Why MrSecured Costs More — And Why It Saves You Money Over 5 Years
You’ve probably noticed: when you get three quotes for security in Brisbane, MrSecured is usually middle-to-top of the pack on price. We are not the cheapest installer in Queensland. We will never be.
This page explains exactly what you get for the extra money — in numbers you can verify, not adjectives.
If you’re comparing us to ADT, Chubb, Wilson Security, Securecorp, Jim’s Security, or a Bunnings DIY kit, this is the page that translates “premium” into concrete outcomes: false-alarm rate, warranty length, system lifespan, call-back rate, and 5-year cost of ownership.
Bottom line up front: A typical MrSecured premium install costs $9,000–$15,000 upfront. A national-chain or DIY install costs $4,000–$6,000 upfront PLUS $80–$150/month monitoring contracts for 36–60 months. Over 5 years, you usually pay MrSecured less in total, with better hardware, fewer false alarms, longer warranty, and no locked-in contract.
Call MrSecured: 0490 130 339 for a free site walk + fixed-price quote.
The 5-Year Cost-of-Ownership Comparison
This is the maths most security buyers never run. Most look at the upfront install price and stop there. The real cost of a security system is what you pay over its lifespan.
| Cost component | National chain (ADT/Chubb/Wilson) | Bunnings DIY + handyman | MrSecured premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront install (6 cameras + alarm) | $4,500–$6,000 | $1,500 kit + $1,200 labour | $9,000–$11,500 |
| Monthly monitoring contract | $80–$150 × 36–60 months | Self-monitoring (free) | Self-monitoring via Ajax app (free) — Grade A1 monitoring optional from $39/mo |
| 5-year monitoring cost | $4,800–$9,000 | $0 | $0–$2,340 |
| Average call-out fees over 5 yrs | $1,200 (4 × $300 false-alarm call-outs) | $0–$3,000 (DIY fault rate is high) | $0 (phone fixes) or $350 per on-site callout |
| Hardware replacement at year 3 | $2,000 (cheap cameras fail) | $2,500 (DIY kits die) | $0 (premium gear lasts 8–10 yrs) |
| Total 5-year cost | $12,500–$18,200 | $5,200–$8,200 | $9,000–$14,140 |
| System still working at year 5? | Maybe — likely on replacement #2 | Probably not — most DIY systems dead by year 3 | Yes — premium hardware typically still going strong; covered by manufacturer warranty terms while applicable |
The DIY route looks cheapest. It usually isn’t, because cheap kits fail and DIY installs miss the angles that actually matter. The national-chain route locks you into a contract and saddles you with cheap hardware. MrSecured premium costs more upfront and less over the lifespan — and the system still works at year 5.
False-Alarm Rate — The Hidden Cost Most Buyers Forget
The single biggest reason home alarms get given up on is false alarms. After 4–6 false 2am wake-ups, most owners stop arming the system. After 3 false-alarm police call-outs, your insurance discount disappears. After 5, QPS can charge you a fee per attendance.
False-alarm rate is hugely variable across brands and installers:
- Older 2-wire panels (Bosch, Paradox era) — industry-average 6–12 false alarms per year per residential install. Mostly caused by ageing sensors, insect interference, and door-contact misalignment from settling houses.
- Cheap DIY wireless kits — 8–15 false alarms per year. WiFi drops trigger system alerts. Battery dips trigger sensor alerts. Pet motion isn’t properly excluded.
- National-chain installs (ADT/Chubb/Wilson) — 4–8 per year average. Better hardware, but installers paid per-job rush sensor placement.
- MrSecured Ajax + Inception EVO installs — under 1 per year average. Ajax has the lowest false-alarm rate of any consumer-grade alarm brand in the world, validated by independent EN50131 grade-2 certification. We pair that with sensor placement that takes 30–45 extra minutes per install because we walk every motion angle before mounting.
The cost of false alarms isn’t just the QPS fees — it’s the alarm system you stop using because it nags you. We’ve fixed dozens of jobs where owners had stopped arming their existing system. The fix was almost always the same: replace it with Ajax, place sensors properly, and the false alarms vanish.
Warranty Length — Read The Fine Print
Most Brisbane installers advertise “warranty” but bury what they actually cover. Quick truth table:
| Warranty type | National chain | Local installer (typical) | MrSecured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware warranty | 1–2 years | 1 year | Manufacturer warranty direct (period varies by brand and product) |
| Installation labour warranty | 6 months | 12 months | 1 year on installation labour |
| Software/firmware updates | Locked to their contract | Manual, ad-hoc | Automatic via manufacturer firmware updates |
| System reconfiguration after move | $300–$500 call-out fee | $200 call-out + reconfig time | Free if resolvable by phone; $350 on-site callout if hands-on |
Hardware — Why The Brands Matter
The brand on the box is the difference between a 3-year disposable system and a 10-year asset. We install the brands Australian security industry professionals install for their own homes:
- Dahua — 4K AcuPick AI cameras, TiOC active deterrence, Australian distribution with manufacturer warranty.
- Ajax — European-engineered wireless alarms, grade-2 certified, world’s lowest false-alarm rate.
- Akuvox + 2N — IP video intercoms for residential, body corporate, and commercial.
- Inception EVO — integrated alarm + access control on a single platform.
- Hanwha Wisenet — Korean-built premium commercial cameras (WDR, licence-plate-ready).
- TP-Link VIGI + Ubiquiti UniFi Protect — networked commercial-grade alternatives.
We do NOT install Hikvision (Australian government supply-chain restriction list, 2023). We do NOT install Bosch or Paradox panels (older-generation, higher false-alarm rate). We do NOT install the cheap eufy / TP-Link Tapo / Swann consumer kits sold at JB Hi-Fi and Bunnings — they don’t survive 3 years of Brisbane storms and they don’t talk to your alarm system.
Call-Back Rate — The Number Most Installers Hide
The honest measure of installer quality is how many times you have to call them back in the first 12 months. The industry-average for residential installs in South-East Queensland is 2.4 call-backs per install — equipment failures, configuration faults, and “the camera moved” issues.
MrSecured’s 12-month call-back rate is under 0.4 per install. That’s 6× better than the industry average. The reason: we use better gear, we install slower, and we test every camera and every sensor before we leave the property. If we have to come back, it’s free for the first 12 months under labour warranty.
What MrSecured Is Not
To save your time, here’s where we’re not the right fit:
- If you want the cheapest job possible — we are middle-to-top of the price range. Cheaper installers exist in Brisbane and will quote you 30–50% less. We won’t match them.
- If you want a locked-in monitoring contract — we install systems that you self-monitor via the Ajax app for free. Monitoring is optional, not mandatory. If you specifically want a 5-year monitoring contract, the national chains are built for that.
- If you want a single security camera — under-$500 single-camera jobs are not where we add the most value. We’re best at full property security ecosystems (4+ cameras, integrated alarm, intercom, access control).
- If the property is outside Greater Brisbane + Gold Coast + Sunshine Coast service area — we don’t subcontract regional jobs. We do it properly or we refer you to someone closer.
What MrSecured Is
- A Brisbane-owned, owner-operated security installer (MrSecured attends every quote personally)
- Authorised installer for Dahua, Ajax, Akuvox, 2N, Inception EVO, Hanwha Wisenet, TP-Link VIGI, Ubiquiti UniFi Protect
- QLD Class 2 Security Provider Licence #4546326, ASIAL member, $20M public liability insured
- 190+ five-star Google reviews
- Featured on Channel 9 Today Show, 4BC Brisbane Radio, Channel 9 Brisbane, and the Marty & Michael 2.2M-follower channel
- 1-year installation labour warranty + manufacturer warranties on products (period varies by brand)
- Direct mobile to the owner, not a call-centre escalation chain
The MrSecured Premium — Final Word
The premium price exists because we use premium gear, we install slower than the average installer, we offer a 1-year installation labour warranty plus manufacturer warranties direct on the hardware, we don’t lock you into a monitoring contract, and we don’t disappear after the install. Over 5 years, that combination costs you less in total than the budget options — and the system actually works on day 1,825.
If that matches what you want, here’s how to start:
- Call MrSecured: 0490 130 339 — most enquiries answered within 30 minutes during business hours.
- Free 20-minute on-site walk — MrSecured attends every quote personally. No sales reps, no commission-driven upsells.
- Fixed-price quote — itemised, no “additional materials” surprises, no mandatory monitoring contract.
Frequently Asked Questions About Premium Security Pricing
Are MrSecured prices negotiable?
Quote-stage pricing is fixed. We don’t negotiate down the system spec to win the job — that creates the cheap-install problems we’re trying to solve. We do offer 3-tier packaging (Essential / Standard / Premium) so you can choose the spec that fits your budget without compromising the install quality.
How does MrSecured compare to ADT, Chubb, Wilson Security, or Securecorp?
National chains are best when you specifically want a long-term monitoring contract with a single corporate point of accountability. MrSecured is best when you want to own the system outright, self-monitor via mobile app, and have direct contact with the installer for years after install. National chains typically cost more over 5 years (the monitoring contract compounds) but offer corporate-scale 24/7 monitoring. We offer better hardware, longer install warranty, and no contract lock-in.
How does MrSecured compare to a Bunnings DIY kit?
Honest answer: if budget is under $2,500 and you’re handy, a Bunnings TP-Link Tapo or eufy kit will work for 18–36 months. After that, the kit hardware degrades, the WiFi reliability fails, and the system gets given up on. If you want a 5–10 year security asset, the DIY route is more expensive over the lifespan than getting it installed once, properly.
Will MrSecured price-match a cheaper competitor quote?
No. Price-matching almost always means downgrading the install spec — cheaper cameras, fewer sensors, shorter cabling runs. That creates the call-back rate and false-alarm rate that the premium price avoids. If a cheaper quote is genuinely apples-to-apples on hardware + warranty + install standards, we’ll explain where the price difference is coming from.
What’s the warranty actually cover?
Installation labour: 1 year. If anything we installed comes loose, drifts out of alignment, or fails because of how we installed it, we come back at no labour cost within 12 months. Hardware: manufacturer warranty direct — the period varies by brand and product. We register every install with the manufacturer at handover and you receive the registration confirmations. Configuration changes resolvable by phone are free. On-site work after the labour warranty is a flat $350 callout.
Is monitoring mandatory?
No. We design systems for self-monitoring via the Ajax mobile app and the Dahua DMSS app. You see camera footage and alarm alerts on your phone, anywhere in the world. Australian Grade A1 monitoring is available as an optional add-on from $39/month if you want third-party police dispatch on alarm events.
Related — Specific Service Pages
For service-specific detail, see: home security systems Brisbane, commercial alarm installation, security camera installation, Ajax alarm systems, intercom system installation, commercial CCTV. For pricing details and 3-tier packages: pricing page.
