Hear from Our Customers
You’re dealing with employees who lose key cards, contractors who need temporary access, and the constant worry about who’s made copies of your keys. Every lost key means either a security risk or an expensive rekey.
Access control systems eliminate that cycle. You grant access from your phone or computer, set time restrictions for different users, and revoke credentials instantly when someone leaves. No more wondering if a former employee still has a way in.
The system logs every entry. You’ll know exactly who entered which door and when. If something goes missing or an incident occurs, you’re not guessing—you have a digital record. That alone changes how you handle security in Marple, PA, where business owners need accountability without adding more work to their day.
We’ve been handling locks and security since the late 1800s. We’re the largest locksmith operation in the Delaware Valley, and we’ve stayed that way because Delaware County businesses keep coming back.
We’re not a franchise or a call center. We’re a family-run shop in Prospect Park with a storefront you can actually visit. Our technicians install building access control systems, door entry systems, and integrated security setups across Marple and the surrounding area every week.
You’re not getting a sales pitch from someone who’s never installed a magnetic lock. You’re working with people who’ve done this for decades and understand what actually works in commercial buildings around here.
We start with a free walkthrough of your property. You show us which doors need control, who needs access to what areas, and any concerns you have about your current setup. We’re looking at door types, existing hardware, network infrastructure, and how people actually move through your building.
Then we recommend a system that fits. Some businesses need simple keypad entry at one door. Others need multi-site management with mobile credentials and integration with existing security cameras. We’re not upselling—we’re matching the system to what you actually need.
Installation happens on your schedule. We mount readers, run wiring, install electric strikes or magnetic locks, and connect everything to your network. You get a walkthrough of the software so you can manage users, set schedules, and pull reports. Most single-door installations are done in a few hours. Larger buildings take longer, but we work around your business hours.
After installation, you have support. Systems need updates, users get locked out, hardware occasionally fails. We’re local, so when you call, you’re talking to someone who knows your setup.
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You get centralized control over every entry point. Add a new employee in the system, and their credential works within seconds. Someone quits or gets terminated? Their access is gone before they leave the building. No more collecting keys or worrying about copies floating around Marple.
Time-based access matters more than most people realize. Your cleaning crew doesn’t need 24/7 access—they need access Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Contractors need access during the renovation, then nothing after. The system handles all of that automatically.
You also get reporting that actually helps. When inventory goes missing, you can see who was in that area. When someone claims they weren’t in the building, you have a record. Insurance companies and compliance audits often require this documentation, and you’ll have it ready.
Integration with other systems makes everything smarter. Your access control can trigger cameras to record when certain doors open, send alerts if someone enters after hours, or integrate with your alarm system. In Marple’s business environment, where properties range from small offices to larger commercial buildings, that flexibility matters.
A basic single-door system typically runs between $2,500 and $5,000 installed. That includes the controller, reader, electric strike or magnetic lock, credentials, and software setup. You’re looking at the higher end if you need weatherproof outdoor readers or specialized hardware.
Multi-door systems scale up from there. A five-door system might run $8,000 to $15,000 depending on how the doors are positioned, what wiring already exists, and whether you need network upgrades. Buildings in Marple with older infrastructure sometimes need additional work to support modern systems.
The real cost consideration isn’t just installation—it’s what you’re replacing. If you’re currently rekeying locks every time someone leaves, paying a property manager to hand out keys, or dealing with security incidents because you can’t track access, those costs add up fast. Most businesses see a return within the first year just from eliminating rekeys and improving accountability.
Most of the time, yes. We retrofit access control onto existing doors regularly. The key factors are door construction, frame type, and how much clearance you have for hardware. Hollow metal doors and solid wood doors are straightforward. Glass doors need specific hardware but are still manageable.
The existing lock usually gets replaced or supplemented with an electric strike, magnetic lock, or electrified panic hardware depending on the door’s function. If it’s an exterior door or a fire-rated door, code requirements dictate what we can install. We handle those details during the walkthrough.
Older buildings in Marple sometimes have doors that aren’t perfectly square or frames that have shifted over time. That doesn’t mean you can’t have access control—it just means we might need to do some prep work to make sure the hardware aligns properly. We’ve worked on buildings from every era around here, so we’ve seen most scenarios.
Most commercial access control systems have battery backup that keeps them running for several hours during a power outage. The specific duration depends on the system size and battery capacity, but you’re typically covered for 4-8 hours minimum.
You also choose how doors behave during a power failure. Some businesses want doors to fail secure (stay locked), others need them to fail safe (unlock automatically) for life safety reasons. Fire code often dictates this for certain doors, and we make sure everything is compliant during installation.
If the network goes down, most modern systems have local controllers at each door that store credentials and continue operating independently. You might lose remote management temporarily, but people can still get in and out. Once the network comes back, everything syncs up automatically. The system logs all activity even during network outages, so you don’t lose your audit trail.
You create temporary credentials with specific start and end dates. A contractor needs access for a two-week project? Set their credential to activate Monday and expire Friday of the second week. The system automatically enables and disables their access without you touching anything.
You can also restrict temporary users to specific doors and time windows. They might need access to the loading dock between 7 AM and 4 PM, but nothing else. The system enforces those rules automatically, so you’re not relying on people to follow instructions.
For very short-term access, some systems offer PIN codes or mobile credentials that you can issue and revoke instantly. A delivery driver needs to drop something inside? Send them a one-time code that expires in an hour. This is especially useful for Marple businesses that work with rotating contractors or have frequent deliveries but want to maintain security.
Card readers use physical proximity cards or key fobs that you tap or wave near the reader. They’re reliable, inexpensive, and familiar to most people. The downside is they get lost, forgotten, or shared between employees. Replacing cards costs money and creates gaps in your audit trail when people use someone else’s card.
Mobile credentials use your phone as the access device, typically through Bluetooth or NFC. You present your phone to the reader just like a card, or the system unlocks automatically when you approach. People rarely forget their phones, and they notice immediately when a phone goes missing, which makes mobile credentials more secure.
The catch is mobile credentials require compatible hardware and usually cost more upfront. Not every business needs them, but they make sense if you have high turnover, employees who frequently lose cards, or a workforce that’s already phone-dependent. We install both types regularly in Marple, and the choice usually comes down to your specific situation and budget.
The hardware itself needs minimal maintenance—maybe an annual checkup to test batteries, clean readers, and verify that strikes and locks are functioning properly. Most systems run for years without issues if they’re installed correctly.
Software and cloud-based systems often have subscription fees for remote access, mobile credentials, and advanced features. Those typically run $30-$100 per door per year depending on the system and feature set. Some businesses choose local-only systems with no recurring fees, but you lose remote management and cloud backups.
You’ll also want a service agreement for support and repairs. Readers fail, wiring gets damaged, software needs updates. Having someone local who knows your system means you’re not locked out of your own building waiting for a national support line to troubleshoot. We’re 20-30 minutes from most Marple locations, which matters when you have an access issue during business hours.
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