What affects the cost of an alarm system for a commercial building?
A plain guide for property managers, condo boards and business owners in Alberta and BC. There are no prices here: every building is different, so we give you an itemized quote after a site visit.
The quick answer
Every building is different, so the cost depends on the size of the building and how many zones it needs, the number and type of sensors, and how the alarm is monitored and sends its signal (cellular, internet or both). The fastest way to get a real number is a site visit and an itemized quote.
The main cost factors
| Factor | Why it changes the cost |
|---|---|
| Building size and zones | More floors, rooms and separate areas (such as an office and a warehouse that arm separately) mean more zones and sometimes a larger panel. |
| Sensors | Door contacts, motion detectors, glass-break sensors, panic buttons and overhead door contacts are each priced differently, and the count adds up. |
| Wired or wireless | Wired sensors need cable runs; wireless sensors save labour in finished spaces but need batteries replaced over time. |
| Monitoring and signal path | Monitoring through our monitoring partner’s monitoring centre is an ongoing service. A cellular communicator, an internet connection or both carry the signal. |
| Keypads | Each entrance staff use to arm and disarm usually needs its own keypad. |
| Integration | Arming from access control, video-verified alarms with cameras and phone app control add hardware and programming. |
| Temperature sensors | Sensors on coolers, freezers and vaccine fridges add devices and alert setup. See cooler and freezer temperature alarms. |
One-time and ongoing costs
One-time costs
- The alarm panel, keypads and communicator
- Sensors and the labour to install and wire them
- Programming, user codes and testing with the monitoring centre
- Training, admin access and documentation
Ongoing costs
- Monitoring through our monitoring partner
- The cellular or internet service the alarm uses
- Replacement batteries for the panel and wireless sensors
- Maintenance visits and repairs
Ask any installer for the full cost of ownership over the years you plan to keep the system, not just the install. A system that’s cheaper to install can cost more to run.
Ways to keep the cost down
Reuse what’s still good. Wired sensors and cable in good shape can often stay when a panel is replaced. We check them during the site visit. See system rescue.
Cover the right places. Doors, ground-floor glass and the main paths through the building usually matter more than a sensor in every room.
Choose the right signal path. Cellular avoids a phone line, and dual path adds a backup where the risk is higher.
Add later on the same panel. Start with the essentials and add temperature sensors, panic buttons or more zones as you need them.
Plan it with cameras and doors. One plan lets door alarms, cameras and the alarm panel share cabling and work together.
What’s in a Hightower quote
Every Hightower quote is itemized. It lists the panel, every keypad and sensor, the communicator, the monitoring terms, with the make and model number of each part, the cabling, the labour, any licences, subscriptions or monitoring, and what we hand over at the end. Admin access and full documentation are handed over on every project.
That makes it easy to compare with other quotes line by line, see exactly what you’re paying for, and spot anything a cheaper quote has left out.
What to have ready for a quote
A floor plan or a rough list of doors, windows and rooms, and which areas need to arm separately.
The brand of any alarm panel you have today, and who monitors it now (check the contract’s end date and notice period).
Whether you need panic buttons, temperature sensors on coolers or freezers, or video-verified alarms.
Comparing panels? Read Bosch vs DSC and alarm monitoring explained.
Want a real number for your building?
Book a site visit. We’ll walk the building and give you an itemized quote with make and model numbers.
Related: intrusion alarmsalarm monitoring explainedcamera cost guideaccess control cost guide
Stuck with a system nobody will fix?
We repair and take over cameras, access control, intercoms and alarms installed by other companies, when your current provider has fallen short.
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Alarm system cost questions
How much does a commercial alarm system cost?
It depends on the size of the building, the sensors, the keypads and the monitoring. We don’t publish prices; after a site visit you get an itemized quote.
Can you reuse our existing sensors or panel?
Often, yes. Wired sensors and cable in good shape can stay, and we can take over many panels another company installed. We check during the site visit.
Is monitoring included in the price?
Monitoring through our monitoring partner is an ongoing service, so it’s quoted as its own line, separate from the installation.
Is wireless cheaper than wired?
Wireless sensors save labour in finished spaces, but their batteries need replacing over time. Wired suits new builds and open ceilings. We often mix both.
Can you add temperature sensors to our alarm?
Often, yes, on the same panel, with alerts to staff and to the monitoring centre when the alarm is monitored.
How long does installation take?
It depends on the size of the building, wired or wireless sensors and access to the building. Your quote includes a schedule.
Why don’t you publish prices?
Because a price without a site visit is a guess. Door hardware, cabling routes and what you already have change the cost from one building to the next, so we quote each building on its own.
More answers: Alarm questionsGlossary: alarm monitoringglass-break sensor
Get an itemized quote
Tell us about the building, the areas to protect and what you have today. We’ll follow up to book a site visit.
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