Access control is the simplest way to decide who can go where, and to know who went through a door and when. Businesses move to it from keys because lost keys mean re-keying locks, and because a keyed lock can never tell you who opened it. Here is how the price works.
Typical cost per door
Access control is normally quoted per controlled door. UK installers commonly give a range of a few hundred pounds up to around £1,200 per door installed, with many commercial doors falling somewhere around the middle of that range. For a small office with a handful of doors, the total is therefore often in the low thousands of pounds. Prices are generally higher in London and the South East, and every site is different, so treat these as a guide only.
What is in the price
- Reader: the keypad, card, fob or biometric device on the secure side of the door.
- Lock: an electric strike or magnetic lock, chosen to suit the door and the fire strategy.
- Controller and power: the unit that makes the decision, with a power supply and battery back-up.
- Exit device: a push button or sensor so people can leave.
- Cabling and labour: often the largest variable.
- Software: to manage users, schedules and reports.
- Credentials: fobs, cards or mobile credentials for each user.
What pushes the cost up
The door itself
A modern aluminium door with a good frame is straightforward. An old timber door, a glazed door or a fire door may need new ironmongery, and some doors need an automatic opener so they are accessible to everyone.
Fire safety
Electric locks must release when the fire alarm sounds, and your escape routes must always work. That can mean linking the access control system to your fire alarm through an interface and testing it properly.
Software and licences
Some systems have no recurring licence. Others charge per door or per user each year. This is the cost most often missed when comparing quotes.
Integration
Linking access control to CCTV, intruder alarms, visitor management or time and attendance adds to the scope but can save a lot of manual work.
Ongoing costs
- Annual maintenance and inspection of the locks, readers and power supplies.
- Software licence or cloud subscription, if applicable.
- Replacement and spare credentials as staff change.
How to get a fair comparison
- List every door you want controlled, and say who needs to go through each.
- Ask for the price per door, plus software and any annual fees written separately.
- Check how many users and doors the system can handle before you need to upgrade.
- Ask whether it can be expanded and whether you will be locked into a single supplier.
Not sure which type of credential suits your business? Read our guide to fobs, keypads and cloud access control, or see our access control systems page.
Frequently asked questions
Is access control priced per door?
Usually, yes. Installers price a system per controlled door, then add the controller, software, credentials such as fobs, and any special door hardware.
Are there ongoing fees for access control?
Some systems have none. Cloud-managed and some proprietary systems charge an annual licence or subscription per door or per user, so always ask what is included and for how long.
Can I add doors later?
Most systems can be expanded, but the controller capacity and software licence limit how far. It is worth planning for growth at the start.