Electric Strike Installation in Buffalo, NY: Buzz-In Door Entry for Offices, Apartments and Storefronts
If you have ever stood behind your front desk and wished you could let the right person in without walking to the door, an electric strike is the piece of hardware you are looking for. It is the small device hidden in the door frame that lets you buzz someone in from a button, an intercom, or a card reader, while the door stays locked the rest of the time. Defense Locksmith installs electric strikes across the Buffalo metro for offices, apartment buildings, medical suites, and storefronts, and we do the whole job on site so your door is working before we leave.
We are a real Buffalo company, fully mobile, and owner Simon Goodman runs every job with background-checked, insured technicians. If you want secure buzz-in entry on a door, call (716)-803-2934 for a straight quote and an honest install window.
What an electric strike actually does
A normal strike is the metal plate the latch drops into when the door closes. An electric strike replaces that plate with one that can release on command. When someone presses a button, swipes a card, or you hit the unlock on your intercom, the strike pivots open for a few seconds so the door pushes free. Let go of the button, and it locks right back up. The door’s regular handle and deadbolt stay exactly as they were — the electric strike only controls the latch side, which is why it is the cleanest way to add buzz-in entry to a door that already exists.
That is the part people miss. You do not have to replace your whole door or lockset. In most cases we cut the frame to fit the strike, run the low-voltage wire, tie it to your button or access control system, and your existing hardware keeps doing its job.
Where electric strikes make the most sense
- Apartment and condo entry doors where tenants buzz guests up from inside their unit
- Office front doors with a receptionist who controls who comes through
- Medical and dental suites that need a locked waiting-room door
- Storefronts that want to stay locked but still let in appointment customers
- Back doors and stairwell doors tied into a card or fob system
- Property management buildings running multiple entries off one panel
Fail-secure vs fail-safe: the choice that matters most
This is the single most important decision on an electric strike job, and it comes down to one question: what should the door do when the power goes out? In a Buffalo winter, with the storms and outages we get, this is not a theoretical question.
A fail-secure strike stays locked when power is lost. No electricity, no release, and the door stays shut. This is what most offices and storefronts want, because a power flicker should never leave your front door wide open. People inside can still get out using the handle from the inside, so it does not trap anyone — it just keeps the outside locked.
A fail-safe strike does the opposite: it unlocks when power is lost. You use this where code or safety demands the door release in an emergency, such as certain stairwell doors or doors tied to a fire alarm. When the building loses power or the alarm trips, the strike lets go so people are never sealed in.
| Type | On power loss | Best for | Starting price (installed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fail-secure electric strike | Stays locked | Offices, storefronts, apartment entries | From $325 |
| Fail-safe electric strike | Unlocks | Stairwells, fire-rated egress, alarm-tied doors | From $375 |
| Strike tied to existing intercom/buzzer | Depends on strike type | Apartment buildings, reception desks | From $395 |
| Strike integrated with card/fob reader | Depends on strike type | Access-controlled commercial doors | From $450 |
| Heavy-duty strike for aluminum/glass storefront | Depends on strike type | Retail and office storefront doors | From $495 |
These are real starting points for the Buffalo area. The final number depends on your door, your frame material, and what the strike has to talk to. You always get a firm quote before we touch anything.
“The fail-secure versus fail-safe question is where I see other guys cut corners. They slap in whatever strike is in the truck and never ask what the door is for. I always walk the building first, because getting that one detail wrong on a stairwell or a front entrance is the difference between a door that’s up to code and a door that locks people in or pops open during a storm. We figure it out before the drill comes out.”
Integrating with intercoms, buzzers and access control
An electric strike on its own is just a smarter latch. The real value shows up when it is wired to something that decides who gets in. We handle the whole integration so you are not stuck coordinating three different trades.
Intercom and buzzer systems
In apartment buildings and reception areas, the strike ties into a buzzer. A visitor presses a unit or hits the call button, the tenant or receptionist talks to them, and a press of the unlock button releases the strike for a few seconds. We can connect a new strike to your existing intercom or wire in a fresh button at the front desk, whichever fits.
Card readers, fobs and keypads
For commercial doors, the strike usually answers to a reader. Staff tap a fob or card, the panel checks they are allowed, and the strike releases. This is the heart of any commercial locksmith setup, and it lets you pull access from a lost fob instead of rekeying the whole building. If you want the door to track who came and went, the reader logs it.
Push bars and exit devices
On doors with a panic bar, an electric strike pairs with the exit device so people inside always push straight out while the outside stays controlled. If your door has a crash bar or you need one added, that crosses over into electric push bar territory, and we handle both on the same visit.
How an on-site install goes, step by step
We do electric strike work at your building, not in a shop, so there is no carting your door away. Here is how a typical install runs:
- You call (716)-803-2934 and tell us the door, the building, and how you want people let in.
- We come look at the door, the frame, and the power, then give you a firm quote and the right strike type for the job.
- We prep the frame, mortising it to seat the strike cleanly so it lines up with your latch.
- We run the low-voltage wiring and set the power supply, keeping it tidy and out of sight.
- We connect the strike to your button, intercom, or reader and set the release timing.
- We test it dozens of times, confirm fail-secure or fail-safe behavior, and make sure the door still latches and seals on its own.
- We show you how to use it and clean up before we leave.
Frames, doors and the things that complicate a job
Not every door takes a strike the same way, and an honest locksmith tells you that up front. A hollow metal frame in an old Buffalo office building behaves differently from a modern aluminum storefront, and a wood frame on an apartment door is different again. The frame has to have room for the strike body and the wiring, and sometimes the door closer or weather seal needs adjusting so the latch seats every time.
If your frame is damaged, sagging, or the door no longer closes square, the strike will misfire no matter how well it is wired. That is where commercial door repair comes in — we fix the door first so the access control actually works. We would rather tell you the door needs attention than install a strike that fights a bad frame all winter.
Signs your current setup needs an upgrade
- You prop the front door open because buzzing people in is a hassle
- Your buzzer works some days and not others
- The strike chatters or buzzes loudly when someone enters
- The door does not always relock after someone comes through
- You are still handing out brass keys to staff who come and go
Why Buffalo businesses call Defense Locksmith for this
Access control sounds simple until a strike is wired wrong and your front door is either stuck shut or hanging open. Out-of-town outfits quote a low number, send an unmarked car, and disappear the moment something acts up. Defense Locksmith is a local company with an owner you can reach. Our technicians are background-checked and insured, we show up in marked vehicles, and businesses across Western New York trust us with their door hardware every week.
We are Google Guaranteed, an Approved Pro on HomeAdvisor, and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. When you call us for an electric strike, you get the right hardware for your door, an honest answer on fail-secure versus fail-safe, and a clean install that holds up.
Where we install electric strikes
We are based in Buffalo and cover the full metro, and we come to your building wherever it sits.
- Buffalo and all of the surrounding city neighborhoods
- Amherst, Williamsville, Kenmore, Tonawanda, and Cheektowaga
- West Seneca, Lancaster, Clarence, Depew, Hamburg, and Orchard Park
- All of Erie County and Niagara County, including Niagara Falls and Lockport
Questions Buffalo businesses ask about electric strikes
Do I need to replace my whole door or lock?
Almost never. The strike goes in the frame and works with your existing handle and deadbolt. We only recommend more if your door or frame is in bad shape and would keep the strike from seating right.
Should I get fail-secure or fail-safe?
Most front doors and storefronts should be fail-secure, so a power outage leaves the door locked. Fail-safe is for stairwells and doors that have to release in an emergency. We walk the door with you and recommend the right one before any work starts.
Can you connect a strike to the buzzer I already have?
Usually yes. If your intercom or buzzer is in working order, we tie the new strike into it. If it is failing, we will tell you straight and give you the option to refresh it.
How long does an install take?
A single door is often done in a couple of hours once we are on site. Multiple doors or a full access control tie-in takes longer, and we give you the timeframe with your quote.
Will the door still lock if the power goes out?
With a fail-secure strike, yes — it stays locked through an outage. With a fail-safe strike, it unlocks by design. That is exactly why choosing the right type matters, and we make sure yours matches what the door is for.
Can you handle several doors in one building?
Yes. We do whole-building jobs for apartments, offices, and property managers, running multiple strikes off one access control setup so you manage everything from one place.
Call Defense Locksmith
Want secure buzz-in entry that keeps your door locked but still lets the right people in? Defense Locksmith installs electric strikes on site for offices, apartments, and storefronts all over Buffalo, ties them into your intercom or access control, and gets the fail-secure versus fail-safe call right the first time. For electric strike installation anywhere in Buffalo, NY, Erie County, and Niagara County, call (716)-803-2934 today.