Intercom
Hutch Security Systems installs intercom systems for homes, businesses and multi-unit buildings in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Milton and Guelph. See and speak to whoever is at the door or the gate before you let them in, from a wall station inside or from your phone.
Know who is at the door before it opens.
An intercom puts a station at the door or gate with a call button, a speaker and, on a video intercom, a camera. When someone presses it, you see and talk to them from an answering station inside or from the app on your phone, and if the door has an electric lock, you can let them in without walking over.
Homeowners use intercoms on front doors and driveway gates, especially where the door is out of sight. Businesses put them on a reception door, a back door for deliveries or an entrance that stays locked after hours. Multi-unit buildings use a main entrance panel so visitors can call a unit and residents can buzz them in.
How an intercom install runs.
Walkthrough
We look at each entrance with you, where visitors stand, the light at night and how the door or gate locks, and decide where the stations go.
Design and quote
You get the door station, the answering stations or app setup, and any locking hardware, priced in plain terms before anything is ordered.
Install
Stations are mounted, cable is run between the entrance and the inside, and the door release is wired and tested.
App and handover
We connect the intercom to your phone where the system supports it, and show everyone how to answer, talk and let visitors in.
Choosing an intercom, and the trade-offs.
Every intercom comes down to a few choices. These are the ones that shape most jobs.
Audio or video
An audio intercom lets you talk to a visitor. A video intercom adds a camera at the door so you can see who it is first, which is what most people choose now, especially for doors you cannot see from inside.
Wall station or phone
An answering station on the wall inside works even when your phone is not within reach. Answering through an app means you can let a delivery or a contractor in while you are away. Many systems do both.
Single door or multi-unit
A single door station suits a house, a gate or one business entrance. Multi-unit buildings need a main entrance panel with a call button or directory for each unit, and a station or app for each resident.
Door and gate release
Wired to an electric strike, a magnetic lock or a gate lock, the intercom lets you unlock the entrance from inside or from your phone. On a business it can sit alongside card access, so staff use cards and visitors use the intercom.
What an intercom costs, and what drives it.
Every intercom quote is built entrance by entrance, so there is no single price. These are the things that move the number.
- Number of entrancesEach door or gate needs its own station, cable run and release, so the entrance count is the biggest factor.
- Audio or videoVideo stations cost more than audio, and are what most people choose.
- Answering stationsHow many stations you want inside, or whether answering on the app is enough.
- Cable runsA short run through a wall is quick. Long runs out to a gate or a separate building take more work.
- Door releaseIf the door has no electric lock yet, a strike or magnetic lock is added and wired in.
- Multi-unit panelsA building entrance panel is priced by the number of units it calls.
You get the price in plain terms before anything is ordered. Send a few details through the quote form or call (647) 572 9613.
Service areas
Intercoms in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Milton and Guelph.
Kitchener
Kitchener is home base for us. Intercom work here includes small offices and clinics with a locked front door, businesses that take deliveries at a back entrance, and houses where the front door cannot be seen from the kitchen or the home office. Older buildings downtown often need an electric strike fitted before an intercom can release the door.
Waterloo
Waterloo has a lot of condos, student rentals and multi-unit houses, where a main entrance intercom lets residents see and buzz in their own visitors instead of handing out keys or codes. Tech offices use a video intercom at reception so a locked door does not mean a missed visitor.
Cambridge
Industrial and warehouse sites in Cambridge near Highway 401 often need an intercom at a shipping door or a yard gate, so drivers can call the office instead of walking around the building. Older storefronts in Galt, Preston and Hespeler use one at a rear entrance that stays locked during business hours.
Milton
Owners of Milton's newer homes and townhouses often want a video intercom answered from their phone, so deliveries and visitors can be handled from anywhere. Businesses in the newer plazas use them on back doors that stay locked.
Guelph
Guelph's student rentals and converted multi-unit houses suit a main entrance intercom with a call button for each unit, while downtown offices and clinics use a video intercom to let visitors through a locked front door.
Also serving
- Bradford
- Brampton
- Burlington
- Fergus
- Hamilton
- London
- Mississauga
- Oakville
- Orangeville
- Woodstock
Intercom questions.
How much does an intercom system cost?
It depends on the entrances. The number of doors or gates, audio or video, how many answering stations you want, the cable runs and whether the door needs a new electric lock all move the price. We look at each entrance first and give you the price in plain terms before anything is ordered.
What is the difference between a video intercom and a video doorbell?
A video doorbell is a single camera and button, usually answered on your phone. A video intercom is a fuller system, with door stations, answering stations inside and the ability to release a lock, and it can cover several entrances or units.
Can I answer the intercom from my phone?
Yes, on systems that support an app. You can see and talk to the visitor and, if the door has an electric lock, let them in from wherever you are.
Can an intercom unlock the door?
Yes. Wired to an electric strike, a magnetic lock or a gate lock, the intercom lets you release the entrance from the answering station or your phone once you know who is there.
Do you install intercoms for apartment and multi-unit buildings?
Yes. A main entrance panel lets visitors call a unit, and each resident answers from their own station or phone and buzzes their own visitors in.
Can an intercom work alongside card access?
Yes. On many businesses staff use their cards at the door while visitors use the intercom, and both release the same lock.
Get an intercom quote.
Tell us about the property and we will come back with a system and a price. No pressure and no hard sell.