What is access control installation, and who needs it in Lakewood?
Access control replaces or supplements the metal key with something you can manage: a keypad code, a key card, a key fob, or a credential on a phone. The door hardware, usually an electric strike or a magnetic lock, is what actually releases when the reader says yes. A system can be one door with a keypad, or many doors tied to a single list of users, schedules, and records.
Businesses ask for it for ordinary reasons. Staff turn over and nobody is sure where every key went. A key gets copied that should not have been. An owner wants the stockroom or back office to open only for certain people, or wants to know who came in on a Sunday. Keyless entry for business solves these problems because you can cancel one person's access without rekeying a single door.
We are a locksmith first, so we start from the door itself: the frame, the existing hardware, how people move through it, and what should happen when the power goes out. Only then do we choose the reader and the release. This page covers new installations, adding doors to an existing setup, and upgrading older systems for Lakewood businesses and property owners.
Keypad, card, or key fob: which credential makes sense?
There is no single right answer. The credential should match how many people use the door and how often they change. Here is how we usually think it through:
- Keypad access control: the simplest option, with no card to lose. The weakness is that codes get shared, so keypads suit small teams, low-turnover spaces, and secondary doors, ideally with codes changed on a regular schedule.
- Key card entry system: every person carries their own card, and you can disable one card without touching anyone else's. This is the usual choice for offices and shops with several employees.
- Key fob access control: the same logic as a card, but it lives on a key ring. Fobs hold up well for people who go in and out all day and already carry other keys.
- Card or fob plus PIN: two steps for rooms that matter more, such as a records office, a cash room, or a server closet.
- Phone-based credentials: some platforms support them. We will explain the tradeoffs honestly, including whether the system depends on an ongoing subscription or a cloud account.
Standalone or networked: how many doors are you really managing?
A standalone reader is programmed at the door itself. It is a sensible fit for one door or a few doors where the same handful of people have access. Adding and removing users means walking up to the reader, which gets tedious as the list grows.
Multi-door access control uses a central controller and software so you can manage everyone from one place, set schedules, and review who used which door and when. That is what makes employee access control practical once you have several doors and a changing roster. Credential-based entry also lets you limit people by time, so a part-time employee can be set to open the door only on the days they work.
If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, tell us how many doors and how many people, and we will say plainly whether a simple setup will serve you or whether a networked system is worth the added complexity.
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Call (213) 577-1366How does we install access control, step by step?
Every site is a little different, but the sequence is consistent. It keeps surprises off your door and out of your invoice.
- Call us at (213) 577-1366 and describe the door: glass, wood, hollow metal, or aluminum storefront, how many doors, how many users, and what you want to stop or allow.
- We look at the door and frame: material, thickness, existing lock and closer, how the door swings, and where power and wiring can realistically run.
- We choose the release: an electric strike, a magnetic lock, or electrified hardware, and whether it should stay locked or unlock when power is lost.
- We choose the reader, credential type, controller, and power supply, including a plan for what happens during an outage.
- We install: prepare the frame, mount the release, run low-voltage wiring, set the reader, connect the controller, and add an exit method so no one is ever trapped inside.
- We program users and schedules, then test every credential on every door, including power-loss behavior and whether the door closes and latches fully every time.
- We walk you through adding and removing users, explain who holds the administrator codes, and make sure you can run the system without calling us for routine changes.
Electric strike or maglock: which one belongs on your door?
Electric strike installation swaps the standard strike plate in the frame for one that can release the latch electronically. The mechanical lock stays in the door, so a key still works as a backup, and the door stays latched until the strike releases it. It means cutting into the frame, so the frame material and profile matter. Most strikes are set to stay locked if power fails, and people can still leave through the lock hardware on the inside.
Magnetic lock installation puts an electromagnet on the frame and a plate on the door. It holds the door shut while powered and lets go when power is cut. Maglocks are often chosen for glass doors where cutting the frame is awkward, and they can be very clean looking. They also carry a bigger responsibility: because they release when power drops, and because they have no latch to turn, you need a dependable way for people to get out, such as a request-to-exit sensor and a release that does not rely on the access system working.
Egress rules for doors in commercial buildings are taken seriously, and what applies depends on the building and how it is used. We will tell you what we see and when to check with your landlord or the local fire authority. If your door already has a crash bar, read about panic bar installation, and for the wider picture of frames, closers, and handles, see our page on commercial door hardware.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How much does access control installation cost in Lakewood?
We do not quote numbers on a web page, because two doors that look alike can end up very different once the frame is opened. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the price, so you can plan and compare quotes fairly.
- Number of doors, and whether each one needs a reader on the outside only or on both sides.
- Door and frame type: a hollow metal frame, a wood frame, and a narrow aluminum storefront frame each call for different release hardware and different labor.
- Strike versus maglock, and any extra parts needed to make a maglock safe to leave, such as exit sensors and release buttons.
- Credential type: keypads, cards, fobs, and phone credentials cost different amounts, and the number of credentials you need adds up.
- Standalone readers versus a networked controller with software, which adds equipment and setup time.
- Wiring: how far the cable must travel, whether walls or ceilings must be opened, and whether a power supply needs a new location.
- Backup power, so doors behave predictably during an outage.
- Whether any part of the work needs an electrician or a permit, which depends on the building. We will say so at the start rather than after.
Can you repair or upgrade an access control system someone else installed?
Yes, in most cases. Access control repair usually starts with symptoms: a reader that works only sometimes, a strike that buzzes but will not release, a maglock that no longer holds firmly, a door that does not latch fully, or an administrator code nobody can find. Before blaming the expensive parts, we check the simple ones first, because power supplies, loose wiring, and door alignment cause a large share of problems.
An access control upgrade often means keeping what still works. Existing wiring and sometimes the existing release hardware can be reused while the reader and controller are replaced. If a system is old, proprietary, and no longer supported, we will say so honestly; sometimes the sensible route is replacing the controller rather than chasing parts that are no longer made.
If the trouble is the door itself, such as a sagging storefront door or a latch that no longer lines up, the fix may be mechanical rather than electronic. Our storefront lock repair page covers that side.
Access control around Lakewood: storefronts, offices, and rentals
Lakewood's business doors sit along corridors such as Lakewood Boulevard, South Street, and Del Amo Boulevard, and around the Lakewood Center district. Storefronts like these often have glass doors in aluminum frames, which is where the strike-versus-maglock decision matters most. A narrow frame may limit which strike will fit, and a maglock may suit a glass door better, as long as the exit side is handled properly.
The city itself is a postwar planned suburb of roughly 17,500 compact tract homes built between 1950 and 1953, so commercial space and apartments are limited and tend to cluster along major streets. That shapes the work. Apartments along Candlewood Street near the mall and along South Street often have shared entries where a fob or keypad reader saves the manager from rekeying every time a tenant moves out. If that is your situation, our page for landlord locksmith services covers the property-management side.
We serve Lakewood addresses across ZIP codes 90712, 90713, and 90715, including areas such as Lakewood Park, Mayfair, and Lakewood Gardens, and the Long Beach border near Lakewood Village. Lakewood is about 29 miles from our Westwood base, so we bring mobile service vans and ask a few questions about your doors by phone first, which helps us arrive with the likely hardware.
Lakewood is a flat, inland coastal-plain city. The morning marine layer and mild temperatures are easy on electronics, and salt-air corrosion is minor compared with shoreline Long Beach. Damp winters can swell older wood doors and frames, though, and a swollen door can stop a strike from lining up with the latch. If your door is wood, we check alignment under real conditions. Any reader on an exposed exterior wall should still be a weather-rated model.
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 access control?
We have been in business since 1987, with a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans that cover 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us directly, at any hour, any day of the year. We are one company, not a call center that passes your job to whichever contractor picks it up.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how systems are designed. That matters because access control fails most often at the door, not in the software: a frame that was never prepared, a closer that slams, a strike set too tight. A locksmith's habit of looking at the door first prevents that.
Access control also sits beside the rest of your security. A keyed backup or a master key system may still make sense on doors that are not electrified, and our broader commercial locksmith service covers the mechanical side of your building.
What should you ask any locksmith before they install access control?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a Locksmith Company license (LCO) from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Ask any locksmith you are considering for their license number, and check it yourself. It is a reasonable request and an honest company will not mind.
A few other questions are worth asking before you sign anything:
- What does the door do if power fails, and what do people inside do to get out?
- Who holds the administrator credentials, and can you change them yourself?
- Will the system keep working if the installer disappears, or does it depend on their account?
- Are there ongoing fees for software, cloud services, or credentials?
- Who comes back if something goes wrong, and how do you reach them after hours?
Ready to plan your system?
Tell us about your doors and your team, and we will say what we would put on each one and why. You can reach us any hour at (213) 577-1366, or use our contact page to send details.
Frequently asked questions
Can you add a keypad or card reader to just one door?
Yes. A single-door system is a common job. We look at the door and frame, choose a strike or maglock that fits, and set up a standalone reader so you do not pay for networked features you will not use. If you may add doors later, we can pick equipment that grows with you.
What happens to an access-controlled door if the power goes out?
It depends on how the door is set up. Many electric strikes stay locked when power is lost, and people can still exit through the lock hardware. Maglocks release when power drops. We choose the setup based on the door's use and plan for backup power and a reliable exit method, and we explain it to you before we install.
Does an access control system need an internet connection?
Not always. Standalone keypads and readers work without one. Networked systems and phone-based credentials may use a network or a cloud account for remote management. We will tell you plainly which parts of any system depend on a connection and what stops working if it goes down.
Can you install a maglock or electric strike on a glass storefront door?
Often, yes. Glass doors in narrow aluminum frames limit which strike will fit, and a maglock is sometimes the cleaner choice there. Either way, the exit side has to be handled properly. We confirm what works after looking at your actual door and frame.
Can you repair or take over a system another company installed?
In many cases. We start by checking power, wiring, and door alignment, which cause a lot of faults. If the system is old and the manufacturer no longer supports it, we will tell you honestly if replacing the controller makes more sense than repairing it.
How many employees or credentials can a system hold?
That is set by the specific controller or reader, not by access control in general. Small standalone units handle fewer users than networked controllers. Tell us how many people you have now and expect to have, and we will choose equipment with comfortable room to grow.
Do I need a permit or an electrician for access control work?
Sometimes. It depends on the building, the type of wiring, and whether the work touches the building's electrical or life-safety systems. We will tell you at the start what we think applies so you can check with your landlord or local authority before the work begins.
Do you do keyless entry for homes or only for businesses?
This page is about commercial and multi-door systems. For a house, a smart lock or keypad deadbolt is usually the right tool, and we cover that on our smart lock installation page.
More locksmith help in Lakewood
Access Control Installation near Lakewood
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.