Security Company in Norwich

Hawthorne is a Norwich-based commercial security and fire systems company. We design, install and maintain CCTV, intruder alarms, access control and fire detection across Norwich and the surrounding Norfolk area.

Indicative price for a Norwich installation

Use the Hawthorne pricing calculator for a quick range based on your sector, system type, size and complexity. Norwich and surrounding postcodes covered as standard.

Quick answer

Hawthorne is a commercial security and fire systems installer based at Unit 8 Alston Road, Hellesdon Business Park, Norwich NR6 5DS. We design, install, commission and maintain CCTV, intruder alarms, access control and BS 5839-1 fire detection for businesses across Norwich and Norfolk. We are SSAIB registered (NORF034), Cyber Essentials certified, a Hikvision Platinum Partner and a Paxton Gold Partner. Call 01603 425100.

Typical Norwich projects span small office and retail fit-outs, multi-camera CCTV upgrades, BS 5839 fire alarm installs in care homes and schools, access control on multi-tenanted buildings, and integrated security for warehouses and industrial estates.

What Hawthorne does in Norwich

CCTV. IP camera systems from small four-camera installs through to multi-site enterprise NVR with analytics. Coverage typically includes building entry, internal traffic flow, perimeter and yards, with images served to a recorder kept on-site and accessible remotely by the customer.

Intruder alarms. Grade 2 and Grade 3 commercial systems to EN 50131, installed to SSAIB standard with dual-path signalling and connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre with monitored response. We work to insurer schedule requirements rather than to a generic spec.

Access control. Card, fob, mobile credential and biometric systems on single doors through to networked multi-door installations with central management software. Common Norwich applications include offices, multi-tenanted buildings, schools, care homes and industrial sites.

Fire detection. BS 5839-1 designed installations, L1 to L5 categories, including the higher categories required in care homes, schools and HMOs. Our team handles design, install, commissioning and the recurring six-monthly service that keeps the system compliant. See our BS 5839 compliance guide for the full breakdown of categories.

Gates and barriers. Hawthorne supplies and installs powered gates, barriers and access points for industrial estates, residential developments and farms across Norfolk, integrated with access control and CCTV where required.

Areas of Norwich and Norfolk we cover

We work across the full Norwich postcode area, including NR1 to NR8 in the city, and the wider NR9 to NR35 across Norfolk. Common locations include:

Norwich city centre and the Riverside area, Hellesdon, Sprowston, Thorpe St Andrew, Wymondham, Hethersett, Drayton, Costessey, Cringleford, Long Stratton, Aylsham, Reepham, Acle, Loddon, North Walsham, Cromer and the surrounding rural and coastal areas.

For projects further afield, see our coverage in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire commercial corridor. Our Norfolk coverage page covers the county as a whole.

Sectors we work with locally

Care homes. L1 fire detection, nurse call integration, dignity-aware CCTV in communal areas, access control supporting freedom of movement.

Warehouses and industrial estates. Perimeter detection, loading bay coverage, internal CCTV, monitored response.

Schools and academies. Access control on entrances, CCTV in shared areas, fire detection across teaching and boarding spaces, lockdown integration where required.

Offices and multi-tenanted commercial. CCTV on entries and shared spaces, access control on tenant suites, intruder alarms on individual demises, fire detection across the building shell.

Retail. CCTV with high-density coverage at point of sale and entrances, intruder alarms with monitored response, integration with stockroom and back-of-house access control.

Accreditations and standards

SSAIB (registration NORF034). Independent inspectorate certification covering intruder alarms, CCTV, access control and monitored signalling. Insurers and the police URN scheme both require an SSAIB or NSI accredited installer for many commercial schedules.

ISO 9001. Quality management standard covering how we run jobs from quote through commissioning to service, and how customer issues are handled.

Cyber Essentials. Government-backed certification (August 2026) covering how we secure the networks, recorders and remote access we install and manage for customers.

Manufacturer partnerships. Hikvision Platinum Partner and Paxton Gold Partner, with engineers trained on the current platforms and equipment bought through official UK distribution.

Fire detection to BS 5839. Fire systems are designed, installed, commissioned and maintained to BS 5839, the British Standard your insurer and fire risk assessor work from.

How we typically work with a Norwich customer

Site survey. A free survey for projects above a small threshold. The survey results in an itemised, plain-English quote rather than a one-line "CCTV system" number.

Design and installation. Our Norwich-based engineering team handles the install, commissioning and customer handover. Cabling, containment, mains feeds and network connectivity are all included in the quoted scope, not added later.

Maintenance. A standing service contract covering scheduled six-monthly visits for fire systems, annual visits for security, certificate renewals, and a known response time for faults. The maintenance fee is normally 8 to 15 percent of the installed value per year.

Monitoring. Where the customer wants connected monitoring, we set up the link to an Alarm Receiving Centre with the appropriate response level. Police URN application support is included where applicable.

How to choose a commercial security company in Norwich

Whether you use Hawthorne or someone else, these are the checks that separate a compliant commercial installer from a general electrician with a camera kit:

• Inspectorate accreditation: SSAIB or NSI certification for intruder alarms and CCTV. Without it, most insurers and the police URN scheme will not accept the system.
• Fire alarm work to BS 5839-1:2025, with design, installation and commissioning certificates on the current model forms.
• An itemised quote naming the panel, recorder, cameras and detectors, not a single "security system" line.
• A maintenance contract with a defined response time and a named Alarm Receiving Centre for monitored systems.
• Cyber Essentials or equivalent, because networked CCTV and access control are IT systems on your network.
• A local engineering base. Hawthorne's engineers are in NR6, so a Norwich callout is a short drive rather than a regional dispatch.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Hawthorne based in Norwich?

Our office and engineering team are in NR6, north Norwich. We work across the full Norwich postcode area and the wider Norfolk commercial corridor as standard.

Do you cover small commercial jobs as well as large?

Yes. A four-camera CCTV install in a Norwich retail unit and a multi-system integrated security project on a Norfolk industrial estate are both within our normal scope. The pricing calculator covers both ends of the range.

Are you on the police-approved installer list?

We hold SSAIB accreditation, which is the basis on which insurers and the police URN scheme accept commercial intruder alarm installers. For projects where police response is in scope, we handle the URN application as part of the installation.

Can you take over a security system installed by another company?

In most cases yes, subject to a site visit and a check that the system can be brought to a maintainable standard. Where a takeover is not practical, we are upfront about that during the Norwich survey rather than discovering it after a contract is signed.

Do you work outside Norwich and Norfolk?

Yes, across the East of England. See our location pages for Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, and contact us for projects elsewhere.

How quickly can you respond to a Norwich callout?

For customers on a maintenance contract, response times are defined in the contract and typically same-day for system-down faults in Norwich. For non-contract customers, we attend as soon as the engineering schedule allows and quote the visit fee upfront.

Get a Norwich-specific quote

Use the pricing calculator for an indicative range, or contact our Norwich team for a free site survey and a fully itemised quote.

About the author

Dr Andrew Threadgold is Co-Owner of Hawthorne. Hawthorne acquired Security Solutions Yes Limited in December 2024 and rebranded as Hawthorne in January 2026. The technical content of this article was reviewed by Hawthorne's engineering team.

About Hawthorne

Hawthorne is a Norwich-based commercial security and fire systems company, working with businesses, care providers, schools and industrial customers across Norwich, Norfolk and the wider East of England. Co-Owner Dr Andrew Threadgold leads the commercial side of the business; the engineering team is based in NR6.

Last updated: 9 September 2026. First published May 2026.