A video doorbell lets you see and talk to whoever is at the door from your phone. We wire it to a proper low-voltage supply so it stays on, mount it where it shows faces clearly, and set up the chime and the app. For homes with a gate, we install video intercoms that can release an electric lock where the lock supports it.
When to get it checked
Missed deliveries
Parcels left at the door or taken, and no way to talk to the courier when you're out.
A doorbell that keeps going flat
A battery doorbell that needs charging every few weeks, or drops offline on cold mornings.
You can't see the gate
A front gate or a long driveway means you can't see who's there before you walk out.
An old intercom
A crackly speaker, no picture, or a door release that stopped working years ago.
Someone who shouldn't have to answer
An elderly parent at home, a shift worker sleeping during the day, or kids home alone after school.
Why it happens
4 common causes
Weak Wi-Fi at the front door
The front door is often the furthest point from the router, and brick walls and metal security doors weaken the signal further.
Batteries and cold mornings
Rechargeable batteries run down faster in the cold, and a flat doorbell rings nobody.
The wrong supply
Hardwired doorbells need the right low-voltage supply. Too little and they reboot or drop out partway through a call.
Mounted into the sun
A doorbell facing straight into the afternoon sun washes out faces and runs hot.
What the job covers
What we usually do on this job. Your quote confirms it for your place.
- Entry, Wi-Fi and power checked
- Low-voltage supply installed or reused
- Doorbell or call station mounted and angled
- Indoor chime or screen installed
- Gate or door release wired where supported
- Phone app connected and motion zones set
- Call and talk-back tested with you
- Certificate of Electrical Safety for electrical work
Your options, explained
Hardwired video doorbell
Low disruption- Best for
- Most front doors
- How it works
- Runs from a small low-voltage transformer, so it never needs charging, and connects to your Wi-Fi and an indoor chime.
- Worth knowing
- The usual choice where there's an old doorbell or a cable path to the door.
Battery video doorbell
Low disruption- Best for
- Rentals, or doors with no way to run a cable
- How it works
- Screws to the door frame and runs on a rechargeable battery.
- Worth knowing
- Quick to fit, but it needs recharging and can lag on cold mornings.
Wired video intercom
Medium disruption- Best for
- Homes with a front gate or more than one entry
- How it works
- An outdoor call station with a camera is wired to one or more indoor screens, and many systems add app access too.
- Worth knowing
- Can be wired to release an electric gate or door lock where the lock supports it.
Upgrading an old intercom
Low disruption- Best for
- Townhouses and homes with existing intercom wiring
- How it works
- A newer system can often reuse the cable already run between the gate and the house.
- Worth knowing
- We check the existing cable before quoting.
The people behind the work
One local team for electrical, heating and cooling, based in Altona Meadows, with 19 years in the industry.
Licensed electrical contractor (REC 38187)See more team photos
Worth knowing before you book
- Hardwired stays on
- No batteries to charge, even on cold winter mornings.
- Check the Wi-Fi
- The front door is often the weakest spot for signal.
- Got a gate?
- An intercom can show the gate and release an electric lock.
What affects the price?
The right scope depends on your installation. These are the details we check so your quote is useful, with any additional work explained before it proceeds.
Power at the door
An old doorbell transformer or an easy cable path makes it quick. Solid brick with no cavity or a long run out to a gate takes longer.
Wi-Fi at the door
If the signal is weak at the door, a network cable or a Wi-Fi extender may be needed.
Doorbell or intercom
An intercom with indoor screens and a gate station is a bigger job than a single doorbell.
Gate or lock release
Connecting to an electric gate or lock depends on the lock type and how far the cable needs to run.
Supplied or already bought
We can supply the unit or install one you've chosen. Tell us the model before we book.
How it runs
- 1
Send photos
The door, any gate, the old doorbell and where the router is.
- 2
Check and quote
Power, signal and cabling checked, priced before we start.
- 3
Install
Doorbell or intercom fitted, wired and connected.
- 4
Test with you
Call, chime, app and any release tested together.
Step by step, in more detail
5 steps
Tell us about the entry
Send photos of the front door, any gate, the existing doorbell or intercom, and where your router is.
Check power and signal
We work out how to supply power at the door and whether the Wi-Fi reaches it, or whether a cable is the better option.
Price before we start
You get the price for the agreed scope, including any transformer, cabling, indoor chime or screen, and any lock connection.
Install
We fit the doorbell or outdoor station at the right height and angle, wire the supply, and install the indoor chime or monitor.
Set up and test
We connect the app on your phone, set the motion zones, and test the call, talk-back and any gate or door release with you.
What is safe to do, and what to leave to us
Safe for you to do
- Change the default password in the doorbell app and turn on two-step sign-in.
- Angle the camera at your own entry and path, not across into a neighbour's windows.
- If a hardwired doorbell stops working, check the app and your Wi-Fi first, then leave the wiring for an electrician.
Leave these to us
- Opening up an old doorbell transformer or chime unit at the switchboard.
- Running cable to a gate along a fence line without conduit.
- Wiring a new transformer, power point or lock supply yourself. Energy Safe Victoria says unlicensed electrical work is illegal and potentially fatal.
When to get us in
- Your battery doorbell keeps going flat or offline
- You want to see and talk to visitors from your phone
- You have a gate and want to see who's there before opening it
- Your old intercom has no picture or the release has stopped working
- You're adding security cameras at the same time
More detail
Hardwired or battery
A hardwired doorbell runs from a small low-voltage transformer, so it stays on through cold mornings and never needs taking down to charge. Many older homes already have bell wire to the front door, which we check and reuse where it's in good condition.
Battery doorbells suit rentals and doors where no cable can be run. They're quick to fit, but expect to recharge them every few weeks to a few months, depending on how busy the door is.
A clear picture at the door
We mount the doorbell at a height that shows faces rather than the top of a head, and angle it to see parcels on the doormat as well as the person standing there. Where the door faces the afternoon sun or sits deep in a porch, an angled wedge or a different position makes a big difference.
Before we leave, we check the picture and the talk-back on your phone at different times of the light.
Intercoms, gates and door releases
A video intercom pairs an outdoor call station with one or more screens inside, and many add app access as well. For a gate, the call station goes at the gate and the cable runs back to the house in conduit.
Where the gate or door has an electric lock, or a gate motor with an input for it, the intercom can be wired to release it. We check the lock and the cable route before quoting, and bring in the gate installer when the motor needs setting up.
Doorbells alongside cameras
If you're adding security cameras, a doorbell from the same system can show up in the same app and recorder, so everything is in one place. We plan the doorbell and the cameras together so the front door is covered from more than one angle.
Local rules and conditions
Victorian requirements and local conditions that shape this job, with the sources listed at the foot of the page.
Cold mornings and batteries
Laverton's coldest month is July, with a mean minimum of 5.2 °C. Battery doorbells run down faster in the cold, which is one reason we suggest hardwiring wherever we can get power to the door.
West-facing front doors
The Laverton weather station averages 27.0 days a year at or above 30 °C. A doorbell facing straight into the afternoon sun washes out faces and runs hot, so on west-facing doors we angle it with a mounting wedge.
Useful reading
Guides to read before you decide, with checklists and questions to bring to the quote.
- Planning security lighting around your homeLight entries, driveways and side paths with sensors, floodlights and camera lights, without glare into the neighbours' windows or dark corners beside the beam.
- Planning data cabling for the whole houseChoose a central network spot, decide which rooms get data points, place Wi-Fi access points and feed it from the NBN, as one plan rather than one-off runs.
- Outdoor electrical safety: leads, garden tools, digging and wet weatherSafe habits for outdoor leads, power tools, digging near buried cables, wet weather and patio appliances, and what makes outdoor power fit for purpose.
Common questions
Sources for the rules and local facts on this page
4 sources, with the date each was checked
- 1.Bureau of Meteorology: Mean minimum temperature (°C) 14.0 14.4 12.7 10.0 7.8 5.9 5.2 5.7 6.8 8.4 10.3 12.2 9.5 81 1943 2026 Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 2.Energy Safe Victoria: Gas and electricity are inherently dangerous and it’s illegal and potentially fatal for unlicensed and unqualified people to undertake any electrical or gasfitting work. Homeowners and consumers must always use… Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 3.Energy Safe Victoria: Whenever a licensed electrician completes any electrical installation work, they must provide a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES). Accessed 30 September 2026.
- 4.Energy Safe Victoria: A Registered Electrical Contractor or Licensed Electrical Worker cannot refuse to issue a COES for any reason including payment issues or contract disputes. Accessed 30 September 2026.
