Burglar Alarm Cost Calculator
Get burglar alarm prices, supplied and fitted by an approved alarm company in your area.
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How much do burglar alarms cost?
Fair question. It's the one I'd ask too. And it's exactly why this calculator exists. Pop in your postcode and property type and you'll get an honest estimate of what a properly installed alarm should cost where you live, before you speak to a single installer.
The guide underneath explains what pushes the price up and down, what you actually get for your money, and roughly what to expect depending on the system you go for.
Average Home Alarm Installation Costs
Here's what a professionally installed bells-only wireless system tends to cost, supplied and fitted. Treat these as guide prices only. What you actually pay comes down to the size of your place, how many sensors you need and whether you want monitoring or just a loud siren.
| Size of Property | Supply and install price |
|---|---|
| 2 - 3 bedroom house | £600 |
| 4 – 5 bedroom house | £800 |
| 6 – 8 bedroom house | £1,200 |
As mentioned, those prices are for an audible bells-only system, and they'll usually cover the main alarm panel, a keypad, the right number of door and room sensors for the property, and both an internal and external siren.
One more cost worth considering. On top of the supply and install, I'd always recommend an annual maintenance contract with whoever fits it. They start from around £80 a year and cover servicing, battery checks and a call-out if something plays up.
Want a figure closer to your own house? Use the calculator above. Or grab a free site survey and a proper written quote from an approved local installer through our quick quote tool.
What Affects the Cost of Installing a Burglar Alarm?
A few things move the price around. Once you know what they are, it's a lot easier to compare quotes and spot when someone's out of line with the rest of the market.
Type of alarm system
A bells-only alarm is the basic one, and the cheapest. When it goes off, a loud siren fires outside and that's the end of it. No monitoring, no monthly fee, nobody gets a phone call. It suits a busy area where the neighbours are close and, in theory, likely to respond.
A monitored system costs a bit more each month, but it's connected to a 24-hour alarm receiving centre. When it triggers, that centre gets in touch with your keyholders or the police, depending on the plan you're on. If you're regularly away from home and want to properly stop worrying about it, that's where monitoring earns its keep. It costs more up front, but what it does for you is a different thing entirely to a siren on the wall.
A smart system adds the phone stuff on top. Arm and disarm it from your mobile, get a ping when it goes off, check the house from wherever you happen to be. It usually costs a little more to install than a standard wireless alarm, but the monitoring works the same way.
Wired or wireless
For a house that's already finished and decorated, wireless nearly always works out cheaper to fit (no cables to chase through your nice clean walls and floors). The bits themselves cost a touch more than the wired versions, but you save on labour, so the overall job comes down. For most homes, wireless is the sensible, cost-effective pick.
Wired systems tend to show up in commercial buildings, new builds and renovations, where the cabling can go in while the walls are open. Retro-fitting wire into a finished house is slower and messier, and that pushes the cost up.
Number of sensors
This is the big one. The number of sensors is the single thing that moves the price the most. Every room and entry point you want covered needs one, and a two-bed flat and a six-bed detached are worlds apart. The calculator up top factors in your property size and type to give you a realistic figure.
Professional installation versus DIY
A professionally fitted alarm costs more up front than a DIY kit. No getting around that. But if you want your system to qualify for police response, or to carry NSI or SSAIB certification, professional installation isn't optional. A Grade 2 system fitted by an approved company is the only route to a confirmed police response. You also get a warranty, and the option of that annual maintenance contract from around £80 a year.
Types of Burglar Alarms and What They Cost
The type of alarm you have fitted will impact the price. Here's a breakdown of the types of systems available, including the response when the alarm triggers.
Bells-only alarm
The siren fires, loud, on the outside of the house. Nobody's called. Nothing's monitored. A professionally installed bells-only wireless system starts from around £600 for a two to three-bed property, and that includes the panel, keypad, sensors and siren.
Monitored alarm with keyholder response
This one's wired through to a 24-hour alarm receiving centre. When it triggers, the centre rings your nominated keyholders. If one of them confirms it's a real activation, they head to the property. Keyholder monitoring usually runs from around £350 a year on top of the installation. Want the full picture of how it works? I've broken it all down in our ADT keyholder response review.
Monitored alarm with police response
For the police to respond, you need a Grade 2 system (minimum) fitted by an NSI or SSAIB-approved company. When the receiving centre gets a confirmed activation, they can contact the police directly. This kind of monitoring typically starts from around £480 a year. It costs more than bells-only because the kit has to hit specific standards and the company fitting it has to be accredited. You're paying for the accreditation as much as the box on the wall.
Smart security systems
Smart kit adds remote access, push alerts to your phone and the ability to tie in other smart home gadgets (good odds you're reading this on the very device that'd run it). Monthly fees are all over the place depending on who you go with. Have a look at our burglar alarm reviews to see what the main brands include for the money.
What a Burglar Alarm Installation Includes
Whatever type you go for, a properly installed home alarm will usually come with the following as standard.
Alarm Panel and Keypad
The control panel runs the whole show. It's the brains of the alarm system and needs to be connected to the mains, typically by a 5 or 3amp unswitched fused spur. You arm and disarm it at the keypad, which is typically near a front door on the entry/exit route. Most modern panels are wireless and Grade 2 certified as standard.
Door and Window Sensors
Magnetic contacts on your entry points. Open a door or window while the system's armed and the alarm goes off. How many you need depends on how many ways there are into the house.
Motion Sensors
Passive infrared sensors (that's the proper name for them) that pick up movement in a room when the alarm's set. In plain terms, they're watching for body heat on the move. A typical setup runs one per ground-floor room, with a few more upstairs depending on how much cover you want and what the budget stretches to.
External Alarm Siren
The box you can see on the outside wall. It fires when the alarm triggers, and it does a job even when the system's off, because a visible siren box makes a burglar think twice. Some installs add a decoy box as an extra visual deterrent, usually around £300 or less.
Internal Siren
A loud sounder inside the house that goes off alongside the external one. Trust me, you'll hear it.
Battery Backup
Both the panel and the external siren have battery backup, so if a burglar cuts your mains power, the system keeps running. Which is rather the point. Read our article on the benefits of having a fully charged, healthy, alarm battery,
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