Teesside alarm and CCTV FAQs
The questions Teesside homeowners and businesses actually ask about alarms and cameras, answered straight: what it costs, which system suits, and what happens after it is fitted.
Honest answers on burglar alarms, CCTV and servicing across Teesside. If your question is not here, get in touch.
Costs
How much does an alarm cost in Teesside?
£400 to £800 fitted for a wired system on a typical house, £350 to £700 wireless, £500 to £900 for a smart system with app control, and £300 to £900 for CCTV with two to four cameras.
Is the quote really free?
Yes. The property gets looked at, the price comes back in writing with the equipment listed, and you decide in your own time. No charge and no pressure.
What ongoing costs should I expect?
An annual service from £60, backup batteries every three to five years, and any app or monitoring subscription. Ask for subscription costs as a yearly figure before comparing quotes.
Are self-fit kits worth it?
For a flat or a short tenancy they can be a reasonable stopgap. For a family home, the survey, correct detector positioning and someone accountable for faults are most of what you are paying for.
Choosing a system
Wired or wireless?
Wireless suits finished, lived-in houses and awkward walls. Wired suits renovations, new builds and larger properties where radio paths get long. Both detect equally well when specified properly.
Do I need monitoring?
Most homes do not. An audible system with app notifications and a keyholder covers it. Monitoring suits higher-value properties, businesses and cases where an insurer specifically requires it.
What grade should a home alarm be?
Grade 2 to BS EN 50131 or PD 6662 is the normal domestic specification and the one insurers recognise. A good quote states the grade rather than leaving it unsaid.
Should I fit CCTV as well?
They complement each other: the alarm interrupts, the cameras explain. If budget is tight, most people fit the alarm first and add two or three cameras later.
Living with it
Why does my alarm keep going off for no reason?
Usually a detector aimed at a heat source or sunlit window, an insect in the chamber, a pet reaching a beam after furniture moved, or a battery beginning to fail. A service visit finds the cause in a walk test.
Can I have pets and an alarm?
Yes. Pet-tolerant detectors ignore animals below a certain size when mounted at the right height, so say what pets you have during the survey rather than after the first false activation.
What happens if the power goes off?
The panel runs on a backup battery, typically for several hours. That battery is also the part most likely to cause a beeping panel once it reaches the end of its life.
Will I get the engineer code?
You should ask for it. A panel left locked to one company turns every future repair into a captive job, which is a needless cost on equipment you own.
Cameras and the rules
Do I need to tell my neighbours about cameras?
No permission is needed for cameras on your own property, but if they capture shared or public space you take on data protection duties. Sensible angles, privacy masking and a visible sign prevent most disputes.
How long is CCTV footage kept?
Two to four weeks is a sensible target, set by drive size, resolution and whether recording is continuous or motion triggered. Incidents are often noticed days after they happen.
Are battery cameras any good?
Useful where no cable can reach, such as a shed or a far boundary. They record on motion rather than continuously and need charging, so they work best alongside cabled cameras rather than instead of them.
Does CCTV need servicing too?
It benefits from an annual check: lenses cleaned, angles confirmed, recording verified and storage checked. Coastal properties around Redcar and Saltburn see housings age faster in the salt air.