(919) 387-1800 Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm 809B Center Street, Apex, NC Family-owned since 1990
Secur-Tek, Inc. Security, A/V and smart home

Home security systems in Raleigh, NC: how to choose

A short guide for Raleigh homeowners. What to decide first, what a system can do beyond the alarm, and where to go when you want a price.

Before you buy

Four questions that shape your system

We build every system around the size of your home and the level of protection you want. Answer these four and you're most of the way to a design.

  1. How many ways in are there?

    Count the outside doors, the windows someone could reach and the door from the garage. That sets how many sensors you need.

  2. Starting fresh, or building on what you have?

    If your home already has alarm wiring, the wired door and window contacts can often be reused with a new panel. Building new in North Raleigh or Brier Creek? Wire it before the walls close.

  3. Do you want to see, or also get help?

    A doorbell and cameras show you what's happening. Monitoring means trained operators respond to your alarm and send help, even when your phone is on silent.

  4. What else should it watch?

    Smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, water leaks, and the people and pets you look after.

Family walking in the front door of their home past a security panel on the wall
Beyond the alarm

What a Raleigh home system can include

Start with the basics and add what fits your household. Every piece runs in the same app.

Video doorbell

The First Alert VX1 lets you see, hear and talk to visitors from anywhere, with alerts set the way you like them.

Cameras inside and out

Cameras placed where they matter, viewable in real time from your phone, tablet, computer or TV.

Smoke, heat and CO

Monitored detectors call for help even when no one is home. Heat detectors suit garages and attics, where dust or fumes can set off a smoke detector.

Water leak detection

Leak sensors alert you early, and a compatible shutoff valve can turn the water off before a small leak becomes a big repair.

Family check-ins

Give each child their own code and know when they get home. A sensor on a medicine cabinet can show an older parent's day is on track.

Pets and caregivers

Check on pets with a camera, and give a sitter or caregiver a temporary code you can turn off at any time.

Family at a backyard cookout as a Total Connect alert confirms the home security system is armed
Total Connect 2.0

Everything in one app

Our systems run on Resideo's Total Connect 2.0. It gives you secure, affordable remote access to your alarm and your video from wherever you are.

  • Arm and disarm from anywhere. Forgot to set it on the way out? Do it from the car.
  • Live and recorded video. Your doorbell and cameras sit next to your alarm, not in a separate app.
  • Alerts you choose. A door opening, a code being used, a leak or a smoke alarm.
  • Voice and smart home. Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Z-Wave locks, lights and thermostats.

Monitoring runs through Affiliated Monitoring, a UL-listed central station, with a Secur-Tek technician on call 24/7. Operators respond to alarm signals. No one watches your cameras.

FAQ

Choosing a system: common questions

What size system does my Raleigh home need?
It depends on how many doors and windows open to the outside, how the home is laid out and what you want covered. A townhouse may only need a few sensors and a doorbell. A larger home may add motion and glass-break detectors and cameras. We count it all with you during a free visit.
Can you add to the system I already have?
Often, yes. Wired door and window contacts can usually be reused with a new panel, which lowers the cost. Some panels are locked by the company that installed them. If yours is, we tell you on the first call and quote a replacement.
Will a monitored smoke detector get help if I'm not home?
Yes. Monitored smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors signal the monitoring center 24/7, even when the alarm isn't armed, and operators respond from there.
Can the system turn off my water?
Yes, with a compatible motorized shutoff valve. When a leak sensor trips, the system alerts you and can close the valve.
Do I need to register my alarm with the City of Raleigh?
Raleigh asks monitored alarm systems to be registered and bills for repeat false alarms. Our alarm registration guide has the current rules, and we help you register when we install.
Free home visit

Plan your Raleigh system with us

We walk your home with you, answer every question and give you a written price.