Best Local Louisville Home Security Brands

Overview
From the Pope Lick Monster to the Waverly Sanitorium to the Witches’ Tree, Louisville teems with spooky legends. But Louisville’s crime index is even more frightening. This beautiful, historic place is safer than just 5% of other US cities.¹

Louisville’s property crime rate is 43.88 per 1,000 residents.² That’s 27,000 property crimes a year. With that in mind, we recommend that Louisville locals get a home security system.

The companies we discuss in this review are as local to Louisville as the Hot Brown. Either they’re based right in town or they’re nearby, providing service throughout Kentuckiana.

Apps are becoming more common with national security providers, but local security’s a step ahead on this front. Getting an app through a Louisville local company is a breeze, but you might have to pay a little extra.

Integration with smart home devices becomes more necessary with each passing year. Every local Louisville company we spoke with offers at least a little smart home automation, though you won’t find much info about those solutions online.

Among other things, Louisville brands offer automation for: 

• Security cameras
• Video doorbells
• Locks
• Smart lights
• Outlets
• Switches
• Thermostats
• Garage door openers

For guidance on this topic, check out our article on the best home automation.

We’re usually pretty frustrated with the lack of customer service availability for local home security brands. While most national brands have 24/7 service, local brands tend to have less accessible customer service hours.

Surprisingly, based on the twenty companies we looked at, Louisville is split almost exactly between regular business hours and some form of 24/7 availability.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: most consumers now research before buying, and that research happens online.³ National brands are better at honoring this trend than local brands. Most local brands try to get you to call them, but calling isn’t usually as convenient (and can even be impossible if you’re working during the customer service hours).

One Louisville provider rep told us that the company doesn’t provide information online because it doesn’t want its competition to get ahold of its pricing information. We also suspect that there’s a hard-sell element to it: local providers could believe that speaking in person is the best way to hook customers. Either way, Louisville’s local security scene is way behind on helpful online info.

JP Security doesn’t require contracts and sells its monitoring solutions at a standard industry price. It also allows users to earn discounts by paying on an annual basis. Just don’t let the out-of-date website discourage you!

With a reasonable price, discount opportunities, a no-contract option, and 24/7 customer service, JP Security stands out.

At $29.95 a month for either landline or cellular service, JP Security’s monitoring is the best we’ve seen in Louisville. And if that’s not enough, you can get a discount if you sign up to pay for a year at a time.

JP Security has a low-risk approach to customer commitment. It doesn’t use contracts unless the customer wants to enter a long-term agreement. If a customer asks to be billed annually for between one to three years, they pay $24.95 per month per year. If they ask to be billed annually for four or five years, they pay $21.95 per month per year.

Remember, this is annual billing, so you pay for the whole year at once. But you save between $60 to $96 a year depending on the agreement you choose.

You won’t get the app for those prices, though. JP Security’s remote access app is a separate service that costs $15 a month.

Then there’s the equipment. JP Security’s rep told us the brand can charge a low monitoring price because the customer buys the equipment up front. The standard package is $350.

JP Security uses Honeywell, a well-known home security brand. The standard package includes the following:

• A control panel
• A keypad
• Three door or window sensors
• A motion detector

JP Security also does customized packages.

Unfortunately, JP Security’s website is extremely outdated. The contact form doesn’t work, and the wrong number is listed on the site, making it difficult to get ahold of the reps. Once we got someone on the phone, though, we had a helpful conversation.

JP Security has 24/7 customer service. You can call while you’re walking the streets of Old Louisville in the morning or cooking chili in the evening—they’re available at whatever time works for you.

Also, because you own your security equipment with JP Security, you can take it with you if you move.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: JP Security has not only the best monitoring cost but also long-term discounts.

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Super Home Systems’ contracts are more of a formality than anything. If you move, you can simply cancel the service with no penalty.

If your life’s a bit unpredictable and you can’t commit to home security, try Super Home Systems. Its contracts are “not binding.”

Super Home Security Systems uses Napco (not to be confused with Napster). Its systems are mostly customized, although it does sell some preset packages for homes that are under construction.

The easy-cancel contract service is an exceptional customer offering. We think it’s especially helpful for anyone with a mobile career, in the military, or in school at the U of L.

If you do need to cancel your contract, it shouldn’t be too hard to get ahold of a rep. Super Home Systems has Saturday hours as well as weekday hours. And if you need a repair, the tech sets his hours himself and might be able to work around your schedule.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: Super Home Systems’ contracts are easy to cancel.

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RWB Security doesn’t believe in raising prices during an agreement period, making it a predictable option for stalwart budgeters.

RWB Security has learned from experience. Frustrations with national brands raising rates during contracts brought about the no-price-raise policy. Likewise, customer struggles during the 2008 recession led the brand to shorter billing commitments.

RWB Security has agreements, not contracts (though they honestly seem to be the same thing). Each agreement lasts for 12 months, during which you’ll pay $30 a month for landline monitoring or $40 for cellular monitoring.

DSC is RWB’s home security brand of choice. As with many other local brands, its offerings are customized to fit your home.

While RWB’s hours are far from 24/7, the owner’s accessible outside of regular business hours. So if you’re working or in school during the day, you’re in luck. You can call until 7:00 on weekdays or from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturdays.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: RWB is perfect for a set budget because it has short agreements and won’t raise your prices.

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If you’re looking for something simple, Sonitrol does long-term contracts and has a package with all the basics. It’s also great if you have a business and want a provider that does residential and commercial.

If you want your home to be as safe as a jewelry store, Sonitrol’s the right choice. While the brand’s focus is commercial systems for businesses, you can get a simple residential security system without too much fuss. Or, if you have a small business, you can work with Sonitrol to get coverage for both.

With Sonitrol, your equipment won’t cost you anything up front. Instead, you’ll pay an equipment cost of $44 a month over time.

Standard Sonitrol contracts are 60 months long, though there’s some flexibility, according to the brand rep. If you want a shorter contract period, you’ll find yourself paying more for alarm monitoring each month.

Sonitrol uses DMP security equipment. The basic, preset package includes:

• A keypad
• Three door/window sensors
• A motion detector

You can get a more customized package if that’s better for you, but the preset one works well for a small home or most apartments.

Sonitrol has the most limited customer service hours of the Louisville brands we recommend: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You’d have to sneak in a call on your lunch break. Happily, the rep we spoke with was friendly and knowledgeable, so it should be a pleasant experience.

If you have Sonitrol and suddenly need to move, you can take your equipment with you. Or, if you want something else for your new home, you can enter into a new contract, which will nullify the old one.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: Sonitrol’s basic home security offering is super simple for anyone who doesn’t want to deal with too many factors.

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America’s Choice Security Services offers a few nice-to-haves in its preset home security package.

America’s Choice Security Services’ preset package has the most equipment of any we’ve seen in the Louisville area. So if you want to go the opposite of Sonitrol, look no further than America’s Choice.

Apart from its laudable package, America’s Choice doesn’t require contracts, has 24/7 service, and has a customer-oriented moving policy. That’s our way of saying that we recommend this brand for just about everything except its pricing. Our price inquiries were met with it depends.

That’s also why America’s Choice is at the bottom of our list. We thought it was worth including, but we don’t have the price information we need to recommend it over other brands.

America’s Choice primarily works with 2GIG. The package that impressed us so much includes the following:

• A control panel
• A color touchscreen keypad
• A keychain remote
• Three door/window sensors
• A motion detector
• Yard signs
• Stickers

We’re big fans of any systems with ultra-convenient keychain remotes, and security signs can help keep your property safe. These features potentially make America’s Choice’s package a good investment.

America’s Choice was very responsive when we reached out, showing that 24/7 customer service at work. The rep shared the moving policy with us. Customers can take their system with them when they move, but they can also pass it to the new homeowner.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: America’s Choice offers a comprehensive basic package.

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We looked at 20 well-reviewed Louisville home security system providers. After reviewing their websites, we chose 16 potential options and reached out to gather more in-depth information. During the process, we eliminated services that don’t meet our criteria (such as Medley and Sons, which is an ADT Home Security dealer vs. its own entity) until reaching our final five.

This was a close race. Here are some Louisville brands that have potential but didn’t make our top five.

Want ADT without actually getting ADT? ADS trades on ADT’s reputation. It uses a similar logo and typography while not being affiliated with the security giant (as far as we can tell). The website’s very professional, and the prices seem average.

A rep told us through text that ADS is very transparent about everything it does, but that wasn’t our experience. Getting the information we needed was like pulling teeth. In the end, even using recommended ADS channels, we weren’t able to get any info about contracts, equipment, or moving policies.

Derby City seems to be a very well-known brand in Louisville, so we want to mention that we did reach out. We emailed the brand; the rep asked us to call. We called; the rep asked if he could call us back. He called us back; we weren’t available. We called him back; he wasn’t available. We just weren’t able to have the conversation we needed to recommend Derby City.

Have a question? We may have an answer.

If you’re a transplant to Louisville, you might have some questions about your new home. That’s understandable, especially since Louisville’s crime index of 5 puts it in the top 6% of most dangerous US cities.⁴

Like most cities, though, it depends on where in Louisville you are. If you use common sense and take the right precautions (such as a home security system), you can keep yourself safe no matter where you go.

Except on the Pope Lick trestle bridge.⁵ Stay off it; monster or no, trains still run there.

Yes. The Louisville False Alarm Reduction Program requires registration from all alarm users.⁶ But the program literature suggests that, instead of going through the registration process yourself, your alarm provider should be able to do it for you.⁷

Alarm registration makes it easier for the police to respond when your system goes off. But it also means that the Louisville Metro Police Department can fine you for false alarms.⁸ So if your burglar alarm goes off in error, cancel the alert before the police arrive.

Most likely. A lot of insurance companies encourage homeowners to get security because it can reduce the number of claim submissions.

There are a lot of old homes for rent in Old Louisville. Your rental agreement or your landlord’s historic preservation efforts may prevent you from installing any hardwired local security systems.

DIY home security systems are often a good pick for renting situations since many of them don’t require hardwiring or mounting. So far, we haven’t seen any DIY options from local Louisville providers.

If you’re a Louisville resident looking for a local home security system for peace of mind, try any of these.

• JP Security, Inc.: The alarm monitoring prices with JP Security can’t be beat, especially with the long-term discounts.
• Super Home Systems: Super Home Systems lets you cancel in the middle of your contract.
• RWB Security: With RWB Security, you know exactly what you’re paying for home security for the next year.
• Sonitrol: Sonitrol’s basic system is straightforward.
• America's Choice Security Services: The preset package with America’s Choice has a keychain remote control for convenience and security signs and stickers for increased safety.

If after reading all this you still want a national brand, check out our piece on the best home security systems.

Sources

1. Neighborhood Scout, “Louisville, KY Crime Rates”
2. Neighborhood Scout, “Louisville, KY Crime Rates”
3. iResearch Services, “How Consumers Research before Making a Purchase”
4. Neighborhood Scout, “Louisville, KY Crime Rates”
5. Atlas Obscura, “Pope Lick Trestle Bridge”
6. City of Louisville, Kentucky, “Louisville False Alarm Reduction Program”
7. City of Louisville, Kentucky, “Louisville False Alarm Reduction Program”
8. City of Louisville, Kentucky, “Louisville False Alarm Reduction Program”