A burglar alarm service costs £85 to £180 in the UK, with most homeowners paying around £100 to £150 for a one-off annual visit. Repairs, replacement batteries and alarm takeovers cost extra: a takeover of a system whose codes have been lost typically costs £180 to £350, and an emergency call-out £150 to £300. The final price depends on the brand, whether the engineer can access the system, and what parts are needed.
Key Takeaways
- An annual alarm service typically costs £85-£180 for the visit
- Alarm takeovers for lost or unknown codes usually cost £180-£350
- Replacement panel batteries cost £20-£40 each; wireless sensor batteries £8-£25 each
- Emergency call-outs for a ringing or faulty alarm typically cost £150-£300
- Annual servicing keeps batteries healthy and is often a condition of home insurance
Alarm servicing in London
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The figures in this guide are typical UK prices. Tell us the make, model and any code on the keypad, and we confirm the price before any work starts. Accredited Ajax Systems partner and registered installer for Texecom, Pyronix, Eaton, Visonic and Risco, with 200+ five-star reviews.
Or see our burglar alarm servicing and repair service.
How Much Does a Burglar Alarm Service Cost?
A burglar alarm service costs £85 to £180 in the UK for a standard annual visit. The service includes a test of every detector and door contact, a check of the control panel and backup battery, a test of the external sounder, and a written service report you can keep with your insurance documents.
| Service type | What it covers | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| One-off annual service | Full system test, battery checks, report | £85-£180 |
| Maintenance contract | Annual service plus priority call-outs | £90-£250 a year |
| Twice-yearly service | Common for businesses and monitored systems | £160-£350 a year |
| Diagnostic visit | Find and explain a fault | £100-£180 |
Prices in London sit towards the top of each range because of travel and parking. Larger systems with many wireless detectors take longer to test and cost more.
What Does an Alarm Takeover Cost?
An alarm takeover typically costs £180 to £350. A takeover is needed when you have moved into a property with an existing alarm, the previous installer has gone out of business, or nobody knows the engineer code. The engineer regains control of the panel, sets new codes for you, services the system and shows you how to use it.
- Takeover with codes available: typically £180-£250, often combined with the first service
- Takeover with lost engineer code: typically £200-£350, depending on the brand and whether the panel can be defaulted
- Locked panel that cannot be defaulted: a replacement panel and keypad, typically £300-£600, keeping the existing detectors and wiring
Brands such as Texecom, Pyronix, Visonic and Scantronic each have their own takeover procedure. Some panels can be reset on site; others are locked by the original installer and need replacing. We cover Texecom systems in detail on our Texecom alarm service page.
How Much Do Alarm Batteries Cost to Replace?
A replacement backup battery for an alarm panel costs £20 to £40 for the battery itself, and wireless detector batteries cost £8 to £25 each. Most of the cost of a battery job is the visit, so it is usually done as part of a service. A typical battery replacement visit, including the panel battery and sounder battery, costs £120 to £250.
| Battery | Typical part cost | Typical life |
|---|---|---|
| Panel backup battery (12V 7Ah) | £20-£40 | 3-5 years |
| External sounder battery | £20-£40 | 3-5 years |
| Wireless detector (lithium) | £8-£25 each | 2-5 years |
| Wireless keyfob | £5-£10 each | 1-3 years |
A low battery is the most common reason an alarm beeps or shows a fault. If your keypad shows a battery or power fault, it is worth replacing every battery at once rather than one at a time.
What Does an Alarm Repair Cost?
Most alarm repairs cost £100 to £300 including the visit. Common faults include a failed detector, a tamper fault on the bell box, a faulty keypad, or a wiring fault after building work. A replacement wired motion detector typically costs £40 to £80 fitted on top of the visit; a replacement sounder £120 to £250.
If the panel is more than 12-15 years old and parts are no longer available, an upgrade is often better value than repeated repairs. Upgrades usually reuse the existing detectors and wiring and replace only the panel and keypad. See our burglar alarm upgrade page for what that involves.
How Much Is an Emergency Alarm Call-Out?
An emergency call-out for an alarm that will not stop sounding, or will not set, typically costs £150 to £300 for the visit, with parts on top. Same-day attendance costs more than a booked visit. Before calling, it is worth checking whether the fault can be cleared remotely: many alarm engineers can diagnose a fault from the code on the keypad over the phone.
Do I Have to Use the Company That Installed My Alarm?
No. Any competent alarm engineer can service most systems, provided they have the codes or can carry out a takeover. The main exceptions are monitored systems with police response, where the monitoring contract may tie you to an approved company, and proprietary systems that only the original company can program. If you are unsure which applies, a survey or a photo of the panel usually answers it.
How Often Should a Burglar Alarm Be Serviced?
A home burglar alarm should be serviced at least once a year. Monitored and business systems are normally serviced twice a year. Annual servicing catches failing batteries and detectors before they cause false alarms, and many home insurance policies require an up-to-date service record if you have declared an alarm. See our burglar alarm cost guide if you are weighing up a new system instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a burglar alarm service cost?
A burglar alarm service typically costs £85 to £180 in the UK for a one-off annual visit. Maintenance contracts that include call-outs cost around £90 to £250 a year.
How much does an alarm takeover cost?
An alarm takeover usually costs £180 to £350. It costs less if the codes are known and more if the engineer code has been lost. If the panel is locked and cannot be reset, a new panel and keypad typically costs £300 to £600.
Why is my burglar alarm beeping?
The most common cause is a low or failed backup battery in the panel, the sounder or a wireless detector. Other causes include a tamper fault, a lost connection to a wireless device, or a mains power interruption.
Can I change the code on my alarm without the installer?
You can usually change user codes yourself if you know an existing user code. If nobody knows a working code or the engineer code, an alarm takeover is needed to regain control of the system.
Is it worth servicing an old alarm?
Yes, if parts are still available and the system works reliably. If the panel is more than 12-15 years old, faults recur or parts are discontinued, an upgrade that keeps the existing wiring and detectors is usually better value.
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