Alarm Monitoring Cost

HomeGuide puts professional alarm monitoring at $25 to $50 a month on average.

Monthly monitoring by company

Current plan prices from reviews

What raises the monthly bill

• Cameras: ADT's Complete plan is required with cameras; Vivint adds about $5 a month per extra camera (NerdWallet).
• Pro installation: ADT charges $10 a month more for pro-installed systems than for DIY.
• Add-ons: medical alert service adds $20 to $50 a month (HomeGuide).

Self-monitoring is free with SimpliSafe, and ADT DIY customers can drop to free self-monitoring after the first month (NerdWallet).

Self-monitoring vs. professional monitoring

Contract terms

• ADT: 36-month minimum for pro-installed systems (24 in California); a six-month money-back guarantee.
• Vivint: contracts tied to equipment financing up to 60 months; a 3-day money-back guarantee (Security.org).
• SimpliSafe: no contract.

Over a three-year contract

At HomeGuide's $25 to $50 a month, monitoring alone comes to $900 to $1,800 over 36 months, more than most equipment packages cost up front.

NerdWallet's averages

NerdWallet puts professional monitoring at about $20 to $80 a month, averaging about $25. Add-on features like video recording and smart alerts cost about $4 to $20, around $10 on average; self-monitoring is free.

Contract length by company (HomeGuide)

What alarm monitoring is

Alarm monitoring connects your security system to a monitoring center. When an alarm goes off, operators try to reach you and can send police, fire or medical help.

Types of monitoring

• Professional monitoring: a staffed center watches alarms around the clock.
• Self-monitoring: alerts go to your phone, and you decide what to do.
• Video verification: operators can view camera clips to confirm an alarm, which some police departments prefer.

How signals are sent

• Cellular: the most common today. Works if internet or phone lines go down.
• Internet: uses home Wi-Fi or broadband.
• Landline: older and less common.

What affects the price

• Professional or self-monitoring.
• Contract length.
• Video monitoring and cloud storage.
• Smart home integration.
• Fire, carbon monoxide and flood monitoring.

False alarms

Many cities charge fees for repeated false alarms. Some require an alarm permit. Learn how to use your system and keep contact numbers up to date.

Questions to ask

1. Is monitoring done by your own center or a third party?
2. What happens if my internet or power goes out?
3. Are there contract or cancellation fees?

In Texas

Many Texas cities require alarm permits and charge fees for false alarms. Check with your city before activating monitoring.

What happens when an alarm goes off

When a sensor triggers while the system is armed, the panel sends a signal to the monitoring center over a cellular connection, the internet, or a landline, depending on the system. An operator sees the alert, the type of sensor and the zone. In most setups, the operator first tries to reach the homeowner by phone or app to confirm whether it is a real emergency. If no one answers, or the person cannot give the correct passcode, the operator requests a police, fire or medical response, depending on the alarm.

Some systems add video or audio verification, where the operator can view camera footage or listen in to confirm activity before calling dispatch. Many police departments give higher priority to verified alarms, which is one reason video verification appears in higher-priced plans.

Choosing what to monitor

Burglary monitoring covers door, window and motion sensors. Fire monitoring requires smoke and heat detectors that are connected to the system; ordinary battery smoke alarms that are not tied in will not alert the monitoring center. Carbon monoxide, water leak and freeze sensors can also be monitored on many systems. Each added type of monitoring may raise the monthly price, but fire and water monitoring protect the home when you are away, which a stand-alone alarm cannot do.

Keeping costs down over time

• Ask whether you can bring your own compatible equipment, which some monitoring companies allow.
• Look at whether a cellular backup is included; systems that depend only on Wi-Fi go offline in a power or internet outage.
• Check whether your homeowners insurance offers a discount for professionally monitored burglary and fire systems, and ask the monitoring company for a certificate if it does.
• Review the plan when your contract ends. Rates and features change, and switching or renegotiating is often possible at renewal.

Testing the system

Most monitoring centers let you put the account in test mode and trigger sensors without dispatching anyone. Doing this every few months confirms that sensors, the communication path and the monitoring center are all working. Check that contact numbers on your account are current, since an operator who cannot reach anyone has to decide whether to dispatch.

Monitoring for small businesses

Businesses use the same basic monitoring as homes, with a few differences. Opening and closing reports show when the system was armed and disarmed and by which user code, which helps owners know when staff arrive and leave. Panic buttons for cash areas, hold-up alarms and environmental sensors for freezers or server rooms are common. Commercial plans may also require UL-listed monitoring for insurance. If you run a business from home, ask whether your plan covers business equipment.

Sources

1. HomeGuide: How Much Does a Home Security System Cost? (Apr 17, 2024)
2. NerdWallet: ADT Home Security Review (Aug 6, 2025)
3. NerdWallet: SimpliSafe Home Security System Review (Oct 8, 2025)
4. NerdWallet: Vivint Home Security System Review (Oct 29, 2025)
5. Security.org: ADT Home Security System Cost & Package Pricing (updated Sep 16, 2026)
6. Security.org: How Much Does Vivint Cost? (updated Sep 21, 2026)
7. NerdWallet: How Much Does a Home Security System Cost? (updated Oct 21, 2025)