Frontpoint Home Security System

What Is Frontpoint

Based in northern Virginia, Frontpoint Security Solutions is a fast-growing technology and service company that offers highly-customizable home security systems in all 50 US states and 9 out of 10 Canadian provinces.

Widely ranked one of the best home security systems on the market for several years running, Frontpoint offers highly customizable and 100% wireless and cellular DIY systems with three tiers of monitoring coverage. The equipment can be controlled remotely, helps protect against both intruders and environmental damage, and comes loaded with pro features, from video doorbells and smart locks to panic pendants and water flood sensors.

Key Features

Features of Frontpoint Security

Frontpoint uses General Electric control panels with powerful and secure cellular connections for monitoring, and ships the equipment to your home after programming it directly in the factory. Between its equipment bundles and various add-ons, Frontpoint offers a wide range of gadgets to choose from:

• Standard and wireless control panels
• Door and window sensors
• Garage door sensors
• Glass break sensors
• Motion sensors
• Light sensors
• Smoke and heat sensors
• Carbon monoxide sensors
• Water flood sensors
• Recessed door sensors
• Keychain remotes
• Panic pendants
• Smart locks
• Wireless indoor cameras
• Wireless outdoor cameras
• Video doorbells

In addition to all the hardware, Frontpoint’s app lets you arm the system remotely, receive alerts, tweak system settings, livestream from your indoor or outdoor cameras, and even control any smart home features you may use, like thermostats or kitchen appliances. It even packs in some handy geo-smart features, such as automatically disarming the system when your phone is within range so you can enter hands-free. This level of home automation only comes with the most expensive equipment package and monitoring plan.

MOBILE ALERTS	Frontpoint’s mobile app puts the power of home security in the palm of your hand. Stay connected with alerts from motion sensors as well as flood sensors, carbon monoxide detectors, and smoke/heat detectors.
24/7 MONITORING	Frontpoint security control panels and panic buttons are monitored by Rapid Response 24 hours/day to provide speedy service in the event of an emergency.
WIRELESS EQUIPMENT	Frontpoint’s entryway sensors, video cameras, and other security equipment is wireless. Installation leaves no permanent marks, and the equipment can easily be moved to a new residence.
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS	Frontpoint’s optional home security cameras let you save recordings and can stream live video to mobile phones, tablets, and computers.
DIY INSTALLATION	Maintain your privacy. With Frontpoint, no technician needs to visit your home. You can install the equipment yourself in about 30 minutes.
SMART HOME SYSTEMS	Home automation helps people save time and money. Frontpoint’s mobile app makes it easy to automate your home’s lights, locks, thermostat, and more.
DISASTER PROTECTION	For all-around protection Frontpoint can provide environmental sensors in addition to intrusion sensors. Get alerts in case of threat from water, carbon monoxide, smoke, and fire.
REMOTE CONTROL	Extra safety and control come with Frontpoint keychain remotes. A keychain remote enables remote arming/disarming and has a button for emergency calls.
GEOSERVICES	Protecting against forgetfulness, the optional Frontpoint geoservices feature can alert you when you’ve left home without arming your security system. For example, you can receive a text when you’ve traveled a mile from home. You can then use the Frontpoint mobile app or a desktop/laptop computer to arm your home security system immediately.

What You Get and What it Costs

Frontpoint lets you choose between three different equipment packages and three different monitoring plans, so what you pay can vary widely depending on what you get and what discounts you qualify for. This is where things get a little tricky, but on the plus side, having more options lets you more fully customize your home security setup.

Frontpoint Packages and Pricing

Pro Package

Frontpoint’s most basic equipment bundle is the Pro Package, and it comes with all the equipment you’ll need to secure your home—including a keypad panel with a built-in touchpad, a visual display, voice feedback, a backup battery, three door and window sensors, and one motion detector. This package retails for $509.93, but new customers who own their homes, have a credit score above 600, and are willing to sign a 3-year contract can get the package for $199.95, a more than 60% discount.

Pro Plus Package

Frontpoint’s Pro Plus Package offers all this plus its highly-rated app and some extra gear—two more door or window sensors (totaling five), one more motion sensor (totaling three), and a smoke/heat sensor. This retails for $673.90, but as with the Pro Package, new customers with a credit score above 600 who own their homes and are willing to sign a 3-year contract get it for $349.95, a nearly 50% discount.

Pro Cam Package

The Pro Cam Package is Frontpoin’s highest-end package. In addition to a touchscreen panel, five door/window sensors, and two motion sensors, it also includes an indoor camera and a doorbell camera. This package gives you the fullest home automation experience, including live video streaming and automated door locks. The Pro Cam Package retails for $972.90, but that drops to $499.95 when you bundle all the equipment with Frontpoint’s highest-level monthly monitoring plan, the Ultimate plan (more below), which is required to run surveillance equipment.

Frontpoint Monthly Monitoring and Pricing

Protection Plan

In fact, all Frontpoint systems require a monitoring plan. The Protection Plan is Frontpoint’s most basic monthly monitoring option, costing $34.99 a month before tax and providing 24/7 professional wireless and cellular monitoring. The built-in, automated system checks run every 68 minutes to ensure that your system and sensors are active and online. With this plan you get fire protection, environmental protection, and life safety, and you can assign unique user codes to your home’s residents and visitors, as well as put time restrictions on those users.

Interactive Plan

The next step up is called the Interactive Plan, and it starts at $44.99 a month before tax. You’ll enjoy all the benefits of the Protection Plan plus access to the app, video recording, crash and smash protection that recognizes when a control panel has been destroyed, and greater customization. For instance, you can build custom alerts to let you know, say, who is accessing your system when and whether you’ve left home without arming it.

Ultimate Plan

The Ultimate Plan starts at $49.99 a month before tax and allows for maximum customization and control. This plan gets you state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor cameras with night vision, live streaming in and near your house from your phone, and control over your smart home features so that you have remote access to your thermostat, lights, locks, and more. If you’re a homeowner willing to sign a 3-year contract, you can choose from one of the equipment bundles, plus you have the option to buy your gear piece by piece. Either way, you’re not leasing the hardware, so when your contract is up, you own it.

Frontpoint Equipment Costs

When purchasing a Frontpoint package, you also have the option to add on additional equipment so you can fully customize your home security system. Just note that some add-on equipment requires certain types of Frontpoint Security plans in order to operate—i.e., if you want a smart lock or camera, you’ll need to purchase the Ultimate plan.

The following is a price list of Frontpoint’s equipment and the plans required to operate them:

Current Deal

Get a free motion sensor when you choose a 3-year Frontpoint monitoring agreement. Read all about the currently available Frontpoint deals and promotions here.

How to Order

As we’ve discussed, Frontpoint packages include three equipment bundles and three monitoring plans. When it’s time to order, you first choose the equipment package you want, then any add-on equipment, and then your preferred (or sometimes required) monitoring plan.

There are a few caveats to note. When choosing your monitoring plan, you can sign either a 1-year or 3-year contract, though some equipment packages require a 3-year contract. Also, because Frontpoint only allows renters to sign 1-year contracts, customers who rent are precluded from any discounts that come with the 3-year contracts. That said, Frontpoint’s DIY system is easy to set up without putting a hole in your wall, making it particularly popular among renters.

More About Frontpoint Security

One of only a handful of home security companies with such wide coverage, Frontpoint coordinates with local authorities in every area and observes the licensing rules set in place by states and municipalities. Not every state requires alarm licensing, but in the states and areas that do, Frontpoint holds one or more state licenses. They aim to be the most compliant alarm services provider in North America.

Frontpoint also leads the security industry with consistently top-notch customer service, which has been ingrained in the company’s culture since its inception in 2007. Making customer and employee satisfaction a top priority, the company boasts an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and a whopping 96% of new customers surveyed say they’d recommend Frontpoint. Customer service reps are trained to help set up new equipment, add new hardware, and answer any questions you may have about your home security system.

See our full review of Frontpoint here and our FAQs here.