How much does an alarm system cost?
Alarm system and monitoring costs in south-east Queensland, 2026
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A professionally installed home alarm in Brisbane typically costs $800 to $2,000 for a standard house, and $2,000 to $4,000 for larger homes or systems with extra zones and outdoor sensors. Back-to-base monitoring then adds roughly $1 to $2 a day. The installation is a one-off cost, but monitoring and patrol response are what you keep paying for, so compare both when you look at quotes.
These are indicative ranges for south-east Queensland in 2026, including GST. Use them to sense-check quotes, not to replace them.
Typical alarm costs
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| DIY wireless alarm kit | $200 – $800 |
| Installed alarm, small home or unit (4–6 sensors) | $800 – $1,500 |
| Installed alarm, larger home (8+ sensors, outdoor detectors) | $1,500 – $4,000 |
| Extra motion sensor or door reed switch, installed | $80 – $200 each |
| Phone app / remote arming module | $150 – $400 |
| Back-to-base monitoring | $30 – $60 a month |
| Guard or patrol attendance after an alarm | $60 – $150 per call-out |
| Service visit and battery replacement | $150 – $250 |
What changes the price
Number of zones and sensors
Every entry point you want covered adds a sensor, and every sensor adds equipment and time. A typical lowset house needs sensors on the main doors plus motion detectors covering the living areas and hallway. Highset homes and houses with separate garages or granny flats need more.
Wired or wireless
Hardwired sensors are cheap per unit and never need batteries, but running cable through a finished home takes time. Wireless sensors cost more each and need battery changes every few years, but they install quickly and suit homes where cabling is difficult. Many installers use a mix.
Monitoring and response
Self-monitored alarms send alerts to your phone and cost nothing ongoing, but you have to act on every alert yourself. Back-to-base monitoring sends alerts to a control room that calls you and can dispatch a patrol. Ask each provider:
- who runs the monitoring centre, and whether it is in Australia
- what happens, step by step, when the alarm is triggered at 2am
- whether patrol attendance is included or charged per call-out
- how long the monitoring contract runs and what it costs to leave early
Costs that catch people out
- Lock-in contracts. Some “free installation” offers are paid back through a 24 or 36 month monitoring contract. Work out the total over the contract term.
- False alarm fees. Repeated false alarms can bring patrol call-out charges. Pet-friendly motion sensors and a properly set entry delay prevent most of them.
- Old panels. Older alarm panels may need a new communicator to keep reporting to a monitoring centre, as older phone-line and mobile technologies are retired.
- Smoke alarms. Queensland law requires interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in homes, with all homes due to comply by 1 January 2027. Some alarm companies can quote for these on the same visit. Check the current requirements with Queensland Fire Department before you buy.
Before you sign
Installing and monitoring alarms is licensed security work in many states, so ask for the business’s licence number and look it up on the regulator’s public register. Get at least two written quotes that list the panel model, the number and type of sensors, the monitoring price and the contract term.
Compare alarm providers serving Carindale, Wynnum, Everton Park and other Brisbane suburbs.