How Much Does a House Alarm Cost?
So how much are the average costs of a security systems?
The average cost of installing a home security system varies from around £165-£470. The overall price for home security will depend on the type of system, and the number of alarms, cameras, and sensors.
How much will a basic alarm system cost?
The most basic home security system is an alarm known as a bells-only system that fires out a loud siren when the alarm system is triggered.
The average cost for a basic home security system is around £125-£300.
How does this type of system work?
This is an effective system type as it will alert your neighbours that there is an intruder, and it will also deter the intruder from your home.
What about a higher quality security system?
A higher-end security system will usually include CCTV.
A full CCTV system can cost around £350-£1,000 depending on the system and how many cameras you are having installed. A full CCTV system could help to identify an intruder if needed.
What can affect the overall costs of a security system?
Several factors could affect the overall cost of having home security installed including the type of system you're having installed, the number of tradespeople needed, the ease of access to your property, and the location of your property.
Those based in London can expect to pay more for the overall job than those based in the North or other parts of the UK.
House Alarm Prices
The table below highlights some of the average costs of installing a security system at your home:
| Job Description | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Siren installation | £190-£280 |
| Motion sensors installation | £170-£250 |
| Control panel installation | £190-£300 |
| Keypad installation | £180-£260 |
| Door and window sensors installation | £170-£230 |
| Panic button installation | £165-£290 |
| Wired home security cameras installation | £220-£400 |
| Wireless home security cameras installation | £200-£470 |
- How Much Does a House Alarm Cost?
- What are the Supply Costs of Installing a Home Security System?
- What are the Additional Costs of Home Security Installation?
- Tradesmen Costs for Installing a Home Security System
- How Long Does It Take to Install Home Security?
- Choosing Home Security
- Benefits of Home Security
- How Much Does It Cost to Remove Security Systems?
- FAQs
- Sources
What are the Supply Costs of Installing a Home Security System?
If you are an avid DIY enthusiast, you may prefer to install a security system yourself. In this case, you may need to know the supply only costs of the equipment without factoring in the labour cost.
There are many prices for you to be aware of, as there are various home security systems available. The budget you need will depend on the type of system you are opting for.
For example, a panic button can cost around £15-£90 whereas security cameras can cost around £50-£270.
If you opt to incorporate more than one type of security system at your home, you can see how to costs can add up.
The table below highlights the average cost for the supplies only for home security:
| Job Description | Average Supply Cost |
|---|---|
| Siren | £24-£80 |
| Motion sensors | £10-£50 |
| Control panel | £40-£100 |
| Keypad | £16-£125 |
| Door and window sensors | £10-£30 |
| Panic button | £15-£90 |
| Wired home security cameras | £120-£400 |
| Wireless home security cameras | £40-£500 |
What are the Additional Costs of Home Security Installation?
You can expect several additional costs to come up when you have a home security system installed because most systems require additional items to work at their best. One major additional cost you may need to consider is a magnetic contact sensor.
This is a sensor that is placed on doors and will trigger at any unauthorised access to your home. A magnetic contact sensor will usually cost somewhere between £10-£19 each. You may want to purchase more than one if you have multiple access doors to your home.
Another additional cost that you may want to invest in is security stickers. These are stickers that you can place on entry points in your home to let intruders know that you have a burglar alarm.
These will often deter an intruder away from your home. Security stickers cost around £2-£4 each, and you may want to consider purchasing more than one for different entry points around the home.
You may wish to invest in external lights for your home, which can also deter intruders. External lighting costs can vary greatly depending on the type of light you choose and the number of lights you opt for. On average, you can expect to pay around £10-£400 for an external lighting system.
You may also want to invest in some new window and door locks. Modern locks are much more secure than older ones, so this can make a great deal of difference to your home's security. New locks will cost an average of around £20-£40 depending on the lock's size and the finish that you choose.
Tradesmen Costs for Installing a Home Security System
Suppose you are looking to purchase a security system separately rather than having the entire installation and system as a package. In that case, you may be interested in how much it is going to cost for the labour alone.
The cost of labour for installing a home security system will depend on several factors, including the type of system you are having installed, the size of the system, the size of your house, ease of access, and location.
On average, you can expect a certified security specialist to charge you around £150-£200 per day for installation. Those based in London may pay a little more than those based in the North or other parts of the UK.
How Long Does It Take to Install Home Security?
If you plan on having a home security system installed, you may be curious to know how long you can expect the installation to take.
The timescales can vary greatly depending on the type of system you are having installed, your home's size, and the ease of access to your home.
A smart home security system will take around half a day to install, a bells-only alarm would take around a day to fully install, and a silent alarm with police calling services will take around two days to install.
If you opt for a CCTV system, this will take around 4-8 hours to install depending on the number of cameras.
As you can see, each different type of security system takes a different amount of time to install. If you have multiple types of security added onto your home, you can expect the hours to add up, and the work may need to be spread over a number of days.
Choosing Home Security
There are two main types of home security systems. The first being a home security alarm system and the second being security cameras. There are various types within each of the two main system types. For example, you can get a bells-only alarm or a silent alarm.
This section will take a look at the two major types of security systems and the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
Alarm System Cost
Home security alarm systems can vary greatly depending on the type of alarm. Some alarms are silent, some can be hooked up to call out the police when triggered, and others can emit a loud siren.
A bells-only alarm costs around £125-£300 to install, a silent alarm costs around £200-£300 to install, and a wireless alarm system can cost around £200-£600 to install.
Pros:
- Doesn't require much, if any, maintenance
- Quick and easy to install
- Little labour costs involved in the job
- No replacement costs
Cons:
- Hardwired alarms must be installed by a professional
- Sensor batteries need to be replaced regularly
- A bells-only model is vulnerable and won't alert the police
Camera System Cost
A CCTV system is a type of security system that works with various cameras in and around the home that record videos that are stored and can be referred back to if needed. Cameras cover large areas and so work well on larger homes.
If cameras are visible, they will usually deter intruders away from your home. Camera systems will usually cost around £70-£270 per camera. You can choose to have one camera installed or opt for multiple cameras.
Pros:
- Widely available
- Durable
- Easily visible
- Offer a large field of view
Cons:
- Using cameras alone won't always guarantee total protection of the home
- Camera systems work better with multiple cameras and costs can add up
Benefits of Home Security
There are several benefits to having a home security system installed at your home. Below is a list of the main advantages of investing in a security system:
Protect Your Valuable Items
Home security systems can help to deter burglars away from your home. Many systems notify the police of an intruder, which helps keep your home as safe as possible.
Lowers Your Home Insurance
Many home insurance companies will give discounts to those who have a home security system in place. This is a great way for you to cut down on some of your expenses.
Deters Crime
Having a home security system installed at your home can help to reduce crime rates in your area. You can help to make your neighbourhood safer for everyone who lives there.
How Much Does It Cost to Remove Security Systems?
There are some instances when you may need to remove your home security system to replace or upgrade it. The process of removing a home security system is usually quite straightforward. If you don't feel comfortable doing it as a DIY job, you may want to hire professionals to complete the removal.
If you are removing a wired system, you will most likely need to hire an electrician to do the work for you. This should cost around £30-£55 per hour, although the prices may vary depending on the type of system being removed and your location in the UK.
Depending on the size of the system, it should take no longer than a day to remove a security system.
FAQs
Q: How do you install a wireless security camera?
A: A wireless security camera will usually come with a bracket. This bracket will need to be screwed to the wall wherever you want your camera to go.
The camera can then be fixed to the bracket and batteries will need to be inserted for operation.
Q: Which is the best smart home security system?
A: There are many different types of smart home security systems on the market today. The best of these systems are ones that hook up to your phone via an app.
These systems are great because you can set them up to alert your phone for various things such as motion sensing or if an alarm is triggered. You can also control the system via your phone. A lot of modern smart systems provide these features.
Q: Will an alarm system deter burglars?
A: Burglars tend to target homes with no or little security protection as these are easier to break into and are a lower risk.
If you install a home security system that is clearly visible, this will deter burglars from your home. However, no security system can completely eliminate the chance of your home being broken into.
Q: Can I install a security system in a rented home?
A: Yes, you can. Wireless alarm systems require no hardwiring, so they are a great solution for those who want extra protection on their rented home.
Wireless systems are also great for those who rent properties as they can be taken with you when you move.
Q: What does CCTV stand for?
A: CCTV stands for closed-circuit television. This means that any video footage recorded via the cameras is not publicly shared but is monitored for security reasons.
Sources
- https://myalarmcenter.com/blog/6-benefits-of-home-security-systems
- https://www.safewise.com/blog/top-8-reasons-get-home-security-system
- https://www.a1securitycameras.com/blog/how-to-install-wireless-security-cameras-in-6-steps
