When do businesses call us about access control?
Most calls start with a key problem, not a wish for new technology. A former employee still has a key, and nobody knows how many copies are out there. A suite changes tenants and the cylinders are older than anyone on staff. A manager is tired of being the person who unlocks the door at the start of every shift. Or a system was installed years ago, the installer is gone, a reader has stopped responding, and nobody has the admin code.
Other triggers are just as common. A growing business has several doors and different people who need different hours. A clinic or office has rooms that should be restricted, like supply, records, or server rooms. A back-of-house door keeps getting propped open. A property manager wants to add or remove a person without rekeying a building.
Access control answers one specific question: who can open this door, when, and can I change that without a locksmith visit? If that is your question, this is the right page. If your real problem is a lock that is simply broken, we may point you to something simpler, and we say so in the limits section below.
What is actually in a door access control system?
Every system, from a single keypad to a multi-door network, is built from the same handful of parts. Knowing them makes it much easier to compare one proposal against another.
A weak link anywhere makes the whole system unreliable. A premium reader on a door that doesn't latch properly is a failure waiting to happen, which is why we look at the entire door and not just the electronics.
- Credential: a PIN code, a card, a key fob, or in some systems a phone-based credential.
- Reader or keypad: the device on the outside of the door that accepts the credential.
- Controller: the part that decides yes or no. On a simple standalone keypad it is built into the unit. On multi-door systems it is a separate panel, usually in a closet or above a ceiling.
- Lock hardware: an electric strike, a magnetic lock, or electrified lever, mortise, or panic hardware.
- Power supply: often with battery backup, because a door has to behave predictably when the power drops.
- Exit method: a push button, motion sensor, or lever handle that lets people out freely.
- Optional extras: door position sensors, held-open alerts, and a link to the fire alarm.
How do we install access control, step by step?
The order matters. Skipping the early steps is how you end up with a door that works on the day of install and causes trouble a month later.
- Walk every door. We note the material (wood, hollow metal, aluminum storefront, glass), the frame, the swing, the existing hardware, and whether the door closes and latches on its own.
- Talk through who and when. Who needs access, to which doors, during what hours, how often people come and go, and what should happen when the power fails.
- Choose hardware door by door. One design rarely fits every door in a building, so we match the lock type to each opening.
- Plan the wire path. Low-voltage cable has to run from the reader to the controller and on to the lock, plus power. We check what is in the walls and ceiling, and we avoid leaving exposed wire on the unsecured side of the door.
- Prepare the door and frame. That can mean cutting a frame for a strike, mounting a plate for a magnetic lock, or setting up a clean way to get cable across the hinge side.
- Mount, wire, and power up. Readers go on the outside, controllers and power supplies go somewhere protected, and we confirm every connection before anything is closed up.
- Program the system. Credentials, schedules, door-held-open settings, and administrator access are set up the way you described them in step two.
- Test and walk it through with you. We try every credential type, test the exit, simulate a power loss, check any fire alarm release, and confirm the door closes and latches. Then we show you how to add and remove people.
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 does the hardware change the job?
This is the biggest decision on most doors. An electric strike replaces the regular strike plate in the frame. The door still latches mechanically, and the strike releases electrically when a valid credential is presented. It is a good fit for many office, interior, and exterior doors where the frame can be cut cleanly and the latch lines up well. Strikes are commonly set so the door stays locked when power is lost and can still be opened with a key, though release-on-power-loss versions exist.
A magnetic lock is an electromagnet on the frame holding a plate on the door. There is no latch, and the door is held shut only while power is on. It releases when power is cut, which is why it needs a dependable way out, a request-to-exit device, and in many buildings a release tied to the fire alarm. Maglocks are often used on glass doors and narrow frames where cutting for a strike is not practical, but they add parts, wiring, and more to check.
There is also a third path: electrified hardware, where the lever, mortise lock, or exit device itself is controlled electronically. On doors that serve as exits for the public, that usually means working with panic hardware, and our panic bar installation page covers how that side of the work is done.
Door type changes everything. An aluminum storefront with a narrow stile leaves very little room for a strike. A hollow metal frame is easy to work with. An old wood door may need reinforcement before it can carry new hardware. We tell you what the door can handle before we recommend a lock.
Keypad, card, fob, or something else?
The credential you choose affects how easy the system is to live with. A PIN keypad has nothing to hand out or lose, but codes get shared, and changing one means telling everybody. It suits low-turnover spaces and secondary doors. Cards and fobs are issued per person and can be disabled one at a time, so a lost credential is a minor inconvenience once it is deactivated. Phone-based credentials depend on the reader and system, so we confirm what a particular system supports before suggesting it. Some higher-sensitivity doors use a keypad plus a card together.
The other choice is standalone versus networked. A standalone unit is programmed at the door and manages one opening. A networked system ties multiple doors to one controller or management platform, so you can set schedules by shift, create groups, remove an employee from every door at once, and see an event history. For multi-door and employee access control, that central management is usually what pays off.
Many businesses end up with a mix: electronic control on the doors people use every day, and traditional keyed locks elsewhere. If you want to organize those mechanical keys properly, our master key system work pairs well with access control.
One honest note: an audit log shows which credential was used, not who was holding it. Cards get lent and codes get shared. The log is useful, but it is not proof of identity.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can you repair, expand, or upgrade a system you didn't install?
Yes, we work on existing systems. Most access control repair calls come down to a short list: a failed power supply or dead backup battery, a door that has drifted out of line with its strike, a damaged reader, wiring pinched at a hinge, a controller that lost its programming, or no one holding the administrator login.
We diagnose from the door back toward the controller. Is the reader getting power? Is the controller receiving the credential? Is the relay firing? Is the strike or maglock getting voltage when it should? Does the door mechanically allow the release? Working in that order avoids replacing a good reader because the real problem was a misaligned latch.
For upgrades, sometimes the existing wiring and controller can be kept and only the readers or credentials replaced. Other times an older system is better replaced than patched. Some proprietary systems can't be supported once the manufacturer's software or parts are gone, and when that is the situation we tell you plainly instead of selling you repeated repairs. Adding doors depends on whether the existing controller has room and whether it can still be programmed.
What can access control not fix, and when is something else the right call?
Electronics can't compensate for a bad door. If a door sags, rubs the frame, or won't latch on its own, a strike or maglock will only fail faster. That is a hardware problem first, and our commercial door hardware work is where we start. A broken lock, a lockout, or a rekey is a regular commercial locksmith call, not an access control project.
Access control also has limits as security. It doesn't stop someone from following a person through an open door, and it doesn't replace alarms or cameras. And it never replaces safe exit: any door in a path of travel must let people out freely, and we design every installation around that.
If you only need a single keypad deadbolt on one back door, a standalone keypad lock is usually the more economical route than a full system. We would rather tell you that than build something larger than you need.
What affects the cost of an access control installation?
We don't quote numbers on a web page because two jobs that sound alike can be very different once we see the doors. These are the factors that move the cost most.
We give you a defined scope and a quote after we have seen the doors, so you know what is included before work starts.
- How many doors are involved, and whether they are all in one place.
- Door and frame type, and condition: glass, aluminum, hollow metal, and wood each need different prep.
- Lock choice: strike, magnetic lock, or electrified hardware.
- Wiring difficulty: finished ceilings, masonry walls, and long distances to the controller take more labor.
- Standalone or networked, and what management features you want.
- How many credentials you need, and what kind.
- Power supply and battery backup requirements.
- Fire alarm integration and coordination with an electrician, alarm company, or landlord.
- Whether it is new work, a repair, or an upgrade of an existing system.
- After-hours or emergency scheduling.
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. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans, so we can inspect a door in person, bring hardware to the job, and come back to the same door when it needs attention later. When you call, you reach our company, not a call center that dispatches to whichever contractor is available. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, which matters when a reader dies on a Friday night or an entrance won't secure.
One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith you are considering for it before work begins.
Where do we install access control?
We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. You can see the full list on our locations page. This page covers the craft itself, and each city has its own page for the specifics of working there, including Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Burbank.
If your building is somewhere between those, call (213) 577-1366 and we will tell you plainly whether we can get there and what we need to see first.
Frequently asked questions
Can you add access control to doors that already have locks?
Usually, yes. We look at the door, the frame, and the existing hardware to see whether a strike, a magnetic lock, or electrified hardware fits. Some doors need repairs or reinforcement first, and we tell you that before starting.
What happens to the door when the power goes out?
That depends on the hardware, and we choose it on purpose. Many electric strikes stay locked when power is lost and can still be opened with a key. Magnetic locks release when power is lost. We set each door according to how it is used and how people need to exit.
Can I still use a regular key?
Often yes. Electric strikes and electrified locksets commonly keep a mechanical key override. Magnetic locks have no key cylinder, so those doors need a different plan for emergencies and maintenance. We go over this with you before choosing hardware.
How do I remove a former employee's access?
On a card or fob system, you disable that person's credential and the others keep working. On a shared PIN keypad, you have to change the code and tell everyone who still needs it. This is a big reason businesses with turnover move away from shared codes.
Do you work on systems another company installed?
Yes. We trace the problem from the reader back through the controller to the lock and power. If a system can't be supported because parts or software are no longer available, we say so and discuss replacement options.
Will a glass storefront door work with access control?
Often, but the frame decides the hardware. Narrow aluminum frames usually have little room for a standard strike, so a magnetic lock or a hardware type made for narrow stiles may be the better choice. We confirm in person after looking at the frame.
Do I need my landlord's approval?
Frequently, yes, especially for exterior doors, frame modifications, or work tied to the fire alarm. Check your lease or ask your property manager. We can give you a clear written scope to hand them.
Should I choose keypads or cards?
Keypads suit simple, low-turnover doors. Cards and fobs suit businesses where people come and go, since you can disable one credential without affecting anyone else. Many sites use both, depending on the door.
Can I call after hours for a door that won't secure?
Yes. Our phone is answered 24/7 at (213) 577-1366. A failed reader, a stuck strike, or a door that won't lock is exactly the kind of call we take at any hour.
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Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-12.