By allowing access to only authorized individuals, Access Control Systems have been proven to enhance building security.

If you are looking forward to regulating access to certain areas of your business or building, you should consider investing in the best card access control system. So, how much do these systems cost?

You should expect to spend between $2,000 and $10,000 on a good access control system.

How much you will end up paying for the system will mainly depend on the vendor, quality of the hardware components and level of security offered by the solution provider.

Throughout this guide, you will learn the various aspects that affect the pricing of access control systems.

What Affects the Card Access Control System Pricing?

As mentioned earlier in this guide, the cost of a card access system will depend on what you need. To begin with, you need to consider the price of the hardware and software components as well as the installation price.

The hardware and software costs of the system will depend on different factors, including:

• Level and type of insurance (COI) required
• Size of the vendor company and quality of services rendered
• The volume of the purchase
• Ease of use and level of security offered by the system
• Number of doors to be worked on

To some extent, the cost will also depend on the urgency of the purchase, and the complexity of the installation.

Industry Average Card Access Control System Cost

The price of the different components of an access control system varies from one vendor to another. To give you an idea of the much you should expect to pay, here is an industry average price of the various components.

The locking mechanism, such as electronic locks costs between $20 and $900 while door readers and door controllers are priced anywhere between $80 and $3,500.

In addition to these, you will need a number of hardware accessories like motion sensors. These are priced between $10 and $500 apiece.

For software licensing and maintenance of the access control system, you should expect to spend between $0 and $50/month per door. This will mainly depend on the provider you choose to use.

So, How Much Will the System Cost You Per Door?

For the hardware and door reader, you should expect to spend an average of $800. If you would like the system to be installed devoid of the current locks, you will be charged between $1,200 and $2,500 per door for installation.

On average, a basic door licensing fee is about $600/year. Having factored in such factors, the total cost for installing the system, including the first year of operation, will be about $3,350.

Main Factors Affecting Card Access Control System Cost

As you may be aware, materials and labor costs are the two main factors that affect the pricing of access control systems. While this is the case, there are also secondary costs, probably not itemized in your quote, but will impact on the total installation cost.

For instance, the quoted amount will often include insurance, parking, travel and trip charges for the installer. Basically, the installation of a basic card access system in a small business will cost you between $500 and $3,500 for each door.

So, how exactly is this cost arrived at? Here is an in-depth discussion of the main factors that will influence your access control system installation.

The Type of Access Control System

Depending on the level of security you would like to achieve, you will have to install the right access control system type. Different types of access control systems often require different hardware components.

As such, the different systems come at different price points. Of course, the simpler access control systems come at lower price points while the more advanced systems are costlier.

In this case, here are the types of card access control systems you should consider:

Traditional Wired System

This is a basic access control system that is essentially comprised of a wired system; featuring a controller, software and power supply. In its functioning, the controller acts as the trigger that activates the release and locking of the door.

The software used by such a system will allow you to add such components as cards, FOBs or Codes that are recognizable by the controller.

Though basic, installation work on such systems is rather tasking. This is mainly because it involves the installation of multiple electronic components.

As such, it is one of the most expensive access control systems to install. On average, the leading card access system providers will charge you up to several thousands of dollars per door for the installation.

Standalone Access Control Systems

If you are looking for an affordable solution, you should consider getting a standalone access control system for your business.

As the name suggests, everything you need to regulate access is contained in a single device—often a door lock. You need to have to install this device on the door, on which you would like to restrict access.

One of the benefits associated with such an access control system is that it allows you to regulate access to each door independently. In this regard, you will be able to program each lock for card, FOB or code access individually.

The standalone access control system device is comparatively expensive to buy, especially the commercial-grade units. Most of the best standalone systems in the market are priced between $400 and $1,500 apiece.

Affordable Installation

While this is the case, the installation of these systems is cheaper. This is mainly because only one unit needs to be installed. For instance, you may have a pin-code access control system installed in your business for about $500 per door.

System Complexity

The various access control systems are built differently. Even standalone units from different manufacturers differ in a number of ways. Simpler systems are easier to use and allow for easy access by authorized people. Again, buying and installing a simpler system is relatively affordable.

As you may be aware, fewer companies use traditional keys in their access control systems today. This is because traditional keys are comparatively easy to replicate.

In order to get a higher level of security, you should consider integrating a keypad, card reader, FOBs or identification cards to your system.

The four are availed at different price points and offer varying levels of security. As far as the complexity of an access control system is concerned, you need to consider each component individually.

Pin-Code Keypads

This is the least secure of recognition solutions that may be used with an access control system. This is mainly because it is relatively easy for your employees to share their pin codes, rendering the system vulnerable.

Access Cards

Currently, there are different types of access cards that may be used with an access control system. In this case, you may choose to use proximity cards or magnetic access cards. Regardless of your choice, access cards offer a more sophisticated security system that is harder to breach.

It is advisable to get a card reader that supports the type of cards you would like to use in your system. You should also consider getting a solution that offers you more versatility, convenience and is compliant with industry regulations and standards.

On average, you can get a good access card reader for $400 to $1,200 each. The more sophisticated your preferred reader is, the costlier it will be.

Integrated Security Systems

These are arguably some of the most sophisticated and secure access control systems in the industry. Such systems require you to invest in advanced recognition solutions like biometric readers and surveillance systems. Some of the advanced solutions will also offer you audit trails.

The audit trails, in this regard, include statistics on all the lock opening instances or attempts to open. Though considered to be more secure, such comprehensive access control systems require a sizeable capital investment.

Type of Material

For the purpose of this guide, Material will be used to refer to any hardware component used in your access control system. As such, it will include such components as power supplies, locks, ancillary accessories, and wiring.

Although some vendors do not itemize such miscellaneous components like zip ties and wire stripping, they will be included in your quote. The quality of materials you will choose will directly influence their pricing.

If you would rather get cheaper hardware components, you will have to sacrifice material quality.  However, this does not necessarily mean that all the quality hardware components are expensive.

This is why you need to strike an acceptable balance between the affordability and quality of materials while sourcing the hardware.

Company Size

The physical size of your company will determine the number of employee access points you need to have. Since you need to control access at each of these points, the cost of your card access control system will also depend on your company size.

If yours is a large corporation, you will probably need a networked, multi-door access control system. The good thing with such a system is that it allows you to regulate access to various points from a single location. Again, you will find such solutions to be highly scalable.

For instance, some of the leading controllers are known to support up to 4,000 users in multiple locations. Such a solution may be convenient and highly beneficial for a large organization but is definitely not cheap.

The more the access points in your organization, the more you should expect to spend installing an access control system.

Level of Security and Automation

As mentioned earlier in this guide, the more sophisticated access control systems offer higher levels of security. The level of security and automation offered by your system will partially determine its pricing. In this regard, the basic keycard access control systems are known to be cheaper.

However, the cheaper systems offer lower levels of security as compared to the sophisticated options. Again, the basic systems will not allow you to access and probably manage the dashboard remotely.
Ready to Get an Access Control System for Your Business?

For many businesses today, security is a key concern. This is why you should consider investing in the right door access system. The cost of these systems varies from one manufacturer and system type to another.

For instance, it will depend on the product quality, the number of access points in your company, as well as the level of security and automation offered by the system. While this is the case, you should consider working with only reputable providers and vendors.

In order to understand the exact amount of money you will spend; you should get a quote from some of the leading card access control system vendors.