How much does a UniFi home network cost?
Equipment for a typical two-access-point home with a gateway and a small PoE switch usually runs a few hundred dollars. Larger homes with three to five access points, a rack, and Protect cameras run into the low thousands in hardware. Installation is priced by the cable runs, not by the brand.
What drives the equipment number
Access point count is the main driver, followed by whether you need PoE switching, a rack and patch panel, and whether cameras with local recording are included. Gateway choice moves the number less than people expect unless you have multi-gig internet.
There is no monthly platform fee for the network side; local camera recording avoids the per-camera subscriptions common on consumer systems.
What drives the installation number
The number of cable runs and how hard each pathway is. A single-story home with attic access is the cheapest case. Two-story upper-floor drops, slab construction with no attic or crawlspace, and plaster walls all add time.
Doing all the runs in one visit is significantly cheaper per drop than adding them one at a time later.
Where to save, and where not to
Save by starting with fewer access points placed well, and by skipping a rack if a wall-mounted panel will do. Do not save by skipping wired uplinks — a wireless-meshed UniFi system gives up the main reason to buy UniFi.
Typical cost
A few hundred dollars in equipment for a two-access-point home; low thousands for a large home with a rack and Protect cameras. Installation is priced by cable runs.
Best for
Budgeting a UniFi system before asking for quotes.
Things to consider
- Access point count drives the hardware number
- Pathway difficulty drives the labor number
- No monthly fee for local camera recording
Common mistakes
- Meshing access points wirelessly to save on cable
- Adding drops one visit at a time
What we recommend
Fewer access points placed well beats more units placed badly — but never skip the wired uplinks.