Before choosing equipment, list who needs camera viewing and who should manage permissions. Ask how access will be confirmed at handoff and reviewed when household or provider access changes. Confirm the arrangement for the proposed equipment in the written quote.
What happens during a power or internet outage?
The answer depends on the equipment and services in your package. Check recording, remote viewing, app alerts and professional monitoring separately. A package may have different requirements for each function.
For cameras, ask where recordings are stored and what power the camera and recorder need. K-Jay's wired camera packages with an on-site recorder can provide local recording; remote viewing still depends on the home network. Confirm what the proposed equipment can do if the internet connection stops, and what happens if the camera or recorder loses power.
For an alarm, ask which hub or panel is proposed, what backup power it has, and how it communicates if your home internet is unavailable. Confirm any cellular service, subscription, battery maintenance or additional equipment in the written quote. Ask which alerts and monitoring functions remain available in each outage scenario, and which stop.
If this affects your choice, mention it when you request a security quote or request a call about home security. Tell us which functions you want discussed before selecting a package.
Section 05
Building a new home?
Building a new home?
Choose a camera rough-in during construction if you want a practical hardwired camera option later.
01
The camera rough-in
K-Jay builder homes can include a Cat5 camera rough-in chosen during construction. It makes a hardwired camera path practical later.
02
Ask your builder
Select the rough-in through your builder's sales team during construction, not through this intake.
03
Already finished?
Without that cable, we normally recommend modular wireless to avoid fishing cable through finished walls.
04
Add as you go
Wired or wireless, the system can start with the entrances and expand as you want more covered.
Conditions: the camera rough-in is a builder-selected construction option; its scope and pricing are confirmed by your builder's sales team, not on this page.
Can existing cameras be reused?
Existing cameras or a recorder may be reusable, depending on their models and the proposed platform. List the information you already have and which functions you want to retain: live viewing, recordings, alerts, two-way talk or monitoring.
Ajax describes third-party IP video integration using RTSP, a video-streaming protocol. Compatibility and device limits depend on the actual equipment, software and system parameters. Adding a video stream does not establish that every original function or subscription transfers.
Ask where recordings will be kept, who controls the accounts, and which ongoing services apply. Confirm the retain-or-replace choice and required functions in the written quote.
Unknown models can remain unknown. Do not open cameras or recorders, or send passwords, administrator credentials or private camera-stream links with a quote request.
Source guidance: Ajax camera connection guidance.
Quote preparation
Before you request a security quote
Before you request a security quote
Start with the areas you want covered and whether your home already has a camera rough-in. If you have not chosen a platform, select “Help me choose” in K-Jay's security intake or request a call.
Prepare a short list:
- The areas and situations that matter to you. You might want to see the front entrance, check the driveway or receive an alert when a door opens.
- Whether your home is under construction or already finished, and what you know about an existing camera rough-in. If you are unsure about the wiring, say so; you do not need to investigate concealed wiring yourself.
- The cameras, doorbells, sensors or smart locks you are considering, and any equipment quantities you already have in mind.
Separate viewing, recording and monitoring in your questions. Ask what the proposed equipment can show, where recordings are kept, and which services require a subscription. Camera behaviour, storage and app features depend on the platform, device and package. Ask for those details and any ongoing charges in the written quote.
Before installation, clarify account ownership, provider access and the walkthrough your household will receive. For professional monitoring, ask about the provider, response scope, contract and cancellation terms. Subscription requirements depend on the selected platform and package.
Camera viewing/access guidance approved and added 19 October 2026. Business copy updated 8 September 2026; quote preparation section approved and added 9 October 2026; outage guidance approved and added 12 October 2026. Technical review record: 24 August 2026. Figures in this guide are general or typical values, not a specification for any package. Camera resolution, recording behaviour, alert types, storage, app access and subscription requirements vary by platform, device model and package. Your quote lists what applies to your system. Next scheduled review: 24 February 2027.
Request a security quote
Plan your home security.
Tell us what you want covered, and whether your home already has a camera rough-in. We'll recommend a platform, design the system, and send you a quote.