A Buying Guide(House Alarms)

House Alarms

There are 10 house alarm companies that also manufacture monitoring equipment. Those 10 companies then provide their products to thousands of dealers that sell the equipment and install the alarms.

Be wary of companies that install proprietary systems that they claim only work with their licensed monitoring systems. Also, some alarm companies will not allow you to change your pass code on your own or allow you to switch to another monitoring company when your contract has ended. A good rule of thumb: Make sure your system uses non-proprietary components and you have access to all codes and programming features.

Talk to three or four house alarm companies and have them evaluate your risk assessment to determine what your security challenges are and how to address them. Make sure the company offers to come to your house to do an on-site inspection free of charge. Don’t even consider a company that tells you it won’t need to send a representative to your home.

Get price quotes in writing and make sure they include set-up, equipment, monthly monitoring fees, and warranties.

Get some references from house alarm companies of previous clients. Find out if the company installed the equipment within the given time frame. Was the company available quickly if there was an equipment problem? Did it explain the system to everyone living in the home? Is the contract clear and straightforward? If a client had an intrusion, was the police contacted promptly? Will the company send you notice if it sells your contract off to another central monitoring station?

Expect to pay $1 to $2 per square foot of your home for a basic system installation and $25 to $40 per month for monitoring. Add an extra $10 per month for intercom communication. Add an extra $50 to $300 per month for dual-tech sensors and pet alleys. Add an extra $5 per month for fire protection. Add an extra $75 to $100 one-time-only fee for a remote control.

Set-up/installation fees vary according to the type of equipment installed, number of individual security devices included, and the size of your home. Expect anywhere from $100 to $1,500
(the high end being a 3,000-square-foot house with a multiple set-up).

To add fire protection, add $200 to $500.

Be aware of house alarm companies that charge a fee to connect to a central station. Typically, those fees are built into the pricing. Installation time can vary. Bigger homes take longer and may take one to three days, especially if the home has no previous house alarm wiring. In smaller homes (approximately 1,200 square feet), it will generally take a day or less, especially if any pre-wiring exists.

Wireless installation takes only one to three hours.

You can also lease equipment for approximately $300 to $500 a year.

Once your system is in place, you may be required to sign a three-to-five year contract with the house alarm company. Make sure the contract guarantees no fee increase during its tenure, and ask if breaking the contract before the expiration will result in penalties.

After the expiration of a contract, you usually get to keep door contacts, motion detectors, and glass-break sensors. Make sure this is part of your contract.

Many police departments require two permits to have a monitored home security alarm system installed. The first is a state monitoring permit with the local police and the second is an electrical permit to install and monitor the system. Charges for false alarms vary by area; check with your local police about the policy.
House Alarms