Home Security · Equipment

Home security equipment

A useful baseline is contacts on every exterior door, contacts or glass-break sensors on accessible ground-floor windows, one or two interior motion sensors, and a panel with a cellular backup path. Per Fixr's 2025 data, equipment alone runs $200 to $1,000; smart locks cost $125 to $300 for the unit, video doorbells $30 to $300, and smart cameras $50 to $2,500.

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Prioritize by how burglars actually enter. The ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing reports that about two-thirds of burglaries involve forced entry using simple tools, with side and back doors as common access points, and about one-third involve unlocked entries through windows, basement openings or garage doors. That should shape your device list: the back door, the side door and the garage matter more than the front, and a lot of entries need no force at all.

Entry sensors are cheap and high value. Glass-break sensors cover large windows you would not want to individually contact. Motion sensors catch anyone already inside but generate false alarms if placed carelessly — the ASU research names "roaming pets or helium balloons" among the causes. Pet-immune sensors exist and are worth specifying if you have animals.

Cameras and doorbells are the most-bought and most-oversold category. Per Fixr, video doorbells run $30 to $300 for the unit and $150 to $500 installed, while smart cameras span $50 to $2,500 unit and $150 to $2,750 installed. Nearly all of them come with a cloud storage subscription attached. Before buying, ask how long footage is retained on the free tier, what the paid tier costs, and whether the camera records locally if the subscription lapses.

Smart locks run $125 to $300 unit and $225 to $500 installed per Fixr. They are genuinely useful for keyless access and for logging who came and went. They do not make a weak door frame strong — the ASU research emphasizes forced entry with simple tools, and a strike plate screwed into a stud does more for that than a smart deadbolt does. Do both if you can; do the frame first if you can only do one.

How to choose

Cover back and side doors first: ASU's burglary research identifies side and back doors as common access points. The front door gets the doorbell camera and the least attention from burglars.
Reinforce the door frame before buying a smarter lock: Two-thirds of burglaries involve forced entry with simple tools. Long screws into the framing and a solid strike plate are cheap and effective.
Specify pet-immune motion sensors if you have animals: Pets are a named cause of false alarms, and false alarms cost you money and dispatch credibility.
Ask about cellular backup: A system that only reports over your home internet stops reporting when the internet does. Ask whether backup is included and whether it carries a monthly fee.
Check what happens to camera footage if you cancel: Many cameras are useless without their subscription. Ask about local recording and retention on the free tier before you buy.

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All home security equipment

Door Window Sensors

Motion Detectors

Security Cameras

Video Doorbell

Smart Locks

Glass Break Sensors

Control Panel

FAQ

Home Security equipment — common questions

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What sensors do I need for a house?

Contacts on all exterior doors including the garage entry, contacts or glass-break coverage on accessible ground-floor windows, and one or two interior motion sensors on likely paths. ASU's burglary research notes roughly a third of burglaries involve unlocked entries through windows, basement openings or garage doors — cover those, not just the front.

Are video doorbells worth it?

For package theft, visitor screening and after-the-fact evidence, yes, and Fixr puts them at $30 to $300 for the unit. As burglary prevention, expect less — ASU's research finds visibility and accessibility matter more to target selection than devices do.

Do smart locks actually improve security?

They improve access control and give you a log. They do not address forced entry, which ASU's research says accounts for about two-thirds of burglaries using simple tools. A reinforced strike plate and long screws into the framing address that, and cost almost nothing.

How many cameras do I need?

Fewer than most people buy. Cover the entry points you actually care about — usually the back and side doors and the driveway — rather than blanketing the property. Every additional camera adds storage subscription cost and footage nobody reviews.

Sources

Where these figures come from

Fixr — Home Security System Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
Fixr — Home Automation Cost · retrieved 2026-07-26
ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing — Burglary of Single-Family Houses · retrieved 2026-07-26
ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing — False Burglar Alarms · retrieved 2026-07-26