Alarm Sensor Installation — Door, Window Sensors, Keypad and Base
The kit came with a bag of sensors and double-sided tape; half of them will fall off a cold window by January — we mount them properly and put the keypad and base where they work.
JMB Builders does alarm sensor installation for the self-monitored kits homeowners buy — SimpliSafe, Ring Alarm, Abode, Eufy and similar — across the Twin Cities metro. We mount the door and window sensors so the magnet and sensor line up and stay stuck, place motion sensors where they cover the room and not the dog, and mount the keypad and base station where they belong. Priced per sensor, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per sensor, keypad and base included in the count
- Consumer self-monitored kits only
- App, monitoring plan and Wi-Fi setup stays with you
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Consumer alarm kits are designed to be stuck on with tape. On a warm, clean, flat surface that works. On a cold vinyl window, a textured door casing, or a metal entry door it does not, and the sensor either falls off or sits too far from its magnet to read. We clean and prime the surface, use the maker's screw mounts where the sensor allows it, and shim the magnet so the gap is inside the sensor's range with the door or window closed.
Placement is the rest of the job. Door sensors go on the door and the stop so the gap closes when the latch does. Window sensors go where the sash meets the frame and, on double-hungs, so a vent position can still be armed. Motion sensors go in a corner at the height the maker lists, facing away from windows and heat registers, and above where the dog walks. The keypad goes by the door you leave from, the base station somewhere central where it can hear the sensors and be heard.
These are self-monitored or app-monitored systems. A monitored alarm panel that requires a licensed alarm company to install and service is referred out. Activating the system, choosing a monitoring plan and the app setup are yours after the hardware is mounted.
What you supply
- The alarm kit: base station, keypad, sensors, motion detectors, any siren or range extender
- Photos of each exterior door, the windows you want covered, and the spot by the door for the keypad
- Which doors and windows get sensors, or ask and we walk it with you
- Your Wi-Fi network, phone and the monitoring plan decision after we leave
What JMB supplies
- Surface cleaning and primer or screw mounting for every sensor, shimmed for the gap
- Door and window sensors aligned so they read closed with the latch engaged
- Motion sensors mounted at the listed height and angle, out of pet and heat paths
- Keypad mounted level at the exit door and base station placed for range and sound
- Glass-break and smoke or leak sensors from the kit mounted where they cover the room
- Every sensor tested closed and open at the base station before we leave
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Total number of door, window, motion and other sensors in the kit
- Screw-mounted vs. taped sensors — metal doors and vinyl windows usually need screws or plates
- Casement and sliding windows that need a different sensor position than double-hungs
- A second keypad or a siren mounted upstairs or in the garage
- Range extender placement in a large or multi-story house
- Adding sensors later to a kit already set up
Send a photo of the kit contents and one of each door and window that gets a sensor. That tells us which ones need screws or shims and the count for the quote.
How long it takes
A starter kit with a keypad, base, a few door sensors and a motion: about two hours. A whole-house kit with a sensor on every window: half a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Door and window sensors
Sensor on the frame, magnet on the door or sash, gap shimmed to spec. Screw-mounted on metal doors and vinyl windows where the maker allows it; taped on painted wood with the surface cleaned and primed.
Motion sensors
In a corner at the height the maker lists, aimed across the room away from windows and registers, pet-immune models set above where the dog walks. Tested with a walk-through.
Keypad, base station and siren
Keypad mounted level by the exit door at a height you can read. Base station central and plugged in where it is heard. An outdoor or upstairs siren mounted to framing and its power run cleanly.
Glass-break, leak and smoke sensors
Glass-break sensors on the wall or ceiling within range of the windows they cover. Leak sensors on the floor by the water heater, washer and sump. Smoke listeners near existing smoke alarms.
Alarm Sensor Installation — Door, Window Sensors, Keypad and Base: questions, answered
Do you install SimpliSafe or Ring Alarm systems?
Yes, the hardware. We mount the base station, keypad, door and window sensors, motion detectors and any siren from the kit you bought, align every sensor and test it. Activating the system, picking a monitoring plan and the app setup are yours in the maker's app. A professionally monitored panel from an alarm company is different and we refer that out.
Why do my alarm sensors keep falling off the windows?
Cold vinyl, dust, or a textured surface under the tape. Double-sided foam tape lets go on a cold window every Minnesota winter. We clean the surface, prime it, and where the sensor allows it use the maker's screw mount or a mounting plate instead of tape. On a window that cannot be screwed we use a stronger adhesive rated for cold and shim the magnet so the gap is right.
Where should door and window sensors go?
The sensor on the fixed frame or stop, the magnet on the moving door or sash, side by side with the gap closed when the door latches. On double-hung windows the sensor goes at the meeting rail so the bottom sash trips it; a second magnet lets you arm the window cracked open. Casements and sliders get the sensor at the lock side. Every one is tested open and closed.
Where should the alarm keypad and base station go?
The keypad by the door you leave and enter through, at a height you can read without bending, so the entry delay is enough to disarm it. The base station somewhere central and off the floor, plugged in, where its siren can be heard and it can reach every sensor. In a large or two-story house a range extender goes at the far end.
Can you install a motion sensor that ignores my dog?
Most kits sell a pet-immune motion sensor. It has to be mounted at the height the maker lists, aimed across the room and not down at the floor, and away from stairs the dog climbs. We mount it that way and walk the room to test it. A cat that climbs furniture still trips most of them, and a door sensor is the better choice in that room.
Can you add sensors to an alarm system I already set up?
Yes. Buy the extra sensors for your system and we mount and align them the same way. You add each one to the app after we leave, or add it while we are there and we test it live. This is a common request after a first winter when the taped sensors have let go.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All cameras pages
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