What does panic bar installation actually involve?
A panic bar, also called a push bar, crash bar, or exit device, is the horizontal bar on the inside of a door that lets anyone leave by pushing. It needs no key, no knob to twist, and no knowledge of how the lock works. That is the whole point. When people are rushing, or the lights are out, they have to get through the door in one motion. Panic bar installation is the work of choosing the right device for the door, mounting it square, setting up the outside trim, and proving that the door releases and latches the way it should.
It sounds like bolt-on work, and sometimes the mounting really is straightforward. The trouble is in the details: the door's thickness and material, whether it is a single door or a pair, whether it carries a fire rating, which way it swings, what the outside needs (a key cylinder, a lever, or nothing at all), and whether the device will be fighting a door closer that has drifted out of adjustment. We look at all of that before we drill anything.
This page covers panic hardware installation, push bar installation, crash bar installation, and the repair and replacement of existing exit devices on Paramount commercial doors. If your question is bigger than the exit door, such as the rest of the building's locks, levers, and closers, that belongs under our commercial door hardware work, and we can handle it in the same visit.
Should a panic bar be repaired or replaced?
Most people call us because an exit door has started acting up: the bar sticks down, the door will not latch, the outside handle spins freely, or somebody forced the door and the bar has never worked right since. Panic bar repair is often the more economical route, but only when the device is basically sound. Exit hardware is a life-safety item, so we will not patch something that should come out of service.
Repair is usually enough when:
- The latch is sound but the strike plate has shifted or worn, so the door does not catch cleanly.
- Mounting screws have loosened in the door and the bar rattles or sags.
- The outside trim cylinder or lever is worn, jammed, or needs rekeying.
- A dogging key has broken off or the dogging mechanism is stuck.
- The door itself is binding on the frame, not the device. This happens, and we check the door first.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366When replacement makes more sense
Panic bar replacement is the better call when the case is cracked or bent from a break-in attempt or from being rammed, when the internal parts are worn through, when the manufacturer no longer makes the parts for an older model, or when the door has changed and the existing device no longer matches it, such as a door that now carries a fire rating label. It is also the right call when the same device has been repaired again and again. At that point you are paying for repairs on a part that is telling you it is finished.
Paramount has damp winters, and the flat coastal-plain climate can make older wood doors swell and bind. A perfectly good exit device can look like it is failing when the real problem is a door rubbing the frame. We check the door's fit before we recommend replacing anything, because swapping a device that was never the problem wastes your money.
How do we install a panic bar, step by step?
Every door is a little different, but the sequence for exit device installation stays the same. Here is how a typical job goes.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us about the door: wood, metal, or glass storefront; single or pair; what is wrong or what you want installed; and whether an inspector, landlord, or insurer asked for the work.
- We look at the door in person. We measure it, check the frame and swing, look at any existing hardware and the closer, and note the condition of the door where the device will mount.
- We recommend a device type and explain why, along with what the outside trim should be. You decide, and we explain what is driving the cost before work begins.
- We remove any old hardware and prepare the door. Where earlier hardware left oversized or misplaced holes, we repair or reinforce them so the new device is not hanging on weak material.
- We mount the device, the strike, and the trim, then set the latch so it engages the frame properly without binding.
- We check the door closer, because a closer that slams or lets the door hang open will undermine even a good exit device. If it needs work, we cover that under door closer repair.
- We test it hard: push the bar repeatedly from the inside, try the outside trim and keys, check any alarm or dogging features, and walk you through how everything works before we leave.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Which exit device fits your door?
Not every panic bar suits every door. The type is chosen by the door, not by preference, and choosing wrong is the most common reason a new install gives trouble later. These are the main types we work with:
- Rim exit devices: the latch hooks over a strike on the frame. They are common on single doors with a solid edge and are usually the simplest to install.
- Surface vertical rod devices: rods run to the top and bottom of the door, which suits pairs of doors with no center post.
- Concealed vertical rod devices: same idea, but the rods run inside the door for a cleaner look.
- Mortise lock exit devices: the latch body sits in a pocket cut in the door edge, which is common where the door also needs a more robust lock.
- Narrow-stile devices for aluminum glass doors. If your door is a glass storefront door with a thin frame, see also our notes on storefront lock repair.
- Fire-rated versions for doors that carry a fire label. These are listed for that use and are not interchangeable with standard panic hardware.
- Alarmed versions that sound when the bar is pushed, which suit doors where you want to know about unauthorized exits.
What affects the cost of panic bar installation in Paramount?
We do not quote prices on a web page, because two exit doors that look alike can be very different jobs. Here is what moves the cost, so you can see why the estimate is what it is:
- Device grade and type. A light-duty rim device for an occasional-use door and a heavy-duty vertical rod device for a busy warehouse door are different products.
- Fire rating. A fire-listed device costs more than a standard one, and the door and frame have to be compatible.
- Single door or pair. Pairs usually take more hardware and more setup time.
- Door condition. A solid, square door is quick to prep. A warped, swollen, or previously damaged door may need repair or reinforcement first.
- Outside trim. A blank plate, a lever, and a key cylinder are different parts and different labor.
- Electric or alarm features. If you want the device wired to alarms or tied into access control installation, that is a larger scope.
- Number of doors. Doing several doors in one visit is usually more efficient than coming back for each one.
- Removal and repair. Taking out an old device and fixing the holes it leaves adds work.
- Timing and distance. After-hours emergency calls cost more to staff than a scheduled daytime visit, and Paramount is about 23 miles from our Westwood storefront.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What do building and fire codes expect from an exit door?
Requirements depend on the building's occupancy type, the number of people it holds, and what the door serves. In California, the building and fire codes govern, and your local fire marshal or building department has the final word on your particular space. We are locksmiths, not code officials, so we will not pretend to rule on every occupancy question. What we can tell you is how the principles work in practice.
An exit door has to open from the inside in the direction of travel without a key, a tool, or special knowledge, and it should do so in a simple motion. Some higher-occupancy or higher-risk spaces are required to have panic hardware specifically, not just a lever or knob. A door with a fire rating needs fire-listed exit hardware, and the dogging feature that holds the latch retracted is generally not appropriate on those doors. Exit doors that have been chained, blocked, or fitted with a keyed deadbolt on the inside are the usual problem spots, and fixing them is part of what we do.
If you already have an inspection correction notice, bring it up when you call. We install to the manufacturer's specifications and can work from the notice, then you take it back to the inspector. Where a requirement is unclear, we say so and suggest you confirm with the fire marshal or building department before we spend your money on the wrong device.
What should you do tonight if an exit door will not open or will not secure?
A door that will not release from the inside is a life-safety problem, not an inconvenience. Stop using it as an exit, move people to another way out, and call us. A door that will not latch is a security problem: your building is open overnight. Either way, our phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please do not chain the door, wedge it, or screw a board across it to solve the immediate problem. That turns a repair into a hazard. Call our emergency locksmith line first, and we will work out the safest way to get the door working or secured. If you are locked out of the business at the same time, our business lockout service handles that.
Panic bar work in Paramount: Alondra Boulevard, Paramount Boulevard, and Somerset
Paramount formed in 1948 out of the dairy towns of Hynes and Clearwater, and the city's commercial and industrial buildings grew up alongside the postwar housing. For panic hardware, the most active area is the industrial stretch along Alondra Boulevard and Garfield Avenue, where warehouse and industrial lock and panic-bar service is a regular scenario. Rear and side personnel doors on warehouses take a beating: forklifts bump them, deliveries prop them, and busy shifts push through them all day. Those doors need heavier-duty exit devices than a quiet office door, and when one fails, the building cannot safely operate.
Along the Paramount Boulevard corridor and in the Somerset Boulevard area, you will find smaller commercial units and storefronts where the back door is often the legal exit. Near the Paramount Swap Meet, roll-up gates and storefront locks are common, and we see the same pairing there: a front door secured one way and a rear exit door that has to open freely. If you hold several doors with keyed outside trim, ask us about a master key system so one key does the job.
Apartment complexes from the 1960s through the 1980s are numerous across Paramount, including those near Paramount Boulevard and Downey Avenue. Where a complex has exit devices on stairwell, laundry, or common-area doors, they get constant use and rarely get maintained until something breaks. We serve all of ZIP 90723, and our mobile vans bring the work to you. Paramount's mild coastal-plain weather and lack of meaningful salt-air corrosion mean exit devices here wear mostly from use, not from the elements, so a well-installed device should last a long time.
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 device work?
Exit hardware is not the place to hand the job to the first van that shows up. Here is what we offer, stated plainly:
- We have been in business since 1987, so we have seen most of the ways exit devices fail and most of the mistakes people make installing them.
- We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans, so work does not depend on a stranger with a toolbox.
- We are one company. There is no dispatch middleman reselling your call to whoever is closest, so the people who answer are the people who handle the job.
- David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. If something looks off on your door, he is the one who decides what is right to do.
- Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year, at (213) 577-1366.
- For the bigger picture, our commercial locksmith work covers the rest of a business's locks and hardware.
Ask any locksmith for a BSIS license first
California requires locksmith companies to hold a Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) Locksmith Company (LCO) license. Before you let anyone work on a life-safety door, ask for their license number and check it with BSIS. That is good advice for any locksmith you hire, including us. Someone who will not give you a license number is telling you what you need to know.
Frequently asked questions
Does my business in Paramount legally need a panic bar?
It depends on your occupancy type, how many people the space holds, and what the door serves. Some spaces must have panic hardware, others only need a door that opens from the inside without a key. Your local fire marshal or building department decides for your space. We can install what they require and work from any correction notice you have.
Can you repair my existing panic bar, or does it need to be replaced?
Often it can be repaired, especially when the latch, strike, or mounting is the problem and the device itself is sound. If the case is cracked, the internals are worn out, or parts are no longer made, replacement is the safer choice. We look at the device and the door first and tell you which it is.
Can a panic bar go on a wood door, a metal door, or a glass storefront door?
Yes, but the device type changes. Wood and metal doors usually take a standard rim or vertical rod device. Aluminum glass storefront doors typically need a narrow-stile device that fits a thin frame. An older wood door that has swollen in damp weather may need some work to fit properly before a device goes on.
What is the dogging feature, and should I use it?
Dogging holds the latch retracted so the door can be pushed open freely without latching, which is handy for busy daytime doors. It is generally not appropriate on fire-rated doors, which need to latch on their own. Whether you can use it depends on the door and your local requirements, so ask us and your fire marshal.
Does a panic bar make my door easier for burglars to open?
A properly installed panic bar does not, because the latch is held by the frame and the outside trim is what controls entry from the street. Many exit doors have no outside handle at all. What causes security problems is a poorly aligned latch, a loose strike, or an old worn device. We fix those so the door is secure and still opens freely from inside.
How long does a panic bar installation take?
A single standard door in good condition is often finished in one visit. Pairs, fire-rated doors, doors that need repair or reinforcement before the device goes on, and jobs tied into alarms or access control take longer. We tell you what to expect once we have seen the door.
Do you come to Paramount in the middle of the night?
Yes. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and our mobile vans serve Paramount, including the Alondra Boulevard industrial areas, Paramount Boulevard, and ZIP 90723. If an exit door is stuck or will not secure your building, call (213) 577-1366.
Will old holes from previous hardware be a problem?
Not usually. Oversized or misplaced holes are common when an older device has been removed, and we repair or reinforce the door so the new device has solid material to hold onto. Skipping that step is a frequent reason a new panic bar loosens soon after it goes in.
What should I have ready when I call?
Tell us whether the door is wood, metal, or glass, whether it is single or double, what the device is doing or what you want installed, and whether an inspector or landlord asked for it. A photo of the door and any existing hardware helps. Then we can plan the visit and bring the right parts.
More locksmith help in Paramount
Panic Bar Installation near Paramount
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.