Home Security System Cost Calculator
Estimate your total home security system cost including upfront equipment, installation, and ongoing monthly monitoring fees over your chosen contract period.
Fill in the fields above and click Calculate.
Formula
Equipment Cost = Base System Cost + (Extra Cameras × $80) + (Extra Sensors × $20) + Smart Home Hub + Backup Power
Installation Cost = (Base Labor $200 + Cameras × $50 + Sensors × $10) × Home Size Multiplier
Home Size Multipliers: Small = 1.0×, Medium = 1.2×, Large = 1.5×, Extra Large = 1.8×
Upfront Cost = Equipment Cost + Installation Cost
Total Monitoring Cost = Monthly Monitoring Fee × Contract Length (months)
Total Cost of Ownership = Upfront Cost + Total Monitoring Cost
Monthly Equivalent = Total Cost of Ownership ÷ Contract Length
Assumptions & References
- Base system costs are industry averages: Basic $150, Standard $350, Advanced $700, Premium $1,200 (Forbes Home, 2024).
- Additional cameras priced at $80 each (average indoor/outdoor HD camera retail price).
- Additional door/window sensors priced at $20 each (industry average).
- Professional installation base labor of $200 plus $50/camera and $10/sensor reflects typical ADT, Vivint, and independent installer rates.
- Home size multipliers account for additional wiring, travel time, and complexity in larger homes.
- Monitoring tiers: No monitoring ($0), Basic ($15/mo), Standard ($30/mo), Premium ($50/mo) — consistent with SimpliSafe, Ring, and ADT published rates (2024).
- Smart home integration hub (Z-Wave/Zigbee) add-on cost of $150 is based on typical hub retail pricing.
- Cellular and battery backup add-on of $100 reflects average module cost for panel-level backup.
- DIY installation assumes $0 labor cost; user supplies own tools and time.
- Estimates do not include permit fees (typically $25–$100 depending on municipality), taxes, or optional extended warranties.
- Sources: Forbes Home Security Cost Guide (2024), Consumer Reports Home Security (2023), ADT and SimpliSafe published pricing.