Construction site surveillance usually gets bought after the first theft, and usually in a hurry. A site super gets a call on Monday morning, the generator is gone, and by noon someone is comparing camera trailers with guard quotes. Those are not like-for-like products. A camera records and alerts, a mobile patrol checks the site several times a night, and a guard on site stays there all shift. Each one fails in a different way, so the right choice depends on your site.
This guide is for site supers, project managers and developers in Hamilton and across Ontario. It explains what each option can and cannot do, what Ontario rules apply, and how to match your coverage to the build stage.
The short answer
There is no single right form of construction site surveillance. Use cameras when you need a record and an alert. Use mobile patrol when an early-stage site has little worth taking and sits empty overnight. Put a guard on site when copper, finishes or expensive tools are on the property, or when someone has to control the gate. Many projects use two of the three, and the mix changes as the build moves along.
What cameras do on a construction site
Cameras watch the whole time, and they never miss a shift. They give you a timeline after an incident, and they help settle disputes about deliveries and damage. A monitored system can also send an alert while something is happening. That makes them useful in a few specific ways:
- Covering long fence lines and laydown areas that one person cannot see at once.
- Recording who came through the gate and when.
- Giving police and your insurer footage to work with.
The limit is that a camera cannot stop anyone. Somebody still has to see the alert, decide it is real and send a person. Ask any camera supplier who responds at 3 a.m., how long that takes, and who pays for false alarms. Layout matters too. A camera placed well during excavation can be blind once framing goes up, so plan to move it as the site changes.
What a mobile patrol does
A mobile patrol is a licensed guard in a marked vehicle who visits your site several times a night. The guard walks the property, checks the hoarding, gates, tool cribs and lighting, and records anything out of place. Our officers scan checkpoints with a patrol wand, so each visit has a time on record.
Patrol costs less than a full shift because you pay per documented check. It also has a real gap. Between visits, nobody is there, and a crew that needs ten minutes can work in that window. Visit times need to vary from night to night, because a patrol that arrives at the same hours is a timetable for anyone watching.
What a guard on site does
A guard on site is the only option that is present for the whole shift and can act right away. In the day, a guard at the gate signs in trades, checks deliveries against the paperwork and looks at loads leaving the site. Overnight, the guard walks irregular rounds of the perimeter and the compounds, and can call police while something is still happening.
This is also the most expensive option, and one guard cannot see every corner of a large site at once. It earns its cost when there is something worth stealing, when the site has several trades moving through it, or when you have already been hit.
Construction site surveillance options side by side
| Cameras | Mobile patrol | Guard on site | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presence | Always recording, nobody there | Several visits a night | The whole shift |
| Can stop someone | No, only alert | Only during a visit | Yes, within the law |
| Controls the gate | Records it only | No | Yes |
| Weak point | Response depends on someone else | Gaps between visits | Cost, and one person’s line of sight |
| Suits | Long perimeters, evidence, disputes | Early stages, quiet sites | High-value stages, busy gates |
Match your coverage to the build stage
Risk is not constant during a build, so construction site surveillance should not be either. This is a sensible starting point:
- Excavation and foundations: irregular patrol visits are often enough. Protect fuel and any plant left on site.
- Framing and structure: keep patrol, and think about cameras on the laydown area. Timber frames also carry a fire risk.
- Mechanical and electrical rough-in: copper and wiring are now on site. Move to a guard overnight.
- Finishing and appliances: this is often the highest value on site. Keep the overnight guard and add a gate guard if deliveries are heavy.
- Long weekends and shutdowns: cover any quiet stretch over 48 hours, even if you only use patrol the rest of the time.
Ontario rules that affect your choice
Construction site surveillance does not replace the basics. These rules apply whichever option you pick:
- Fencing. Section 65 of O. Reg. 213/91 requires a sturdy fence at least 1.8 metres high between the project and a public way if the work may endanger people using it. Cameras and guards do not change that.
- Guard licensing. Under Ontario’s Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005, a person paid mainly to guard or patrol to protect people or property needs a security guard licence. That includes a patrol officer, and it may include a watchman you hire directly.
- Trespass notice. Under the Trespass to Property Act, notice can be given by signs clearly visible in daylight from the approach to each ordinary point of access. Check every gate. A person who enters when entry is prohibited, or does not leave when told to, can be fined up to $10,000.
- Cameras and privacy. The federal privacy commissioner’s guidelines for overt video surveillance say to consider less invasive options first, post a clear notice with a contact, avoid capturing people beyond the target area, keep footage only as long as needed and store it securely. Aim cameras at your site, not at the sidewalk or the neighbours.
This is a practical summary, not legal advice. If your site has unusual privacy or liability questions, ask your lawyer or your insurer.
What each option costs
Static construction posts generally run $28 to $45 an hour, with premium wage rates for overnight, weekend and statutory hours. Mobile patrol is quoted per documented check, which is usually cheaper for early-stage sites. We do not sell cameras, so get those prices from a camera supplier. When you compare, include monitoring, moving the units as the site changes, and who responds to an alert.
Questions to ask before you sign
- If an alert goes off at 3 a.m., who attends, and how long does it typically take?
- What are the agency licence number and each guard’s licence number? Both can be checked on Ontario’s public registry.
- Will patrol times vary from night to night, and can I see the visit times?
- Can I get a certificate of insurance and a WSIB clearance before the first shift?
- Can coverage change with the build stage without a new contract?
How StandBy Security fits in
We supply licensed guards and mobile patrol to construction sites in Hamilton and across Southern Ontario, dispatched from our Hamilton office. We do not sell, install or monitor cameras. If you already have a monitored system, your monitoring company can call us and we send a guard to respond. Our agency licence is #30000322. New ongoing posts usually start within 24 to 48 hours, and our 24/7 dispatch line can typically have a guard on site within 1 to 2 hours for urgent requests, depending on location and road conditions.
See our construction site security in Hamilton, our mobile patrol service or our licensing and insurance details. To talk through your site, call (289) 309-3633 or send a quote request.
Reviewed by the StandBy Security operations team. Last reviewed: .