Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Fast, Reliable Access Control Systems Across Dunwoody
Access control system installation and programming in Dunwoody typically runs $2,800-$8,500 for multi-tenant residential buildings and $12,000-$45,000 for Perimeter Center commercial towers, with master key systems for smaller condo associations starting around $1,800. We quote every scope in writing before scheduling, and our Access Control Systems team dispatches to Dunwoody from our Atlanta coordination office with same-day survey availability for most projects. Call (762) 252-5919 - a live person answers, 24/7.
Dunwoody isn’t a typical suburban locksmith market. The Perimeter Center corridor packs Class A office towers and high-rise apartment communities into a suburban ZIP code, so access control work here routinely means 10- to 30-story multi-tenant buildings where a single credential or master key system governs hundreds of doors. That’s a commercial workload Brookhaven or Chamblee simply can’t match, and it means Dunwoody property managers need a locksmith who certifies on commercial-grade hardware, not someone who installs residential deadbolts and “also does commercial.”
Why Novak Lock & Security Marietta Is Dunwoody’s Preferred Access Control Systems Company
We’ve been quoting firm prices on the phone since 2002. Haven Standard Clause 1: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. Our technician is contractually prohibited from changing it at the door. That rule was built for customers exactly like Dunwoody’s - corporate transfers who read three-star reviews before calling and want the number visible before they make contact.
Our dispatch office coordinates Dunwoody calls from Atlanta, with crews serving the city locally. We know the difference between a Georgetown split-level built in 1983 and a Perimeter Center high-rise built in 2015, and we stock different hardware for each. Background-checked, uniformed technicians carry documented photo records on every visit - included as standard, not an upgrade.
The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to every lock installation, rekey, and access control programming we perform in Dunwoody. If it’s not done right, we make it right. No exceptions.
Our Access Control Systems Services in Dunwoody
Master Key System Design and Programming for Multi-Tenant Buildings
A 180-unit condo on Hammond Drive can’t function with one key for every resident. We design master key hierarchies that let building staff carry a single key accessing all common areas, while unit owners keep keys that open only their door and the front entrance. Typical master key systems for Dunwoody multi-tenant buildings run $1,800-$4,500 depending on cylinder count and keying levels. We program on-site and deliver a written key control register with every system.
Restricted Key and Key Control Programs for Apartment and Condo Associations
Restricted keys cannot be duplicated at big-box kiosks - the blanks are factory-controlled and require authorization from the registered key holder. For Dunwoody buildings along Ashford Dunwoody Road where one copied key becomes a building-wide security problem, this is the standard fix. We set up key control programs with signature-required issuance, audit trails, and automatic rekeying protocols when a key is reported lost. Programs start at $900 for smaller associations.
Smart Lock and Keypad Entry Retrofits for Aging Residential Hardware
In the Georgetown neighborhood off Vermack, we were called to a 1980s split-level where the wooden door frame had swelled through a humid Atlanta summer and bound the original Kwikset deadbolt so badly the homeowner couldn’t turn the thumbturn. We used non-destructive entry to get in without scarring the freeholder’s door, then realigned the strike plate and rekeyed the lock cylinder to a fresh pin and tumbler set so the old contractor keys stopped working. The homeowner added a smart lock on the rear entry the same visit. Smart lock retrofits in Dunwoody’s 1970s-1990s housing stock typically run $280-$620 per door, including cylinder replacement when the original hardware is too worn to align cleanly with a new keypad mechanism.
Credential-Based Access Control for Perimeter Center Commercial Towers
Perimeter Center office buildings need proximity cards, biometric readers, or mobile credential systems that integrate with tenant management software. We certify on commercial-grade hardware from Allegion and ASSA ABLOY - the brands that actually get specified in 20-floor Class A towers, not the residential-grade products sold online. Commercial access control surveys in Dunwoody are scheduled, not dispatched; we deliver a written scope and flat per-door pricing within 48 hours of site walkthrough.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Dunwoody
We carry factory-authorized parts for Mul-T-Lock high-security cylinders, Baldwin premium hardware, and Sargent commercial-grade locksets - stocked for Dunwoody customers, not ordered after you call. For smart lock retrofits in Dunwoody Club Forest ranches and Vermack split-levels, we work with Yale Assure and Schlage Encode lines that integrate with existing Z-Wave and Wi-Fi networks common in those neighborhoods. Fast turnaround means we don’t leave a Dunwoody building with a temporary core while waiting for a restricted key blank to ship.
Common Access Control Systems Problems We See in Dunwoody Homes
- Seasonal frame swelling binding deadbolts. Metro Atlanta’s humid subtropical summers swell the wooden door frames in 1970s-1990s ranch and split-level homes along Georgetown, Dunwoody Club Forest, and Vermack, misaligning strike plates and binding deadbolts into a predictable June-September lockout spike. We realign strikes and upgrade to adjustable-bolt hardware that tolerates seasonal movement.
- Copied restricted keys compromising building security. Multi-tenant buildings along Ashford Dunwoody Road and Hammond Drive lose key control when a single copied restricted key gets duplicated at a big-box kiosk, turning one leak into a building-wide credential problem. Our key control programs track every issued key and require signed authorization for duplicates.
- Worn pin and tumbler stacks preventing clean smart lock retrofits. Aging original Kwikset and Schlage hardware in Dunwoody’s residential core wears down its pin and tumbler stacks, so keypad entry and smart lock retrofits get installed on cylinders that no longer align cleanly. We replace the cylinder as part of the retrofit - not as an upsell, as a prerequisite for the product to function.
- Single-key systems creating liability for condo associations. When every resident of a Dunwoody condo building carries identical front-door keys, a lost key means rekeying every lock in the building or accepting uncontrolled access. Master key systems eliminate that binary choice.
Pricing for Access Control Systems in Dunwoody, GA
Here’s what access control work costs in the Dunwoody market:
- Smart lock retrofit (residential, single door): $280-$620
- Master key system (small condo association, 8-20 cylinders): $1,800-$4,500
- Restricted key control program setup: $900-$2,200
- Commercial access control survey and written scope: No charge
- Commercial credential system (per-door installed, 10+ doors): $1,200-$3,800 per door depending on reader type and integration complexity
- Strike plate realignment / seasonal binding repair: $140-$280
Every price is quoted in writing before we schedule. The dispatcher gives you the full number. The technician is not permitted to change it on arrival. No call-out surcharge gets added. For commercial access control, we deliver a written scope with flat per-lock pricing - no open-ended hourly rates.
Free Second Opinion on Any Written Estimate: bring us a competitor’s Dunwoody quote and we will review it at no charge.
We Also Serve Cities Near Dunwoody
Our crews work Access Control Systems in Dunwoody and surrounding communities including Marietta, Kennesaw, Sandy Springs, and Acworth. Dispatch is coordinated from our Atlanta office; scheduling and surveying for commercial access control projects are arranged directly with the property manager.
Serving Dunwoody, GA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Dunwoody area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Access Control Systems in Dunwoody
Yes. In most cases we rekey existing compatible cylinders into a master key hierarchy rather than replacing hardware. We survey the current lock grades, confirm they’re master-keyable, and program the new pinning on-site. The building gets a front-door key that works for residents, a sub-master for maintenance staff, and a grand master for management - each level documented in a written key control register. Call (762) 252-5919 to schedule a free survey; we’ll quote the full rekey scope in writing before any work is scheduled.
Replace the cylinder first, then retrofit. The sticking is seasonal frame swelling from humidity, but original Kwikset hardware from 1978 has worn pin stacks that won’t align cleanly with a smart lock’s mechanism. We replace the cylinder with a fresh pin and tumbler set, realign the strike plate for seasonal tolerance, and install the smart lock on hardware that will actually function. Total cost typically runs $340-$580 for the combined service. Call (762) 252-5919 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
We certify on Allegion and ASSA ABLOY commercial access control platforms - the brands specified in Class A tower builds, not residential products relabeled for commercial use. Our technicians program proximity, biometric, and mobile credential readers that integrate with tenant management and time-and-attendance systems. We do not install hardware we cannot service under factory authorization. Commercial surveys are scheduled with a written scope delivered within 48 hours; call (762) 252-5919 to arrange a site walkthrough.
Rekey immediately and implement a key control program with signature-required issuance. A copied restricted key that reaches a big-box kiosk means unauthorized duplicates are already in circulation. We rekey to a new restricted keyway with factory-controlled blanks, register every authorized holder, and set audit protocols so the next loss is caught before it spreads. Emergency rekey for multi-tenant buildings starts at $680 depending on cylinder count. Call (762) 252-5919 - we can often rekey commercial cores same-day.
Yes. Non-destructive entry is our standard procedure, not a premium service. We pick, bypass, or shim the lock without drilling unless the hardware is already failed beyond recovery - and we document the condition with a photo record left with the resident. If drilling becomes necessary due to hardware failure, we quote the replacement cylinder and installation in writing before proceeding. Emergency lockout response to Dunwoody is available 24/7; call (762) 252-5919 and a live person answers.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Dunwoody since 2002 under The Haven Standard.