Access control replaces keys with credentials you can issue, revoke and audit. The operational gain is not the convenience of a card over a key — it is that when someone leaves, you disable them in software in ten seconds instead of rekeying a building and hoping every copy comes back.
Typical range: $850–$4500 CAD per door, depending on hardware and platform. Ranges are typical for the GTA and depend on the door, the hardware and the time of day. We confirm the price before dispatching.
What a system is actually made of
Every access-controlled door has the same five parts: a reader that takes the credential, a controller that decides whether to grant entry, a locking device that physically holds the door, a request-to-exit device so leaving is always free, and a door position sensor so the system knows whether the door is actually shut.
The door position sensor is the component most often omitted to save money, and it is the one that turns access control from a lock into a security system. Without it, the system cannot tell you that the loading door has been standing open for forty minutes, or that a door was forced rather than opened with a credential.
Credential types and where each fits
- Proximity cards and fobs — the long-standing default. Inexpensive, easy to issue. Older 125 kHz formats can be cloned with equipment costing very little, which matters for sites where that is a realistic concern.
- Smart cards (13.56 MHz, encrypted) — the current standard for anything security-sensitive. Mutual authentication makes casual cloning impractical.
- Mobile credentials — the phone becomes the credential over Bluetooth or NFC. No cards to buy, issue or collect, and adoption is now high enough that it is a reasonable default for office environments.
- PIN codes — no credential to carry or lose, but codes get shared and rarely get changed. Best combined with a card rather than used alone on a door that matters.
- Biometrics — fingerprint or facial recognition for high-security doors. Worth being deliberate about, since biometric data collection carries privacy obligations under Canadian law that a card system does not.
Cloud versus on-premise
Cloud platforms put management in a browser or an app, update themselves, and let you administer several sites from anywhere. The trade-off is an ongoing subscription and a dependency on the vendor continuing to exist on terms you like. Most controllers cache credentials locally and keep working through an internet outage, which is the obvious objection and usually a solved one — but it is worth confirming for the specific platform.
On-premise systems run on your own server or controller with no subscription. You own it outright and it keeps working regardless of anyone's business decisions. The cost is that updates, backups and remote access are your responsibility.
For a single site under about twenty doors, cloud is usually the better value. For multi-site, cloud is usually clearly better. For sites with strict data-residency requirements or a strong preference against recurring costs, on-premise still makes sense. We install both and we do not have a commission reason to prefer either.
Integration with what you already have
Most buildings we work in already have something — an old panel, a handful of standalone keypads, an intercom, a video system. Ripping all of it out is rarely necessary and often not the best value.
Readers using standard protocols can frequently be retained while the controller and software are upgraded. Existing wiring can often be reused. Existing credentials can sometimes be enrolled into a new system so staff keep the cards they already carry. We establish what can be kept before quoting, because a proposal that assumes a clean slate is usually the expensive one.
Egress, fire and the things that must be right
Every access-controlled door still has to let people out. Free mechanical egress from the inside, a request-to-exit device where the lock is electric, and release on fire alarm where the locking device would otherwise prevent escape.
Doors on required exits have specific constraints on what locking is permitted at all. This is where access control stops being an IT project and becomes a code matter, and it is the part we do not delegate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an access control system cost per door?
The realistic range is wide because the door dictates most of it. A simple interior door with an electric strike, a reader and existing power sits at the low end. An exterior door needing a new lock, a weather-rated reader, power run from a distant panel, a door position sensor and a REX device sits at the high end. Software is a per-door or per-site subscription on cloud platforms, or a one-time licence on-premise. We quote per door after a site walk rather than by multiplying a single figure.
Will access control work during an internet or power outage?
On a properly specified system, yes. Controllers hold credentials locally and continue granting access through an internet outage — you lose remote management and live monitoring, not the doors. For power, controllers and locks are normally on battery backup. The one thing that must never be backed up past its fire interface is a lock on an egress door, which has to release regardless.
Can I keep my existing card readers and upgrade the system?
Often yes, if they use a standard protocol. Retaining readers and wiring while replacing the controller and software is a common and much cheaper upgrade path, and it means staff keep their existing cards. We check compatibility at survey rather than assuming replacement.
How many doors can one system handle?
Modern platforms scale from a single door to thousands across many sites, so capacity is rarely the constraint. What matters more is designing the credential and permission structure so it stays manageable as you grow — groups and schedules rather than per-person, per-door permissions, which becomes unworkable past a certain size.
Is access control better than a master key system?
They solve different problems and plenty of buildings use both. Access control gives you instant revocation, audit trails and time-based rules, which keys cannot. Keys need no power, no network and no maintenance, and they cost a fraction as much. A common sensible arrangement is access control on the perimeter and high-value interior doors, with a master key system behind it for everything else and for emergency override.
Access Control Systems across the GTA
We provide access control system installation throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Pick your city for local detail, or call and we will tell you straight away whether you are in range.
Related services
Card & Fob Readers
Proximity, smart-card and mobile-credential readers installed, replaced and integrated — including migration off cloneable legacy formats.
Keypad Entry
Standalone and networked keypads — the simplest way to remove keys from a door, with clear limits worth understanding first.
Magnetic Locks
Electromagnetic locks installed with compliant egress — request-to-exit, fire-alarm interface and power-loss release done to code.
Electric Strikes
Electric strikes supplied and installed with the correct fail-safe or fail-secure behaviour, proper power and clean frame preparation.
Cloud Access Control
Browser and app-managed access control — issue, revoke and audit from anywhere, across one site or many.