Summary
Burglar alarm pricing has two variables that matter far more than the headline "how many sensors" question most customers lead with: wired versus wireless, and monitored versus unmonitored. Wireless collapses the labour cost because there's no chasing, no conduit, and no cable runs — a system that takes two days to wire in can often go in wireless in half a day. Monitoring adds an ongoing subscription and, for anything above Grade 2, a dual-path communicator and ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre) contract that has to be priced into the quote, not bolted on as an afterthought once the customer asks "can the police come?"
The other thing that catches tradespeople out — particularly electricians and locksmiths branching into alarms rather than specialist security installers — is that the BS EN 50131 grade isn't a marketing tier, it's a technical specification that drives real cost. A Grade 2 system and a Grade 3 system aren't the same equipment with a different price sticker; Grade 3 requires certified panels, certified detectors, anti-masking that raises a full alarm rather than a fault, 30-hour standby power instead of 12, and (in most cases) a dual-path connection to an ARC. Quoting Grade 3 equipment prices for what's actually a Grade 2 job, or vice versa, either loses the job on price or leaves the customer with a system that doesn't meet their insurer's or the police's requirements.
This guide covers pricing a standard domestic-to-light-commercial installation. For the technical detail behind grade selection, wireless jamming/battery considerations, ARC connection types, and NSI/SSAIB accreditation itself, see the companion technical articles linked in Related Articles — this guide assumes that context and focuses on turning it into a number on a quote.
Key Facts
- Wired vs wireless labour — wireless installation of a domestic system typically takes 4–8 hours (one engineer, one day); an equivalent wired system with new cable runs takes 1.5–3 days because of chasing, drilling, and running cable to each device
- Reusing existing wiring — upgrading or replacing a panel on an already-wired system (existing cable runs sound and correctly positioned) cuts labour back close to wireless-install time, often 0.5–1 day
- Control panel — hybrid wired/wireless panels typically cost the installer £80–£250 trade price depending on zone capacity and grade certification
- PIR sensor — wired PIR £15–£35 each; wireless PIR £25–£45 each (battery, RF module, and Grade 2/3 certification add cost over wired)
- Door/window contact — wired £5–£15 each; wireless £15–£25 each
- External sounder/bell box — self-powered, tamper-protected, weatherproof £60–£150; higher for units with integrated strobe or backup battery
- Keypad — £30–£80, more for touchscreen or app-integrated keypads
- Monitoring/smart app connectivity module (IP or GSM communicator) — £60–£150 as a one-off hardware cost, separate from any ongoing monitoring subscription
- Day rate — a single security engineer typically bills £220–£320/day; a two-person team for larger wired jobs or same-day commissioning runs higher
- Domestic Grade 2 monitoring subscription — typically £15–£35/month, varies significantly by ARC and confirmation method; always confirm current rates with your chosen ARC before quoting
- Commercial Grade 3 monitoring subscription — typically £25–£45/month, reflecting dual-path signalling and ATS4 requirements
- NSI/SSAIB accreditation is an overhead, not a line item on the customer's invoice — annual approval fees run £1,500–£3,000 (see nsi ssaib approval guide) and must be recovered through day rate and margin across all jobs, not charged separately per install
- Grade drives equipment spec, not just device count — Grade 3 requires every component (panel, detectors, keypad, communicator) individually certified to Grade 3; mixing a Grade 2 detector into a Grade 3 system drops the whole system to Grade 2
- BS 8243:2021 — the code of practice for configuring systems to generate a confirmed alarm condition; required for police response eligibility on monitored Grade 2/3 systems and adds commissioning time (sequential confirmation testing) that should be priced into monitored jobs
- VAT — standard rate 20% applies to alarm installation and monitoring on most domestic and commercial jobs
- Existing wiring reuse is the single biggest cost swing on a like-for-like replacement job — always survey before quoting a fixed price; a "simple panel swap" can turn into a full rewire if the existing cabling doesn't meet current standards or is damaged
Quick Reference Table
Spending too long on quotes? squote turns a 2-minute voice recording into a professional quote.
Try squote free →| System type | Grade | Devices | Monitored? | Supply | Labour | Total installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless, bells-only | Grade 1–2 | 4–6 | No | £250–£500 | £200–£500 (0.5–1 day) | £450–£1,000 |
| Wireless, standard domestic | Grade 2 | 6–8 | No | £350–£700 | £250–£900 (0.5–1 day) | £600–£1,600 |
| Wireless, standard domestic | Grade 2 | 6–8 | Yes (Year 1, incl. subscription) | £400–£900 | £400–£900 | £1,200–£2,800 |
| Wired, standard domestic | Grade 2 | 6–8 | No | £400–£800 | £600–£2,000 (1.5–3 days) | £1,200–£2,800 |
| Wired, standard domestic | Grade 2 | 6–8 | Yes (Year 1, incl. subscription) | £500–£1,000 | £800–£2,500 | £1,800–£4,000 |
| Panel/upgrade only, existing wiring reused | Grade 2 | n/a | No | £150–£400 | £200–£600 (0.5–1 day) | £450–£1,200 |
| Small commercial, wired | Grade 2–3 | 10–16 | Yes (ARC dual-path) | £900–£2,000 | £1,200–£3,000 | £2,500–£5,500 |
| Commercial/high-risk, wired | Grade 3–4 | 16+ | Yes (ARC dual-path, ATS4+) | £1,800–£4,000 | £2,000–£5,000+ | £4,500–£10,000+ |
| Additional zone/device (existing system) | Any | 1 | — | £15–£45 | £30–£80 | £60–£150 |
| NSI/SSAIB Gold annual overhead (business cost, not per-job) | — | — | — | — | — | £1,500–£3,000/year |
Detailed Guidance
Wired vs wireless: where the labour hours actually go
The biggest single driver of installed price on a like-for-like domestic system is whether cable needs to go in the walls. A wireless install for a typical 3–4 bedroom house — control panel, 3–4 PIRs, 3–4 door/window contacts, external sounder, keypad — is realistically a 4–8 hour job for one engineer, most of which is device siting, signal survey, and commissioning rather than physical installation. The same specification wired from scratch, with cable runs from the panel to every device, chasing where cable can't be run in the loft or under floors, and making good afterwards, is a 1.5–3 day job, and that's before accounting for redecoration the customer may need to arrange separately.
This isn't a reason to default to wireless on every quote — see wireless alarm systems for where wired remains the better technical choice (Grade 4 requirements, very large sites, environments with heavy RF interference) — but it is the reason a wired quote and a wireless quote for what looks like "the same job" to the customer can legitimately differ by £600–£1,500 in labour alone. Always be explicit with the customer about why, rather than leaving them to assume one quote is simply better value.
Equipment cost breakdown
Pricing the equipment side accurately means pricing each component, not a single "alarm kit" figure, because the mix changes with every job:
- Control panel — the biggest single equipment cost; a hybrid panel capable of Grade 2/3 operation and wired/wireless zones costs more than a basic Grade 1/2-only wireless hub, but gives flexibility for future extension
- PIR sensors — budget one per main room/hallway on a typical domestic layout; wireless units cost more per device than wired but save the equivalent in labour
- Door/window contacts — final entry doors are the minimum; ground-floor accessible windows should be quoted as an option, not assumed, since not every customer wants every window contacted
- External sounder/bell box — a self-powered, tamper-protected unit is non-negotiable on any system that isn't monitored (it's the primary deterrent and alert mechanism); a cheaper non-self-powered unit is a false economy that undermines the whole system
- Keypad — one per common entry/exit point on larger properties; app control doesn't remove the need for a physical keypad as the primary user interface
- Monitoring/smart app connectivity module — this is a one-off hardware cost (the IP/GSM communicator) that's separate from the recurring monitoring subscription; don't conflate the two when itemising the quote
BS EN 50131 grading and how it changes the cost
Grade selection (see intruder alarm grades for the full technical breakdown) is not optional and is not simply "how much does the customer want to spend" — PD 6662:2017 requires a documented risk assessment to determine the appropriate grade, and the equipment and labour cost follow from that grade, not the other way round.
- Grade 1 — rarely quoted as a standalone domestic system by NSI/SSAIB approved installers; Grade 2 is barely more expensive and gives a materially better baseline, so most installers don't offer Grade 1 except for outbuildings or as an internal zone within a higher-grade system
- Grade 2 — the standard for the vast majority of domestic and small commercial quotes; anti-masking, full tamper monitoring, and 12-hour standby power are baseline requirements that are already priced into the ranges above
- Grade 3 — every component must carry individual Grade 3 certification; this typically adds 20–40% to equipment cost over an equivalent Grade 2 spec, plus mandatory dual-path ARC connection and 30-hour standby power, which usually means a larger battery and sometimes a dedicated cellular communicator
- Grade 4 — uncommon outside specialist high-value applications (banks, jewellers); wired only, dual-path mandatory, and priced as a bespoke specification rather than off a standard rate card
If a customer asks for a lower grade than the risk assessment recommends, that's a documented decision (a signed acceptance of reduced protection), not a price negotiation — flag this clearly rather than quietly quoting down to match a budget.
Monitored vs unmonitored: what the subscription actually buys
An unmonitored system relies on the external sounder and, if the customer wants it, a smart app notification to alert them or neighbours directly — there's no ARC involvement and no ongoing service cost beyond the hardware. A monitored system connects via an IP or dual-path communicator to an ARC (see alarm receiving centre arc) which can dispatch a keyholder or, where a police URN is in place, seek police response.
Monitoring is priced two ways: the one-off communicator hardware (already included in the equipment figures above) and the recurring ARC subscription, which the installer typically either resells (adding margin to the ARC's wholesale rate) or the customer contracts directly. Either way, quote the first year's monitoring cost as part of the total installed price so the customer isn't surprised by a recurring bill they didn't budget for — this is one of the most common causes of post-install disputes in the sector.
For Grade 2/3 systems seeking police response, commissioning must also configure the system to generate a confirmed alarm condition under BS 8243:2021 — sequential confirmation (two independent triggers) or audio/visual verification — before the ARC will accept a URN application. This adds commissioning time that should be priced into any monitored quote, not treated as included "for free" alongside a standard install.
What affects price beyond the headline system type
- Property size and layout — more rooms, more floors, and more perimeter openings mean more devices and, on wired jobs, longer cable runs; always survey rather than quote from a floor plan or phone description alone
- Number of zones/sensors — each additional zone is a marginal cost on top of the base system (see Quick Reference Table), but crossing certain thresholds (e.g. moving from a single-panel domestic capacity to a multi-zone commercial panel) can be a step change rather than a linear one
- Existing wiring reuse vs new cable runs — the largest single swing factor on replacement/upgrade jobs; survey the existing cabling condition and routing before quoting a fixed price, and flag a contingency if the existing wiring can't be fully verified until the old system is stripped out
- False-alarm-reduction requirements for monitored systems — BS 8243:2021 confirmation configuration, as above, adds commissioning time on any job seeking police-eligible monitoring
- Access and site conditions — high ceilings, listed building consent requirements (favouring wireless over chasing), and multi-occupancy properties all add time that a flat day rate won't capture
Worked examples
Example A — wireless Grade 2, unmonitored, 4-bed detached house:
- Survey visit: no charge, absorbed into quote.
- Equipment: hybrid panel, 4 wireless PIRs, 4 wireless door/window contacts, external sounder, keypad, app connectivity module: £620.
- Labour: 1 engineer, 6 hours at £280/day (pro-rated): £210.
- Subtotal: £830.
- Markup at 30%: £249.
- Quoted price, ex-VAT: £1,079.
- Add VAT at 20%: £1,294.80 total client price.
Example B — wired Grade 3, monitored, small commercial unit with existing stock room:
- Survey visit: confirms new cable runs needed throughout, existing wiring from a legacy system unusable.
- Equipment: Grade 3 certified panel, 8 wired PIRs, 6 door contacts, 2 shock detectors, external sounder with strobe, keypad, dual-path communicator: £1,650.
- Labour: 2 engineers, 2 days, chasing/cabling/commissioning including BS 8243 confirmation setup and ARC test: £1,400.
- Year 1 ARC monitoring subscription (Grade 3, dual-path): £420.
- Subtotal: £3,470.
- Markup at 25%: £868.
- Quoted price, ex-VAT: £4,338.
- Add VAT at 20%: £5,205.60 total client price.
What to include in every quote
Itemise as: survey (if charged); grade recommended (with reference to the risk assessment); equipment by device type; labour (stating wired or wireless and why); monitoring hardware (if applicable) as a separate line from the recurring subscription; first-year monitoring subscription cost (if monitored); commissioning/confirmation testing (for monitored Grade 2/3 systems); NSI/SSAIB commissioning certificate; and an optional maintenance contract (see security system maintenance contracts) with its own annual or bi-annual price, since maintenance is a required ongoing obligation for NSI/SSAIB-approved installations, not a discretionary add-on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a monitored system cost so much more than an unmonitored one for what looks like the same hardware?
Because monitoring isn't just a subscription bolted onto identical equipment — it requires a dual-path or IP communicator (additional hardware), commissioning time to configure and test a confirmed alarm condition under BS 8243:2021, and an ongoing ARC contract. On Grade 3 systems it also typically requires higher-standby-power components. Quote it as a genuinely different specification, not a checkbox on the same system.
Should I always recommend wireless to keep the price down?
No — wireless keeps labour cost down, but it isn't automatically the right technical choice. Grade 4 isn't achievable wirelessly, and very large or RF-hostile sites may need a wired or hybrid approach (see wireless alarm systems). Recommend based on the risk assessment and site conditions first, and present the wired option's higher labour cost transparently if that's the better fit rather than defaulting to whichever is cheaper to quote.
Do I need NSI or SSAIB approval to install and price burglar alarms?
Not legally, for basic unmonitored domestic systems. But approval is required for the customer to get a police URN, and many insurers specify NSI Gold or SSAIB-installed systems as a policy condition for monitored/higher-value cover — see nsi ssaib approval guide. If you're not approved, be upfront with customers who need monitored or insurance-recognised systems that they may need a different installer, rather than quoting a system you can't actually deliver compliant.
How much should I add for maintenance, and is it optional?
For NSI/SSAIB approved installers it isn't optional — a maintenance contract must be offered, with a minimum of one inspection a year for Grade 1–2 systems and two a year for Grade 3–4 (see security system maintenance contracts). Price it as a separate annual or bi-annual line so the customer understands it's an ongoing requirement for keeping their insurance and police response status valid, not an upsell.
What's the biggest quoting mistake on burglar alarm jobs specifically?
Quoting a "panel swap" or upgrade at wireless-speed labour without first confirming whether the existing wiring is actually reusable. If the existing cable runs are damaged, incorrectly routed, or don't meet current standards, what looked like a half-day job becomes a full rewire. Survey before quoting a fixed price on any replacement job, and if a full inspection isn't possible before commissioning, quote with a clearly stated contingency for wiring found unusable.
Regulations & Standards
BS EN 50131-1:2006+A3:2022 — Intruder and hold-up alarm systems: general requirements; defines Grades 1–4 and environmental classes that drive equipment specification and cost
PD 6662:2017 — UK application document for BS EN 50131; mandates the risk assessment methodology that determines grade selection
BS 8243:2021 — Code of practice for configuring intruder and hold-up alarm systems to generate a confirmed alarm condition; required for police-eligible monitored systems, adds commissioning time
BS EN 50518:2019 — Alarm Receiving Centre standard; ARCs must be listed and compliant for police URN eligibility
NPCC Security Systems Policy — sets police response conditions for confirmed alarms from approved installers and listed ARCs
Building Regulations Part P — notifiable electrical work applies where a mains-powered panel or wired sounder requires new fixed wiring in a domestic dwelling; check whether the installation falls within a competent person scheme or requires building control notification
NSI — National Security Inspectorate — approval scheme, grade compliance guidance, fee structure
SSAIB — Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board — approval scheme and technical guidance
BSI — BS EN 50131-1 — intruder alarm system standard, grading framework
NPCC — National Police Chiefs' Council — police response policy for confirmed alarms and URN requirements
BSIA — British Security Industry Association — industry technical guidance and market overview
intruder alarm grades — full technical breakdown of BS EN 50131 Grades 1–4 and how grade is determined by risk assessment
wireless alarm systems — wired vs wireless decision framework, jamming detection, battery management
nsi ssaib approval guide — accreditation process, Gold vs Silver grades, and why insurers require approved installers
security system maintenance contracts — mandatory inspection frequencies and maintenance contract pricing structure