The South Sound's security-first integrator
Home security systems
in Tacoma, WA
Photo-verified Ajax alarms, AI cameras and video intercoms for Tacoma houses from the North End to South Tacoma, designed and installed by our own team from Kent. Month-to-month monitoring through Becklar, a UL-listed central station.
Rivas Technology Group installs home security systems in Tacoma, WA: Ajax intrusion alarms with photo verification, AI cameras and Akuvox intercoms. All of it is installed by a licensed Kent company about 25 minutes away. Monitoring is month to month and the hardware is yours.
- Drive time
- About 25 minutes from 415 Railroad Ave S, Kent via SR-167 and I-5
- Tacoma rule
- The alarm company pays the city's $40 annual device fee, not you
- License
- WA electrical contractor RIVASGL799DR, bonded and insured
- Rating
- 5.0 from 49 Google reviews, BBB accredited A+
Which Tacoma neighborhoods do we cover?
All of them, and the house type changes the design. North End, Proctor and the Stadium District are full of Craftsman and Victorian homes with lath-and-plaster walls, so we go wireless. That means Ajax detectors on the Jeweller radio, a keypad by the door, cameras on existing porch power.
Old Town and Browns Point face the water, which means driveways that drop away from the street, detached garages and long sightlines. Those need outdoor MotionCam detectors rather than a single doorbell camera. South Tacoma and the streets along the Fircrest line are newer and more open; there we can run cable while a garage or basement is unfinished.
Our office is at 415 Railroad Ave S in Kent, about 25 minutes away by SR-167 and I-5. Site visits are booked within the week.
Does Tacoma charge a fee for monitored alarms?
Yes, but the alarm company pays it. The City of Tacoma's False Alarm page states that alarm companies are responsible for a $40 annual device fee for each of their alarm users' systems1. For a monitored Tacoma customer, that fee is our obligation, not yours, and there is no form for you to file. Seattle's registration rules do not apply here.
What is in a Tacoma home security system?
An Ajax Hub 2 Plus, door and window sensors, MotionCam detectors, a keypad and cameras where the property is actually approached. MotionCam delivers the first photo within 9 seconds of detection2, so a raccoon on the back porch never becomes a police call. The hub reports over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two cellular SIMs3, which matters on a block where the internet drops in a windstorm. Ajax covers the hardware with a 24-month warranty4. More on the platform is on the home security page.
Where should Tacoma cameras point?
At the approach paths, which in Tacoma are rarely the front door. Alley garages behind North End houses, side yards on Proctor lots, and the driveway drops of Browns Point are where entry happens. We walk the lot first and place cameras for identification at the step and the gate. We pick weather-rated housings because nine months of rain and low winter light beat any megapixel number. Ajax cameras report people and vehicles, not headlights or branches, so an alert on your phone is worth opening.
What did we do at Clyde's BBQ in Tacoma?
We replaced cameras that looked the wrong way with Ajax AI bullet cameras placed where the losses were happening. Clyde's Southern Wood Fired BBQ had inventory and equipment going missing and no usable footage. After the install, recording runs 24/7, alerts fire on people and vehicles, the theft losses stopped, and the owner no longer ignores notifications because they are no longer noise. The same camera design applies to a Stadium District house with a detached garage. The commercial side is on the business security page.
How does a verified alarm reach Tacoma Police?
A detector trips, MotionCam photographs the room, and the hub sends the burst over whichever channel is alive. A central-station operator reviews it and calls you, and a confirmed intrusion goes to dispatch with a description. That verification is why photo-confirmed alarms get taken seriously where sirens get ignored. If you self-monitor, the same photo lands on your phone with no monthly fee, and you make the call.
What drives the cost?
Detector count, camera count and how far cable has to travel. A two-bedroom bungalow near Proctor with one camera is a small job; a three-story North End house with a basement, an alley garage and four cameras is not. Cloud recording adds a per-camera monthly charge; local recording does not.
The Ajax hardware is yours and monitoring is month to month with no early-termination fee. That is the main difference from the contract offers you will see for Tacoma. We do not publish Ajax kit or installation prices on this page; the Ajax cost page explains what moves the number, and the instant quote gives you one.
Who monitors it?
A UL-listed central station staffed 24 hours a day. Operators see the MotionCam photo before they act, which cuts false dispatches. You can switch between monitoring and self-monitoring at any time without changing hardware.
Where we work
Tacoma and the rest of Pierce County, plus south King County from our base in Kent. That includes Kent, Federal Way, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, University Place, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Tehaleh, Auburn, Renton, Tukwila, Covington and Maple Valley. Olympic Peninsula by appointment. The security hub has the whole service.
Why Rivas Technology Group
WA electrical contractor license RIVASGL799DR, active, bonded and insured5. BBB accredited, A+. 5.0 from 49 Google reviews. Ajax Systems dealer, listed on ajax.systems for wireless intrusion, outdoor protection and video surveillance. Control4 Authorized Dealer, so arming the house can also drop the shades and dim the lights; see the Tacoma smart home page. Founded 2020. Contact us or book a walk-through below.
Questions we hear
Do I need an alarm permit in Tacoma?
Not as a homeowner. Tacoma's False Alarm page says alarm companies pay a $40 annual device fee for each of their users' systems. We handle that for monitored Tacoma customers; you do not file anything.
How much does a home security system cost in Tacoma?
SafeWise puts Tacoma averages around $230 for equipment, up to $200 for installation and $15 to $200 a month, as of September 2026. Our number depends on detector count, cameras and cable paths; we do not publish Ajax prices here. The instant quote gives you a figure for your address.
Can you install in a 1910 North End house without cutting plaster?
Yes. Ajax detectors are wireless on the encrypted Jeweller radio, so the hub, sensors and keypad go in without new cable. Cameras use existing power or one discreet run through a basement or attic.
Is monitoring under contract?
No. Monitoring through Becklar, a UL-listed central station is month to month and can be started or stopped at any time. Self-monitoring through the Ajax app costs nothing. The hardware is yours either way.
How quickly do you get to Tacoma?
25 to 30 minutes from our Kent office by SR-167 and I-5, a little longer to Browns Point. Site visits and service calls are scheduled within the week; we call or text back within one business day.
Do you also secure Tacoma businesses?
Yes. Clyde's Southern Wood Fired BBQ in Tacoma runs Ajax AI cameras we installed after theft losses; the losses stopped and false alerts went away. Restaurants, shops and offices are on the business security page.
What happens when the alarm goes off and I do not answer?
With monitoring, the central-station operator reviews the MotionCam photo, tries your contacts, then dispatches police with a verified description. With self-monitoring, the alert reaches your phone and the decision is yours.
Start with a walk-through in Tacoma.
Tell us the neighborhood and what you want covered. We drive down from Kent, walk the house with you, and send a written proposal. Call or text back within one business day.