Security pricing step by step
Step 1 - Determine your needs and have an basic drawing and specifications of what you would like to all bidders can bid the same exact thing.
Step 2 - Only call licensed, insured Security companies that have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau. Check the Better Business Bureau Official Site
Step 3 - Check the Utah Occupational licencing web site to make sure they are a licensed company. DOPL Web site in utah
Step 4 - If you don't have a site plan or enough knowledge to know what you need then call a reputable company that can help with that. Often companies will help with this for free although if you are going to put the project out to bid it is much better to pay a company to help with the design and the specifications. Let them know that you do not want to specify products that only one or two companies in the state can do. (Proprietary)
Step 5 - Understand there are big differences between a small commercial security system and a large commercial system. Often alarm companies will sell the small commercial systems to a medium or large business and then they don't have expansion or all the features that may be needed. Cutting corners to save money is something that happens quite often. If you need special certifications for insurance make sure you do your homework so you will get the proper equipment installed. If you need special certifications like UL2050 and you have the wrong equipment installed it can be very costly to have equipment taken out and new equipment installed again.
Step 6 - Make sure the Alarm company you hire has the proper certifications for monitoring and installation. In Utah there are only 4 UL listed central stations that have the UUFX listing, only 5 that have the CRZH listing, only 3 that have the CPVX listing and only 3 that have the CVSG listing and only 2 that have the CRZM listing and only one local UL listed Central Station that has all 5 of these listings. (Peak Alarm) You can get on the UL web site to verify these listings. Official UL Web site
Example:
Cost of item(s)__________+ Cost of wire _________+cost of installation________+cost of conduit___________ = Actual cost
___Verify Licensing ___Verify UL listing certifications ___Verify Factory Training ___Verify code requirements for specific projects (NFPA 72, IFC, DOD, JFAN, ICD, ICS 705-1,ISPOM, UL2050 etc.....) ___Verify insurance - workers compensation - auto insurance - general liability insurance
Small installation = Simple pricing and wireless equipment - easy to price and monitor
Medium to large commercial installations - need specifications - equipment list - lift rental - site visit evaluation etc....