Home Security: What Do You Get When You Pay for Pro Monitoring?

In the home security game, there is always the question of DIY monitoring versus professional monitoring. Do you pay a service provider to monitor your system around-the-clock, or do you handle it yourself with your smartphone? There is no right or wrong answer. But it is helpful to know what you are actually paying for when you sign up for professional monitoring.

Professional monitoring is a service provided by companies like Vivint Home Security. Vivint’s systems can be monitored on a month-to-month basis with no contract required. In fact, no-contract home security is one of the hallmarks of the company’s HomeProtect package.

Vivint competitors offer their own monitoring packages and subscriptions. Some are month-to-month, while others require a contract of a year or more. Interestingly, most DIY systems can be connected to a professional monitoring service even if installed by a homeowner.

Basic Home Monitoring

Like everything else in home security, there are entry-level monitoring packages. A base monitoring service would include monitoring for any and all alerts and then responding to them as necessary. For example:

Burglar Alarm – A burglar breaching a front door or first-floor window what generate an alarm based on a contact sensor being activated. The monitoring provider would assess whether or not the alarm is legitimate. If it is, they would contact the local authorities.

Smoke Alarm – A similar scenario would occur if a connected smoke alarm alerted. If an assessment suggested a legitimate emergency, the service provider would contact local authorities.

In both cases, the service provider would also attempt to make contact with the homeowner. Successfully doing so can help monitoring personnel better understand whether a legitimate emergency is taking place. If contact cannot be achieved, monitoring personnel tend to err on the side of caution.

Adding Services to a Base Package

A base package is sufficient for keeping a homeowner and local authorities abreast of potential alarms. But it doesn’t go any further. Extra services tend to up the fee. Where a base package might be available for his little as $10 per month, additional services can push the bill closer to $100 or more.

One of the more common additions is cloud video storage. Think of a system with half-a-dozen cameras. Installing both interior and exterior cameras maximizes coverage. If all a homeowner wants is access to live feeds, that’s great. But if he wants to store video footage, he’ll either have to figure out a storage solution of his own or pay for cloud storage.

Video storage might not seem like something worth paying for until a home is burglarized. After that, however, stored video becomes a treasure trove of evidence investigators can use to track down potential suspects.

Complete Smart Home Integration

Adding cloud storage to a base monitoring package definitely raises the price. But the real kicker, in terms of monthly subscription fees, is combining home security with whole-home automation. Monitoring providers capable of supporting smart home automation offer a range of additional services homeowners can add to their packages.

A package with all the security and automation bells and whistles could exceed $100 per month. But top-of-the-line monitoring packages aren’t required. Base monitoring is a legitimate option that many homeowners choose to utilize.

Home security monitoring is a ‘you get what you pay for’ proposition. The more you are willing to pay month-to-month, the more services you can avail yourself of. But if base monitoring is all your budget will support, it still works extremely well at keeping you abreast of any alerts your system generates.