These are the questions our own best clients asked us. We publish them because a market where buyers ask hard questions rewards companies that do the work properly.
| Ask | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What's your BSIS ACO license number? | Immediate number you can verify (ours: ACO 7755) | Hesitation, 'we work under a partner's license' |
| 2. What CSLB classification do you hold? | C-10 or C-10 with number | 'We don't need one for this' |
| 3. Can I see liability + workers' comp certificates? | 'Sending them today' | Any delay or deflection |
| 4. Who pulls the LA alarm/fire permits? | 'We do, it's in the quote' | 'You handle that' |
| Ask | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| 5. How do you decide camera placement? | Entry lines, approach paths, face-height capture, lens choice per distance | 'We put them in the corners' |
| 6. What exact models are you quoting? | Brand + model + spec per line | 'Professional-grade HD package' |
| 7. Where does footage live and for how long? | Local NVR, X days retention, optional cloud | Cloud-only with subscription |
| 8. What happens when the internet goes down? | Recording continues locally; alarm communicates via cellular | Silence, or 'it reconnects after' |
| 9. Do I own the equipment outright? | 'Yes, everything' | 'It's included with the agreement' |
| Ask | Good answer | Worrying answer |
|---|---|---|
| 10. Who monitors, and are alarms video-verified? | UL-listed center, verification options explained | Vague on who actually answers |
| 11. What are the monitoring terms? | Clear rate, term, cancellation in writing | Long agreement required for 'free' equipment |
| 12. Who services the system in year three? | 'The same technicians — remote diagnostics first' | Outsourced service line |
| 13. What's the workmanship warranty? | Written term, separate from equipment warranty | 'We stand behind our work' (verbal) |
| 14. Can you name similar local projects/references? | Case studies or references offered | 'Confidentiality' for everything |
| 15. What would you NOT install on my property? | A real answer — good designers subtract | Everything is recommended |
Question 15 is the tell. Ask what they'd leave out and why. Designers who can't name a thing they'd omit are selling boxes, not systems.
Verify licensing (BSIS ACO + CSLB), insurance, permit handling, exact equipment models, footage storage and retention, internet-outage behavior, equipment ownership, monitoring terms, service accountability, written warranties and references. This page lists all fifteen with model answers.
'What would you NOT install on my property, and why?' Good designers subtract — they'll name gear your property doesn't need. Companies that recommend everything are selling packages, not designing systems.
The installer should handle or directly guide permit registration, and it should appear in the quote. The City of LA requires alarm permits for monitored systems; unpermitted alarm activations can draw fines.
Only itemized quotes can be judged: equipment models, labor, materials, programming, permits and monitoring as separate lines. Get two or three itemized bids and compare scope-for-scope, not bottom line vs bottom line.
Two separate written warranties: workmanship (the installation itself — ask for the term) and equipment (manufacturer terms, passed through). Verbal 'we stand behind our work' is not a warranty.
Yes — in writing, before any agreement. ACO 7755, insured and bonded, itemized quotes with exact models, local NVR recording with cellular alarm paths, UL-listed monitoring from $24.99/month, and the same local technicians for service since 2016.
Related: Best security companies in LA