Security estimates are device counts plus cable.
A security estimate is device counts plus cable plus coordination. Cameras and readers are easy to count. The money gets lost at the door: who furnishes the electrified hardware, how egress locks must release, and how much programming and commissioning the owner expects.
- Access control by door
- Video and storage
- Intrusion
- Division 08/28 coordination
Where scope lives
- Division 28 specs: access control (28 13 00), video surveillance (28 23 00), intrusion detection (28 16 00), and sometimes a manufacturer basis of design or owner-standard platform.
- Security plans (often T- or Y-sheets) and door schedules: device symbols, controlled door list, camera locations and fields of view.
- Door hardware schedule (Division 08 71 00): electrified locks, strikes, exit devices, power transfers and door position switches. Many disputes start here.
- Electrical plans: 120 V circuits for panels and power supplies, and conduit or boxes the electrician provides.
- IT standards: who provides network switches, PoE and servers.
Count by door
Price access control as a per-door assembly. A typical controlled door includes:
| Component | Usually furnished by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Card reader | Security | Mullion or wall mount; check reader technology |
| Electrified lock (strike, mortise, exit device or maglock) | Often door hardware (Div 08), wired by security | Confirm in the hardware schedule |
| Power transfer hinge or door loop | Door hardware | Needed for electrified locks in the door leaf |
| Door position switch | Either; check | Concealed vs. surface affects labor |
| Request-to-exit (REX) | Security or hardware | Motion sensor or exit device switch |
| Lock power supply | Security | Size by lock current; often fire alarm interface |
| Controller / interface module | Security | Doors per board varies by platform |
| Cable | Security | Composite access control cable or separate cables per device |
Egress code rules that add cost. Under IBC 1010.2.12 (2021), sensor-release electric locks on egress doors need a sensor on the egress side, a "PUSH TO EXIT" device 40 to 48 inches high within 5 ft of the door that cuts lock power directly and keeps the door unlocked at least 30 seconds, and release on fire alarm or sprinkler activation. That means a fire alarm relay per lock power supply group and coordination with the fire alarm contractor. Rules vary by edition and occupancy; check with the AHJ.
Cameras, PoE and storage
Count cameras by type (fixed dome, bullet, PTZ, multi-sensor) with mounts, then size network power and storage.
PoE budget: IEEE 802.3af supplies up to 15.4 W per port, 802.3at up to 30 W, and 802.3bt up to 60 or 90 W at the switch. PTZs with heaters may need bt or a separate supply. Confirm whether you or the owner's IT provides switches.
Illustrative storage example.
Per camera: 4 Mbps × 86,400 s/day × 30 days ÷ 8 = 1,296,000 MB ≈ 1.3 TB
Total: 40 × 1.3 TB ≈ 52 TB usable → add RAID overhead and growth
Motion-based recording, resolution and compression change the bitrate a lot. Use the manufacturer's calculator with the spec's retention and frame rate.
Sensors and panels
Count door contacts, motion detectors, glass-break sensors, keypads, sirens and the panel with expansion modules. Check whether monitoring and a communicator (cellular or IP) are in scope, and whether intrusion integrates with access control.
One door
Illustrative. Use your own labor history and platform pricing.
Security furnishes: reader, DPS, REX motion, controller port, cable
Security wires: lock, DPS, REX, reader to controller ~ 120 ft composite cable
Power supply share: 1/8 of an 8-output supply with FA relay
Labor: rough-in, terminate, program, test with hardware installer
Coordination: hardware installer present for lock testing
How it rolls up
| Bucket | Driven by |
|---|---|
| Devices | Counts from plans, door schedule and device schedule |
| Cable | Device count × average run, or traced routes for long runs |
| Pathway | Conduit, J-hooks, sleeves and firestopping, if yours |
| Head-end | Controllers, servers or NVRs, storage, workstations |
| Labor | Install, terminate and test per device; door testing with hardware |
| Programming and commissioning | Door schedules, users, camera views, integrations |
| Licenses | Per door, per camera, per client; annual software support |
| Coordination | Door hardware, fire alarm, electrical and IT interfaces |
Common misses
- Electrified hardware assumed in the hardware package but not in the hardware schedule (or the reverse).
- Fire alarm release of locks not coordinated or priced.
- Camera licenses and annual software support left out.
- Lift time for exterior and high-ceiling cameras.
- Owner-furnished equipment without a clear line on who installs and programs it.
Run one bid side by side.
Pick a real job
Choose a recent bid with the plan set, legend, schedules and at least one addendum.
Build a baseline
Have an estimator check the quantities you want to test.
Run it side by side
Run the same set through your current tool and through a RenderDraw sample.
Score misses and review time
Record missed items, wrong inclusions and the time spent correcting each result.
Your sample files remain private while we assess the request. There is no obligation to proceed.
Questions estimators ask.
How do you estimate a security system?
Count controlled doors, cameras and intrusion devices from the drawings and schedules, estimate cable and pathway, apply labor per device, and add head-end equipment, licenses, programming, commissioning and coordination.
What is included in an access control door?
Typically a reader, electrified lock, power transfer, door position switch, request-to-exit device, lock power supply share, controller port and cable. The door hardware schedule says who furnishes the lock.
Do electrically locked egress doors need to release on fire alarm?
Under IBC 1010.2.12 (2021), sensor-release electric locks must unlock on fire alarm or sprinkler activation and have a manual "PUSH TO EXIT" device within 5 ft. Check your adopted code and AHJ.
How do you estimate camera storage?
Bitrate × seconds per day × retention days ÷ 8 gives storage per camera; multiply by camera count and add RAID overhead and growth. Use the manufacturer's calculator for real bitrates.
Can AI count security devices on drawings?
RenderDraw's AI takeoff proposes device counts from security and low-voltage sheets with the source on every row, for your estimator to review. Get a free sample takeoff.
Send one plan set. Judge the result yourself.
A focused, no-obligation evaluation on your own drawings. Your sample files remain private while we assess the request.
- Upload one representative plan set (a legible PDF set is the most reliable starting point), plus an addendum if you have one.
- RenderDraw reviews the set and the scope you want tested.
- We follow up with what was extracted, what was flagged for review, and the most useful next step.
Where these numbers come from
We checked this guide against the standards, manufacturer documents and industry references below (last reviewed November 2026). Figures marked as rules of thumb are typical ranges, not requirements; your project documents, local code and your own cost history govern.