Five Great Places to Get Home Security in Las Vegas

Overview
Tourists see Vegas as chic, exquisite, luxurious, glam. But as a local, you know the city has a checkered past. With 23,000 crimes still committed each year, it pays to look into home security systems.¹

Las Vegans like you could buy from a national brand, like ADT Home Security, Ring, or Protect America. But have you thought of trying a security provider that’s closer to home? Whether you live in an apartment near the Strip or a stucco house in Sunrise Manor, Las Vegas local security has you covered.

So, what sets Las Vegas home security apart from the national scene? Let’s discuss.

Most of the local Las Vegas websites mention smart home automation. That’s a huge plus for customer service.

As more and more smart products show up in homes, integration is becoming less of a want and more of a need. What’s not to love about a single app that disarms your security system, turns up the thermostat, and uses your smart speaker to schedule your day trip to Red Rock?

Smart home automation plans can get complicated, so we won’t talk much about them in this review. Just know that integration is an option with every service we’re recommending.

Limited customer service availability is one drawback of using a local brand. About a third of the companies we looked at offer customer service only during regular business hours, and most aren’t open past 8:00 p.m. That’s a bit surprising in a city famous for its nightlife, especially since most national brands have 24/7 service.

In short, don’t expect to make a quick phone call to your local security provider during the Cirque du Soleil intermission. Chances are it won’t be open.

Some providers, both local and national, don't share costs on their websites. Knowing this, we were hyped to find pricing on two local Las Vegas websites. Most websites urge you to call for a quote.

We also saw a few websites with a live chat feature, which we like. Some national brands don’t offer that.

With Elite A/V, you can get professional monitoring for about $30 a month—or you can monitor your system yourself.

Elite A/V LLC focuses mostly on home theatres, but it also has an appealing home security system option. And, in a twist we love to see in the home security industry, it’s a no-contract company with a self-monitoring option. For that, we’re giving Elite A/V top billing in this review.

$29.99 a month for professional monitoring is the second-lowest price we saw in the Las Vegas area. With Elite A/V, you’ll also pay a few hundred bucks up front for your system equipment. (The exact price depends on what you buy.)

Self-monitoring with Elite A/V is technically free. Still, we imagine you’ll need to access the app, which costs about $10 a month to use. That price of admission essentially negates the free label.

Elite A/V advertises one package on its website. That package includes the following:

• A control panel
• 2 door or window sensors
• A motion sensor
• A remote control
• A Ring door cam
• A door sign
• 7 window decals

This isn’t the only package available, though it’s unclear why it’s the only one listed. It could be because Elite A/V does a lot of customization, which means it doesn’t sell many preset kits.

Besides Ring door cams, Elite A/V deals in Honeywell, Alarm.com, DSC, 2GIG, Vivint, and Interlogix products.

Elite A/V’s website isn’t a shining example of professionalism, but it’s easy to navigate. There’s a live chat feature on the site, which is thoughtful customer service.

The customer service rep was very polite and answered our exhaustive questions. However, he suggested we move from the email exchange onto the phone. We think there’s something to be said for communicating with customers over email. That’s especially true when limited phone hours make it harder for customers to find a time to call. He also recommended leaving an older system behind but was unclear about whether the new homeowner could take over the contract.

On the other hand, Elite A/V offers a free in-home risk evaluation. A rep will come around and tell you where your security is weak, free of charge, no purchase required.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: For local self-monitoring, Elite A/V’s the way to go.

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Master Installers has packages and monitoring prices on its website, saving you from digging for more info.

Plenty of customers not only want but expect to find some pricing information on a company’s website. Master Installers is one of the few Vegas home security companies that live up to that expectation.

Equipment costs vary; it all depends on what package you buy and what you already have. Having preexisting equipment that’s compatible with a Master Installers system cuts the bill down. For example, if you’re already using door sensors from one of Master Installers’ brands, that could potentially save you some money.

The Basic Wireless Alarm package comes with the following:

• A control panel
• A keypad with emergency buttons
• 3 door or window sensors
• A motion sensor
• A keychain remote control
• A yard sign
• 3 window decals
• An interior siren
• A backup battery

Just FYI, the Basic Wireless Alarm requires a phone line. Our recommended package is the Premium Wireless Alarm, which runs on a cellular connection.

Master Installers uses DSC, Honeywell, and 2GIG equipment to construct its systems.

Although the website has monitoring prices, it doesn’t have everything, so we emailed to get more information. When our email went unanswered, we called. The person we spoke with seemed to be some kind of admin who doesn’t normally take customer calls. That made us wonder how thin Master Installers is stretching its reps.

We don’t love that the customer service hours are during regular business hours only. If you have an issue with a Master Installers system, you might have to spend your lunch break calling the company instead of getting a CrazyShake at Black Tap.

Here’s one last note for you: unlike Elite A/V, which doesn’t seem to have a plan for customer moves, Master Installers lets you move your equipment within the city or someplace nearby.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you don’t want to be completely blindsided by monitoring prices, Master Installers give you a nice peek into what you’ll pay.

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Shield Fire & Security has a basic package for less than $100 that’s perfect for renters or owners of small homes.

Not everyone needs cameras, a yard sign, and a half dozen window decals. If you’re looking to pay less for something more minimalist, Shield Fire & Security sells a basic home security package for the very affordable price of $99. That price rivals the starter cost of big national brands like SimpliSafe and Ring.

As we said, Shield’s equipment prices start at $99. Sure, you don’t get as much equipment as with Elite A/V or Master Installers, but not everyone needs a ton of pieces to secure their home. If you’re living in a small house or apartment, Shield’s $99 option could potentially cover everything.

Of course, that low price is offset in the long run by the cost of Shield’s 36-month monitoring contracts at $45 a month. But sometimes saving money up-front is better for your immediate budget.

So what’s included in the $99 package?

• A control panel
• 3 door or window sensors
• A motion sensor

That price also includes access to the Honeywell control app. Speaking of Honeywell, Shield Fire & Security uses seven other security equipment brands too: Brivo, Eagle Eye, Alarm.com, TC, Avigilon, HikVision, FLIR. That’s practically a brand buffet.

As with other Vegas services, Shield offers customization if you want something different. The cost will vary based on your needs.

We never got an email response from Shield. When we called in during (limited) customer service hours, though, we spoke with a kind and helpful rep who told us everything we needed to know.

She told us that the service has two monitoring centers. That way, if one of them goes down, you still have coverage. She also explained the moving policy. A customer moving within Nevada pays $150 for Shield to remove and reinstall a small system and $75 an hour for a larger system. A customer moving out of state can buy out their contract at 90%, meaning that instead of finishing your remaining time, you pay 90% of the remaining cost to end your obligation.

We’d also like to note that Shield’s website is one of the most professional-looking local sites we’ve seen. The site’s look and feel create the sensation that the brand knows what it’s doing.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: For a low-priced equipment package, try Shield Fire & Security.

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Orbis Tech Services is big on wireless systems and doesn’t require contracts.

You don’t want a contract, but you also don’t care about self-monitoring. In that case, we’d recommend Orbis Tech Services no-contract security over Elite A/V.

As we said, Shield’s equipment prices start at $99. Sure, you don’t get as much equipment as with Elite A/V or Master Installers, but not everyone needs a ton of pieces to secure their home. If you’re living in a small house or apartment, Shield’s $99 option could potentially cover everything.

Of course, that low price is offset in the long run by the cost of Shield’s 36-month monitoring contracts at $45 a month. But sometimes saving money up-front is better for your immediate budget.

Orbis didn’t respond to email, and it took about a day to get a call back from a rep. (Hi there, limited customer service hours.)

One thing we took away from the conversation is this: Orbis cares about customer needs. When we asked about the moving policy, the rep explained that the brand wants customers to feel free to leave. Because of this, customers buy their systems outright. And if they move, or even if they just become disenchanted with Orbis, they can find another monitoring provider elsewhere.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: Orbis is a top-notch, no-contract provider.

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Sting Alarm customizes its packages and sometimes even its contracts to suit user needs. Its 24/7 customer service hours are the most flexible we’ve seen.

Most Vegas brands offer customization, but Sting Alarm takes it to a new level. A company rep stated that, apart from equipment customization, there’s wiggle room in moving options. Plus Sting offers sweet, sweet 24/7 customer service.

Sting’s monitoring price of $32 a month is only a little higher than Elite A/V’s and Master Installers’.

The Sting rep stated that the equipment fees are also monthly at about $50 a month. Whether that’s a better or worse deal than other brands will largely depend on what equipment you get.

Also, Sting’s contracts are (and we quote) “usually” a standard 36 months. The rep said that whether you take your equipment with you, buy out your contract, or sell it to the next homeowner depends on your initial agreement with Sting. So, it sounds like you have some say in your contract terms.

Sting Alarm uses Qolsys, 2GIG, and Honeywell equipment. Like Orbis, it doesn’t have any preset packages. Eventually, you’ll need to take some time to figure out exactly what you’re looking for so you can move through the sales process.

We got an immediate email response from Sting, which we appreciated, but it urged us to jump on the phone, which we did not appreciate. We pushed back to see what reaction we got, and the rep was kind enough to provide written answers after we stressed that was our preference.

The kicker, though, is the 24/7 customer service. Contact Sting after a Knights game, in between rounds of blackjack, or on your way to Town Square. Sting Alarm is always available.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: Sting Alarm is for you if you want flexible options and customer service hours.

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Making local recommendations can be tricky business, but we’ve found a system that works well. We selected 20 top brands by looking at review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List. We then culled those brands down to 16 by cutting those that didn’t meet our criteria. For example, we eliminated video surveillance companies IN THE SKY Surveillance Inc. and Security Camera Las Vegas because they sell and install security cameras only—no alarm systems.

Finally, we researched, emailed, and called the final 16 to get more detailed information and choose our top five from there.

We ran in to a lot of Vegas companies we wanted to recommend, so the top five was a tough choice. While the following three companies didn’t make our best list, we wanted to give you a quick overview of what they’re like.

Safe & Secure’s webste is well-organized and has a live chat service. The rep, Jeff, got in touch with us immediately after receiving an email. He encouraged us to ask in-depth questions, something most reps avoided. Among other things, he described a new feature in beta testing that sends clips straight to the police for video verification.

We couldn’t recommend Safe & Secure Alarms over other brands because of long contracts and high prices. Jeff told us that the brand prefers five-year contracts from a real estate perspective: it helps buyers stay in their homes long enough to build equity. Still, five years is a long time, especially in the transient young adult stage of life.

As for price, with Safe & Secure you pay at least $54 a month for alarm monitoring; $69 for the service that sends video clips. And the equipment costs between $299 and $499 up front.

Progressive Home is completely self-monitored. It’s a viable option for someone building a home in Vegas (we’ll explain in a second).

The systems are hardwired, and the easiest way to get one is to have it written into your new home contract. According to the rep, you should build your hardwired system directly into your home for the most effective installation possible.

If you’re new to Vegas, you might feel ill at ease. Let’s walk through some facts.

It’s easy to equate the Strip with possible danger. But the Strip’s technically not in Vegas. It’s in its own separate entity, Paradise. Either way, it’s pretty darn safe because of the tourist traffic and casino security guards.⁴

What about the city as a whole? A good way to judge a city’s safety is to look at the crime index, which uses the crime rate for both property crimes and violent crimes to create a score. Vegas’s crime index is 12, meaning it’s safer than 12% of US cities.⁵ Or, in other words, it’s more dangerous than 88% of US cities. For context, New York City’s crime index is 30.⁶

You don’t need an alarm permit to install a home security system. (Fire alarms are another story.)

In some cities, if you want home security, you have to get a permit from the police department. But in the Las Vegas metro area, the police don't respond to your home security alert. Security guards do.

To keep you safe, each home security brand that offers professional monitoring works with an armed guard service. Your brand dispatches a guard to your home, and if they find proof of an intruder, they’ll then call the police. (The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will show up only when someone’s verified an intruder’s presence.)

Of course, if you’re home when the alarm goes off, you may be able to call the police to verify. Or, if you have cameras that capture footage of an intruder, you can use that footage to verify with the police, even if you’re not home at the time.

Not every home security system needs a camera. But since video clips are a good way to show the police that an intruder’s on your property, we’d recommend at least one to Las Vegans. If nothing else, consider getting a Ring video doorbell camera to watch your packages.

You sure can. A lot of insurance companies offer discounts on home policies when you install a security system. Extending insurance is a gamble, and a home security system makes that gamble less risky.

We’ve yet to see a local DIY system in any city, and Las Vegas is no exception. It seems like DIY systems are hard to produce and sell on a small, local scale.

While your home security may never rival the security of the casinos on the Strip, a system is worth the investment for the peace of mind it brings.

As a recap, here are our local Las Vegas recommendations for home security.

• Elite A/V LLC: Try Elite A/V if you want to self-monitor.
• Master Installers Inc.: Go to Master Installers’ website for up-front monitoring prices and package information.
• Shield Fire & Security: You can get $99 security equipment with Shield.
• Orbis Tech Services: Don’t want a contract? We recommend Orbis.
• Sting Alarm: If you’re looking for a little flexibility, especially for customer service hours, check out Sting.

Sources:

1. Neighborhood Scout, “Las Vegas, NV Crime Rates”
2. Neighborhood Scout, “Las Vegas, NV Demographic Data”
3. Jeff Butler, “Why Millennials Don’t Like to Make Phone Calls”
4. Smarter Travel, “Is Las Vegas Safe? What Travelers Need to Know”
5. Neighborhood Scout, “Las Vegas, NV Crime Rates”
6. Neighborhood Scout, “New York, NY Crime Rates”
7. Rolling Stone, “Bellagio Bandit: How One Man Robbed Vegas’ Biggest Casino and Almost Got Away”