How much should you pay for a Security System?

Determining a fair price to pay for a security system can be accomplished by knowing your needs and what you want the system to do. You should know the following before you speak to any security company.

1. How many points of entry are there into your home or business? Remember to include all doors, windows, garage doors and basement entrances. Windows located on the 2nd floor of your home can be excluded in most cases. If you are unsure about the 2nd floor windows ask! Remember the more entry points you have the more devices you will need.

2. Do you want the security system to be monitored? Security system monitoring costs vary from $17.99 per month to $35.00 per month. Be very careful here. There are companies that will give you the "monitoring pitch" in order to persuade you to use their services. What you need to ask the security provider regarding monitoring: where is the monitoring station located, what back up systems do they have in place, what is the process if an alarm occurs at your home or business and is the monitoring station UL rated (helps for insurance purposes). One note regarding monitoring - try to find a reputable security dealer that will monitor your system without requiring you to sign a monitoring contract. If you have to sign a contract please understand it and most importantly understand the cost if you terminate the contract early.

3. Systems Costs: A basic alarm system should cost (depending the number of devices) between $299 and $399 installed. For this price your doors should be covered and at least one motion should be installed on the main level of the home or business. The system should also include the keypad, the telephone interface, a back up battery and a siren or bell.

Additional items to consider: additional motion sensors, glass break detectors, an additional keypad in the master bedroom, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. My personal belief is that you should add at least one carbon monoxide sensor and one smoke detector in the sleeping areas of the home.

If you would like additional information regarding security systems or would like to schedule a free site visit by one of our representatives, please call our offices at 678 627 0072 or you can email us at info@astsecure.com.