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Security and smart home

Alarm installation

Fitting or upgrading a house alarm, sensors and panel.
Post a task Alarm installation by county

Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

Licence required

PSA licence (security equipment installer)

PSA licence (security equipment installer), issued or supervised by the Private Security Authority. Ask for the registration number before the work starts and check it on the public register. Check the register: www.psa-gov.ie

Wording approved by Talqero; not yet reviewed by a solicitor

Private Security Authoritywww.psa-gov.ieChecked

Alarm installation: what the job involves

Fitting or upgrading a house intruder alarm: control panel, keypads, door contacts, motion detectors and an external bell box, wired or wireless, with app control or monitoring. Installers of intruder alarms in Ireland must hold a Private Security Authority licence.

Also asked for as: house alarm · burglar alarm installation · alarm installer · wireless alarm · monitored alarm

How the job is usually done

  1. Survey the house: entry points, room layout, pets, and how the family comes and goes.
  2. Agree the design: zones, detector types, a part-set for night time, and app or monitored signalling.
  3. Fit the control panel, keypads and power supply, and run cables or pair wireless devices.
  4. Install door and window contacts, pet-tolerant motion detectors and the external sounder.
  5. Programme zones, entry and exit times, user codes and notifications, then walk-test every device.
  6. Train the household, hand over codes and documents, and arrange monitoring if chosen.

Alarm installation: what is included

Usually included

  • Panel, keypad, detectors and external sounder as specified
  • Programming, walk testing and user training
  • Installation documentation and certificate of compliance from the installer

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • Monitoring by an alarm receiving centre, which is a separate ongoing contract
  • Making good plaster and decorating after cable runs
  • Integration with CCTV or smart home systems unless specified

Materials and who supplies them

  • Alarm equipment, normally supplied by the installer to match their licensed system
  • Cable, fixings and batteries, supplied by the installer

How long it takes

A wireless system in a typical house usually takes a day; a wired system or a large house with outbuildings can take two.

When to book

Autumn and winter evenings see more burglaries in Ireland, so book before the clocks go back.

Alarm installation: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • A contractor who installs or maintains intruder alarm systems for other people must hold a Private Security Authority licence for that sector. Licences are issued per sector, run for two years, and can be checked on the PSA register.

    Applies to: the installer

    Private Security Services Act 2004; Private Security Authority · psa-gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • The PSA publishes a register of licensed contractors showing each one’s sectors and licence expiry date.

    Applies to: the homeowner

    Private Security Authority · psa-gov.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • It is an offence to engage an unlicensed contractor to provide a licensable security service; having been shown a valid licence is a defence, so ask to see it before work starts.

    Applies to: the homeowner who hires the installer

    Private Security Services Act 2004, section 38 · revisedacts.lawreform.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What alarm installation costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Wired or wireless system, and the brand
  • Number of doors, windows and rooms to protect
  • Monitored, app-only or bells-only signalling
  • Taking over or removing an existing system
  • Outbuildings, garages and gates
  • VAT: installation work on a home is charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered business, unless equipment exceeds two-thirds of the price, when the higher goods rate applies; ask whether the quote includes it
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • Installation certificate and system record showing zones and devices
  • User manual and engineer code arrangements
  • Maintenance contract and monitoring contract if agreed

Safety

  • Make sure you can get the engineer code or that the installer will release it, so you are not tied to one company.
  • Pet-tolerant detectors and correct siting avoid false alarms that neighbours and Gardaí stop responding to.
  • Change default user codes and app passwords on the day of handover.

Alarm installation: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • What is your PSA licence number, and does it cover intruder alarms?
  • Will I get the engineer code, or am I tied to you for maintenance?
  • Is monitoring included, and what does it cost after the first year?
  • What maintenance does the system need, and how often?

What you can do yourself

A self-fitted wireless kit for your own home is legal, but an installer paid to fit one must be PSA-licensed; changing batteries and user codes is a householder job.

What to put in your task

  • What do you have now?
  • What kind of property is it?
  • How many outside doors, including patio and garage?
  • How should the alarm alert you?
  • Do you have pets that roam the house when you are out?

Photos that help

  • The existing panel or keypad and the bell box, if any
  • Front, back and patio doors from inside
  • The front of the house showing where a bell box could go

Alarm installation by county

Choose your county for alarm installation close to home.

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Questions about alarm installation

Does alarm installation need a licence in Ireland?

Yes. PSA licence (security equipment installer), supervised by the Private Security Authority. Source: www.psa-gov.ie. Ask for the registration number and check it on the public register. Wording approved by Talqero; not yet reviewed by a solicitor.

Does an alarm installer need a licence?

Yes. Anyone installing or maintaining intruder alarms for others must hold a Private Security Authority licence for that sector, and you can check it on the PSA register. Hiring an unlicensed installer is itself an offence.

Wired or wireless?

Wired is reliable and suits houses being renovated. Wireless is quicker and less disruptive in a finished house, at the cost of batteries every few years.

Do I need monitoring?

Not necessarily. App alerts suit many homes. Monitoring makes sense if you are often away or your insurer asks for it; read the contract length before signing.

Often booked with alarm installation

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