Professional vs. Self-Monitoring: What Actually Happens When Your Alarm Goes Off

The difference between professional and self-monitoring is the difference between a trained security agent dispatching police at 3 AM while you sleep, and a phone notification you might not see until morning. Both have a place, but most homeowners underestimate how much the monitoring type matters until their alarm actually triggers. Let's walk through exactly what happens in each scenario.

Scenario: 3:17 AM - Back Door Sensor Triggers

With professional monitoring (SimpliSafe Interactive plan, $22.99/mo)

3:17:00 AM - Back door contact sensor opens. Signal sent to base station via encrypted wireless.

3:17:01 AM - Base station receives signal, starts the entry delay countdown (30 seconds for you to disarm if it's you coming home).

3:17:31 AM - No disarm code entered. Base station siren activates at 95+ decibels. Simultaneously, an alarm signal is transmitted via cellular to SimpliSafe's monitoring center.

3:17:41 AM - Within 10 seconds (SimpliSafe's tested average), a monitoring agent receives the alarm. They see the alarm type (entry), which sensor (back door), and your account information.

3:17:45 AM - Agent attempts to verify: calls your primary phone number. If you answer and provide your verbal password, you can confirm false alarm or request dispatch. If no answer within 30 seconds, agent proceeds to dispatch.

3:18:15 AM - No answer. Agent calls your secondary emergency contact. Simultaneously, agent dispatches police to your address with information about the alarm type and entry point.

3:18:30 AM - Police dispatched. If you have cameras, agents with video verification (ADT, SimpliSafe with cameras) can view live footage and relay suspect descriptions to responding officers.

Total time from break-in to police dispatch: approximately 90 seconds. This happened without you waking up, finding your phone, unlocking it, or calling anyone. The system handled everything automatically.

With self-monitoring (Ring Basic plan, $0-$5/mo)

3:17:00 AM - Same trigger. Back door opens.

3:17:31 AM - Siren activates. Push notification sent to your phone.

3:17:31 AM - Your phone is on your nightstand. On silent mode because you're sleeping. Or maybe it's in the kitchen charging. The notification joins your queue of notifications.

3:17:31 AM to ??? - Nothing happens. The siren may scare the intruder away. Or they may disable the siren (unplug/smash the base station) and continue. No one is called. No one is dispatched.

6:45 AM - You wake up, check your phone, see 47 notifications from 3.5 hours ago. By now, the intruder is long gone with your belongings.

Total time from break-in to police dispatch: whenever you wake up and call 911 yourself.

When Self-Monitoring Works

Self-monitoring isn't inherently bad - it has legitimate use cases. It works well as a daytime-only supplement when you're home and awake with your phone nearby. It's effective for monitoring cameras during the day (checking on deliveries, pets, kids arriving home). It's also reasonable for low-risk scenarios where the siren itself is sufficient deterrent (apartments with close neighbors who would notice). And it's the right choice if you absolutely cannot afford $20/mo for professional monitoring.

When Professional Monitoring Is Essential

Professional monitoring becomes critical in several scenarios. Nighttime protection is the most obvious - you're asleep and can't respond to phone alerts. Single-person households where there's no partner to wake up and check a phone are another key situation. Homes with elderly or disabled residents who may not be able to call 911 themselves need professional monitoring. Families with children where the stakes of a break-in are highest benefit greatly. Vacation homes that are empty for extended periods require it. And rural properties where police response times are already 20-30+ minutes need every second of head start that automatic dispatch provides.

The Economics of Monitoring

Professional monitoring ranges from $19.99/mo (Cove) to $49.99/mo (ADT premium, Vivint). The average across our recommended providers is about $25/mo. That's $300/year - or $0.82/day.

For context: the average burglary loss is $2,661. Insurance deductibles for theft claims average $1,000-$2,500. Premium increases after a claim run 10-20% for 3-5 years, potentially costing $1,000-$3,000 total. A single prevented burglary saves you $3,000-$6,000 in direct and indirect costs - covering 10-20 years of monitoring fees in one event.

And as we covered in our insurance guide, the 5-20% homeowner's insurance discount for professional monitoring often covers most or all of the monitoring cost, making the effective price near zero.

Our Recommendation

For the overwhelming majority of homeowners, professional monitoring at $20-$25/month is the right choice. The cost is modest, the protection gap between professional and self-monitoring is enormous during the hours that matter most (sleeping, away from home, unable to respond), and the insurance discount frequently offsets most of the expense. Save self-monitoring for supplementary daytime camera viewing, not as your primary security strategy.