Fire alarm quotations vary enormously for the same building, and the variation is rarely about margin. It is about what each quotation includes. Understanding the drivers lets a duty holder compare like with like, which is the only way to tell whether a low price is efficient or incomplete.
The category is the biggest driver
A manual system with call points and sounders is a fraction of the cost of a system with detection throughout. Two quotations against different categories are not comparable and often nobody has said which category each is for. Asking every bidder to quote the category the fire risk assessment calls for is the single most useful thing a buyer can do.
Device count and building fabric
Cost follows the number of devices, which follows the floor area, the compartmentation and the ceiling heights. It also follows how hard the building is to cable: a modern office with accessible ceilings is cheap to install, a listed building or an occupied hospital is not. This is where wireless systems change the arithmetic, trading a higher equipment cost for a much lower installation cost.
What a cheap quotation often omits
Commissioning and certification. The cause and effect programming that makes door releases and vents operate. Interfaces to other systems. The as fitted drawings and the operation and maintenance information the responsible person needs. Making good after cabling. Out of hours working in an occupied building. Each of these is real work and each is easy to leave out of a headline figure.
The cost that continues
Servicing, the weekly test regime, battery replacement, and false alarm management. A system designed without regard to false alarms costs money every time the fire service attends and, in some areas, is charged for. Over the life of a system these running costs exceed the installation, which is why the cheapest install is frequently the most expensive system.
Questions people ask about fire alarm cost
Should the risk assessment come before the quotation?
Yes. Without it, each bidder is guessing at the category, and the quotations cannot be compared.
Is wireless more expensive than wired?
The equipment costs more and the installation costs less. Which wins depends entirely on how difficult the building is to cable.
What should a quotation include as standard?
The category and the standard it is designed to, the device schedule, commissioning, certification, cause and effect, drawings and handover information, and the servicing proposal.