do you access control and electronic tech?

[deralian]

I notice there are currently only two posts in this section. I'm wondering how many locksmiths work on or install electric strikes, access control systems, ADO's ect? My home company has only mentioned one request for doing this sort of work. Are alarm companies the only ones who are getting this business?

I work at a large complex that maintains all these systems so I'm familiar with wiring up strikes and ADO's. I would like to be able to transfer that knowledge to side work.... but there seems to be a lack of it.

[Squelchtone]

I notice there are currently only two posts in this section.

It is a new section created a month or two ago and I have to move all the Locksmith Business Archives posts that pertain to access control into this new sub forum.

if there were only more hours in the day =)
Squelchtone

[blue60]

I access control

sorry I could not help myself I started doing alarm Installs then got into locks, any skill you have can be transferred into a side job it if you are a hard worker and know what you are doing.
I think alot of people think of Alarm company's when they think of think like strikes and ADO's. 9 times out of 10 they will call whatever company's sticker is on the device

[deralian]

Yeah, I'm going to see about updating the advertising to include terms like electric strikes, ado's ect and see what happens

[alockguru]

I am mainly auto so I do not do them but I market for res/light com as well. I hardley ever get calls for it. Im guessing youd would need to market heavy for just electronic security

[dll932]

I think most experienced locksmiths do at least some electric strike work because they're so common in apartment and office buildings. Where I work we have electric strikes, maglocks and electrified locks. The responsibility for these is shared by me and the IT department, since I have nothing to do with the ID readers, just the locks themselves. For a real fun time, work on a mantrap sometime. These are vestibule situations where you swipe in with a keycard, but while you do ONLY the door you're going through will open. Also, if you push on the handle for 15 seconds the system goes into alarm and ALL the locks unlock. There's more to it but you get the idea. They can be a bear to keep working because of all the different parts that have to work together.

[cledry]

All the time. We do contract work for a lot of alarm companies. They pull the wire we supply and install the strikes, magnets locks etc. Probably do at least 2-3 installs a week, most weeks double this. We charge a higher rate than for lock work but less than our rate for safe work.

[MatrixBlackRock]

I notice there are currently only two posts in this section. I'm wondering how many locksmiths work on or install electric strikes, access control systems, ADO's ect? My home company has only mentioned one request for doing this sort of work. Are alarm companies the only ones who are getting this business?

I guess that depends on the state, here in Florida, installing anything beyond a door strike and a button, is considered electrical contracting and one must have at the minimum a State of Florida low voltage electrical contractors license, or a local county license and be registered with the State of Florida ECLB. Once one has such a license they are automatically allowed to install burglar alarm systems, as well as access, so the two kind of flow together.

I work at a large complex that maintains all these systems so I'm familiar with wiring up strikes and ADO's. I would like to be able to transfer that knowledge to side work.... but there seems to be a lack of it.

I would suggest your first step be find out what licensing is required in your locality, down here if you have been doing that type of work under a licensed contractor or work for a business, that is exempt, your work experience may qualify you to sit for the test and become licensed, if it is required.

Also if one is required, find out if your state issues such licenses, in most jurisdictions a county license only allows you to work legally in the county of issuance, whereas a state license qualifies you to work state wide and here they (licenses) cost about the same.

Wayne

[MatrixBlackRock]

All the time. We do contract work for a lot of alarm companies. They pull the wire we supply and install the strikes, magnets locks etc. Probably do at least 2-3 installs a week, most weeks double this. We charge a higher rate than for lock work but less than our rate for safe work.

If you are doing this on a regular basis, you might consider getting state licensed as a low voltage contractor or finding a qualifier, this will allow you to do the entire access job including security and with that the monitoring RMR and that, if played into the right multiple, you can retire on.

Wayne

[cledry]

All the time. We do contract work for a lot of alarm companies. They pull the wire we supply and install the strikes, magnets locks etc. Probably do at least 2-3 installs a week, most weeks double this. We charge a higher rate than for lock work but less than our rate for safe work.

If you are doing this on a regular basis, you might consider getting state licensed as a low voltage contractor or finding a qualifier, this will allow you to do the entire access job including security and with that the monitoring RMR and that, if played into the right multiple, you can retire on.

Wayne

I am licensed ES but we don't really have the time to do the wiring so we sub that out. However we are normally the subcontractor. The alarm guys hate installing magnets, strikes, door loops, electric hinges, delayed egress exit devices, cross boring doors etc. so we do that for them.

[MatrixBlackRock]

I am licensed ES but we don't really have the time to do the wiring so we sub that out. However we are normally the subcontractor. The alarm guys hate installing magnets, strikes, door loops, electric hinges, delayed egress exit devices, cross boring doors etc. so we do that for them.

I became legal in the alarm business in 1981 (Broward 81-CLVC-151-X), then grandfathered to state (EF0000499) in 1986, I cashed out during the A&M frenzy in 1998, so I do have a bit of experience working with "alarm guys" and I can assure you and all of the world, 98% of them not only didn't like doing all you mentioned above, 97% where too incompetent to the point of being dangerous when they tried.

The majority of my work was commercial, because that is where the money is at, of that work, it was sub divided into half being fire alarms and the other quarters being U.L. listed burglary systems and access control and by default, my guys and I had to learn how to do all of the above and do it to the level required to pass inspections by two disciplines, electrical/fire, the only part of access I never got into was locks and keys, which some fire departments required as a bypass to unlock a buildings access controls systems.

A few departments down here quickly learned when they responded to a call to a locked down building, many times the access card in the Knox-Box failed to unlock the access system, so they demanded a traditional key operated switch to be installed to release the doors before signing off on the permit, my solution was to buy a rather unique key switch and tamper resistant back-box combo, that would accept a standard mortise lock and hand that over to the buildings manager and have their locksmith install the lock matched to the buildings system.

Oddly enough, once in a great while, the building manager would be informed by their locksmith, to eff off, the reason given was, since they hired me to do the access system, I can handle the lock and key work as well, my solution at that point was to handoff the job to a high school buddy, who was, prior to retiring, one of the best locksmiths here in Broward County and who was more than glad to come out and do that single lock, knowing the building, even with an access control system for the perimeter, was still full of locks inside and his card, would replace the other locksmiths card in the buildings managers Rolodex.

Wayne

[stratmando]

I Have a Reply for this Post, Don't want to rewrite, I hit save, instead of submit, where did it go, a search shows nothing for "Draft" Looked multiple times everywhere. Help. I've done it before. Wish Submit was on left side and save on the right side of preview? Thanks.

[Squelchtone]

I Have a Reply for this Post, Don't want to rewrite, I hit save, instead of submit, where did it go, a search shows nothing for "Draft" Looked multiple times everywhere. Help. I've done it before. Wish Submit was on left side and save on the right side of preview? Thanks.

You may view your Drafts here: Profile > Overview tab > Manage Drafts : ucp.php?i=main&mode=drafts

[stratmando]

Hey thanks Squelchtone, you ever do it?....... if so it was probably a long time ago. Take Care

[DangerDane]

Here its usually electricians and such that installs ACS and such, which can mean an Alarm company, but not nessarily. I haven't installed a system myself, but is somewhat used to working with the PR-Master software.