The short answer
A wireless burglar alarm in the UK typically costs from around £400–£700 for a basic professionally fitted system, rising to £700–£1,200+ for a larger or monitored Grade 2 setup. Self-fit wireless kits start lower, around £150–£400. Wireless systems use battery-powered PIRs and door contacts that communicate with the control panel by radio, so installation is faster and tidier than wired, with little cable to chase in. The trade-off is periodic battery replacement and slightly higher per-device hardware cost. A monitored wireless system adds dual-path signalling and an ARC subscription. These are typical UK ranges for guidance, not quotations.
Wireless alarms are popular for finished homes because they fit quickly without disruption. The figures below are typical UK ranges for guidance, not quotations.
Typical wireless alarm costs
- Self-fit wireless kit~£150–£400
- Basic fitted system~£400–£700
- Larger / monitored Grade 2~£700–£1,200+
- Ongoingbattery replacement + servicing
- Suited tofinished homes, fast retrofit
What you pay for in a wireless system
A wireless alarm is built around the same core as any other system — a control panel, PIR motion sensors, door and window contacts, a keypad or keyfob, and an external bell box — but the sensors are battery-powered and communicate by radio rather than over cable. That difference reshapes the cost. The installation labour is lower because there is little or no cabling to run through walls and floors, so a fitter can complete a typical home in well under a day. Against that, the individual devices tend to cost a little more than their wired equivalents, because each contains a radio transmitter and battery.
As with any alarm, the number of detection points drives the total. A small flat needs only a panel, one or two PIRs and a door contact; a larger house with several entrances, a garage and outbuildings needs more sensors, each adding device and programming cost. Pet-tolerant PIRs, vibration sensors on vulnerable windows, panic buttons and additional keypads all push the figure up. A graded panel meeting EN 50131 with proper tamper monitoring costs more than a basic consumer kit but is needed for monitoring or police response.
Signal reliability is part of what a wireless system is designed around, and it influences the specification. Quality wireless alarms use two-way encrypted radio between sensors and panel, so the panel can confirm each device is present and report a fault if one stops responding — protection against both interference and tampering. Graded wireless systems also include tamper detection on the sensors and bell box, and supervise battery levels continuously. These features are part of why a graded wireless device costs more than a basic consumer one, and why a well-specified wireless system is as dependable as a wired equivalent for most homes.
The kit you choose sets the starting point. A basic DIY wireless alarm — panel, one or two PIRs, a door contact and an external sounder — can be bought for under £200 and self-fitted, while a professionally supplied and installed wireless system to a recognised grade runs to several hundred pounds once labour and commissioning are added. The difference is not only the box: a graded wireless system uses supervised, encrypted two-way radio so the panel constantly confirms each detector is present and the signal cannot be trivially jammed or spoofed, which cheaper DIY kits often lack.
| System type | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Self-fit wireless kit | ~£150–£400 | no install or certification |
| Basic fitted wireless | ~£400–£700 | panel, few sensors, bell box |
| Larger fitted wireless | ~£700–£1,000 | more sensors, app control |
| Monitored Grade 2 wireless | ~£900–£1,200+ | dual-path signalling + ARC fee |
Indicative UK figures for guidance. Sources: Checkatrade and Which? home alarm guides.
Wireless versus wired on cost
The headline reason people choose wireless is speed and tidiness of installation. In a finished home, running cable for a wired system means lifting carpets, chasing walls and making good afterwards — hours of labour and some disruption. A wireless system avoids almost all of that, so the fitting cost is lower and the job is cleaner. For a property you are not renovating, this is usually the deciding factor.
Wired systems can still work out cheaper over the long run in the right setting. The sensors have no batteries to replace, drawing power from the panel, so the maintenance burden is lower year on year. In a new-build or a property being rewired, cable can be run before the walls are closed, removing the labour penalty entirely. So the comparison is really about timing: wired suits open structures and new builds, wireless suits retrofits into finished homes where minimal disruption matters most.
Running costs are modest but real. Each wireless detector is powered by a long-life lithium battery, typically lasting two to five years, and the panel gives ample warning before one fails — but across a dozen sensors that is an occasional small outlay to budget for. A monitored wireless system also carries the same subscription and maintenance costs as any monitored alarm. None of this is large, but it is the honest counterweight to the lower installation cost: you trade a little ongoing battery housekeeping for the convenience of no cabling.
Running costs and monitoring
Beyond the install, a wireless alarm carries two ongoing costs to plan for. The first is battery replacement: each sensor and the bell box hold batteries that last roughly a couple of years, and the panel flags a low battery before it fails. Replacing them yourself is cheap; having an engineer do it during a service rolls it into the maintenance visit. The second, if the system is monitored, is the subscription to an alarm receiving centre, which is separate from the hardware cost.
A monitored wireless system uses dual-path signalling — typically broadband plus a mobile/GSM path — so that if one route fails the other still reports activations. This signalling hardware and the ARC contract add to both the upfront and the recurring cost, but they are what let the system call keyholders or request police response when no one is home. A bell-only wireless alarm has no subscription, keeping the running cost to little more than the occasional battery and service. The right balance depends on whether you want the alarm to act on your behalf when the property is empty.
The way a wireless system is powered also shapes its running cost. The control panel and external bell box are usually mains-powered with a rechargeable backup battery, so they keep working through a short power cut, while the detectors run on long-life lithium cells. Because the panel supervises every battery and warns well before any cell is exhausted, the practical burden is modest — typically swapping a handful of cells across the system every couple of years. Budgeting a small annual sum for batteries, and rolling their replacement into a service visit, keeps a wireless system reliable without unexpected costs.
Where wireless makes most financial sense is in homes where cabling would be disruptive or impossible — solid-wall period properties, listed buildings, finished homes and rentals — because it avoids the labour and making-good that a wired install needs. In a new-build or a property mid-renovation, a wired system can be the cheaper long-term option, since cable is inexpensive when walls are open and there are no batteries to replace. Matching the technology to the building, rather than defaulting to one, is what keeps both the install and the upkeep proportionate.
Frequently asked questions
Is a wireless burglar alarm more expensive than a wired one?
The hardware can cost slightly more per device, but wireless installation is usually cheaper in a finished home because there is little cabling to run. Wired systems can work out cheaper over time as there are no sensor batteries to replace, and are economical in new builds where cable is run before walls close up.
How long do wireless alarm sensor batteries last?
Most wireless sensor batteries last around two years, and the control panel warns you with a low-battery signal before they fail. Replacing them is inexpensive, but it is a genuine ongoing cost to budget for over the life of the system.
Can a wireless alarm be monitored and get police response?
Yes. A wireless system can be fitted with dual-path signalling and monitored by an alarm receiving centre. For police response it must be installed by an NSI or SSAIB approved company to EN 50131 so it can hold a police Unique Reference Number.
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.