Security & low voltage
Home Security Monitoring Cost Calculator
Prices monitoring, where the contract terms matter as much as the monthly figure.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
A monthly monitoring fee times the term, with any equipment subsidy and activation fee amortised over it. The structure is the thing to look at rather than the monthly number: a low monthly rate with subsidised equipment and a long contract can cost more over its life than a higher rate with equipment bought outright, and the early termination terms determine what happens if circumstances change.
What moves the number
- Contract length and whether equipment is subsidised or bought outright.
- Early termination terms, which can be substantial on a subsidised deal.
- Whether the equipment is proprietary or works with other providers.
- What the monitoring actually includes, such as cellular backup and verification.
Where this one goes wrong
Subsidised equipment on a long contract is a finance arrangement rather than a discount, and the total over the term is the figure to compare. Proprietary equipment is the related trap: a system locked to one provider cannot be moved to another monitoring company, so the customer is committed beyond the contract by the hardware itself. Buying equipment outright and choosing monitoring separately costs more up front and preserves the ability to change. Worth also establishing what happens on a move, since many contracts do not transfer simply.
Before you quote
- Compare total cost over the term, not the monthly figure.
- Check whether the equipment works with other monitoring providers.
- Read the early termination and relocation terms before signing.
Questions
About this calculator
Why is monitoring cheaper with some providers?
Often because the equipment is subsidised and recovered through a longer contract, which makes it a finance arrangement rather than a discount. Comparing the total over the full term, including activation and any equipment cost, is the only way to see which is actually cheaper.
Can I change monitoring companies?
It depends on whether the equipment is proprietary. A system locked to one provider cannot be monitored by another, so the hardware commits you beyond the contract. Equipment that works with multiple providers costs more up front and preserves the choice.
What should monitoring include?
A cellular communication path so a cut line does not disable reporting, and clarity on what happens on an activation, including whether there is any verification step before dispatch. Those affect whether the service does what the customer thinks they are buying.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 8 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $115.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $900.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 8 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $115 |
| Parts and materials | $900 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $1,915 |
| Labour | $920 |
| Before tax | $1,915 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $1,915: $920 of labour, $900 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $58 | $1,459 |
| $86 | $1,683 |
| $115 example above | $1,915 |
| $173 | $2,379 |
| $230 | $2,835 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 8 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $115.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $900.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.