Short answer: you can switch home security companies anytime — the trick is timing it so you don’t pay a big early-termination fee or leave your home unmonitored for a day. If your contract is up, switching is simple. If you’re still locked in, you’ll want to weigh the cancellation fee against years of rising payments. Here’s the step-by-step playbook for leaving a big national provider and moving to a no-contract local one without the headache.
Key takeaways
- Check your contract end date first — switching is easiest (and free of penalties) once your term is up.
- National providers like ADT lock you into ~36 months and charge up to 75% of the remaining balance to cancel early; Vivint and Brinks can run 80–100%.
- After the term ends, most contracts auto-renew month-to-month — so you can leave with proper notice and no fee.
- Line up your new system before you cancel so you’re never unmonitored.
- Don’t assume you’re stuck — call us first. We can sometimes help with the buyout and will guide you for free, even if the right move is to wait.
- Going to a no-contract provider means this is the last time you ever have to do this dance.
- First: know what you’re actually locked into
- Why so many people want out (the cell-phone trap)
- The step-by-step switching playbook
- Can you keep your old equipment?
- Should you switch if you’re moving?
- Don’t wait — call us first, whatever your situation
- The easy landing spot: no contract, and you own it
- Frequently asked questions
First: know what you’re actually locked into
Before you call anyone, find your contract and check two things: your end date and your early-termination fee (ETF). This is where the big providers differ sharply:
- ADT: a 36-month monitoring agreement (24 months in California). Cancel early and you pay up to 75% of the remaining monthly charges. After the term, it auto-renews month-to-month with no fee to leave.
- Vivint, Brinks, Alder: similar long contracts, with early-termination fees that can reach 80–100% of the remaining balance.
(Terms as of 2026 and vary by plan and state — confirm against your own agreement.)
If you’re near the end of your term, the math is easy: switch with no penalty. If you have years left, you’re weighing a one-time fee against years of monthly payments that often rise over time — but don’t assume you’re stuck, and don’t wait to ask. There are often more options than the fine print suggests (see below), and a quick call costs you nothing.
Why so many people want out (the cell-phone trap)
If this feels familiar, it should. The alarm industry borrowed the old cell-phone playbook — “free” equipment, a multi-year lock-in, and a monthly bill — and then made it worse. Where phone carriers eventually dropped contracts and let you own your device, much of the alarm industry kept the three-to-five-year contract, kept raising the rate, and kept the equipment leased so you never actually own it or get to upgrade it. The longer you stay, the more you pay for aging gear.
That’s the trap people are trying to escape — and the reason a no-contract model exists in the first place.
The step-by-step switching playbook
Here’s how to switch without a coverage gap or a surprise bill:
- Find your end date and ETF. Log into your account or call your provider. Know the number before you decide.
- Decide: wait or pay — but get a second opinion. If your term ends soon, plan to switch then. If not, compare the ETF to your long-term savings on a no-contract plan — and call us before you decide, since we can sometimes help with the buyout and will give you an honest read either way.
- Choose your new system first. Don’t cancel anything yet. Get your replacement lined up so monitoring is continuous.
- Schedule the new install/activation, ideally to overlap by a day with your old service.
- Then cancel the old service. Call to cancel (some providers only allow cancellation by phone), verify your account, ask explicitly about the ETF and final bill, and get confirmation in writing.
- Return leased equipment. Most providers mail a prepaid box with return instructions — send it back promptly so you’re not charged for unreturned gear.
- Confirm the old account is closed and watch your next statement for any stray charges.
Can you keep your old equipment?
Sometimes. Some sensors and devices are reusable, but a lot of national-provider equipment is proprietary and leased, meaning it’s locked to their service and has to be returned. The upside of switching to a system where you own your equipment is that you never face this again — and a local installer can tell you on a quick walkthrough what’s reusable and what should be replaced.
Should you switch if you’re moving?
Moving is one of the most common reasons people switch — and a common moment providers still charge the ETF (a contract is usually tied to the address, not just the service). If you’re relocating, it’s often the perfect time to start fresh with a no-contract provider at the new home rather than paying to transfer a contract you didn’t love anyway.
Don’t wait — call us first, whatever your situation
Here’s the most important takeaway: if you’re unhappy with your current company or thinking about switching, call us before you try to figure it all out alone. Too many people assume they’re trapped for years and just live with a system (and a bill) they resent. You have more options than you think:
- We can sometimes help with the buyout. Depending on your situation and how much time is left, there are cases where we can help offset or work around an early-termination fee — but we can only explore that if you reach out.
- We’ll read your contract with you. Not sure what your end date, renewal terms, or real ETF actually are? We’ll help you make sense of it, no pressure.
- We’ll tell you straight whether to switch now or wait. If the honest answer is “ride out the last few months of your term,” we’ll tell you that too. Our goal is the right move for you, not a hard sell.
- We’re always available to guide. Even if you’re just exploring, a quick conversation gives you a clear plan instead of a guess.
If your current system has you frustrated — rising bills, bad service, gear you can’t upgrade — the worst thing to do is nothing. Reach out and we’ll help you find the smartest path out, even if it’s not on day one.
The easy landing spot: no contract, and you own it
We built our service to be the opposite of the contract trap. Switching to us means:
- No long-term contract — month-to-month, cancel anytime (you won’t need to).
- A flat $19.99/month for professional 24/7 monitoring — no rate creep.
- You own your equipment — pay up front or on a simple plan, then it’s yours.
- Local installation and service in San Antonio — a real local team, not an out-of-state call center.
We’ll help you time the switch so there’s no coverage gap, tell you exactly what from your old system can be reused, and — wherever we can — help with the buyout. Whatever your contract situation, reach out for a free, no-pressure switching consultation. Even if the right answer is to wait a few months, we’ll give you a clear plan — and make this the last time you ever shop alarm contracts.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but if you cancel before your term ends you’ll typically owe an early-termination fee — often up to 75% of the remaining balance with ADT, and 80–100% with some others. If your contract is nearly up, it’s usually worth waiting; if you have years left, weigh the fee against long-term savings on a no-contract plan.
ADT lists an early-termination fee of up to 75% of your remaining monthly charges on its 36-month agreement (24 months in California). The exact amount depends on how much time is left — confirm with ADT against your contract.
Line up and schedule your new system before you cancel the old one, overlapping by a day if possible. Cancel only once the new system is active so your home is never unmonitored.
Some devices are reusable, but much national-provider equipment is proprietary and leased, so it must be returned. A local installer can tell you what’s compatible and what should be replaced during a walkthrough.
Most monitoring contracts auto-renew on a month-to-month basis after the initial term, so once you’ve fulfilled it you can cancel with proper notice and no termination fee. Always check your agreement for renewal specifics.
For many people, yes — you avoid years of locked-in, often-rising payments, and with a system you own you never have to repeat the cancellation process. The main trade-off is paying for equipment up front rather than financing it into a higher monthly rate.
Call now. Don’t assume you’re stuck: depending on your situation we can sometimes help with the buyout, and we’ll read your contract with you and tell you honestly whether to switch now or ride out the last few months. The consultation is free and no-pressure, so there’s no downside to reaching out early.
In some cases, yes — depending on how much time is left and the specifics of your agreement, we can help offset or work around an early-termination fee. We can only explore those options if you contact us, so reach out and we’ll look at your situation together.