Site managers often dream of having eyes in 10 different places at once. As with every site, monitoring progress, health & safety and security all top priorities list and it can be a challenge to keep up with. The latest advancements in reality capture now allow teams to gain more visibility of their site.. Remote monitoring and surveillance have now become a common practice on construction projects.

When it comes to site surveillance, the first thing that springs to mind is often CCTV. While every construction site will have CCTV cameras protecting its perimeter, many sites are now using cameras to capture and record what’s happening on the site, which offers so much more than surveillance. Here, we look at the differences between CCTV cameras and construction site cameras and the value installing both brings to your project

CCTV cameras are mainly used as surveillance equipment. They are strategically placed to cover high-risk areas on the job site and used to capture unplanned activities. Construction cameras are mainly used to capture and monitor planned activities on the job site. They are used to track progress, report on project management and post-production timelapse videos provide material for marketing purposes. 

CCTV cameras often provide low picture quality and sometimes the video feed is triggered by activity. Post-production of footage is limited, and normally not of suitable quality for marketing purposes. Construction cameras are designed to capture high-quality images at regular intervals over the period of activity. The images can be zoomed in and the consecutive captures offer images for high-quality timelapses videos that can be used as marketing content.

Evercam construction camera installed on a previous site

The table below summarises some key differences between these two types of cameras. 

FeatureCCTV Construction CameraProgress ReportsNoYesProject timeline No YesProgress Comparison No YesMotion sensor YesNoInstallation Excess cabling Minimal cabling Long-term data storage Limited YesIntegration with project management No YesImage Resolution Low quality Higher quality Multiple live views from single login NoYes

cctv vs construction camera feature comparison table

Even though both cameras are essential in the market, when it comes to construction projects, it is clear that construction cameras have an upper hand in their uses and advantages to a project team. Construction cameras enhance project efficiency by enabling site monitoring, and progress reporting, and eventually saving time and money.