What does a panic bar do, and why does the installation matter?
A panic bar, also called a push bar or crash bar, is the horizontal bar across an exit door that lets a person leave by pushing, with no key, no knob, and no second step. The whole point is that someone in a hurry, in the dark, or in a crowd can get out. The same hardware also keeps the door latched from the outside, so it protects the building when nobody is inside.
That dual job is why installation is not a casual swap. A bar mounted a little out of square, a latch that only catches when you lean on the door, or a strike plate set slightly off will often work fine on a quiet afternoon. It can also bind at the worst moment, or fail to latch overnight and leave a back door unsecured. The door, the frame, the closer, and the exit device all have to work as one assembly.
We install panic hardware on Glendale storefronts, offices, restaurants, warehouses, and the stairwell and service doors of larger buildings. Our work is the hardware itself: choosing the right device for the door, mounting it correctly, adjusting it, and testing it until it releases cleanly and latches every time.
When does an emergency exit door need installation, repair, or replacement?
Some situations are obvious, like a brand-new door with no hardware or a bar that has been pulled off the door. Others creep up slowly, and most business owners only notice when an employee mentions the back door is acting up. A few patterns tell us it is time for a call:
- The bar sticks partway down, or you have to push hard or bump the door to release it.
- The door does not latch on its own after closing, so it has to be pulled shut by hand.
- The bar rattles, sags, or has loose mounting screws that spin without tightening.
- The door has been propped open with a wedge or chain because it will not stay shut properly. That is a sign the hardware or closer needs attention, not a workaround.
- A key-operated or chain-and-padlock setup is currently sitting on an exit door where a push bar should be.
- The outside trim, the cylinder, or the dogging feature no longer works as intended.
- A break-in attempt or a hard kick bent the latch, strike, or door edge.
How we handle panic bar installation, step by step
Every exit door is a little different, so we do not arrive with one fixed plan. Here is how a typical installation or replacement goes, whether you reach us by phone at (213) 577-1366 in the middle of the day or after a break-in at night.
- We talk through the door over the phone: material (steel, aluminum storefront, wood), single or double, whether it is part of a fire-rated opening, and what the existing hardware looks like. Photos help if you can send them.
- We examine the door in person, checking the thickness, the frame, the swing direction, the closer, and any labels on the door or frame that tell us whether fire-listed hardware is required.
- We recommend a specific device type for that opening and explain why, including any trade-offs. If a lighter-cost option will genuinely do the job, we say so.
- We remove the old hardware, if any, and prepare the door. That may mean filling old holes, reinforcing the mounting area, or correcting a frame that has shifted.
- We mount the exit device, set the latch and strike, and fit the outside trim or cylinder if the door needs outside access.
- We adjust the closer or flag that the closer needs work, because an exit device on a door that slams or fails to close fully will not latch properly.
- We test the release repeatedly, from a light push to a full-body hit, and confirm the door latches by itself every time.
- We walk you through how the device operates, including any dogging feature, so you and your staff know what is and is not allowed during business hours.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Which type of exit device fits your door?
Choosing the right panic hardware is most of the job. The wrong device on the right door still causes trouble, so we match the hardware to the opening rather than to whatever happens to be on the shelf.
Rim devices mount on the surface of the door and latch into a strike on the frame. They are common on single steel doors and are often the most straightforward install. Mortise-style devices use a lock body set into the door edge and are common where a more integrated look or heavier duty is needed. Vertical rod devices latch at the top and bottom of the door, which is typical for double doors without a center post. Concealed vertical rod versions hide the rods inside the door, which keeps the door face clean but takes more careful setup.
Some openings also call for a fire-listed device. If your door or frame carries a fire-rating label, the exit hardware generally has to be listed for use on that kind of opening, and the device must not be dogged down in a way the listing does not allow. Other doors need electrified hardware tied to an access control system, or delayed-egress features, which are only permitted in certain building types and under specific conditions. Those decisions belong to your building and fire authorities, and we will tell you plainly when a question is theirs to answer rather than ours.
If your exit door also needs entry control from the outside, that may involve access control installation alongside the push bar. The exit side always stays free; control applies to coming in.
What affects the cost of panic bar installation?
We do not quote numbers on a web page because the same phrase, panic bar installation, can describe very different jobs. We would rather tell you what moves the cost and then quote the specific door once we know what we are dealing with.
The biggest factors are these: the type of device (a standard rim device is usually the more economical route compared with a concealed vertical rod or an electrified version), whether the door is single or double, and the material and condition of the door and frame. A door that needs reinforcement or a frame that needs correcting adds labor. Fire-rated openings require listed hardware, which narrows the choices. Outside trim, key cylinders, and any link to access control also change the scope.
Timing matters as well. A planned daytime install on a door you have already measured is simpler than an after-hours call to secure an exit door that was just forced. And if the underlying problem is a worn door closer or a damaged frame, fixing the exit device alone will not solve it, so we will include that in the discussion up front. For related work, our pages on door closer repair and commercial door hardware cover what that adds.
We give you a clear quote before we start work, and if what we find on site changes the scope, we explain why before going further.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What does panic bar repair and exit device repair involve?
Not every sticky bar needs to be replaced. Often the existing device is sound and something around it has drifted. We check the simple causes first, because fixing them usually costs less than a new device.
Typical repair work includes tightening or re-anchoring a loose mounting, realigning the strike plate, adjusting the latch projection, cleaning and lubricating the mechanism, replacing a worn latch or spring, and swapping out a damaged outside trim or cylinder. When a door has sagged on its hinges, we correct the hinge side before touching the exit hardware, because pushing a bar to compensate for a dropping door only wears out the device faster.
Replacement makes more sense when parts are no longer available for an older device, when internal components are broken or heavily worn, when the device does not match the door and has always been a poor fit, or when the opening needs a type of hardware that the current device cannot provide. We tell you which situation you are in, and if repair is the sensible route, we do not push replacement.
If the bar is working but the door itself is in rough shape after an attempted break-in, our storefront lock repair service handles the surrounding hardware and frame damage.
Panic bar installation in Glendale: what we see locally
Glendale is a mix of dense flatland commercial streets and hillside neighborhoods, and the kind of exit-door work differs between them. We cover all of the city's ZIP codes, from 91201 through 91208 and 91020, and we are about 18 miles from our Westwood base.
Storefront work is a natural fit for this service. Along Brand Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue in Montrose, shops and small businesses typically have a front entrance for customers and a back or side door for deliveries and emergency exit. That back door is where a push bar matters most, and where we most often find a deadbolt, chain, or padlock that should not be on an exit route. Replacing that with a proper exit device keeps the door secure from outside while letting staff leave quickly. If you also need help with the front door or a lockout there, see our business lockout service.
Near The Americana at Brand and along Brand Boulevard, Glendale has high-rise and podium condo buildings with controlled-access lobbies. Buildings like that tend to have stairwell and service doors where exit hardware, closers, and access control all have to cooperate. If you manage a building in that area, a stairwell door that does not latch or a lobby exit that sticks is the kind of call we handle, and we can coordinate it with your existing access setup.
In City Center and Tropico, the dense apartment and commercial core means a lot of heavily used doors, so the wear we see is ordinary, high-traffic wear rather than anything weather-driven. In the Verdugo canyons and on hillside streets in places like Chevy Chase Canyon and Glenoaks Canyon, Santa Ana winds and strong canyon sun dry out wood doors. If a wood exit door at a hillside property has shifted or warped, the latch can stop meeting the strike, and we address the door alignment as part of the job.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for exit devices?
We have been in business since 1987, and exit hardware is a trade where experience shows. The details that make a push bar reliable, like how the door is reinforced, how the latch is set, and whether the closer is matched to the door, are not on the box.
We operate a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and send out mobile service vans. When you call, you are dealing with one company, not a dispatch service that passes the job to whoever is available. Our work is overseen by David, the owner and lead technician, so someone accountable is behind every installation.
We answer the phone around the clock at (213) 577-1366, every day of the year. That matters for exit doors in particular, because a door that cannot be secured at night or cannot open freely during business hours is not something you want to leave until next week. For urgent situations like a forced exit door, our emergency locksmith service is the right place to start.
We also tell you when something is outside our lane. If your question is really about occupancy, number of exits, or inspection requirements, that belongs to your local building and fire authorities, and we will say so rather than guess.
What should you ask any locksmith before they work on exit doors?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith you are considering for their license number, and check it with BSIS yourself. That is a reasonable request for any job, and especially for work on life-safety hardware.
Also ask what device they plan to install and why, whether your door has a fire rating that affects the choice, and who will be doing the work. For related commercial hardware questions, our commercial locksmith page covers the broader scope of what we do for businesses.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a panic bar, a push bar, and a crash bar?
They are different names for essentially the same thing: a horizontal bar on an exit door that releases the latch when pushed. Industry catalogs use terms like exit device or panic hardware. Whatever you call it, the key point is that it lets people leave without a key or special knowledge.
Can you install a panic bar on any door?
Most commercial doors can take one, but not every door as it stands. Thin or hollow doors may need reinforcement, aluminum storefront doors need devices designed for narrow stiles, and double doors may need vertical rod hardware. We look at the door in person and recommend a device that fits it rather than forcing the wrong one on.
Does my Glendale business actually need panic hardware?
That depends on your building type, occupancy, and the layout of your exits, and the answer comes from your local building and fire authorities, not from us. What we can do is install and repair the hardware once you know what is required, and tell you what we see on the door that may be relevant, such as a fire-rating label.
Can you repair my existing panic bar instead of replacing it?
Often, yes. Loose mounting, a misaligned strike, a dry or gummed mechanism, and a worn latch are all repairable. We check these first. If parts are unavailable, internal components are broken, or the device was never right for the door, we will explain why replacement is the better route.
Can a panic bar be locked from the outside?
Yes. The push bar lets people leave freely, while the outside of the door stays secured, either with no outside hardware at all or with a trim or key cylinder for authorized entry. Never replace the exit function with a chain, padlock, or keyed deadbolt on the inside of an exit door.
Do you handle fire-rated doors?
We can install fire-listed exit hardware on openings that need it. We check the door and frame for labels, match the device to the listing, and tell you if a requested setup, like dogging the bar open, is not appropriate for that opening. Final decisions on what your building requires rest with your local authorities.
Can you connect a push bar to an access control system?
Electrified exit devices exist for that purpose, and we can discuss them if your door needs controlled entry from outside. It adds complexity, since power, wiring, and the control system all have to work together. Our access control installation service covers that side of the project.
Can you come out after hours if my exit door was forced?
Yes. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (213) 577-1366. Call, describe the door, and we will explain what we can do to secure the opening and then fit or repair the exit device properly.
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Panic Bar Installation near Glendale
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.