What is the monthly cost of alarm monitoring?

It varies by company and plan. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Ring listed the plan that includes 24/7 professional monitoring at $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, plus applicable tax. Traditional alarm companies set their own fees and often tie them to a contract, so ask for the monthly rate, the term and any increase in writing.

Is there a cheaper option than monitoring?

Yes. A system that sends alerts to your phone but has no professional monitoring costs less each month. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Ring's Solo plan was $4.99 a month and its Multi plan $9.99 a month, but neither is the plan with professional monitoring. Nobody calls for help for you with a phone-only system.

Does the free trial cover monitoring?

Ring says a free 30-day trial of Ring Protect starts when you first set up a device, unless you have an existing plan at your location. Other companies run their own promotions and may require a contract. Ask what you are charged when the trial ends.

Can I cancel a monitoring contract?

It depends on the contract, which is why you read it first. Look for the term, an early-termination fee, who owns the equipment and what happens if you move. If a salesperson sold it at your door without an appointment, a Virginia law may give you three business days to cancel in writing.

Does a company need a license to monitor my alarm?

In Virginia, a business that installs, services or monitors alarm equipment for homeowners must hold a private security services business license from the Department of Criminal Justice Services, and its technicians and dispatchers must be registered. See our answer on whether alarm companies need a license in Virginia.

CostAlarm Systems

How much does a monitored home alarm system cost in Virginia?

There is no single Virginia price. When we checked Ring's own site on October 27, 2026, an 8-piece alarm kit was $249.99 and the plan that includes 24/7 professional monitoring was $19.99 a month, about $970 over three years. Companies that install and monitor set their own equipment, installation and contract terms, so get written quotes.

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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished October 27, 2026

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

Step 1: Pick the monitoring level
Decide whether you want professional monitoring or only phone alerts, since the monitoring plan is the recurring cost.^[1]
Step 2: Size the kit
Count your exterior doors, ground-floor windows and rooms to cover, then price kits with that many sensors.^[2]
Step 3: Price the monthly plan
Look up the monthly and yearly price of the plan that includes professional monitoring, and ask whether it rises after the first term.^[1]
Step 4: Add backup and extras
Add any cellular backup, cameras or smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring you want, since these are often priced separately.
Step 5: Ask a licensed company for a written quote
If you want a company to install or monitor, get quotes only from a business with a Virginia license number.^[3]
Step 6: Ask about the contract
Get the contract term, equipment ownership and cancellation terms in writing before you agree.^[4]
Step 7: Total three years
Add equipment, installation and thirty-six months of fees for each option, and compare the totals.

There is no single Virginia price

A monitored alarm has two costs: the equipment, which you pay once, and the monitoring plan, which you pay every month. Neither one is set by Virginia. They are set by the company you buy from, so the honest answer is a worked example, plus the questions that change the total.

When we checked Ring's own site, here is what it listed. On October 27, 2026, Ring's site listed its 5-piece Alarm Security Kit (2nd generation) at $199.99, the 8-piece kit at $249.99 and the 14-piece kit at $329.99.^[2] Ring's Alarm Pro kit with a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router was listed at $299.99 for 8 pieces and $379.99 for 14 pieces.^[2] Those were sale prices that Ring marked as reductions from higher list prices, so they can change.

Ring Pro, the plan that includes 24/7 Professional Monitoring, was $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, plus applicable tax.^[1] Ring says that if you have a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro, it recommends the Pro plan to get Alarm Professional Monitoring.^[1]

What that adds up to

Using the 8-piece kit at $249.99 and the monthly Pro plan at $19.99, the first year costs about $490 and three years about $970, before tax. That is one brand's self-installed system. A company that installs, services and monitors the system quotes its own equipment, installation and monthly fees and contract term. Ask for all of them in writing and compare both options on the same three-year total.

A white motion sensor mounted in the corner where a wall meets the ceiling — Photo: self-made, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What moves the price

Monitoring level. Ring's Solo plan was $4.99 a month and its Multi plan $9.99 a month,^[1] but the Pro plan is the one that includes professional monitoring. Virtual Security Guard, Ring's live video monitoring, was $99 a month plus applicable tax.^[1]
Number of sensors. The step from 5 to 14 pieces in Ring's kits was about $130 in October 2026. More doors, windows and rooms mean more sensors.
Add-ons. Cellular backup, cameras, smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring and extra keypads add to either the equipment or the monthly fee, and some are sold separately from the base plan.
Installation. A self-installed plug-in kit costs your time. A company that installs it adds a labor charge or folds it into the contract.
Contract term and early termination. The monthly price matters less than the term you commit to and what it costs to leave.
Trial offers. A free 30-day trial of Ring Protect starts when you first set up your Ring doorbell, camera, or alarm, unless you have an existing plan at your location.^[1] Check what the price becomes when a trial ends.

Getting a quote you can compare

If you hire a company, only a licensed one should install or monitor. No person shall engage in the private security services business or solicit private security business in the Commonwealth without having obtained a license from the Department.^[3] Details are in do alarm companies need a license in Virginia.

Give each company the same list of doors, windows, motion sensors, cameras and monitoring level. DPOR's hiring guide advises getting at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications.^[4] Ask each quote to state: the equipment list, the installation charge, the monthly fee and whether it can rise, the contract term, the early-termination fee, who owns the equipment, and what the cellular or battery backup covers.

For help choosing the system itself, see how to choose a home alarm system. If cameras are part of the budget, read how much a home security camera system costs in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

You want the system hardwired into the house. Hardwired power and panel connections are electrical work, not a plug-in job.
A company cannot give you a Virginia license number. Do not sign.
The quote does not list the term, the monthly fee and the cancellation terms. Ask for it in writing before you agree to anything.

Getting help in Virginia

Browse Security & Smart Home or see more smart home answers. When you are ready, describe the job and local pros quote it.

Common questions

What is the monthly cost of alarm monitoring?: It varies by company and plan. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Ring listed the plan that includes 24/7 professional monitoring at $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, plus applicable tax. Traditional alarm companies set their own fees and often tie them to a contract, so ask for the monthly rate, the term and any increase in writing.
Is there a cheaper option than monitoring?: Yes. A system that sends alerts to your phone but has no professional monitoring costs less each month. When we checked on October 27, 2026, Ring's Solo plan was $4.99 a month and its Multi plan $9.99 a month, but neither is the plan with professional monitoring. Nobody calls for help for you with a phone-only system.
Does the free trial cover monitoring?: Ring says a free 30-day trial of Ring Protect starts when you first set up a device, unless you have an existing plan at your location. Other companies run their own promotions and may require a contract. Ask what you are charged when the trial ends.
Can I cancel a monitoring contract?: It depends on the contract, which is why you read it first. Look for the term, an early-termination fee, who owns the equipment and what happens if you move. If a salesperson sold it at your door without an appointment, a Virginia law may give you three business days to cancel in writing.
Does a company need a license to monitor my alarm?: In Virginia, a business that installs, services or monitors alarm equipment for homeowners must hold a private security services business license from the Department of Criminal Justice Services, and its technicians and dispatchers must be registered. See our answer on whether alarm companies need a license in Virginia.

Sources

[1] Ring Protect subscription plans, Ring. Checked October 27, 2026.
[2] Alarm Systems, Home Security Systems, Ring. Checked October 27, 2026.
[3] Va. Code § 9.1-139, Licensing, certification, and registration required, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
[4] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.

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