Guide
Home Alarm Systems: Types, Monitoring and Costs
A home alarm system is a burglar and fire detection system that sounds a siren and, when monitored, notifies a monitoring centre that dispatches police or fire services. This guide defines the 4 parts of an alarm system, compares monitored and unmonitored alarms, lists 2026 costs, explains the 5 steps of a monitored alarm response, and covers alarm permits and false-alarm fines.
What Is a Home Alarm System?
A home alarm system has 4 parts: a control panel that arms and disarms the system, detection devices (door, window, motion, glass-break, smoke, and CO sensors), a siren of 85 to 110 decibels, and a communicator that sends alarm signals to a monitoring centre over cellular or broadband.
An alarm system differs from a camera system in that it detects events and triggers a response rather than recording video; most 2026 systems combine both, as the home security systems guide describes.
Monitored vs Unmonitored Alarm Systems: What Is the Difference?
A monitored alarm system sends every alarm to a 24/7 centre that calls you and dispatches emergency services, while an unmonitored alarm only sounds a siren and alerts your phone; monitoring costs $19.99 to $49.99 per month and is required for most insurance discounts.
| Attribute | Monitored | Unmonitored |
|---|---|---|
| Response when you cannot answer | Centre dispatches police or fire | None |
| Monthly cost | $19.99 to $49.99 | $0 to $10 |
| Insurance discount | Usually 5 to 20% | Rarely |
| Cellular backup | Included on most plans | Depends on hub |
| Fire and CO dispatch | Yes | No |
How Much Does a Home Alarm System Cost?
A home alarm system costs $150 to $600 for a sensor-only system and $19.99 to $49.99 per month for monitoring in 2026; a professionally installed example, Vivint HomeProtect, costs $24.99 per month with a 36-month agreement and includes installation.
The Vivint monitoring page lists plan prices, response times, and backup; the alarm monitoring guide explains how to compare monitoring centres.
What Happens When a Monitored Alarm Goes Off?
When a monitored alarm goes off, 5 steps follow: the panel sends the signal to the centre, an agent calls the primary contact for a passcode, the agent verifies the event (by camera where available), the agent dispatches police, fire, or medical services, and the agent notifies emergency contacts.
Response time from signal to agent averaged 33 seconds for Vivint and 28 seconds for ADT in Security.org's 2026 tests; the industry target is 45 seconds.
Do You Need a Permit for a Home Alarm System?
Yes, most United States cities require an alarm permit for a monitored alarm system, costing $0 to $100 per year, and fine unregistered or repeated false alarms $25 to $300 per incident after the first one or two free responses.
The false alarm fee guide lists prevention steps, and the Vivint service areas pages note permit rules by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
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