After installation

Maintenance and remote monitoring contracts for security systems

Most security system faults are only discovered when you need the system: a camera that stopped weeks ago, a recording disk that filled up, a smoke detector covered in dust. A preventive maintenance contract is there to catch these problems before you do, with regular visits and a clear response time when something breaks.

Whether you have cameras, a fire alarm, fingerprint access or all three, send one request describing your systems, and licensed companies serving your city send you maintenance quotes.

Request maintenance quotesFree, no obligation

A tidy network cabinet with recorders, switches and neatly managed cables

What a preventive maintenance contract includes

A good contract says exactly what is checked on each visit, not just “full maintenance”. Typical items:

Cameras
Cleaning lenses and domes, checking the picture by day and night, correcting angles that have shifted and confirming every camera is actually recording.
Recording and storage
Checking disk health, the actual retention period, the time and date, and playing back an old recording.
Network and power
Checking the switch, the backup power supply and its batteries, cabinet temperature and loose connections.
Fire alarm
Testing detectors, manual call points, sounders, the control panel and its batteries — by a company accredited for this kind of system.
Access control
Checking fingerprint terminals, readers, locks and exit buttons, and that doors release in an emergency.
Updates and security
Updating device firmware, reviewing accounts and passwords and removing old users.
Visit report
A written report of what was checked, what was found and fixed, and what needs your decision.

Contract options: visits, response and spare parts

Number of visits
Agreed in the contract according to the size of the system and the premises. A large, dusty warehouse needs more visits than a small office. If your system has legal maintenance requirements, the contract must cover them.
Response time
How many hours or days between reporting a fault and a technician arriving? Have it written down, separating urgent faults — such as recording stopping completely — from routine ones.
Spare parts
Some contracts include parts; others cover labour only, with parts charged separately. Be clear who pays when a disk, camera or battery fails.
Remote support
Many small problems, such as app or password issues, can be solved by phone or remote access with your permission, without a visit.
Records
A log of every visit, fault and repair. Useful for follow-up, may be required for fire systems, and helps when licences are renewed.

Who a maintenance contract suits

Premises required to have surveillance cameras, because the system has to keep working and compliant after installation. See camera compliance.
Premises with a fire alarm system that needs regular maintenance and records.
Owners of several branches, such as shops and restaurants, who prefer one company for every site.
Warehouses and residential buildings with large systems, dust and heat.
Anyone who has taken over premises with an older system and wants to know its condition before deciding.

What does “remote monitoring” actually mean?

The term is used for different things, and the difference matters before you sign:

Remote viewing by the owner
You or your manager watch the cameras and receive alarm alerts on your phone. This is part of the system itself, set up for you by the installer.
Remote technical checks
The maintenance company keeps an eye on equipment status — a camera offline, a disk full — and tells you. It doesn’t watch what happens on your premises, only the health of the system, and only with your permission.
A third-party monitoring centre
An organisation that receives your alarms or watches your cameras around the clock and acts when something happens. Running a monitoring centre for others may require its own licence, so ask any company offering this service for proof.

To be clear: SaudiSecurity does not monitor any system, does not run a monitoring centre and does not provide security guards. We only pass your request to licensed companies, and the contract is between you and them.

What affects the cost of a maintenance contract?

We don’t publish prices. These are the factors that make quotes differ:

Size and number of systems: The number of cameras, detectors and doors, and whether the contract covers one system or all of them.
Visits and response time: More visits and faster response mean a higher cost.
Spare parts: A contract that includes parts differs from a labour-only one.
Branches and cities: Sites far apart add travel and time.
Condition of the system: An older system, or one installed by someone else, may need an initial check before the contract.

Compare quotes with the same number of visits and the same items. More in our security systems cost guide.

How a maintenance contract starts

1. Describe your systems: Send the type and number of systems, who installed them and roughly how old they are.
2. Initial inspection: The company checks the system and writes down its condition and any repairs needed before the contract starts.
3. Quote and contract: Number of visits, what is checked, response time, spare parts and contract length.
4. Visits and reports: Visits on schedule, a report after each one, and fault reporting in the agreed way.

What you can do between visits

Open the camera app now and then to check every camera shows a picture, and look at the oldest stored recording. Note any error message on the fire panel or recorder and report it straight away — don’t try to take apart or disable anything yourself.

If your camera system is new, you can read about its parts on our business CCTV page and about recording retention.

Access to your systems and privacy

A maintenance contract means an outside company may need access to your systems. Set the type of access in the contract: a separate technician account with limited permissions, not the administrator password, used with your permission and for maintenance only. Ask for every remote login to be logged.

Camera recordings remain yours and your responsibility, and the technician has no right to copy or keep them. If you use a monitoring centre, check its licence and how it stores data.

Questions to ask before signing a maintenance contract

Is the company licensed — and accredited for fire systems if included?: Ask for the licence and commercial registration, and Civil Defense accreditation if the contract covers fire systems.
What exactly is checked on each visit?: Ask for a written list for each system.
What is the response time for urgent faults?: And does it cover weekends and out-of-hours?
Are spare parts included?: And which parts are excluded, such as disks or batteries?
Do you maintain systems installed by others?: And is an initial inspection needed before the contract starts?

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Maintenance and monitoring: common questions

How many maintenance visits do I need a year?

It is agreed in the contract based on the size of the system and the site. If your system has legal requirements, such as fire systems, make sure the contract covers them.

Do you monitor my cameras?

No. SaudiSecurity does not monitor any system or run a monitoring centre. We only pass your request to licensed companies.

Do you provide security guards?

No, we don’t offer guarding services. Our service is limited to security and fire safety systems.

Can I get a contract for a system another company installed?

Usually yes, after an initial inspection to establish its condition.

What is the difference between remote viewing and a monitoring centre?

Remote viewing means you watch your own cameras on your phone. A monitoring centre is an organisation that follows your alarms and acts on them, and may need its own licence.