Home Security Systems: Installation and Monitoring

Most systems are built from a few basic parts. You can start small and add pieces later.

• Control panel or hub: the base unit that arms and disarms the system, often with a keypad or phone app.
• Door and window sensors: they signal when a door or window opens.
• Motion sensors and glass-break sensors: they watch rooms and windows.
• Siren: sounds when the alarm is triggered.
• Security cameras: indoor or outdoor, wired or battery powered, with video you view on your phone.
• Video doorbell: shows who is at the door and lets you talk to them.
• Smart lock: lets you lock or unlock a door from an app or with a code.
• Monitoring: either you watch the alerts yourself, or a professional monitoring center responds.

If you only need new locks or rekeyed doors, a locksmith may be the right call instead of a full system.

Systems differ in how they are powered, how they connect, and who puts them in. Here is how the main options compare by features:

Many homes mix styles, for example a wired panel with wireless cameras. Tell each company how you use your home, how many doors and windows you want covered, and whether you rent or plan to move soon, and ask them to explain which style fits.

It depends on how you want alarms handled. With self-monitoring, alerts go to your phone and you decide whether to call for help. With professional monitoring, an alarm alerts a monitoring center, and the center can contact emergency services for you.

Before you choose, ask:

• Will the center call you before or after it contacts the police?
• How does the system reach the center: landline, internet, or cellular?
• Does the system have backup power if the electricity goes out?
• Is video storage included, and how long is video kept?
• Can you switch between self-monitoring and professional monitoring later?

The FTC also suggests calling your local police and fire departments to ask whether you need to register the system and how they handle false alarms.

Many monitored systems come with a written agreement. Read it closely and ask the company to explain anything unclear before you sign.

• Contract length: how long does it run, and does it renew on its own at the end?
• Cancellation terms: how do you cancel, how much notice is needed, and what happens if you cancel early?
• Moving: what happens to the contract and equipment if you sell the home or move?
• Equipment ownership: do you own the equipment, or is it leased? If it is leased, what happens to it when the contract ends?
• Monitoring options: is monitoring done by the company or a subcontractor, and can you change the monitoring level later?
• Warranty and repairs: what does the warranty cover, for how long, and who handles service calls after installation?

If you sign a contract in your home, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives you three business days to cancel. Get every promise in writing, and keep a copy of the signed agreement.

Licensing rules for security system installers vary by state. The FTC points homeowners to the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies to find their state's licensing agency, where you can check a company's license yourself.

The FTC's guide to shopping for a home security system adds these tips:

• Get written estimates from more than one company.
• Ask whether the company or a subcontractor will install and monitor the system.
• Make sure the written contract lists what is included, the contract length, the warranty, and how to cancel.
• Be wary of salespeople who push you to decide right away or talk up a crime wave in your area.

Also ask for proof of insurance, and ask who handles repairs and upgrades after the job is done.

When you call through Swupi, you speak with an independent local security company and agree on the equipment and terms with them directly. See how Swupi works.

Most installs follow the same basic steps, though the details depend on the system and your home.

1. Walk-through: the installer looks at your doors, windows, and entry points, and asks where you want cameras and sensors.
2. Written quote: you get a list of equipment, the monitoring option, and the contract terms. Compare at least two.
3. Install: the panel, sensors, cameras, doorbell, and locks are mounted and connected. Wireless gear can go in quickly; hardwired systems need cables run through walls.
4. Setup and test: the installer connects the system to Wi-Fi or a cellular signal, sets up the app, and tests each sensor and camera with you.
5. Training: ask the installer to show you how to arm, disarm, and cancel a false alarm, and to write down your codes.

A hardwired doorbell, camera, or panel may need a new outlet or circuit. If it does, an electrician may need to do that part. Ask how long the install will take and whether that work is listed in your quote.