What does a Calabasas business actually need from access control?
Most businesses that call us about access control are not shopping for technology. They have a practical problem. A key went home with someone who no longer works there. A back door gets propped open because the lock is a hassle. Three people share one code that was written on a sticky note two years ago. Or the owner simply wants to know who came in after closing.
Access control installation solves that by replacing the question of who holds a metal key with the question of who holds a credential. A credential can be a PIN, a card, a fob, or in some systems a phone. When someone leaves the company, you remove their credential in minutes at the controller instead of rekeying every door in the building. When someone needs entry only on weekdays, you set that schedule once and it stays set.
That is the heart of commercial access control, and it applies whether you run a single suite in an office building or a property with several doors that each need different rules. We install keypad access control, card access systems, key fob access control, electric strikes, and magnetic locks, and we are straightforward about which one fits your door and which one does not. Sometimes the honest answer is a good mechanical lock with a master key system rather than electronics, and we will say so.
How does electronic access control work on a door?
Every electronic access control system, however simple or large, is built from the same few pieces. Knowing them makes any quote easier to read and any problem easier to describe when you call.
The reader or keypad is the part people touch. It accepts a code, a card, or a fob. The controller is the brain: it holds the list of who is allowed through which door and when, and it decides whether to release the lock. The locking device is what physically secures the door, either an electric strike set into the frame or a magnetic lock mounted on top of it. A power supply feeds the lock and controller. And a request-to-exit device lets people leave without presenting a credential.
- Reader or keypad: reads the PIN, card, or fob and sends it to the controller.
- Controller: stores users and schedules, and makes the unlock decision.
- Electric strike or maglock: the hardware that holds or releases the door.
- Power supply: often with battery backup so the system behaves predictably if power is interrupted.
- Request-to-exit and door position sensors: let people leave freely and tell the system whether the door is actually closed.
- Software or cloud management: how you add, remove, and review credentials, depending on the system chosen.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How we handle an access control installation, step by step
We keep the process plain and predictable. The goal is a system your staff will actually use every day, not one that gets propped open or bypassed within a month.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us what you are trying to secure, how many doors are involved, and what is not working now. The line is answered around the clock, so this can happen after hours if that is when the problem surfaced.
- We look at the doors. Door material, frame condition, swing direction, existing hardware, and where power and wiring can realistically run all shape what will work. A hollow metal door and frame behave very differently from an aluminum storefront door or a wood door.
- We recommend a configuration and explain why. That includes the credential type, whether a strike or a maglock suits each opening, and how people will exit. If a simpler option meets your need, we say so.
- We confirm the life-safety side. Doors that serve as exits must let people leave. Building and fire officials set the rules, and we design around them rather than hoping they do not come up. Panic hardware is sometimes part of the answer, which is why we also handle panic bar installation.
- We install the hardware, run and terminate the wiring, mount the readers, and set up the controller and power supply.
- We program the system. Users, schedules, and door rules are entered based on how your business really runs, with separate access levels where they make sense.
- We test every door under real conditions: valid credential, invalid credential, exit from inside, door held open, and power interruption behavior. Then we walk you or your manager through adding and removing users so you are not dependent on us for routine changes.
Keypads, cards, or fobs: which credential fits your business?
Credential-based entry is a choice about habits as much as hardware. The right credential is the one your people will carry and use without friction, and that you can revoke without drama.
- Keypad access control: no card to lose and cheap to understand. The tradeoff is that codes can be shared or watched. It suits small teams, back-of-house doors, and storage rooms, especially when each person gets an individual code rather than one shared by everyone.
- Card access system or key card entry system: each person carries a card that can be disabled the moment it goes missing. This is the common choice for employee access control in offices with more than a handful of staff.
- Key fob access control: works like a card but rides on a key ring, which tends to survive daily use better in a pocket or a work bag. It is popular where staff come and go often.
- Combined readers: a card plus a PIN on sensitive doors gives two layers without much extra complexity for the user.
- Mobile credentials: some systems let a phone act as the credential. We will tell you plainly whether the system fits your building and your team before suggesting it.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Electric strike or magnetic lock: how do we decide?
This is one of the most common questions in door access control, and it is the one where a wrong answer causes real trouble later.
An electric strike installation replaces or modifies the strike plate in the door frame so the existing latch can be released electronically. The door stays mechanically latched when power is off or on, depending on the strike type, and the door generally still works with a regular key or a mechanical exit. Strikes work well on many commercial doors, they are discreet, and they are usually the more economical route when the frame and latch are in good shape.
A magnetic lock installation uses a large electromagnet on the frame and a metal plate on the door. It holds with magnetic force, there is no latch to wear out, and it can be a fit for glass doors, double doors, and openings where a latch is awkward. The tradeoff is that a maglock releases when power is cut, so its exit arrangement matters a great deal. It needs reliable release hardware and has to be installed to the exit rules that apply to your door. We do not treat a maglock as a drop-in item.
Our rule of thumb: we look at what the door is, how people leave, and what happens to the door when power fails. Then we pick. The door hardware itself matters too, and if the door, closer, or frame is the real weak point, our commercial door hardware work comes first, since electronics cannot fix a door that does not close and latch properly.
What affects the cost of access control installation?
We do not quote numbers on a web page, because two businesses with the same number of doors can end up with very different projects. What we can do is tell you honestly what moves the cost up or down, so you can plan and compare quotes fairly.
- Number of doors: each opening needs its own reader, lock, and wiring run, though the controller and software can be shared.
- Door and frame type: aluminum storefront, hollow metal, wood, and glass each need different mounting approaches and sometimes different locks.
- Strike or maglock: the lock type, along with any needed exit hardware, changes both parts and labor.
- Wiring conditions: finished ceilings, concrete walls, and long distances between doors and the controller add labor. Existing conduit helps.
- Credential type and quantity: keypads are usually the lighter-cost option; cards and fobs add the cost of the credentials themselves.
- Software and management: a simple standalone setup is different from a networked system with remote user management and reports.
- Power and backup: battery backup and proper power supplies matter more on doors you cannot leave unsecured.
- Upgrade versus new install: an access control upgrade that reuses good readers, wiring, or locks is often the more economical route than starting from scratch.
- Timing: after-hours or urgent work is scheduled differently from a planned project.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Access control repair and upgrades
Plenty of calls are not new installations. A reader stops responding. A door unlocks but will not relock, or never unlocks at all. A fob works on one door and not another. A system installed years ago is no longer supported, or the person who set it up is long gone and nobody has the admin login.
For access control repair, we start with the simple causes before replacing anything: power, wiring connections, alignment of the strike or maglock plate, a door that has drifted out of square, a failed request-to-exit device, or a controller that needs reprogramming. Plenty of what looks like an electronic failure turns out to be a door that no longer closes cleanly, which is why our lock repair and storefront work often overlaps with access control calls.
An access control upgrade makes sense when the current system cannot do what you need: too few users, no schedule control, no way to remove a lost credential quickly, or no way to cover a second door. We look at what you already own and reuse what is sound. If a part of the system is unreliable, we tell you which part, not the whole system.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for access control
We have been in business since 1987, and that history shows up in the details: the way we check how a door closes before choosing a lock, and the way we plan for what happens when power goes out. We are a storefront shop at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans, so design and parts are handled in one place and installation happens at your door.
When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a national dispatch center that sells your job to whoever is available. One company handles the phone call, the planning, and the work. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how systems are designed, so the person who sets standards is not a stranger to your project.
We also want you to hold every locksmith to the same standard. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for it before work begins. That is a reasonable question to put to us as well, and you should expect a direct answer.
If your project is bigger than access control alone, such as rekeying, hardware, or a full door-by-door plan, our commercial locksmith team handles those from the same office.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Access control in Calabasas: what we see locally
Calabasas, ZIP 91302, is a mix of guard-gated communities, retail centers, and business space, and that mix shapes what access control looks like here. The base for our mobile vans is about 22 miles from the city, and we serve Calabasas as part of the 140 cities we cover across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Storefront and retail districts are a common starting point. Businesses at The Commons at Calabasas and in Old Town Calabasas typically have glass or aluminum storefront doors on the front and a more solid door in the back. The front often stays on a standard key during open hours, while the back door, stockroom, and office benefit from keypad or card control with individual credentials. Old Town storefronts can also be older buildings with frames that need attention before an electric strike or maglock will sit right.
Much of the housing here is in guard-gated HOA communities, including The Oaks of Calabasas, Calabasas Hills, and Mountain View Estates. Those communities already use access control at the entrance, and their shared facilities, management offices, and maintenance rooms have their own door control needs. We can work on the building-door side with keypads, card readers, and credentials for staff and vendors. Community entry systems are managed by the community, so if your question concerns the main gate, check with the HOA or its management first. For residential keypads and similar lock work, our smart lock installation page is the better fit.
Calabasas Highlands has hillside properties with driveway gates and keypads. If a gate keypad is the problem, our gate lock repair service covers it directly. Access control installation here is mostly about businesses and shared facilities.
Climate matters outdoors. Calabasas has hot, dry summers, strong Santa Ana wind events, and real wildfire exposure in canyon areas. Sun and heat cycling are the main wear factors on exterior doors and gate hardware. For us, that means choosing exterior readers and keypads built for outdoor use, mounting them with some protection from direct sun where possible, and making sure the power supply and backup are planned. Wind events can interrupt power, so how a door behaves without power is a design decision we make up front.
We also see rebuilding in canyon areas affected by the 2018 Woolsey Fire. New construction is a good moment to run wiring and plan door control properly rather than adding it later.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Planning your project before we arrive
A few answers make the first call faster and the plan more accurate. You do not need technical knowledge. Tell us how many doors, what type of door each one is, who needs to get through, and what outside hours look like. Tell us what you already have, even if it is old or partly broken. If you have a floor plan or photos of the doors, that helps.
Think about the people, too. Employees, cleaning crews, delivery drivers, and part-time staff all need different access. Decide who should be able to enter, which doors, and during what hours. We can program schedules, but the decision about who gets what belongs to you.
If you are locked out right now, that is a different problem, and our business lockout page covers it. For anything else, you can also reach us through our contact page or by phone at (213) 577-1366.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between keypad access control and a card access system?
A keypad uses a PIN that people memorize, so there is nothing to carry or lose, but codes can be shared or observed. A card access system gives each person a physical credential that can be disabled individually if it goes missing. Keypads often suit small teams and storage doors, while cards and fobs suit offices with more staff. Many businesses use both on different doors.
Should I choose an electric strike or a magnetic lock?
It depends on the door, how people exit, and what should happen if power fails. Electric strikes work with the existing latch and are often the more economical route on solid frames. Magnetic locks suit some glass and double-door openings but need carefully planned exit release. We look at the door before recommending either.
Can you add access control to doors I already have?
Often yes. Many existing commercial doors can accept a strike, a maglock, or an electrified lock, but it depends on the door, frame, and where wiring can run. Sometimes the door needs repair or new hardware first, because electronics cannot compensate for a door that does not close and latch correctly.
Can one system control multiple doors?
Yes. Multi-door access control uses a shared controller and software, so each door has its own reader and lock while credentials and schedules are managed in one place. You can give some people access to every door and others to only one or two, and you can remove a lost credential everywhere at once.
What happens to the doors if the power goes out?
That depends on the lock type and how the system is designed. Some locks stay secured without power and some release. Doors used for exit have to remain safe to leave. We plan this on purpose, often with battery backup, and test the behavior at the end of installation. Strong Santa Ana wind events are one reason to settle it in advance.
Can you repair or upgrade an access control system someone else installed?
In many cases, yes. We start by checking power, wiring, door alignment, and programming before suggesting replacement parts. If the system is no longer practical, we explain which parts can be reused and what an upgrade would involve, so you are not paying to replace parts that still work.
How do I remove a former employee's access?
With a credential-based system, you disable that person's card, fob, or code in the controller or software, and it stops working at every door. No rekeying is needed. We set this up during installation and show you or your manager how to do it, so it is a routine task.
Do you handle commercial access control in the evening or on weekends?
Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. Urgent problems, such as a door that will not secure, can be handled outside normal hours. Planned installations are usually scheduled so they disrupt your business as little as possible.
How do I know the locksmith I hire is legitimate?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for it, and check it before they begin. A legitimate company will answer without hesitation and will explain what the work involves in plain terms.
More locksmith help in Calabasas
Access Control Installation near Calabasas
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.