What does access control installation actually involve?
Access control replaces a metal key with a credential: a code, a card, a key fob, or a phone. The credential is checked by a reader, the reader tells a controller whether to say yes, and the controller tells a piece of door hardware to release. That is the whole idea. The work is in making those pieces agree with each other and with the door they are mounted on.
People often call it a keyless entry project, and that is fair, but it is really two jobs in one. One is electronic: readers, a controller, power, and wiring. The other is mechanical: a door that closes squarely, a frame that can hold a strike or a magnet, and a latch that lines up every time. If the mechanical side is sloppy, the electronics will look unreliable no matter how good they are. We have been working on doors in Los Angeles since 1987, so we look at the door first and the gadget second.
This page covers new installs, multi-door systems, and upgrades from an older setup. If you are mainly after a smart deadbolt for a single entry door, that is a lighter project and we cover it on our smart lock installation page. If you only need ordinary locks changed, start with lock installation.
Which access control setup fits your door?
There is no single right system. The best fit depends on how many doors you have, how many people come and go, how often those people change, and whether you need a record of who entered. Here are the pieces we work with most for commercial access control and business keyless entry.
- Keypad access control: A code is typed at the door. It suits a back office, a stockroom, or a small team where the group is stable. The weakness is that codes get shared, so we usually suggest individual codes where the controller supports them.
- Card access system or key card entry system: Each person carries a card that is read at the door. Cards can be deactivated one at a time, which is the main advantage over a metal key you can never be sure was not copied.
- Key fob access control: Same logic as cards, but on a keychain. People tend to carry fobs more reliably than cards, which matters in a business with frequent comings and goings.
- Electric strike installation: The strike replaces the standard strike plate in the frame and releases the latch when the system says yes. The door keeps its normal latch and can still be locked with a key as a backup.
- Magnetic lock installation: A powerful electromagnet on the frame holds the door shut against a plate on the door. Maglocks are common on glass doors and where a clean look matters, but they come with code requirements for exit, covered below.
- Multi-door access control: A single controller or networked set of controllers manages several doors, with different permissions for different people or groups.
- Credential-based entry with phones: Some readers accept a phone as the credential. It is convenient, though many businesses still want a card or fob as a fallback.
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Call (213) 577-1366How do we install an access control system, step by step?
Every site is a little different, but the sequence is consistent. We would rather spend time at the start than discover a wiring problem after the ceiling is closed up.
- Talk it through by phone. Call (213) 577-1366 any time and tell us how many doors, what the doors are made of, who needs access, and what is happening now. Calls are answered 24 hours a day, so you do not have to wait for business hours to start the conversation.
- Walk the doors. We look at each opening in person: the frame material, the door thickness, the swing direction, the closer, the existing lock, and where power and cable can realistically run. This is where most surprises show up.
- Decide the hardware per door. A door may call for a strike, a maglock, or an electrified lock, depending on how people exit, what the fire and life-safety rules require, and whether the door needs to stay secure if power is lost.
- Plan the credentials and permissions. We sort out who gets which credential, which doors each person can open, and whether any doors need to be unlocked on a schedule.
- Install the hardware and wiring. We mount the readers, prepare the frames, run low-voltage cable, and set up the power supply and controller. Where a door is out of square or the closer is fighting the latch, we fix that now, not later.
- Program and test every door. We enroll credentials, set permissions, and test each opening repeatedly, including what happens on exit and when power is interrupted.
- Show you how to run it. You or your manager should be able to add and remove a credential without calling anyone. We walk through that before we leave, and we are a call away if you get stuck.
Electric strike or maglock: which one should you choose?
This is the question we get most, and the honest answer is that it depends on the door and on code. An electric strike works with a latch, so it tends to suit wood and metal doors with solid frames. Strikes come in fail-secure and fail-safe versions. A fail-secure strike stays locked when power drops, while a fail-safe strike releases. Which one is appropriate depends on the building and how the door is used for exit.
A magnetic lock has no moving parts, which keeps it simple and quiet. It works well on glass and aluminum storefront-style doors where cutting a strike pocket is awkward. The catch is that a maglock releases when power is cut, so it needs a proper means of exit, such as a request-to-exit device and, where required, a release tied to the fire alarm. Egress rules for commercial doors are not something to guess about. We design to those requirements, and for final approval the authority having jurisdiction, such as the building or fire department, makes the call.
If the door also needs a push-bar exit device, that changes the hardware choices again. Our panic bar installation page explains how exit devices fit in, and commercial door hardware covers closers, hinges, and the rest of what a door needs to behave well with electronics on it.
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Call (213) 577-1366What affects the cost of access control installation in Beverly Hills?
We do not quote numbers on a web page because two sites that look similar can be very different once someone is standing at the door. What we can do is tell you honestly what moves the total, so you can compare quotes fairly.
- Number of doors. Each opening needs its own reader and hardware, plus cable back to a controller.
- Type of hardware. A strike, a maglock, and an electrified exit device are different products with different labor.
- Door and frame condition. Warped, sagging, or poorly aligned doors need correction before electronics will work reliably.
- Door material. Glass, aluminum, hollow metal, and solid wood each call for different mounting and prep.
- Wiring path. Open ceilings are straightforward. Finished walls, stone, or concrete can add considerable labor.
- Credential type and quantity. Cards, fobs, and phone credentials are not priced the same way, and the number of users matters.
- Features. Schedules, audit trails, remote management, and integration with an alarm or intercom add configuration time.
- Power and backup. Battery backup and properly sized power supplies are worth including where the door matters.
- Timing. Emergency or after-hours work is handled differently from a planned project.
- Existing equipment. Reusing a working system is usually the more economical route, but only if the parts are still sound and supported.
How does access control work in Beverly Hills buildings?
Beverly Hills has two very different kinds of property, and access control looks different in each. We are about 4 miles from the city from our Westwood storefront, and the mobile vans cover the whole city, including ZIP codes 90210, 90211, and 90212.
In the Golden Triangle and along Rodeo Drive, the typical job is a boutique or office where the front door is public but the back of the building is not. Stockrooms, back offices, and employee entrances are where access control earns its keep. Instead of a ring of keys that nobody can account for, staff carry individual cards or fobs, and a departing employee's credential is turned off without touching a lock. If your storefront door itself is giving you trouble, that is a different job, covered under storefront lock repair.
In Trousdale Estates and the large estates of The Flats, the scene is more residential, but the thinking is similar. Estate properties commonly combine high-security deadbolts, driveway gates, intercoms, and monitored access. A keypad or reader at a pedestrian gate, a side service entrance, or a staff door can give each person their own credential. That fits a situation we know well in The Flats: when household staff or a vendor changes, you can remove one credential rather than re-keying the whole property. Where the work is mostly the gate mechanism itself, see gate lock repair.
South of Wilshire, the buildings are duplexes, condominiums, and apartment buildings built from the 1930s through the 1970s. Older entry doors and frames in those buildings were not made with electronics in mind, so we spend more time on the mechanical side: checking whether the frame can take a strike, whether the door closes on its own, and where wiring can run without opening up walls. A shared entry with a card or fob reader is a common upgrade for these buildings.
One practical note about the sun. Hillside and canyon sections of Beverly Hills get strong exposure, which fades and dries exterior door finishes. The effect on hardware is modest overall, but for readers and keypads mounted outdoors we choose weather-appropriate units and, where possible, a spot with some cover.
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Call (213) 577-1366Can you repair or upgrade an access control system you did not install?
Yes, in most cases. Access control repair is a big part of the work, and it starts with a question: is the problem the electronics or the door? A reader that works some days and not others is often a door that drags or a latch that binds under load, not a failing reader. A strike that buzzes but will not release can be a few millimeters out of alignment. We check for those first because they are cheaper to fix than replacing parts.
When a system really is at the end of its life, an access control upgrade can often keep some of what is there. Existing cabling is sometimes reusable, and a working door position is a head start. If the manufacturer has stopped supporting the controller, or you cannot add or remove users any more, replacing the controller and readers and keeping the wiring may be the more economical route. We tell you plainly what we would keep and what we would replace.
If you are locked out because of a failed system, that is urgent in a different way. Call us and also see business lockout for how we get a commercial door open without damaging it.
When access control and a key system belong together
Most businesses do not go fully keyless. Some doors get readers and others stay on keys, and the two have to work together. A building with an electronic main entrance often still needs mechanical keys for offices, cabinets, and mechanical rooms. If that is you, a master key system can sit alongside the electronics so that the keys you do carry are organized and controlled.
Electronic locks also usually include a key override, and that cylinder needs to be kept under control, too. We can set up the override cylinders so they follow the same key plan as everything else. That is a small detail, but it is the kind of thing that keeps a system tidy over the years. For the broader picture of what we do for businesses, see our commercial locksmith page.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for access control?
We have been in business since 1987, and we have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood along with mobile service vans. That combination matters for access control, because a project is rarely finished in one visit. Parts get adjusted, someone needs a new credential, or a door needs a second look after a few weeks of use. You can reach a company that has a physical address and an owner.
We are one company. There is no dispatch middleman who takes your call and hands it to whoever is available. The people who plan the job are the people who work on it, and David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. Our phone line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (213) 577-1366.
One more thing worth saying: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith, including us, for that license number before work starts. Access control involves wiring and security decisions for your building, so it is reasonable to know who you are letting in. You can also see how we cover the rest of the city on our Beverly Hills locksmith page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a keypad system and a card access system?
A keypad uses a code that anyone who knows it can enter, so it works best for a small, stable group. A card or fob system gives each person their own credential, which can be turned off individually. For a business with several employees or turnover, individual credentials are usually the better fit.
Can you install access control on an existing glass or storefront door?
Usually yes. Glass and aluminum doors are often a good match for a magnetic lock or a strike made for narrow frames. We look at the door and frame in person first, because some storefront frames are too thin or out of alignment to support a given product.
What happens to an access-controlled door when the power goes out?
It depends on the hardware. A fail-secure strike stays locked, and a fail-safe strike or maglock releases. We choose per door based on how the door is used and what the exit rules require, and we can add battery backup so the system keeps working through short outages.
Do I have to follow fire code for an electronic lock on a business door?
Yes. Commercial doors have exit and life-safety requirements, and a locked door must still let people leave. We design around those rules, and the building or fire authority has the final say for your specific property.
Can I add or remove employees myself?
In most systems, yes. Before we finish, we show you how to enroll a new card or fob and how to disable one that is lost or belongs to someone who has left. Some systems manage this from a computer, others at the controller, and we tell you which you are getting.
Can you work on an access control system someone else installed?
In most cases. We start by finding out whether the issue is the electronics or the door, since mechanical problems often look like electronic ones. If parts are no longer supported, we explain what can be kept and what should be replaced.
Do you install access control at homes, or only businesses?
Mostly commercial work, but we also do it on larger residential properties, such as estates with staff entrances or gated drives. For ordinary home entry doors, a smart lock or a rekey is often a simpler answer. See our residential pages or call (213) 577-1366 and we will say honestly which fits.
How do I know whether a locksmith is properly licensed in California?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask for the license number and check it with the state before agreeing to work. That applies to us as it does to anyone else you are considering.
How long does an access control installation take?
It depends on the number of doors, the door material, and how hard the wiring is to run. A single door with easy access is a very different job from a multi-door system in finished walls. After we see the doors, we can tell you what to expect for your site.
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Access Control Installation near Beverly Hills
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.