Whether you’re moving into your first home, or renovating a home to rent to someone else, the fire alarm system you install is a hugely important part of the home, that warrants installation immediately. If you’re a business owner, it’s likely you’re looking at more complex systems – and it’s important when choosing your alarm system that you consider the type of business you have, and the type of building you’re in. 

The UK government has recommended that any fire alarm systems in your home (or business) should be installed (and then maintained) in accordance with the relevant British Standard, BS 5839. However, there are different grades of fire systems required for different kinds of residential properties and business properties. 

For example, residential buildings (houses, apartments and flats) will generally meet the UK fire alarm regulations using a lower-grade system (categorised as D-F) – these systems will be considerably cheaper than the higher grade systems. The lower grade systems differ from the higher grade systems as they don’t have back-up battery power, and they’re not wired into the house’s central control panel. 

For businesses, generally they will require a more substantial fire alarm system (which will require more budget) – this is because the premises may be bigger, more complex, or have high-risk equipment (such as large scale cookers) inside them. Businesses in the UK will likely be using ‘A’ grade alarm systems, through to ‘C’ grade.

If you’re installing into a business property, and you don’t know what grade of fire alarm system you need, you can usually find it specified in the Fire Risk Assessment document (it’s important to ensure you stick to this recommendation, to ensure you’re sticking to British Standard BS 5839).

So, how much do fire alarm systems cost?

The cost of installing a fire system depends on a variety of things, as it isn’t just the equipment cost. For this reason, the cost can vary greatly depending on a number of different things. These things that can affect the cost of your fire alarm system are: 

  • The grade of the alarm system you are installing 
  • The installation cost 
  • Any ‘membership’ cost of monitoring software (this could be monthly and ongoing) 
  • The size of your premises 

As you can see, the cost of installing a fire alarm system is much more complex than just estimated the equipment price. It’s always best to gather quotes from service providers once you know the grade of the system you require – as they will then be able to provide the most accurate quotation possible. Fire alarm system aren’t a ‘one size fits all’ product – and will need to be tailored and fitted to suit your property, business, etc. 

With any company that install fire alarm system, they will be able to provide quotes for you after surveying the property and seeing exactly what needs to go where.