Let us have a look. We can thoroughly evaluate and test your system to make sure it is working properly and can be used as a reliable means of security. If it is not, we make it affordable to upgrade the system to meet the needs of you and your family.
A takeover is usually the cheapest good outcome available to you. You keep working equipment you have already paid for, the monitoring moves to a UL Listed Florida central station, and service comes from a local company you can drive to rather than a support queue. It also solves the most common security situation in Polk County: buying a house that came with a panel on the wall and no information about it.
Serving Polk County: Lake Wales, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Lakeland, Dundee, Frostproof, Auburndale, Polk City, Davenport, Fort Meade, Lake Alfred, and the surrounding Central Florida communities. Call (863) 223-8324 for a free assessment.
When a takeover is the right call
- You bought a house with an alarm panel already installed and no idea whether it works
- Your current provider was acquired and the local office you used to call is gone
- The monthly rate has climbed and the service has not
- The equipment is sound but the contract has lapsed and the system sits disarmed
- Nobody has tested the system against a central station in more than a year
- You want your alarm, cameras and monitoring to come from one local company
What we check before we tell you anything
A takeover is only worth doing if the equipment is genuinely serviceable. Here is what the evaluation covers.
The panel and its communication
- Panel make, model and whether it is still supported
- How it reports: phone line, cellular, internet, or nothing at all
- Whether the installer code is available or the panel is locked out
- Firmware and whether the panel supports remote services
The devices
- Every door and window contact walked and tested
- Motion detector placement, pattern and pet immunity
- Glass break coverage on sliders and large panes
- Smoke and heat detector age, since detectors have a service life
- Battery condition at the panel and at every wireless device
The coverage itself
- Openings added since the original install that were never covered
- Outbuildings, garages and lanais left outside the system
- Siren placement and whether it can be heard where people sleep
- Whether stay mode is configured so the system is usable while you are home
How a takeover works
- 1
We come and test it
A technician walks the system, identifies the panel, tests every device, and checks how it communicates. You get a straight answer about what is serviceable and what is not, including the case where the honest answer is that the equipment is past saving.
- 2
You get the two numbers
What it costs to take over as-is, and what it costs to bring it up to where it should be. In writing. If there is a middle option, such as keeping the panel and replacing only the detectors, you get that too.
- 3
We reprogram and re-register
We reprogram the panel to report to our central station, set up cellular or internet communication if it was still on a phone line, set your codes, and register the account with your call list.
- 4
Test and hand over
Every zone is tested on a live signal to the station. Then we go through arming, stay mode, codes and the app with whoever lives in the house, which is the step the previous company probably skipped.
Ready to book alarm takeover?
Licensed, family owned, and working out of Lake Wales since 1973. Upfront pricing, and a real person on the phone.
Other Security Alarms Services
Alarm Takeover Across Polk County
The same crew covers the whole service area. Pick your city for local detail, or just call us.
Alarm Takeover FAQs
Can you take over any brand of alarm system?
Not every one, but a good deal of what is installed around Polk County. We are factory authorized on Ademco and Honeywell, which covers a large share of the systems in this area, and we can work with several other manufacturers. Some proprietary panels sold by national providers are deliberately locked so nobody else can service them, and if yours is one of those we will tell you plainly rather than waste your time.
Do I have to replace all my sensors?
Usually not. Door and window contacts and motion detectors have long lives, and if they test correctly they stay. Smoke detectors are the exception, because they have a manufacturer service life and are replaced when they reach it regardless of whether they still respond.
What does a takeover cost?
It depends on what we find, which is why the evaluation comes first. A straightforward takeover of sound equipment is a small fraction of a new installation. If the panel needs replacing to add cellular reporting, that is the main variable. You get the number in writing before anything is done.
I am still under contract with my current company. Can you still help?
We can still evaluate the system and quote the takeover so you know what you are moving to, and you can time the switch to when your agreement allows it. Check your current agreement for its term and cancellation notice, because those vary a lot between providers.
The panel is beeping and I do not have the code. Can you fix that?
Usually yes. A beeping panel is normally a low battery, a supervision fault or a trouble condition, and it is one of the most common calls we take from people who just bought a house. Call us and we will get it quiet and then tell you what the system is actually worth keeping.
Do you charge for the evaluation?
We look at the system and tell you what it is worth. If the honest answer is that the equipment is past saving, you get that answer rather than a sales pitch. Call us and we will tell you upfront what the visit involves before we schedule it.
How long does a takeover take?
A straightforward takeover of sound equipment is usually a single visit: reprogram the panel to report to our central station, set up communication if it was still on a phone line, load your codes and call list, then walk and test every zone on a live signal. If the panel needs replacing to add cellular reporting, that adds to it.
Will I lose my zone names and settings?
No. We rebuild the programming as part of the takeover, and that is normally an improvement rather than a loss, because zones frequently turn out to be mislabelled from the original install. You end up with a system where the keypad tells you which door actually opened.