Security System Maintenance Contract Guide

Maintenance contracts vary enormously in what they actually cover, and the difference often only becomes obvious when something breaks and you find out what "maintenance" didn't include. This guide covers what a proper contract should address and the questions worth asking any provider, including Qyvea, before signing.

What a contract should clearly state

• Exact systems covered -- named by type (CCTV, access control, electric fence, gates, fire alarm), not a vague "security systems" catch-all
• Visit frequency -- how often scheduled maintenance actually happens (monthly, quarterly, biannually)
• What's included in a scheduled visit -- inspection only, or inspection plus minor adjustments, cleaning, firmware updates
• Response time for faults -- a specific commitment (e.g. same-day, 24-hour, 48-hour), not "as soon as possible"
• What's excluded -- parts replacement, major repairs, and emergency call-outs are commonly billed separately from a base contract; this should be explicit, not discovered later

Questions to ask before signing

1. Does the contract cover systems installed by a different company, or only ones the provider installed themselves?
2. What happens if something fails between scheduled visits -- is an emergency call-out included, or billed separately?
3. Is there a written report after each maintenance visit, or just a verbal "all fine"?
4. Are replacement parts included up to some value, or always billed separately?
5. Can the contract be scaled up or down if you add or remove systems/locations?

Red flags

• A contract with no specific response-time commitment for faults
• Vague scope language that doesn't name the actual systems and doors/cameras/zones covered
• No written maintenance report or record of what was checked
• A price that seems unusually low relative to competitors -- often means reduced visit frequency or scope not stated upfront

What a reasonable multi-system contract typically covers

Most Kenyan properties end up combining several systems under one contract rather than running separate arrangements for CCTV, access control, electric fence and gates. This is usually more cost-effective and means one point of contact rather than four. See Qyvea's own maintenance contract page for how we structure this.