Hear from Our Customers
When someone leaves your company, you shouldn’t spend the next week wondering if they returned every key. You shouldn’t be rekeying locks every time a contractor wraps up a project. And you definitely shouldn’t be driving to your building at 6 AM because someone needs early access.
Door access control systems let you add or remove access from your phone. Grant temporary credentials to vendors that expire automatically. See who entered which door and when, without calling around or checking cameras for an hour.
Your insurance company notices too. Most commercial policies drop premiums 5-15% annually when you install electronic access control. You’re also cutting administrative time by about a third since you’re not tracking down keys, making copies, or coordinating lockouts.
The McCausland family has been doing locksmith work since the late 1800s. We’re now on our fourth generation, running the largest locksmith operation in the Delaware Valley from our Prospect Park storefront.
That means we’ve seen every type of building access control system fail, get bypassed, or just stop working. We know which manufacturers actually support their products and which ones leave you stuck with a dead system in three years.
Pendle Hill businesses keep coming back because we show up when we say we will, we don’t damage your doors during installation, and we’re still here when you need service five years later. You’re not calling some national company’s 1-800 number and waiting three days for a technician from two states over.
We start with a walkthrough of your building. You show us which doors need control, who needs access to what, and any problem areas you’re dealing with now. We’re looking at door types, existing hardware, network access, and power availability.
Then we spec the system. You’ll see exactly which components go on which doors, how the software works, and what it costs. We explain whether you need card readers, keypads, mobile credentials, or biometric scanners based on your actual security requirements and budget.
Installation typically takes one to three days depending on how many doors we’re covering. We mount the hardware, run the wiring, connect everything to your network, and program the system. You get trained on adding users, setting schedules, and pulling reports.
After we’re done, you have access to us. System acting weird? Credential not working? Need to add fifty temporary users for an event? You call our Prospect Park location and talk to someone who knows your setup.
Ready to get started?
Most Pendle Hill commercial properties we work with start with entry door control and expand from there. You’re controlling your main entrance, then adding server rooms, storage areas, or executive offices as you see the value.
The system logs every entry. You can pull reports showing who accessed which door at what time, which matters during audits or when something goes missing. You’re also setting schedules so doors unlock automatically during business hours and require credentials after hours.
Mobile credentials are becoming standard now. Your employees use their phones instead of carrying another card. It costs about the same as traditional badges but you’re not replacing lost cards every month. When someone’s phone dies, they can still use a backup PIN code.
Cloud-based access control means you’re managing everything remotely. You’re adding a new employee from home, granting temporary access to a contractor from your phone, or checking who’s in the building right now without being on-site. The system updates in real-time across all your doors.
Gate access control systems work the same way for properties with vehicle entry points. You’re tracking which vehicles entered your lot, giving delivery drivers one-time codes, and keeping a log for security purposes.
Most Pendle Hill commercial installations run between $1,500 and $3,000 per door when you’re doing three to ten doors. That includes the controller, reader, electric strike or magnetic lock, and installation labor.
Single-door systems start around $2,000 to $2,500 because you’re paying for the base controller and software regardless of door count. Once you’re adding doors to an existing system, the per-door cost drops to $800 to $1,500 since you’re just adding readers and locks.
The price changes based on what you need. Basic keypad entry costs less than biometric fingerprint readers. Wireless systems cost more upfront but save on installation labor. Cloud-based systems have monthly fees around $50 to $100 per door annually, while on-premise systems have higher upfront costs but no recurring software fees.
Yes, and you should. When your door access control system talks to your cameras, you’re automatically recording video whenever someone badges in. That gives you visual confirmation of who actually used each credential.
Integration with your alarm system means the access control can automatically disarm zones when authorized users enter. You’re not dealing with false alarms every time an employee comes in early. The system knows the difference between forced entry and legitimate access.
Most modern commercial access control systems use standard protocols that connect with major camera and alarm brands. We verify compatibility during the walkthrough so you’re not replacing equipment that still works. The integration happens at the software level, so everything shows up in one interface instead of juggling three different programs.
The door hardware fails in whatever position you choose. Most businesses set doors to unlock during power failure so people can exit safely. High-security areas can be set to stay locked, but that requires battery backup and creates life safety issues you’ll need to address with your local fire marshal.
Controllers have onboard memory that stores credentials and schedules. If your internet goes down, doors keep working based on the last programmed settings. You can’t make changes remotely until connection restores, but existing users can still get in and out.
Battery backup keeps the system running for 4 to 24 hours depending on the setup. That covers most power outages in the Pendle Hill area. For buildings that can’t afford any downtime, we install UPS systems that keep everything running until power returns or backup generators kick in.
Single-door installations usually take four to six hours. We’re mounting the reader, installing the electric strike or magnetic lock, running wire back to the controller, and programming everything. You’re operational the same day.
Multi-door systems take one to three days. A typical five-door office setup takes about two full days when we’re running new wire and mounting hardware. Buildings with existing conduit or drop ceilings go faster. Older Pendle Hill buildings with solid walls and no wire paths take longer.
We work around your schedule. Most offices have us come in after hours or on weekends so we’re not disrupting your workday. The actual door work is loud and requires temporarily blocking access, so timing matters.
Using the system is simple. Employees scan their card, enter their code, or tap their phone. That’s it. The learning curve is about thirty seconds.
Managing the system takes about an hour of training. You’re learning how to add new users, deactivate credentials, set door schedules, and pull access reports. The software is designed for office managers and HR staff, not IT professionals.
We provide training during installation and leave you with documentation. When you need to add your first new employee, you can call us and we’ll walk you through it. Most clients do it themselves after the second or third time. The system keeps a log of all changes, so you can always see what was modified and when.
Not much. You’re replacing reader batteries every two to five years if you have wireless components. Cleaning card readers twice a year keeps them reading reliably. That’s about it for regular maintenance.
Software updates happen automatically with cloud-based systems. On-premise systems need manual updates, which we can handle during annual service visits. You’re updating to get new features and security patches, not because the system stops working.
The most common service calls are for doors that aren’t latching properly or readers that got damaged. That’s usually building maintenance issues, not access control failures. Electric strikes wear out after several years of heavy use, but they’re quick to replace. We keep common parts in stock at our Prospect Park location, so you’re not waiting a week for shipping when something needs replacement.
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