Business Security Checklist

24 points, about 20 minutes with a clipboard. Print it, walk the property, and know exactly where your building is soft.

Most commercial break-ins exploit something boring: a back door that never latched, a keypad code from two managers ago, a panic bar nobody tested. This checklist walks a storefront or office through the six areas where those problems live. Print it, hand it to whoever closes, and fix what fails.

1Doors and frames

Every exterior door closes and latches on its own, without a push or a lean.
Frames are solid: no rot, no splits at the strike plate, no daylight around the deadbolt.
Strike plates are mounted with screws long enough to bite the stud, not just the trim.
The back door and receiving door lock as seriously as the front. Break-ins prefer the back.

2Locks and cylinders

Exterior doors carry commercial-grade deadbolts or mortise locks, not residential knob locks.
No lock is protected by tape, a wedge, or a broken keeper someone got used to.
Cylinders turn smoothly. A lock that fights the key every morning is telling you a date.
Roll-up gates and padlocks are as strong as the door they guard.

3Keys and key control

You can write down, right now, who holds every key to the building.
Locks were rekeyed after the last employee departure that involved keys.
Keys are stamped DO NOT DUPLICATE or, better, cut on a restricted keyway that a corner kiosk cannot copy.
Spare keys live in a locked cabinet, not a drawer everyone knows about.

4Exits and code compliance

Every marked exit opens from inside in one motion, no key, no knowledge, no strength.
Panic bars work: press, release, relatch. Test each one, not just the nearest.
No exit is blocked by stock, seasonal displays, or the chair nobody moved.
Exit signage is lit and visible with the lights off.

5Access control

Codes and badges are personal, not shared, so access can be revoked per person.
The keypad code changed after the last staff turnover, not three managers ago.
Doors held open by magnets or props during the day actually relock at close.
Camera views cover the doors, and someone has checked the footage actually records.

6Procedures

Closing staff follow a written lock-up list, not memory and habit.
One person owns the security walk-through, monthly, with this list in hand.
The contact for lock failures is decided before the 7 AM call, not during it.
After any break-in attempt, damaged locks are replaced the same week, not patched.

Failed a point? What each fix involves

Nearly every item on this list resolves with a standard commercial job: a rekey when key control is gone, a panic bar repair when an exit fails the one-motion test, a master key system when everyone carries a ring of mystery keys, or access control when shared codes have outlived their usefulness. The commercial locksmith page covers the full catalog, or call (469) 712-5422 and a tech walks the property with you.

Checklist FAQ

How often should a business run this checklist?

Monthly is the honest cadence for the walk-through items, and immediately after any staff departure that involved keys or codes. The full list takes about twenty minutes with a clipboard.

What is the most commonly failed point?

Key control. Most businesses cannot name everyone who holds a key, because copies accumulate over years of turnover. A rekey resets the answer to a list you actually control, and a restricted keyway keeps it that way.

Can Apex Locksmith Pros do this walk-through with us?

Yes. A tech walks the property, tests every door and exit device against this list, and quotes flat prices for anything that fails. You get the findings whether or not you book the fixes.

What does fixing a failed point usually involve?

Most findings resolve with a rekey, a cylinder or strike replacement, a door closer adjustment, or a panic bar repair, each a same-day job. The expensive problems are the ones that sat unfixed until they became a break-in or a code citation.