Update 2022: As you are probably aware, home improvement prices have skyrocketed recently. This has been reported in the media and confirmed by our own research. The good news? Home alarm systems haven’t gone up in price during the last 3 years. In fact, some alarms for DIY installations are cheaper than they were a few years ago.
Are you thinking about installing a home burglar alarm system but want to know what options you have and how much alarms typically cost?
If so, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve done some digging and recently looked at home alarm systems.
The good news is that many entry-level home alarm systems are competitively priced as there’s a ton of competition and with so many wireless elements, there’s no need for costly and disruptive wiring work throughout the entire home.
You’ve got several options to choose from:
- A simple alarm box with sensors indoors.
- Alarm box with entry point sensors to doors and windows and indoor motion sensors.
- Alarm as above but with monitoring by a security company or an app so you and designated persons get messages when the alarm goes off.
- Additional options include smoke alarm detectors connected to the system and camera footage stored on the online cloud away from the home.
As with any product, the cheapest product is rarely the best option and known issues with low budget alarms include poor-quality sensors that either fail to go off when they should or go off when you don’t want them to, usually when pets move around the home.
How Much Do You Think a Burglar Alarm Will Cost?
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Home Alarms – A Look at Costs
The prices below are for a typical 2 or 3 bedroom house in the UK.
We sourced these prices in 2022:
The DIY Option
With so many aspects of an alarm system now being wireless, anyone with competent DIY skills should be able to install this type of alarm with ease.
Yale is the market leader for “self-install” home alarms and their best systems can either be controlled by a mobile phone app or by a touchtone phone (inc mobiles). Both systems will alert you when the alarm is triggered.
If you want an affordable system that’s easy to install and will contact you by auto-dialling preset telephone numbers then Yale is your best bet.
Price: Currently £350 for their entry-level alarm system which is suitable for 2-3 bed homes.
Just check out the great reviews and low prices on Amazon:
Typical Professionally Installed Alarm Cost
ADT is a well-known brand in the United Kingdom and their installation prices are very competitive, often cheaper than other alarm firms.
For an entry-level alarm system with one door contact, two sensors and an alarm box, you’ll have two options to choose from:
- Basic monitoring with a keyholder notification. This is where you and up to 4 nominated people will be contacted in the event of the alarm being activated.
- A police response system. This is where ADT will also inform the police that the alarm has been triggered.
The cost for a basic monitoring system is £99 for the installation and then £26.99 a month for 36 months.
The total cost is therefore £1070.00.
The police response alarm system prices are usually between £399 and £699, it depends on what deals they’re currently offering (as of April 2022 they are charging £500). The ongoing contract is then £29.99 for 36 months.
The total cost is therefore between £1478 and £1778.
Don’t Forget Optional Extras For the ADT Alarm
The prices displayed above are for the basic package and are suitable for 1 bedroom homes or small 2 bed dwellings.
You’ll need to pay extra for the following:
- Extra door contact points, such as a rear door or door via a garage.
- Extra key fobs for family members, cleaners and guests etc.
- Smoke detection.
Each extra item costs between £50 and £100 with fire detection costing an additional £2 per month, or £72 for the contract term.
Verisure – More Expensive But You Get What You Pay For
The problem with ADT is the customer reviews.
To put it bluntly, they’re mixed. (Update 2022: They’ve upped their game and there are more positive reviews than there were a few years ago when we first published this page)
Verisure is a competitor that charges around £700 for a standard installation and then around £45 per month as part of an ongoing contract.
While this is considerably more than ADT’s prices, there is a notable benefit, Verisure has its own response guards who can be sent around to the property. That’s because Verisure is part of Securitas, a much larger security firm.
Trying to get a price from Verisure isn’t as straightforward as we would have liked. Their monthly monitoring fees are based on the size of the home and how many sensors are installed.
The £700 setup fee and suggested price of £45 per month is for a basic system suitable for a 2-bed home.
Reviews of Verisure can be found here.
Watch Out For Burglar Alarm Contracts
Many burglar alarm firms offer eye-catching low installation fees (we’re looking at you ADT) but the sting in the tail is the long contract, which is usually 36 months.
Getting out of the contract without paying a substantial penalty is often very difficult.
Just go and try a few searches on Google and you’ll soon find complaints.
Conclusion – Home Burglar Alarm Cost For a Two Bed House
For a very basic alarm system that you can install yourself, expect to pay around £150. Upgrade this to a “telecommunicating” self-install alarm with an auto-dialer and you’ll be paying around £200. For an app-enabled and self-installed “Smart” alarm, expect to pay in the region of £400.
For a professionally installed basic alarm, installation prices usually start at around £400 with an ongoing monthly contract somewhere around the £30 mark. Without a contract, expect to pay upwards of £800 for an alarm. You may see cheap installation offers advertised online, but expect to pay more per month and a long contract.
High-end alarms with optional extras and response guards will set you back around £1000 for the installation and an ongoing monitoring contract of around £45 per month.
Prices for larger homes or those with unusual or custom requirements may cost more.
We updated these prices in 2022.
Other Steps You Can Take to Improve Your Home Security
Our blog contains some great nuggets of information that can help you secure your property whilst keeping a lid on costs.
Discover 8 affordable ways to improve your home security.
Not Sure if a Home Alarm is For You? Read These FAQs
Q) What is a typical contract length for a monitored alarm?
A) Most of the companies we looked at had a minimum contract length of three years. This appears to be the industry standard although several firms offered one-year contracts with a slightly higher monthly fee.
Q) Will a monitored home alarm reduce my insurance premiums?
A) Many insurers offer reduced premiums for customers who have an approved alarm fitted. As each insurer is different, do check their terms and conditions.
Q) Do home alarms actually prevent burglaries?
A) Yes. According to the Independent Newspaper in 2018, over 75% of homes in the UK have no security alarm whatsoever and according to research by Safewise, 63% of burglars would be deterred by an alarm box.
Your Next Step – Get Independent Advice
Rather than going with a company that installs only one type of system from one manufacturer, we feel your best bet is to get independent advice from a local installer who will listen to your specific requirements and suggest a product that best suits your needs.
Tap the button below to see how we can help you:
This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.
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