The short answer
A professionally installed intruder alarm in the UK typically costs £400–£1,500, with most homes paying around £600–£900 for a complete wireless system. A basic bells-only system often falls in the £400–£1,000 installed range, while a monitored system has broadly similar hardware and fitting costs but adds an ongoing subscription of roughly £15–£45 per month. Labour for an alarm engineer commonly runs around £60–£80 per hour. The main drivers are the size of your property, the number of sensors, the grade of system and whether you add professional monitoring — so the figure is a range until an installer surveys your home.
Price depends mainly on how big your property is, how many sensors and zones it needs, the grade of the system and whether you add monitoring. The figures below are typical installed prices for guidance, not quotations.
Typical UK costs
- Installed system£400–£1,500
- Common wireless system~£600–£900
- Bells-only installed~£400–£1,000
- Monitoring subscription~£15–£45 / month
- Engineer labour~£60–£80 / hour
What drives the price
- Property size & sensors: a larger home needs more detectors, door contacts and zones, so a bigger system costs more to supply and fit.
- System type: a bells-only alarm has no ongoing fee, while a monitored system adds a subscription (see the bells-only versus monitored page).
- Grade: a higher-grade, police-response-eligible system (Grade 2 and up) typically costs more than a basic deterrent alarm.
- Wired or wireless: the two work out broadly similar once installed — wireless is quicker to fit, wired needs cabling (see the wired versus wireless page).
| Item | Typical figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Installed system | £400–£1,500 | varies by size, grade & type |
| Common wireless system | ~£600–£900 | complete, monitoring-ready hardware |
| Bells-only installed | ~£400–£1,000 | siren only, no ongoing fee |
| Monitoring subscription | ~£15–£45 / month | added on top for monitored systems |
Indicative UK figures for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and MyJobQuote alarm cost guides.
Where the ongoing cost comes in
The headline install figure is a one-off, but a monitored system also carries a monthly subscription — typically £15–£45 per month — for the 24/7 Alarm Receiving Centre that handles activations. A bells-only system has no such fee. When comparing quotes, separate the one-off install from the recurring monitoring cost, and check what the subscription includes (keyholder alerts, police response eligibility, maintenance visits), because those vary between providers.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a burglar alarm cost in the UK?
A professionally installed intruder alarm typically costs £400–£1,500, with most homes paying around £600–£900 for a complete wireless system. A basic bells-only system often falls in the £400–£1,000 installed range; a monitored system adds a subscription of roughly £15–£45 per month.
Is a bells-only alarm cheaper than a monitored one?
The hardware and installation costs are broadly similar, but a bells-only alarm has no ongoing fee, while a monitored system adds a monthly subscription of roughly £15–£45. Over a few years the monitoring is where the difference adds up.
Why is the price range so wide?
Because homes differ. The size of your property, the number of sensors and zones, the grade of system and whether you add monitoring all move the figure. A surveyed quote gives the accurate number for your home.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property and system. They are guidance, not a quotation.