Upgrading an Old Intercom? We'll Replace It Without the Guesswork in Edgbaston
We survey ageing intercom systems, quote an upgrade with reused or new cabling as appropriate, and install modern equipment you approve first.
Booking fee plus hourly labour — the price is confirmed before any work starts.
What this costs
| Booked 14+ days ahead | £25 booking fee £85 per hour |
|---|---|
| Booked within 48 hours | £100 booking fee £65 per hour |
| Same-day call-out | £220 booking fee £45 per hour |
The booking fee secures the visit. Labour is then charged by the hour, so you only pay for the time the job actually takes.
Booking fee £25–£220
£25 + £85/hr booked 14+ days ahead, £100 + £65/hr inside 48 hours, £220 + £45/hr same day. Agreed before we arrive.
Covered under Intercom & Door Entry
Security & CCTV › Intercom & Door Entry — one of 21 documented jobs in this section.
Same-day intercom system upgrade
Urgent jobs can often be booked for today. Ask when you book and we will confirm the slot before you pay anything.
15 service areas
Birmingham, Coventry, Dorridge and 12 more across the West Midlands.
Intercom systems age in a particular way: handsets become unavailable, entrance panels corrode, cabling degrades, and each repair fixes one symptom while the next develops. When you find yourself booking repairs more often than you use the door, an upgrade is usually the more economical path — but it should follow a survey, not a sales pitch.
When upgrade beats repair
Signs that repair has reached its limits: your system's model is discontinued and parts are unavailable or only from dwindling second-hand sources; faults are recurring across different components; the panel has corroded beyond resealing; the cabling is degraded in multiple places; or the system never had video and you want it. Conversely, a single failed handset or a sealed panel fault is usually a repair. The survey is what tells you which situation you are in, with the reasoning set out plainly.
What the survey covers
We assess the existing equipment's age and the availability of compatible modern replacements, test the existing cabling to see whether it can be reused — often it can, which saves significant work — and identify the cable route for anything new. We check power arrangements, the entrance panel's position and mounting, and WiFi coverage where an app-based or networked system is proposed. In flats and shared buildings we identify exactly what is communal equipment and what permissions your landlord, agent or housing association will need to give before panel or riser work — that approval is a prerequisite we will help you establish, not an afterthought.
What an upgrade involves
A typical upgrade replaces the entrance panel and the handsets or monitors, reuses serviceable cabling where testing supports it and replaces what it does not, and connects power safely. You choose the level: like-for-like replacement in modern equipment, audio-to-video upgrade, or a smart app-based system with its caveats — app features depend on your WiFi and the manufacturer's cloud services, and we cannot guarantee the availability of either. Camera sightlines are set up to show your visitors clearly while respecting neighbours' privacy and avoiding unnecessary coverage of public space; using the camera lawfully is the owner's responsibility and we do not provide legal advice.
What the upgrade replaces, specifically
A typical upgrade swaps the entrance panel for a modern weather-sealed unit — matched to your system or part of a new-generation system where the old one is beyond parts availability. Handsets and monitors are replaced with current equipment, wired to the existing terminals where the cabling is sound. Audio-to-video upgrades add the camera, the video cabling or the network connection, and monitors with screens. App-based systems add a network connection at the panel and configuration of your account, hub and devices. Old equipment is removed and disposed of responsibly as part of the job, and any making good of the panel position or cable routes is included in the quote rather than left as a surprise.
How the project is quoted and run
The upgrade is quoted after the survey: equipment itemised separately, labour, cabling work, any making good and the disposal of the old equipment all set out, with the full cost approved by you before work starts. Larger or building-wide upgrades are staged across agreed visits. At handover we test speech, video and release end to end, configure the system, and walk everyone who will use it through the controls.
Honest limits
We do not guarantee any system against future faults, and consumables like batteries will need replacing periodically. Reused cabling is reused because testing says it is sound — we will tell you its condition honestly, and if it is marginal we will say that too. Where permissions are needed, work waits for them; we never proceed on communal systems without authorisation, and we never force doors or bypass building security.
How to book
Get in touch to arrange a survey, telling us the system's make and approximate age if known, whether faults are recurring, and whether you are a house or a flat in a managed building. The survey leads to a clear, itemised quote — and the upgrade follows only on your approval.
How the price works
We charge a booking fee to hold your slot, then an hourly rate for the work itself. The fee changes with how soon you need us; the hourly rate changes with the slot you choose. You approve the price before we start, so there is no surprise on the invoice.
Booked 14+ days ahead
£25 booking fee
then £85 per hour of labour
Best value. Book the slot now, pay the smallest booking fee.
Booked within 48 hours
£100 booking fee
then £65 per hour of labour
For jobs that can wait a day or two but not a fortnight.
Same-day call-out
£220 booking fee
then £45 per hour of labour
Urgent problems: standing water, no heat, no power, leaks.
Book the slot
Choose the window that suits you and pay the booking fee. That holds your place in the diary.
We diagnose on site
The engineer confirms the cause and tells you what the job involves and how long it should take.
You approve, we work
Nothing goes ahead until you agree the price. Labour is then charged per hour at your slot rate.
Old intercom systems reach a point where repair stops making sense — parts unavailable, faults recurring, picture and speech quality below what modern equipment delivers. An upgrade replaces the whole conversation, but it needs a survey first: what can be reused, what must be replaced, and what permissions apply. We quote the full project before starting and install only what you have approved.
What our customers say about our Security & CCTV service
5 out of 5 from 7 reviews
Would use again
Third time we have used Maintenance Men, and the same experience each time: agreed price, proper explanation, job done in one visit. The hourly rate is fair for the standard of work.
Job: CCTV Installation
Second time we have used them
I had put off sorting this for months because I expected a runaround. Quoted the booking fee plus hourly rate upfront, stuck to it, and actually found the underlying cause rather than just clearing the symptom. Worked neatly and hoovered up afterwards.
Job: Backup Battery Fault
Exactly what was quoted
What I appreciated was being told what was actually wrong before anyone started. Sorted in under 56 minutes and the invoice matched the quote to the penny.
Job: Alarm Repair Service
Book Intercom System Upgrade
Tell us what is happening and choose a slot. If you are not sure this is the right job, use the diagnosis panel — it narrows the problem down before you book.
- Booking fee confirmed up front
- Hourly labour, agreed before work starts
- Same-day slots for urgent problems
Questions people ask about intercom system upgrade
Straight answers to the things customers ask most often before booking.
Can I upgrade my intercom myself?
Replacing a like-for-like plug-in handset is sometimes a user job if the manual supports it. A full upgrade involves panel replacement, cabling decisions, mains-derived power and system configuration — engineer work, and in shared buildings it also needs landlord permission.
What does an upgrade survey involve?
We assess your system's age and parts availability, test the existing cabling for reuse, check the panel position and power, verify WiFi for app-based options, and identify what permissions a shared building requires. You then get an itemised quote covering equipment, labour, cabling and making good.
Can the old wiring be reused in an upgrade?
Often yes, if testing shows it is sound — which saves real cost. Where cabling is degraded or unsuitable for the new system, we replace the affected runs and say so plainly in the quote rather than building an upgrade on marginal cable.
Do we need permission to upgrade the entrance panel in our block?
Yes — the panel and riser wiring are communal equipment, so landlord, agent or housing association approval is normally required. Tell us your arrangement when booking and we will help establish exactly what approvals are needed before any work is quoted or started.
What does an intercom upgrade cost?
You pay a booking fee when you book, and labour is charged hourly at a rate that depends on how soon you need the visit. After the survey we quote the full project cost before work starts, with equipment and parts itemised separately, and nothing proceeds until you approve it.
Need intercom system upgrade sorted in Edgbaston?
Book a slot in the diary and pay only the booking fee up front. We confirm the rest before we start.