What does access control installation involve for an Altadena business?
Access control changes the question from "who has a key?" to "who is allowed through this door, and when?" Instead of a brass key that can be copied at any hardware counter, a person presents a code, a card, or a fob, and the door's electric lock releases only if the system recognizes that credential. For a small office, a shop, a workshop, or a building with several tenants, that changes how you handle staff turnover, after-hours entry, and lost credentials.
Nearly every system we install is built from the same pieces: a credential (code, card, or fob), a reader or keypad, a controller that makes the decision, and an electric lock, which is either an electric strike or a magnetic lock. Wiring, a power supply, and a way to exit the door tie it together. Matching those pieces to the actual door is the real craft. The gadgets are the easy part.
This page covers new installs, upgrades, and repair of electronic door access. If your issue is a worn or sticking mechanical lock, start with our commercial locksmith service. If you are locked out of a business right now, the business lockout page is the faster route.
Keypad, card reader, or key fob: which credential fits the door?
There is no single right credential. The right one depends on how many people use the door, how often they change, and what is behind it. We would rather put a simple keypad on a storage room than sell a full card system where it is not needed.
- Keypad access control: a code is typed at the door. It needs no hardware for people to carry, which suits low-traffic doors. The weakness is that a shared code can be passed along without you knowing, so we recommend individual codes wherever the system supports them.
- Key card entry system: each person gets their own card. If one goes missing, you disable that single card and nobody else is affected. This is the usual choice for employee access control.
- Key fob access control: the same logic as a card, but the credential rides on a key ring. It suits staff who already carry keys every day and tends to survive pockets and tool belts well.
- Card plus code: a reader with a keypad that asks for both. It is worth it only for doors that protect something sensitive, such as an office with records or a stockroom.
- Mixed credentials on one system: it is common to use cards at the front door and keypads at secondary doors, all managed from one controller.
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Call (213) 577-1366Electric strike or magnetic lock: how do you choose?
The reader tells the door who is allowed in, but the lock does the work. The two main choices behave very differently, and picking the wrong one for a door causes most of the problems we are later called to fix.
An electric strike installation replaces or modifies the strike plate in the door frame so the latch can be released electrically. It works with the latch you already have, which means the door stays locked by a real mechanical bolt. Strikes are generally the quieter and more economical route on solid doors with sound frames. They come in fail-secure versions, which stay locked when power is lost, and fail-safe versions, which release.
A magnetic lock installation puts an electromagnet on the frame and a steel plate on the door. It has no moving parts and holds the door shut as long as it has power. It suits doors where a latch is awkward, such as some glass doors. But the door must close square and flush, and the lock must never be the only way out. That usually means adding a request-to-exit device and a way to release the magnet.
Which one fits depends on the door material, the frame, the swing direction, and how people leave. Our commercial door hardware work often overlaps here, because a strike or maglock is only as good as the door and closer it is mounted on. Where a code or fire rule requires a push-to-exit device, we coordinate it with our panic bar installation service so the egress side is handled properly.
How do we install access control, step by step?
Every site is different, but the process is consistent. David reviews the plan before work starts, so decisions about locks and power are made by someone who has installed these systems for decades rather than guessed at in the field.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and describe the doors, the number of people who use them, and what you want to change.
- We look at the doors in person: material, frame condition, swing, existing hardware, and where power and wiring can realistically run.
- We propose a layout that names the credential type, the lock type for each door, and how people will exit each one.
- We agree on who manages the system after install, because someone in your business needs to be able to add and remove credentials.
- We mount the locks, run the wiring, install the readers or keypads, and set up the power supply and controller.
- We program credentials and access schedules, then test each door, including what happens when power is cut.
- We walk you through adding and removing users, and leave you with the information you need to run the system.
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Call (213) 577-1366How much does access control installation cost in Altadena?
We do not quote numbers on a web page, because a fair price depends on the doors in front of us. What we can do is tell you honestly what moves the cost up or down, so you can compare quotes sensibly.
Door count matters most, but not in a simple way. Adding a second door to a system that is already installed usually costs less per door than starting from nothing, because the controller and power supply are shared. Meanwhile, the kind of door matters as much as the number of them.
- Lock type: an electric strike on a solid frame is usually the more economical route compared with a maglock plus its release hardware.
- Wiring: running cable through open framing is simple; running it through finished plaster, stucco, or masonry is slower work.
- Credential type: keypads cost less than card systems, which need readers and a stock of cards or fobs.
- Door condition: a warped door or a worn frame may need repair before any electronic lock will work reliably.
- Exterior exposure: weather-rated readers and sealed housings cost more than interior units.
- System size and software: a handful of doors on a standalone controller is a different job than many doors managed from one place.
- After-hours or urgent work: scheduling outside normal hours can change the quote, and we will say so up front.
What about fire codes, exit rules, and power failures?
This is where electronic locks go wrong when someone treats them like gadgets. A door that locks people in during an emergency is a serious problem, and it is one of the reasons a lock plan matters before any hardware is bought.
In general, anyone inside must be able to leave without a key, code, or special knowledge. Maglocks are typically wired so that they release if power fails or a fire alarm triggers. Strikes need the right fail-safe or fail-secure setting for the door's use. Requirements vary by building type and occupancy, and your local building or fire authority has the final word, so we recommend confirming with them on anything beyond a simple office door.
We also plan for ordinary outages. Backup power, or a mechanical key override where it is allowed, means a dead power supply does not leave your staff stuck outside on Monday morning. We would rather talk through these details before installation than discover them afterward.
Altadena access control: rebuilding, wind, and sun
Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, ZIP code 91001, and about 26 miles from our Westwood storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd. The January 2025 Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of structures here, with West Altadena hit especially hard. What stands now is a mix of surviving older blocks and active rebuilding, and that mix shapes what access control work looks like.
If you are rebuilding a shop, office, or mixed-use property on a West Altadena parcel, the best moment to plan access control is before walls close. Wire can be run through open framing, door frames can be prepared for strikes, and power can be placed where it belongs. Retrofitting later costs more effort and leaves more patched walls. During construction itself, temporary security is a separate matter: padlocks and temporary gate locks protect a site while the permanent electronic system waits for finished doors.
Older buildings on intact blocks, such as those near the Christmas Tree Lane district along Santa Rosa Avenue or around Janes Village, present a different challenge. Original early-1900s hardware and aged wood frames often need careful work before an electric strike will seat correctly, and a maglock may need reinforcement to hold properly. We look at each frame before promising anything. Some of those doors are better served by keeping the mechanical lock and adding an access system on a back door or side entrance.
In La Viña, the gated hillside community at the northwest edge, pedestrian and vehicle gates are part of the entry picture. If a gate lock is simply misbehaving, our gate lock repair page is the right place. If a property manager wants a keypad or reader at a gate, that is an access control project, and we can plan it with the same power and weatherproofing checks.
The foothill climate is a practical concern too. Hot summers, strong dry Santa Ana winds off the San Gabriels, wind-blown grit, and intense sun are the main wear factors on exterior doors and locks. For exterior readers and keypads, that means weather-rated housings, sealed cable entries, and mounting in shade where we can. Keypad faces and plastic cases that sit in direct sun all afternoon age faster, and we choose hardware with that in mind.
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Call (213) 577-1366How do you manage employees and multiple doors?
The real benefit of a business access control system shows up in daily management. When someone leaves, you disable one credential in minutes of your own time rather than rekeying every door they could open. When a new hire starts, you give them access to the doors they need and no others.
Multi-door access control lets you set schedules as well. Front-of-house staff may enter only during business hours, while a manager's card works at any hour. Many controllers keep an event log, which can help you sort out who used which door and when. That is useful for audits and for ordinary disputes.
Some buildings still need a mechanical backbone. A sound master key system can serve doors you do not want to wire, while the electronic side covers the entrances that matter most. We often design the two to work together, rather than forcing everything onto one technology.
Can you repair or upgrade an existing access system?
Yes. Access control repair is a regular part of what we do, and it is not limited to systems we installed. Common faults include a reader that no longer reads, a strike that buzzes but will not release, a maglock that has lost holding strength, a dead power supply, or a door that no longer closes properly.
Before replacing anything, we look for the simple cause: a loose wire, a misaligned strike, a worn door closer, or a power supply that has aged out. If a component is obsolete or the controller cannot expand, we will tell you plainly and explain the options for an access control upgrade. Sometimes the lighter-cost fix is replacing one failed part. Other times a full upgrade makes more sense, especially if the old system cannot add users or will not communicate with newer credentials.
If you are weighing keyless entry for a home or short-term rental rather than a business, our smart lock installation page covers that side of things.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for access control?
We have been in business since 1987, working from a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans that reach Altadena and 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. When you call, you reach the company that does the work, not a dispatch middleman who passes your job to whoever answers first. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
Our phone line is answered every hour of every day at (213) 577-1366. If a door fails at night, our 24-hour locksmith service can secure it, and we can plan the permanent fix during regular hours.
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith you hire for that number before work begins. That is good practice for any trade, and access control work involves wiring and security, so it matters even more here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a keypad and a card access system?
A keypad uses a code that anyone can type, so it is simple and needs nothing to carry. A card access system gives each person their own credential, so you can disable one lost card without affecting anyone else. Keypads suit low-traffic doors, while cards or fobs suit employee entrances. Many sites use both.
Do I need an electric strike or a maglock?
It depends on the door. A strike works with a normal latch and keeps a mechanical bolt in place, which suits solid doors and sound frames. A maglock holds with an electromagnet and suits some glass or unusual doors, but it needs a reliable way to exit. We check the door and frame in person before recommending either.
Can you add access control to an old door in Altadena?
Often yes, but we inspect the door and frame first. Older wood frames may need reinforcement before a strike seats well, and original hardware sometimes cannot be modified without damage. In some cases we keep the mechanical lock and put the electronic system on a different door.
What happens to the system if the power goes out?
It depends on how each lock is set. A fail-secure strike stays locked, while a maglock or fail-safe strike releases. We choose the behavior for each door based on how it is used and what exit rules apply, and we can plan backup power or a key override where that is allowed.
How do I remove access for an employee who left?
With a card, fob, or individual code system, you disable that one credential through the controller. Nobody else is affected and no doors need rekeying. We show you how to do it at the end of the install, so you do not have to call us for routine changes.
Do you repair access control systems you did not install?
Yes. We troubleshoot readers, strikes, maglocks, power supplies, and controllers from other installers. We look for the simple cause first. If a part is obsolete or the system cannot grow with your needs, we explain the repair and upgrade options and let you decide.
Will sun and wind in the foothills hurt an outdoor reader?
They can wear out the wrong hardware. Heat, strong Santa Ana winds, grit, and direct sun age plastic cases and exposed wiring. We use weather-rated housings, seal cable entries, and mount in shade where possible, so exterior hardware lasts longer.
Can you plan access control for a building being rebuilt after the Eaton Fire?
Yes, and the planning stage is the best time. Wiring and door preparation are easier while framing is open. We can talk through the door layout, lock types, and power needs before walls close, then install the hardware when the doors and frames are ready.
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Access Control Installation near Altadena
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.