What does access control installation involve for a Reseda business?
Access control replaces the question of who holds a key with the question of who is allowed through a door, and when. Instead of cutting keys and hoping they come back, you issue a code, a card, or a key fob to each person, and you can switch that credential off without touching the lock cylinder. For a business with employees who come and go, that is the real value: a lost credential becomes a small administrative task instead of a rekeying job.
An installation has three parts that have to agree with each other. There is the reader or keypad that people actually touch, the controller that decides whether a credential is valid, and the locking hardware on the door, which is usually an electric strike or a magnetic lock. Most installs that go wrong go wrong at the seams between those parts: a strike that does not match the latch, a power supply that is undersized, or a door that does not close fully every time.
We handle all three. We install the readers, wire the controller, fit the door hardware, and test the whole thing under real use before we leave. If you already have a system that has stopped behaving, we do access control repair as well, and we will tell you plainly whether fixing it or replacing it makes more sense.
When does a Reseda business need keyless entry?
Most calls start with a practical frustration, not a security plan. A key went home with an employee who left. A shared back-door key has been copied so many times nobody knows how many exist. A manager is tired of driving in to open up for a delivery. Or a landlord wants tenants to stop propping the front entry open because the old latch is a nuisance.
Those are all good reasons to look at commercial keyless entry. Here are the situations we see most often:
- Staff turnover: you need to end one person's access without replacing every key in the building.
- Different people, different doors: front-of-house staff need the entrance, but only a few should reach the stockroom, office, or server closet.
- Shared entries: apartment and multi-tenant buildings where a single street door serves many people.
- After-hours access: cleaners, deliveries, or contractors who need a window of entry and nothing more.
- Aging systems: a keypad with worn buttons, a reader that works only some mornings, or a maglock that releases when it should not.
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Call (213) 577-1366Which access control hardware fits which door?
There is no single best system. The right one depends on the door, the frame, how many people use it, and what the fire code requires you to allow on the way out. Here is how we think about the common options.
- Keypad access control: a code entered at the door. It is simple, needs no cards to hand out, and suits small offices and back doors. The tradeoff is that codes get shared, so it works best with a small, stable group of users.
- Card access system or key card entry system: each person carries a card that the reader recognizes. Credentials can be revoked one at a time, which is what most employers actually want.
- Key fob access control: the same idea in a form that sits on a key ring. People tend to keep a fob with them more reliably than a card in a wallet.
- Electric strike installation: the strike replaces the normal strike plate in the frame and releases the latch when a valid credential is presented. It keeps the door's regular latch and is a strong fit for doors that already have a good lock.
- Magnetic lock installation: an electromagnet on the frame holds the door shut against a plate on the door. It suits glass doors and doors where a strike will not fit, but it needs careful planning because it releases when power is cut, and exit rules have to be satisfied.
- Multi-door access control: a single controller managing several doors, so you see one list of people and one set of rules instead of a different keypad at every entrance.
How we install access control, step by step
We keep the process straightforward so you know what is happening to your doors at every stage.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us about the doors, how many people use them, and what is not working today. A photo of the door and frame helps a lot.
- We look at each door in person: the material, the frame, the existing latch or lock, how the door swings, and where power and wiring can realistically run.
- We recommend a system and explain why, including the tradeoffs. If a lighter-touch option such as a keypad on one door solves your problem, we say so instead of selling you a bigger system.
- We confirm the plan with you, including which doors get which hardware, how people will be enrolled, and what happens to the door during a power loss.
- We install the readers, strikes or maglocks, controller, and power supply, and we adjust the door so it closes and latches cleanly, since electronic hardware is unforgiving about alignment.
- We program credentials for your people, test every door under normal use and in the failure cases, and walk you or your manager through adding and removing users.
- You keep our number. If something acts up later, you call the same company that installed it.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What affects the cost of an access control system?
We will not quote a figure on a web page, because two doors that look alike can need very different work. What we can do is tell you honestly what moves the total up or down, so you can plan and compare quotes fairly.
- Number of doors: each opening needs its own reader and locking hardware, while a shared controller spreads some of the cost.
- Type of locking hardware: an electric strike on a solid frame is a different job from a magnetic lock on a glass door with a new mounting plate.
- Door and frame condition: a warped or misaligned door has to be corrected before electronics will work reliably, and that adds labor.
- Wiring: running cable through finished walls, stucco, or older construction takes more time than a door with an easy path to the controller.
- Credential type and quantity: keypads need no cards, while a card or fob system involves credentials for every user.
- Software and management: a simple standalone reader is a lighter-cost route, while a networked multi-door system with logs and schedules costs more up front and does more.
- Code and egress requirements: panic hardware, request-to-exit devices, and fire-related release can add components.
- After-hours or urgent work: a late call or a same-night repair is scheduled differently from a planned install.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for access control?
We have been in business since 1987, working from a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans that come to you. That combination matters for access control. Many problems can be solved on site, but when a part or a bench repair is needed, we have a real shop to go back to.
You deal with one company. There is no call center passing your job to whichever contractor picked it up. The person who plans your system is from the same company that installs and services it, and David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
We also keep the scope honest. Access control is one piece of how a business stays secure. If your doors need better hardware first, we will say so and point you to our commercial locksmith services or commercial door hardware work rather than layering electronics over a failing latch. Our phone line is answered around the clock, every day of the year, so a failed reader on a holiday weekend still reaches a person.
How does access control work in Reseda's buildings?
Reseda's commercial life is spread along its main streets: Sherman Way, Reseda Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, Saticoy Street, and Tampa Avenue. Downtown Reseda, around the Sherman Way and Reseda Boulevard intersection, is made up of small businesses, and for a lot of them keys are the only system in place. A small shop in the 91335 ZIP code that has lost track of who holds a back-door key is a typical case for a keypad or a card reader, installed so that departing staff no longer carry access out the door.
Storefronts along the Reseda Boulevard corridor are a different problem. A glass-front shop often needs a maglock or a strike matched to an existing storefront door, and the door's condition decides the plan. If the door drags or the latch is already unreliable, we address that first, and our storefront lock repair work often comes before any electronics.
Older apartment buildings line Sherman Way, Vanowen, and Saticoy, and many have shared entries and security screen doors. Keeping a single street door controlled for many residents is where fobs and card readers earn their keep, because a lost credential can be removed without changing a lock that every tenant uses. Property managers weighing this can also read about our locksmith services for landlords. Many Reseda buildings date to before the 1994 Northridge earthquake and have had repairs and hardware replacement since, so we expect surprises in door frames and wiring paths and check them before we promise a plan.
Climate matters too. The central Valley floor has hot, dry summers and cool winter nights, and that swing works on wood doors and frames season to season. For an electric strike, even slight movement can leave the latch off-center in the strike opening, so we set it with some room for seasonal movement and check it again if the door seems to bind. Reseda Ranch and the residential blocks around it are mostly single-story postwar tract homes, which seldom need commercial access control, though a home business or a gated side entry sometimes does. For a home's door we may suggest a smart lock instead. We run the mobile side of our service from Westwood, about 17 miles away, so a planned install is scheduled with that drive in mind.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can you repair or upgrade the access control we already have?
Often, yes. An access control upgrade does not always mean ripping everything out. Controllers and readers from different eras can sometimes be combined, and an older keypad can be replaced with a card reader on the same door while the strike and wiring stay put. Before we recommend replacement, we check the simple things: power supply, wiring connections, door alignment, and the credential list.
The most common failures we see are a power supply that has weakened, a strike worn out by a door that slams, a reader damaged by weather or hard use, and settings nobody remembers. If a system has no records and nobody knows the administrator code, we can usually work out a path forward, but the answer depends on the controller model, and we confirm that in person.
Upgrades are also the moment to fix the door, not just the electronics. If your doors need panic hardware to meet exit requirements, see our panic bar installation page. If you want a set of mechanical keys organized alongside electronic credentials, a master key system can cover the doors that stay on keys.
What should you ask any locksmith before an access control job?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), known as an LCO license. Ask any locksmith you are considering for their license number, and check it with the state. That is a reasonable request for any company that will be installing hardware that guards your business, and you should not feel awkward making it.
Beyond the license, a few other questions separate a careful installer from a rushed one:
- Who will own the administrator access, and will you be given the codes and software logins?
- What happens to each door if power fails: does it lock, unlock, or stay as it was?
- How will exits work for people inside during an emergency?
- Who do I call when a reader acts up, and is it the same company that installed it?
- Can credentials be added and removed without calling you every time?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an electric strike and a magnetic lock?
An electric strike works with a normal latch: it releases the latch in the frame when a valid credential is presented. A magnetic lock holds the door closed with an electromagnet and has no latch at all. Strikes suit doors that already have a good lock, while maglocks suit glass doors and special cases. We look at the door and the exit requirements before choosing.
Can one access control system manage several doors at my Reseda business?
Yes. Multi-door access control uses one controller and one list of users for several openings, so you can decide that one person reaches the front door and the office while another reaches every door. It is easier to manage than separate keypads at each entrance, though it takes more planning at the start.
Is a keypad or a key card system better for employee access control?
For a small, steady group, a keypad is simple and needs no cards. For employees who come and go, cards or key fobs usually work better, because you can remove one person's credential without changing anyone else's. If you tell us how many people use the door and how often that changes, we can recommend one.
What happens to my doors if the power goes out?
It depends on how the hardware is set. A fail-secure electric strike stays locked without power, and a fail-safe device or a magnetic lock releases. The right choice depends on the door and on exit rules, and we confirm what each door will do during a power loss before we install.
Can you add access control to my existing storefront door?
Often we can, but the door itself decides. A well-aligned door with a sound frame can usually take an electric strike or a maglock. A door that drags, sags, or has a worn latch needs repair first, because electronic hardware depends on the door closing the same way every time.
Do you repair access control systems you did not install?
Yes, in many cases. We check the power supply, wiring, reader, strike or maglock, and door alignment, and tell you whether repair or replacement makes more sense. If the controller is old or locked out, we confirm in person what can be recovered.
Can you install access control for an apartment building's shared entry?
Yes. Shared entries are a common use for card readers and key fobs, since a lost credential can be disabled without changing a lock everyone uses. Landlords and managers should also see our landlord locksmith page for related services, and you can reach us through the contact page or by phone.
How do I start an access control installation in Reseda?
Call (213) 577-1366, which is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tell us how many doors you have, who uses them, and what is not working. Photos of the door and frame help. We will then arrange a visit to look at the doors and recommend a system.
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Access Control Installation near Reseda
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.