CCTV AMC: what an annual maintenance contract should cover

You pay a company once a year. In return it visits your site, checks the cameras and recorder, and fixes faults. It is a private agreement between you and the company, so the terms are whatever the contract says.

That is why two AMCs with the same name can be very different. One may include repairs and spare parts. Another may only send someone to look. The rest of this guide helps you read the difference.

A camera system fails quietly. A recorder can stop recording, a hard disk can develop errors, a lens can get covered in dust, and a camera can drift until it points at the wall. You may not find out until you need the footage.

A maintenance visit is meant to catch these early. One published AMC lists its checks as a camera visibility test, a recorder recording test, a check of the recorder's settings and a hard disk error check.

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Most contracts are one of two kinds. In a non-comprehensive AMC, the company does the service and you pay for any spare part that has to be replaced. In a comprehensive AMC, the company repairs the fault and carries the cost of the parts during the contract.

Comprehensive costs more, but your yearly bill is easier to predict. Non-comprehensive costs less, and you carry the risk of the parts. Either way, read the exclusion list. One published AMC page we read lists part replacements as not included in its standard plan, and sells a separate comprehensive plan with parts and labour. So do not assume that every plan with comprehensive in its name covers parts.

Look for these in writing. The published AMC pages we read list most of them, but each one covers a different mix.

• Scheduled visits, with the number stated. The pages we read list anything from two inspections a year to quarterly visits, and one lists 9 to 48 visits a year depending on how many cameras you have.
• Checks of every camera's picture, the recorder's recording, its settings and the hard disk for errors.
• Cleaning lenses and housings, tightening connections and checking camera angles.
• Software and firmware updates on the recorder and cameras.
• Breakdown visits, and whether they are unlimited or counted.
• A response time. The pages we read list 48 hours for a basic plan, 24 hours for a standard plan and 4 hours on site for a large-site plan. One comprehensive plan lists a maximum downtime of 24 working hours.
• A standby camera while yours is being repaired. Two published plans offer one, even on the plan that does not include parts.
• A short report after each visit saying what was checked and what was found.

The exclusions matter as much as the inclusions. Published plans commonly leave these out, or charge extra for them. If something you care about is not on the list, ask whether it is covered and get the answer in writing.

• Physical damage, including from accidents, tampering, short circuits, fire or water.
• Cut wires.
• Moving or reinstalling cameras.
• Password resets.
• Data backup.
• Problems with your own network.
• Major upgrades, and consumables such as batteries.

There is no standard price. The published pages we read in October 2026 price AMC in different ways, so compare what each price includes, not just the number.

• Per unit plans. One Gurgaon page lists ₹350 a year for an HD camera and recorder unit and ₹500 for an IP unit. A Delhi page lists ₹450 and ₹750.
• Minimum per location. Both of those pages set a minimum for each location, ₹7,500 on the Gurgaon page and ₹18,000 on the Delhi page. Both say the plan is for places such as schools, hospitals, offices and showrooms, not homes. Home users on those pages pay per visit instead, ₹500 and ₹750. A low price per unit can still mean a large yearly bill.
• Per camera plans with response times. A Rajasthan page dated August 2026 lists ₹1,500 to ₹2,500 per camera per year for 4 to 8 cameras, with quarterly maintenance and a 48 hour response. It lists ₹1,200 to ₹1,800 for 16 to 32 cameras, and about ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 for 50 or more, with a 4 hour on site response.
• Whole system. A 2025 guide gives ₹2,000 to ₹25,000 a year, depending on the size of the system.

A contract is a list of promises. These questions turn the vague ones into clear ones.

• Is it comprehensive or non-comprehensive, and which parts are covered, exactly?
• How many visits a year, and will I get the dates?
• What is the response time for a breakdown, and is it counted in hours or working days?
• Is there a standby camera or recorder while mine is being repaired?
• What is excluded, and what do those things cost?
• Is there a minimum charge per location?
• Who will come? Is it your own technician or a subcontractor?
• Will I get a report after each visit?
• Can you take over a system someone else installed? Do you need to inspect it first?
• Who holds the recorder's admin password?
• Is GST included, and how do I cancel?

Most problems with AMCs come from vague wording. Watch for these.

• No written list of what is included and what is excluded.
• A very low price per camera, with a minimum charge buried in the terms.
• Unlimited visits with no response time. Unlimited only helps if they come promptly.
• No visit report, so you cannot tell whether anyone checked anything.
• Insisting on holding the only admin password. You should have the admin login for your own recorder, written down.
• Pressure to pay several years in advance. It ties you to one company before you have seen the service.
• No clear answer on what happens to your footage if the hard disk fails.

An AMC is also how an installer earns from the same customer every year. Our guide to starting a CCTV business covers that side.