Access Control for Businesses in Palm Beach & Broward County
Stop re-cutting keys every time someone leaves. Keypads, card and fob readers, and electric strikes let you add or remove access in minutes. LockFox assesses your doors, explains what fits your building and your budget, and handles the door hardware side of the job.
When access control makes sense
- You rekey after every departure and the bills add up.
- Many people use one door, like a staff entrance, a condo pool gate or a shared suite.
- You want doors to unlock and lock on a schedule.
- You need to know who came in and when, for example at medication or records rooms.
- Vendors, cleaners or contractors need temporary access.
For interior offices and storage, a well-run master key system is often enough. Many businesses combine the two.
Credentials: what people use to get in
- Keypad codes: nothing to carry or lose, but codes get shared. Change them regularly and give each person their own code where the lock allows.
- Proximity cards & fobs: tap to enter, and a lost fob is deleted rather than rekeyed. Older low-frequency prox credentials are easy to copy. Newer encrypted smart credentials are much harder to clone.
- Mobile credentials: a phone app replaces the card on many newer systems.
Electric strikes vs. maglocks
The reader decides who gets in. The locking hardware is what actually holds the door. The two most common options work very differently.
Electric strike
Replaces the strike plate in the door frame. When a valid code or card is used, the strike's keeper releases so the door can be pulled open while the latch stays extended. The lockset on the door stays in place, so people inside still exit by turning the lever or pushing the bar, with or without power.
Fail-secure strikes stay locked from outside if power is lost, the usual choice for security. Fail-safe strikes release when power is lost and are used where a door must unlock without power. Strike models exist for wood and metal frames, aluminum storefronts and rim exit devices.
Magnetic lock (maglock)
An electromagnet mounted on the frame header holds a steel plate on the door. It only holds while powered, so it is always fail-safe: cut the power and the door is free.
Because a maglock holds the door no matter what the lever does, it needs separate ways to release for people leaving, usually a motion sensor and a push button, and it is normally tied to the fire alarm. Local life-safety rules on maglocks are specific, so they are rarely our first suggestion. An electric strike or electrified lock usually does the job with fewer complications.
Other options include electrified locksets that lock and unlock the outside lever, electric latch retraction on panic bars and exit devices, and battery-powered wireless locks that don't need wiring to the door.
Stand-alone vs. networked systems
Stand-alone locks have the keypad or reader, the lock and the memory all in one unit, usually battery-powered. Codes are programmed at the door or through a phone app. They're a practical fit for one to a few doors, such as a back door, a storage room or a small office, and many keep a basic entry log.
Networked systems connect readers at each door to a controller and software, on site or in the cloud. You add or remove people from one place, set schedules, see reports, and unlock doors remotely. They need power supplies and wiring, with backup batteries, and suit multi-door buildings, property managers and anyone who needs audit trails.
Some systems sit in between: wireless locks that report to a hub. The right choice depends on door count, how often people change, and whether you need reports.
Egress and life safety
Access control should control who gets in. It should never make it hard to get out. As a general principle, people inside must be able to leave without a key, a code or special knowledge, and the door has to behave safely during a power failure or a fire alarm.
- Fire-rated doors limit what hardware can be installed and how.
- Maglocks and delayed-egress hardware carry specific requirements.
- Some installations need a permit or sign-off from the local building department or fire marshal.
We plan with these limits in mind and will tell you when a door needs a check with your local officials before anything is installed.
How our assessment works
- Call or text with the number of doors, who uses them and what's frustrating about the current setup.
- Door walk-through: door and frame type (aluminum storefront, hollow metal, wood), existing hardware, fire rating labels, and where power could come from.
- Options: stand-alone or networked, strike or electrified lock, credential type, and what drives cost for each.
- Installation and setup: hardware installed and tested, including how the door behaves without power.
- Handover: admin codes, user setup and a short walk-through so your staff can manage it.
What affects the cost
- Number of doors and whether they need wiring
- Stand-alone vs. networked, plus any software subscription
- Door and frame type: storefront glass and aluminum, metal, wood
- Locking hardware: strike, electrified lockset, exit device trim
- Credential type and number of users
- Fire-rated doors and any permit requirements
Access control across Palm Beach & Broward
On-site assessments for offices, storefronts, medical practices, condo associations and rental properties.
Access control FAQs
What's the difference between an electric strike and a maglock?
An electric strike replaces the strike in the frame and releases to let the latch pass, while the door's own lock still provides normal exit. A maglock is a magnet that holds the door closed only while powered, so it needs separate release devices for people leaving and is normally tied to the fire alarm.
What does fail-safe vs. fail-secure mean?
Fail-safe hardware unlocks when power is lost. Fail-secure hardware stays locked from the outside when power is lost. In both cases, people inside should still be able to exit.
Do I need a networked system, or will a keypad lock do?
For one to a few doors with a small team, a stand-alone keypad or fob lock is often enough. If you have many doors, frequent staff changes, multiple sites or a need for reports and remote control, a networked system is worth considering.
Can access control be added to my existing doors?
Usually. Most doors can take an electric strike, an electrified lock or a stand-alone keypad lock. Aluminum storefront doors, fire-rated doors and doors with panic bars each have their own options, which we check during the assessment.
What happens during a power outage?
It depends on the hardware. Stand-alone locks run on batteries. Wired systems use power supplies, often with backup batteries. Fail-secure strikes stay locked from outside, while fail-safe hardware and maglocks release. We explain how each door will behave before installation.
Are cards and fobs more secure than keys?
They're easier to control, because a lost credential is deleted instead of rekeyed and many systems log each entry. Older low-frequency prox cards can be copied, so encrypted smart credentials are the better choice where copying is a concern.