Overview
A security system install is rarely one trade; the integration is the conversation
A security system install is what the customer asks for when they want everything in one job. Alarm panel, cameras inside and out, access control on the front door and the home office, a remote viewing app, and a monitoring contract. Each of those pieces has its own specialist trade (alarm installers, CCTV installers, access control installers), and the system installer is the contractor who delivers the lot under one quote. The customer is paying for the integration: one app, one user list, one monitoring contract, one phone number when something goes wrong. A flat 'security system, $4,800' quote that doesn't itemise each piece denies the customer the ability to compare and denies them a quote they can take to a finance company if they want to spread the cost.
QuoteGenio gives security system installers a quoting shape built for bundled work. Survey and design as the first line, alarm system by panel and zone count, CCTV by camera count and storage capacity, access control by door count, network and remote app integration, monitoring contract as a recurring record, install labour by day, and a customer training session as a named line. Send via WhatsApp or email to the customer with a system diagram, take a deposit on the equipment order, raise progress invoices through install, and the final invoice closes with the customer logged in to the app and the monitoring contract active. The customer pays for one bill, not three vendors.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of alarm and security system installation business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every alarm installer knows
Zone counts, sensor types, panels, and monitoring linkups all need to land on one clean document. Notebooks and Word docs do not cut it.
Quotes built after every site survey
You walk the property at 3pm, count the doors and windows, and only get the quote out at 9pm. By then the client has called two competitors.
Sensor counts off, margin lost
Forgetting two PIRs and a magnetic contact on a 12-zone install is a real margin hit. A structured quote tool catches this before you send.
Slow quotes lose installs
Clients shopping for an alarm system compare three quotes. The fastest professional one almost always wins, even at a higher price.
The fix
QuoteGenio fixes that
A clean, fast workflow built around how alarm installers actually quote. Panel, zones, sensors, cabling, install labour, and monitoring on one branded document.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for security installers
Line items for panels, zones, sensors, sirens, cabling, labour, and monitoring linkup. Structured the way alarm specialists work.
Works from your phone
Quote from the property, the gatehouse, or the client's kitchen. No laptop, no office return trip.
Quote in under 2 minutes
A repeatable workflow that gets you from site survey to sent quote before you pack the ladder away.
Track payments easily
Know which install invoices are paid, pending, or overdue without opening a spreadsheet.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how security system installers actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Security System Installers choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Security System Installers build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Security System Installers job pricing
A rough guide to what alarm and security system installers charge for common jobs. Pricing varies by panel brand, sensor count, cable run length, and whether the install is residential or commercial. Use these ranges as a reference when building your own rate card, not as fixed prices.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Site survey and zone count | R1,240 - R2,479 |
| Alarm panel install (8 zone, wired) | R4,628 - R9,090 |
| Alarm panel install (16 zone, hybrid) | R9,090 - R18,180 |
| PIR motion sensor (per unit, installed) | R1,074 - R2,314 |
| Door or window magnetic contact (per unit) | R578 - R1,405 |
| External siren and strobe combo | R2,314 - R5,289 |
| Monitoring linkup and programming | R1,570 - R3,636 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A site survey covers your time to walk the property, count zones, identify cable runs, and recommend panel and sensor placement. Most installers charge R1,240 to R2,479 for the survey and credit it back when the install is booked. List it on the quote so the client respects your time, then discount it on the invoice when they sign up.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use fixed pricing for known scopes like 8-zone or 16-zone panel installs, sensor counts, and external sirens. Use hourly pricing (R1,240 to R1,983 per hour) for fault-finding, panel upgrades on existing systems, or unknown cable run access. Mix both on the same quote when needed.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here is what a clean alarm install quote looks like with panel, sensors, sirens, and cabling broken out cleanly. Clients can see exactly what each component costs, which kills the 'why is this so much' objection before they even ask.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
8-zone alarm install, 3-bed residential
Site survey and zone planning
8-zone hybrid alarm panel (mid-range)
PIR motion sensor (pet-friendly, installed)
Door magnetic contact (installed)
External siren and strobe
Cabling, conduit, and consumables
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site survey and zone planning | 1 | R1,570 | R1,570 |
| 8-zone hybrid alarm panel (mid-range) | 1 | R6,280 | R6,280 |
| PIR motion sensor (pet-friendly, installed) | 4 | R1,570 | R6,280 |
| Door magnetic contact (installed) | 5 | R909 | R4,545 |
| External siren and strobe | 1 | R3,636 | R3,636 |
| Cabling, conduit, and consumables | 1 | R2,727 | R2,727 |
| Subtotal | R25,038 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R2,504 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R27,542 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Cabling and conduit by metre, a small consumables allowance, the SIM card cost on radio-linked panels, the monitoring company linkup fee, programming and walk-test time, and the second visit to commission and hand over. Add these to your template once and stop absorbing them out of your install margin.
Peer snapshot
How Security System Installers actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Security System Installers on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
34
Quotes sent per month
62%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
R27,542
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Security System Installer jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of alarm installers. The same scoping and pricing mistakes come up again and again. Fixing these will protect your install margin and speed up how fast clients say yes.
Mistake: Quoting per zone instead of per sensor
Better: Zones can carry multiple sensors. Quote each PIR, contact, and panic separately so the client sees the real component count and you do not undercount sensors at install.
Mistake: Forgetting cabling and conduit
Better: Cable runs eat hours and metres. Build a cabling and consumables line at 8 to 12 percent of materials so trunking, glands, and clips never come out of your margin.
Mistake: No programming or walk-test line
Better: Walk-testing and programming an 8-zone panel takes real time. List 'programming and walk-test' as its own line so labour is visible and defendable.
Mistake: Bundling monitoring linkup into the install
Better: Show monitoring company linkup and programming as a separate once-off line, then note that monthly monitoring is billed by the control room. Clear separation kills disputes later.
Mistake: No mention of pet-friendly versus standard PIRs
Better: Pet-friendly PIRs cost more. Specify the model and pet-immune weight on the quote so the client cannot argue 'we said pet-friendly' after install.
Mistake: Verbal quotes on add-ons
Better: If the client asks for an extra panic button or remote during the survey, add it to the quote as a line item before you send. Verbal add-ons get forgotten and absorbed at invoice time.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 14 or 30 day validity. Panel and sensor stock prices move, and you do not want to honour a three-month-old quote at a loss when the client finally signs.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote alarm and security system installs
Walk the property and count every opening the client wants protected. Map each door and window that needs a magnetic contact, mark every room that needs a PIR, and identify panic button locations (bedside, kitchen, gate, domestic quarters). Confirm whether the client wants standard PIRs or pet-friendly with the weight immunity rating that matches the pets on site, because a cat triggering the alarm at 3am becomes your problem. Plan cable routes from the panel position to each sensor, noting wall fish runs, ceiling voids, and any external runs that need trunking. Check the power supply position and whether the client wants radio-linked, IP-linked, or SIM-linked signalling to the control room.
Itemise per sensor, not per zone, because zones can carry multiple detectors and undercounting kills margin at install. List each PIR with brand and pet-immune weight, each magnetic contact with surface-mount or recessed noted, and each panic with its mounting location in the description. The alarm panel belongs on its own line with zone count and wired or hybrid stated, the external siren and strobe combo on another, and cabling plus consumables on a dedicated line at 8 to 12 percent of materials so trunking, conduit, and glands never come out of your pocket. Programming and walk-test takes real time on an 8-zone panel and needs its own line, and monitoring linkup and programming belongs on a separate once-off line with a note that monthly monitoring is billed by the control room.
Set a 14 to 30 day validity on every alarm install quote. Panel stock prices and sensor availability move with the rand-dollar rate on imported components, and an open-ended quote can easily turn a profitable install into a margin-zero job once you honour an old price. State the deposit terms clearly: for installs over $ 2,000 it is reasonable to ask 30 to 50 percent upfront to cover panel and sensor procurement. Note that retrofit work on existing panels carries a separate inspection line because surprises always hide behind existing wiring, and confirm whether the monitoring contract is included in your scope or handled by the client's preferred control room. VAT sits on its own line every time, especially on installs over $ 2,000 where disputes happen most.
Send the quote before you leave the driveway. Clients shopping for an alarm install collect three quotes the same afternoon, and the first professional document in their WhatsApp usually wins the sign-up, even at a higher price. Build the quote on your phone while you are still doing the walk-through with the client, share the link before you pack the toolbox, and follow up after two or three days with a short note referencing the sensor count and panel spec. For retrofit enquiries, include a short line offering to do the existing-panel inspection at a fixed fee so the decision to proceed is never blocked by uncertainty about the current wiring.
FAQ
Common questions from security system installers
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Add each PIR, magnetic contact, panic button, and panel as its own line item with quantity and rate. Quote structure is fully flexible to match how alarm installers actually price.
Yes. After the site survey, share the quote as a link via WhatsApp directly from your phone. The client gets a professional branded PDF instantly.
Add monitoring linkup and programming as its own one-off line item, then add a note that monthly monitoring is billed separately by the control room. Each line carries its own description and rate.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link. Clients open it on their phone and accept online. The accepted timestamp acts as a written go-ahead for the install.
Yes. Convert any accepted quote to an invoice in one click. All line items, sensors, and labour carry over with no re-entry needed.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Yes. Pet-friendly PIRs cost more than standard PIRs and the install spec is different (lower weight immunity for cats versus larger dogs). Quote them as separate lines with the model and pet-immune weight stated. This protects you when the client later complains the cat is setting off the alarm.
Quote the existing panel inspection separately, then quote the upgrade scope as a fixed price for known sensors and a provisional sum for any cabling that needs to be re-run. Be honest about which parts are quoted and which are estimated. Retrofit jobs always hide surprises behind the wall.
Yes, always. Walk-testing every zone, programming user codes, and handing over the system takes 1 to 2 hours on a typical install. List it as 'programming, walk-test, and handover' so the labour is visible and defendable. Bundling it into install labour makes your hourly look inflated.
14 to 30 days is standard. Panel stock, sensor pricing, and the rand-dollar exchange on imported components all move enough that an open-ended quote exposes your margin. QuoteGenio lets you set an expiry that appears clearly on the PDF.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Reviews
Trusted by tradespeople
Real feedback from people who quote for a living.
"Emergency call-outs at 2am are the worst time to write a quote. Being able to send something formal from my phone in a minute has saved me more than once."
David Romano
Locksmith · Toronto
"The WhatsApp sending is a game changer. Most of my clients do not check email, so being able to send quotes instantly helps me get quicker responses."
Kyle Adams
Electrician · Berlin
"Security quotes with six or seven cameras and zones used to be a nightmare. The line item structure handles it easily and clients understand exactly what they are getting."
Seán McKenna
CCTV Installer · Cork
Guides
Guides for Security System Installers
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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