Warehouse Access Control

Access control budgets can vary widely. Controlling a single door with a code lock may cost only a few hundred dollars.

Access Control Management Software (ACMS) controlled systems often cost $2K - $3K per door (including software, lock hardware, cabling, and installation). Additional costs may come from municipal permitting, using maglock hardware, and tie-ins with fire & life safety systems.

Due to the complexity of budgeting for access control, we recommend starting with our free Needs Assessment to roughly size your budget. If budget makes sense, we can proceed to a free Site Survey to put together a detailed site plan and guaranteed-price quote.

We often recommend Brivo for cloud solutions and Keri Systems for on-prem solutions.

Brivo is a cloud-native ACMS that integrates seamlessly with their Eagle Eye video surveillance products.

Keri Systems hardware is designed and made in the US and is known for its durability. Although we often recommend it for on-prem installations, it is future-proofed and can be easily upgraded to their Borealis Cloud ACMS solution.

We can work with a wide variety of other common hardware, including HID, Honeywell, Dormakaba, ASSA ABLOY, Rosslare, and more.

Plan for most access control projects to take 2 to 3 months to complete.

Installation normally only takes one to two weeks, but - in most jurisdictions - access control projects will required detailed plans to be drafted and reviewed by fire marshals or city permitting offices. Completed installations may require review or testing in conjunction with fire protection systems prior to approval and activation. These important steps may take anywhere from several weeks to several months depending on complexity of the project and the workload of permitting authorities.

Key reasons to consider access control include reducing dependencies on physical keys, providing employees with additional flexibility for coming and going from the office, or compliance with key industry certifications and standards, such as CMMC, R2, ISO 27001, or other standards.

Electronic access control can provide reports on who is coming and going from your facility, reduce risks from key loss, protect your facility from improper access by former employees, and increase ease of access for contractors, visitors, vendors, deliveries, and other people with valid reasons to be present.

When evaluating bids for access control, you’ll need to consider several things besides price.

First, is the contractor fully licensed? Have they discussed permitting requirements with you? An improperly licensed installer or an unpermitted access control installation carries serious risk to both your staff and your business operations. Failures of equipment can trap people and fire marshals can revoke certificates of occupancy (halting business operations) until the site is are fully permitted and inspected.

Second, consider whether the contractor can support the full spectrum of technology in your facility. Do you need integrations with alarms or video? Do you need specific reports or features?

Finally, consider post-sale factors. Does your bid include support, maintenance, and/or warranties on the installation. Cheap bids for a half-baked system can be appealing up front, but can cost more to fix and repair in the long-run.

Electronic access control is most-often used at key entry points. Employee and customer access points (like front doors or reception area doors) are obvious. Additional entry points may include employee-only entrances, delivery entrances, and customer or guest entrances.

Other popular locations are on entrances to sensitive parts of the facility, especially server rooms, management offices, or storage facilities for high-value inventory.