To protect your home and your family, you need to have a security system installed. When you are talking about security systems you have a choice between wireless and hard-wired systems. There are many reasons why installing a wireless system is your best choice. Before you get into the benefits of wireless security, you should understand the wireless security system cost for equipment, installation and monitoring.

Equipment

Wireless security systems require sensors for windows and doors, a computerized control panel, motion detectors, perimeter lighting, surveillance cameras and a battery back-up system incase your power goes out or is cut on purpose. The cost of all of this equipment, depending on how many sensors and cameras you need to fully cover your area, can run between $2,000 and $3,000. That cost includes installation for a basic system that consists of a pre-determined number of doors and windows.

Wireless security systems do not traditionally have sensors in second floor windows, but if you choose to put a sensor in every window and door in your home, then expect to pay about $100 to $150 for each additional sensor. Your home security sales representative can let you know what equipment is included in the base price and what equipment costs extra.

Your wireless security system should also include monitoring pieces such as smoke detectors, heat detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. These units usually cost the same as additional sensors to purchase and have installed.

If you choose to do the installation yourself, then you can save a considerable amount of money on your wireless security system. The average cost of the equipment necessary to cover the first floor of a home is between $500 to $1,000. That includes window and door sensors along with monitoring software for a computer. Wireless surveillance cameras, extra window sensors, smoke detectors, heat detectors and carbon monoxide detectors can all cost between $50 and $100 each.

Monitoring

When you decide to get a wireless security system, whether you do the installation yourself or have a professional do it, you need to figure monitoring into your wireless security system costs. A professionally installed system will have monthly monitoring as part of its package. The monitoring is tied to all local emergency respondents including fire and police professionals.

If you purchase components on your own to install, be certain that you can tie your system into a professional monitoring system. A monitoring system is monitoring your security equipment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can alert authorities to an emergency in your home when you are asleep or away from your home.

The average cost range for a professional monitoring service is between $15 and $50 per month. There may be startup charges that could range from $50 to $100. But these are one-time charges that you will never have to pay twice. You will also want to pay attention to the contracts offered by various monitoring companies. Some require long-term contracts to give you a lower price. Since you will need professional monitoring for you wireless security system anyways, getting a discount for a contract you already need is a good deal.

Advantages

Some people are tied to the idea of having a hard-wired home security system installed into their home or business. The truth is that there a wireless system has several advantages over a hard-wired system that you will want to consider before making your hard-wired purchase.

Portable

A wireless security system is completely portable and can move with you to protect you in your new home. This also adds value to your wireless security system cost as it is something that can maintain its usefulness at a new location.

A hard-wired system would cost a tremendous amount of money to move from one location to another. The point of being hard-wired is that the system is built into your home and you would need to do damage to your walls to remove a hard-wired system.

Installation

To install a hard-wired security system you need to run wires through walls, over floors, under rugs, through ceilings and down into doorways and windows. The installation cost of a hard-wired system is significantly more than a wireless system because there is a tremendous amount of remodeling that needs to be done to your home to install the wiring. Cables need to be run through new holes in the walls, ceilings and floors, and the final cabling needs to be hidden using vinyl cable channels or wall molding.

When you install a wireless home security system, you do not need to install any wiring at all. The only installation issues are with putting the cameras up in the rooms in your home and outside as well. The installation of a wireless security system is clean, does not damage to your home and does not require the additional cost of a remodeling project.

Monitoring

You can monitor a wireless security system from any Internet-connected computer in the world. If you are on vacation, you can use your Internet-enabled cellular phone to monitor your home surveillance cameras and call local authorities if you see anything suspicious.