Design who goes where
Drop doors onto a floor plan (upload your own, or use our sample) and assign readers and zones — or switch to List mode to type out each door and the parts on it. We size the controllers and pricing automatically.
1 · Pick a reader & zone, then tap the plan to add a door
How access control works with the rest of your system
Door entry isn't a separate silo. Your readers, locks and door controllers sit in the same single app as your AI cameras, intruder alarm and fire detection, so events on one trigger sensible action on the others.
Doors and alarm in one app
Manage credentials, schedules and door status alongside your AI cameras and Ajax intruder, fire and panic devices in a single app. No separate logins, no jumping between systems.
Every door event pulls footage
When a door is opened, forced or held open, the camera covering it ties a clip to that event. You see who was actually at the door, not just a name in a log.
Fire signal releases escape routes
On a fire alarm signal, doors on protected escape routes release automatically so everyone can get out safely, while the event is recorded for your records.
Linked to 24/7 ARC monitoring
Tie door events into the same monitored, dual-path (broadband + 4G) system that handles your alarm, so a forced or held-open door at the wrong time can raise an alert at our ARC.
What to consider when designing door entry
Good access control is about safe exit first, then security and accountability. These are the points worth getting right before any hardware goes in.
Fail-safe vs fail-secure
Doors on escape routes should be fail-safe so they release if power is lost; secure store and plant rooms can be fail-secure to stay locked. We choose per door, not per building.
Always plan safe egress
Every door people leave through needs a free way out: a request-to-exit (REX) button or sensor plus an emergency break-glass that mechanically releases the lock. People must never be trapped by a credential failure.
Monitor door position
A door position sensor tells the system when a door is forced or propped open. Without it you can lock a door but never know whether it actually closed behind someone.
Match credential to the risk
Use the right strength for each door: a fob or PIN for general areas, and face recognition or fob-plus-PIN where the risk is higher. Higher-security doors deserve stronger, harder-to-share credentials.
Keep a full audit trail
Log who used which door and when, and who was refused. A clear, timestamped audit trail settles disputes and shows exactly what happened around any incident.
Use schedules and zones
Grant access by time and area so cleaners, staff and contractors only get through the right doors at the right hours. Disable a lost credential instantly without changing a single lock.
Power it to keep working
A monitored PSU with battery backup keeps doors and readers behaving correctly through a power cut, and warns you if a battery is failing before it lets you down.
Plan your door entry with us
Book a free site survey and we'll design safe, monitored access control that works as one system with your cameras, alarm and fire detection.
Keys are a liability. Here's what replaces them.
The designer above maps doors and permissions — but access control is really about a simple business problem: knowing who can get in where, and being able to change that in seconds when staff join, leave or lose things. Here's how a modern door-entry system works in practice.
The end of the key problem
Every lost key is a decision about changing locks; every departed employee is a question mark over the master. Fobs, PINs, phones and faces solve that: a credential is cancelled in seconds from the software, not the locksmith's van. You decide who opens which door at which hours — cleaners weekday mornings, managers everywhere, visitors nowhere unaccompanied.
An audit trail you'll be glad exists
Every valid entry and every refused attempt is logged with a name, a door and a time. When stock goes missing, when a unit is entered out of hours, when HR needs to know who was in the building — the answer is in the log, not in guesswork. For regulated premises and multi-tenant buildings that trail is quietly one of the most valuable things we install.
Video entry that follows you around
Modern intercoms ring your phone, not just a handset in the hallway: see the caller, speak to them and release the door from anywhere — site, sofa or Spain. For gates and flats it pairs naturally with the same system controlling internal doors, so one platform runs the whole building.
Safe by design, not by luck
Doors that control entry must never trap people inside. Every system we fit fails safe on fire — locks release on alarm activation — with request-to-exit and break-glass on every controlled door, tested as part of commissioning. It's the part of access control you hope never matters, and the part we're strictest about.
From first call to the first fob on a keyring
Free survey
We look at doors, door construction, escape routes and how people actually move through the building — the system has to fit the flow, not fight it.
Design & quote
A written quotation per door with reader and lock types explained, permission structure sketched, and the fire strategy accounted for from the start.
Installation
Locks, readers and controllers fitted with minimal disruption to a working building — we sequence doors so you're never locked out of your own premises.
Commissioning & handover
Every door tested including fire release and exits, credentials enrolled, and your team shown how to add and cancel users themselves.
Aftercare
Support when a door misbehaves, servicing to keep locks and readers reliable, and easy extension as the building or team grows.
The things everyone asks about door entry
Fob, PIN, phone or face — which is right?
Usually a mix: fobs for everyday staff, PIN as a fallback, phone or face where convenience or hygiene matters. Readers can accept more than one type, so you're not locked into a single choice forever.
What happens if someone loses a fob?
You cancel it in the software in seconds and issue a new one — the lost fob becomes a piece of plastic. Compare that with re-keying a building and the system starts paying for itself early.
What about a power cut?
Each door is specified to fail the right way for its role — escape doors release, secure stores can stay locked — and battery backup keeps controlled doors working through an outage. It's a design decision we make with you, door by door.
Can it release the doors in a fire?
It must, and it does: we interface with your fire alarm so locks on escape routes release on activation, and we test that interface at commissioning and at every service. This is a non-negotiable in every system we fit.
Can one system run several sites?
Yes — modern platforms manage multiple buildings from one login, with the same credentials working across sites where you want them to. We install commercially nationwide, so growth doesn't mean starting again.
Will it work on our old doors?
Almost always. Timber, aluminium, uPVC and glass doors each take different locks — maglocks, strikes, motor locks — and choosing the right one for the door's construction and traffic is exactly what the survey is for.
Can tenants or staff manage their own access?
You choose the levels: reception can issue visitor credentials without being able to touch the configuration, managers can run their own department, and full control stays with whoever you nominate.
Does it integrate with CCTV and the alarm?
Neatly — a camera on the door gives you a face with every entry event, and the intruder alarm can arm areas automatically as the last person badges out. One connected system is very much our preferred way to build.
What does it cost?
Access control is priced per door plus the controller, which is why the designer above works that way. The survey firms it into a written quote — and remember to weigh it against what lost keys and locksmiths already cost you.
How many doors would change your building?
Map them in the designer above, then book the free survey — we'll design the permissions with you and quote it door by door.
Frequently asked questions
Systems can be built around face recognition, fob or card readers, PIN keypads and video door entry, so you choose the unlock methods that suit your property. Most installations combine these with zones, schedules and audit logs, letting you control who gets in, where and when, and review a full record of every entry. For Essex and Suffolk homes and small businesses, the right mix is agreed during a free, no-obligation site survey.
Zones let you group doors so a fob, PIN or face can open some areas but not others, which is ideal for separating staff, customer and storage areas in a small business. Schedules restrict access to set times, such as office hours only, and automatically lock out credentials outside those windows. Every grant and denial is recorded in the audit log, giving you a clear, time-stamped trail of all activity.
Homeview Surveillance is SSAIB and BAFE approved and has been installing security systems since 1997, so work is carried out to recognised industry standards. This matters for insurance and compliance, and it gives small businesses in Colchester, Clacton and across Essex and Suffolk confidence the installation is done properly. Equipment is specified and fitted to suit your building rather than supplied as a one-size-fits-all kit.
Yes, door entry and access control can be integrated with your intruder alarm and AI 4K cameras so events are tied together and easier to review. For added protection, systems can be connected to a 24/7 Alarm Receiving Centre with police response, meaning verified alarm events are escalated around the clock. Ongoing support and maintenance keep readers, schedules and audit logs working reliably.
Start by booking a free, no-obligation site survey, where the doors, entry points and access methods you need are assessed in person. You will receive a tailored recommendation covering face, fob, PIN or video entry with the right zones and schedules, and finance is available to spread the cost. Call the Clacton-on-Sea head office on 01255 436150 to arrange a convenient time.