Access Control Installation

The short answer

A commercial access control install has four parts per door: a controller, a reader, the electric strike or lock, and a door license. Controllers are sized by door count, and one controller usually serves several nearby doors. Labor depends on the door (construction, wiring path, and whether a fire-alarm release is required), so it is quoted per site rather than as a flat per-door rate.

Every site is different. We'll put together a clear quote for you. HTS installs access control in-house across PA, NJ, and DE. A site quote separates hardware, licenses, and labor so you can see what each part of the install costs.

What goes into one door

Controllers are PoE and need no dedicated server. They connect straight to Command.

• Controller. Sized for one, four, or sixteen doors.
• Reader. Multi-format card readers, with keypad variants for dual authentication.
• Lock or strike. If the door already has an electric strike or lock that works, it stays. Where a lock is needed, we offer an ANSI Grade 1 option.
• Door license. Per door, on a 1-, 3-, 5-, or 10-year term.

What changes the cost of a door

The electronics are predictable. The doors are not. Strike type, door material, wire path to the reader, request-to-exit devices, and fire-alarm integration for magnetic locks are what the site survey prices. Sharing a controller across several doors usually brings the cost per door down.

Send us your door schedule: count, door types, existing hardware. Request a quote and we'll price controllers, readers, licenses, and installation together.

What the installation involves

1. Door survey. We walk every door and record construction, existing strike or lock, wiring path, and egress hardware.
2. Design and BOM. Controller placement (one controller serves doors within roughly a cable run of each other), reader selection, credential plan.
3. Cabling and device install. PoE to the controller, reader and strike wiring at each door, request-to-exit and door-position switches.
4. Fire and egress compliance. Maglocks get release tied to the fire alarm; free egress is never blocked.
5. Commissioning. Doors built in Verkada Command, schedules and access groups set, test badges issued.
6. Handover. Credentials distributed, admin training, documentation of every door and device.

Credentials and add-ons

Encrypted cards (Desfire EV3) are the standard for new installs. Proximity cards suit sites standardizing on legacy HID formats. Mobile NFC credentials, video intercom readers, and cellular backup for controllers are available as add-ons. We'll help you choose what fits your site.

Common questions

• “I already have Verkada cameras.” Access control runs in the same Command organization — one login, door video on the door page, no new server.
• “My doors are old.” Old doors usually keep their hardware; a lock or strike swap is quoted per door after the survey, not assumed.
• “What about the system I have now?” Existing Wiegand readers can often stay on a Verkada controller, which protects the cards your staff already carry.
• “Who watches it?” HTS manages licenses, firmware, and health monitoring under a managed plan — or hands you the keys after commissioning. Your call.

Browse the hardware

The access control catalog is open in the HTS store: controllers, readers, locks, and licenses. Request a quote for your doors when you're ready.

Where to go next

Comparing platforms? Read the access control systems overview and our guide to how Verkada pricing works, or the Verkada platform overview. For platform features and implementation detail, see the Verkada access control guide on the HTS blog.