How to request and compare access control quotes: a checklist

Before you ask: what to prepare

• A list of doors with location, material, existing lock and whether each is an emergency exit.
• Number of users and groups (staff, cleaners, contractors, visitors).
• Schedules, and whether there are shifts or holiday access.
• What you want to know: just opening, or also who went through, with alerts.
• What already exists: network, comms cabinet, cards, video intercom, fire panel.
• Plans or photos of each door from both sides.

The more specific the request, the fewer "to be confirmed on site" items in the offer.

Twelve points for comparing offers

1. Scope per door. What does each get: reader, lock, contact, exit button?
2. Make and model of every item, not generic descriptions.
3. Credential technology and number of cards included.
4. Software: one-off licence or fee, users and doors included, and who owns the licence.
5. Building work and cabling: included or not, and how it is finished.
6. Backup power: is there a battery, and how long does it last?
7. Evacuation: how people get out of each door and what happens on a fire alarm (why it matters).
8. Commissioning and training: hours included.
9. Documentation: drawings, administrator credentials and manuals handed to you.
10. Warranty on equipment and installation.
11. Maintenance: what it covers, response time and price (what it should cover).
12. Timing and terms: start date, duration and payment terms.

Red flags

• A one-line offer: "access control system, X doors".
• 125 kHz cards in a new installation (why to avoid them).
• The installer keeps the administrator credentials.
• Nobody asks about emergency exits.
• Biometrics proposed with no mention of data protection.

Questions worth asking

• Is the system open, or does it only work with this brand's hardware?
• Who do I call if a door fails, and how quickly do they respond?
• What will it cost to add a door in a year's time?
• What happens to the data if I change supplier?
• If you are not fluent in Spanish: can the quote, handover and training be in English?

And the price

Compare it last, with everything above levelled and five years of fees and maintenance added. The factors are in what access control costs.

If you would like to include us in the comparison, request a quote: we itemise it per door, in English if you prefer.