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Protect America Review
4.3 Overall Rating
Bottom Line
Protect American is a self-install home security system company that’s been in business for over 25 years. Its standard professional monitoring plan is $19.99 per month with no upfront cost. You can customize your home security system for more per month.
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About Protect America
Protect America continues to keep homes and families safe after more than 25 years providing trusted, cutting-edge security systems. Protect America has a home security package to fit most budgets and lifestyles with basic to advanced security systems, video surveillance, smoke and fire detection, smart locks and lighting, and complete smart home automation.
Protect America is a provider of home security systems, professional monitoring and emergency dispatch services. The company has been in business since 1992 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Protect America’s triple redundant monitoring system provides 24/7 monitoring without outsourcing calls to other countries. Triple redundancy increases reliability with three layers of electronic communication. If one fails, the other two pick up the slack.
Protect America custom-builds each home security system, then ships directly to the customer. The company has secured over 500,000 homes, offering intrusion and motion detection, video surveillance, hazard protection (smoke, fire, heat, carbon monoxide), and full home automation from smart lights to automated climate control.
Protect America was the first company to offer a professionally-monitored, self-installed security system and ranked among SDM Magazine’s top 20 U.S. security system providers for 2018. The company recently won the 2019 Consumer Choice Award for home security from BestCompany.com, and Consumers Digest has ranked Protect America systems a “Best Buy” for over 10 years. We chose Protect America as one of the best home security systems you can buy because of their equipment and service bundles.
Pros
- No charge for standard security equipment
- Additional equipment is reasonably priced
- No need for professional installers
Cons
- 36-month contract with autopay is required
How Protect America Home Security Monitoring Works
If a sensor detects an intruder in the home, it sends a signal to the control panel triggering an alarm. If you are home, you can disarm the control panel if needed, but the monitoring center will receive an alert. Once an alarm goes off, a Protect America agent will call to determine if the warning is a false alarm or real emergency, canceling the alarm or dispatching emergency personnel. Many local governments charge a fee when emergency services respond to false alarms, so the agent’s confirmation can save you hundreds of dollars.
What You Get with a Protect America Home Security System
Protect America home security plans include a control panel, a motion detector and window sensors. Specifics are discussed below along with details for adding door and additional window sensors, cameras and other components. Each Protect America kit also includes a yard sign and four stickers for use on doors and windows to further deter would-be thieves. This equipment, worth up to $1,400, is free with a signed 36-month contract for monitoring.
Protect America Home Security System Costs
Protect America professional home security monitoring services are affordable starting with landline service on the most basic plan at $19.99 a month. You will pay more for cellular or broadband monitoring but can also add home automation features, live security camera streams and more. The cellular option is required to use the Protect America mobile app with remote security system control.
| Package | Included | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Copper (Basic) | 3 sensors, 1 motion detector | $19.99 to $41.99 |
| Silver (Complete) | 9 sensors, 1 motion detector | $37.99 – $49.99 |
| Platinum (Complete +) | 14 sensors, 1 motion detector | $42.99 – $54.99 |
| Video Service with HD Camera | View via smartphone app | $9.99 with plan |
| Fire and Smoke Monitoring | Detectors included | $9.99 with plan |
Installing Protect America’s Home Security System
Protect America has two installation options, although you handle the installation yourself either way. Protect America’s security systems are intentionally easy to install in under an hour and offer savings by bypassing labor costs. You can schedule an appointment to have a Protect America technician walk you through every step of installation over the phone. The second option is for the true do-it-yourselfer, who can download the instructions to do a full DIY install.
Protect America Home Security Options
Each Protect America home security system plan can be upgraded to include options like video, smart home automation, and landline, broadband or cellular connections. You will pay a one-time price for additions like more window and door sensors, motion detectors and flood and freeze sensors. Protect America’s additional equipment prices are very reasonable when compared with other brands’ home security add-on options.
| Component | Feature | One-time Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Door or Window Sensors | 5-year battery life | $39 each |
| Additional Motion Detectors | Pet-friendly | $99 each |
| Garage Door Tilt Sensors | Prevents intrusion through garage | $59 each |
| Glass Break Sensors | Detects the sound of shattering glass | $99 each |
| Keychain Remotes | With panic button | $49 each |
| Carbon Monoxide Detectors | Alerts with unsafe carbon monoxide levels | $129 each |
| Flood and Freeze Sensors | Dual detection for water and temperature | $99 each |
Home Automation with Protect America
It’s relatively easy to combine home automation with a Protect America security system. Smart components are manufactured with the popular Z-Wave technology so as not to interfere with the load on your wifi network. Protect America’s smart home equipment is compatible with Amazon’s Echo products.
- August Smart Locks allow you to control and monitor your doors from anywhere.
- Linear garage door controllers open and close sectional garage doors from your mobile device or the Protect America security panel.
- Smart lighting and appliance modules controlled by the Protect America mobile app or Alexa to dim lights or turn them on or off and start or stop appliances in your home.
- GoControl Z-Wave Thermostat allows you to set up a custom heating and cooling schedule to save money on energy costs.
Protect America Complaints
Protect America is an A-rated company with the Better Business Bureau and responded to every complaint on the BBB website. The majority of issues seem to be from customers who want to cancel contracts early. Reputable consumer review and advocacy companies like ConsumerAffairs rank Protect America highly based on over 2,200 reviews, as do multiple tech review companies. ConsumerAffairs, BestCompany, and CreditDonkey all give Protect America 4 out of 5 stars based on consumer reviews.
Protect America FAQs
No, your monthly monitoring fee includes all calls.
Unmonitored systems are better than no system at all. However, professional monitoring is recommended by HomeAdvisor.com and other experts, so you have someone to respond to an emergency if you don’t have a cell signal or are nowhere near your home. Monitoring services not only notify you of a break-in but can also be set up to alert you (and emergency services) of elevated carbon monoxide levels, smoke detection, and fires.
Yes. Your Protect America system has a backup battery to provide power to the system for 18 to 24 hours.
As long as you maintain a monitoring contract with Protect America, all equipment is fully-warranted. If anything malfunctions or breaks, the company sends you new components rather than sending a technician to your home for repairs.
Protect America offers the Qolsys IQ Panel 2, which is about the size and thickness of a tablet and is easy to install. Use the panel to arm and disarm your home security system when leaving or entering your home and to set the system to automatically engage at specific times each day, like when you leave for work or go to bed at night. The IQ Panel 2 uses a touch screen for programming the system and can sit on a countertop or other surface, or be installed on a wall. Protect America’s home security control panel has many more features and works seamlessly with Z-wave smart home components.
Conclusion
Knowing your home and family have 24/7 protection is priceless and Protect America can give you that peace of mind with low-cost, customizable home security system options. The company’s award-winning service and high-quality equipment make Protect America a viable contender when considering a home security system.