Access Control Installation
What a commercial install involves, and what each part of a door costs at list — controllers, readers, locks, and licenses. HTS is a Verkada Diamond Plus partner installing across PA, NJ, and DE.
The short answer
A commercial access control install has four priced parts per door: a controller, a reader, the electric strike or lock, and a door license. At US list, controller capacity costs $899 for a single door, $1,999 for four doors, and $5,999 for sixteen; a multi-format reader is $349; a Grade 1 cylindrical lock is $1,399 if the door needs one; and the door license is $249 per door per year, or $599 for three years. Labor depends on the door — construction, wiring path, and whether a fire-alarm release is required — so it is quoted per site rather than published as a flat per-door rate.
Figures are Verkada US list prices effective June 5, 2026. HTS is a Verkada Diamond Plus partner and installs access control in-house across PA, NJ, and DE. A site quote separates hardware, licenses, and labor so you can see what each part of the install costs.
What one door costs at list
| Component | Part | List price |
|---|---|---|
| 1-door controller | AC12 | $899 |
| 4-door controller | AC42 | $1,999 |
| 16-door controller | AC62 | $5,999 |
| Multi-format card reader | AD34 | $349 |
| Reader with keypad | AD64 | $599 |
| Grade 1 cylindrical lock (if needed) | AL54 series | $1,399 |
| Door license, 1-year term | LIC-AC-1Y | $249 / door / yr |
| Door license, 3-year term | LIC-AC-3Y | $599 per door |
Source: Verkada Reseller US Pricebook (Diamond Plus partners), effective June 5, 2026. Controllers are PoE and need no dedicated server — they connect straight to Command.
A real 4-door example
A four-door office suite using a single 4-door controller, one reader per door, and the doors' existing electric strikes:
| Line item | Quantity | Unit (list) | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC42 4-door controller | 1 | $1,999 | $1,999 |
| AD34 card reader | 4 | $349 | $1,396 |
| 3-year door license | 4 | $599 | $2,396 |
| Hardware + licenses, 3 years | $5,791 |
About $1,448 per door over three years, before tax and shipping.
If two of those doors also need new Grade 1 locks (2 × $1,399 = $2,798), the same project is $8,589. That is the swing in any access quote: the electronics are predictable, the doors are not. Strike type, door material, wire path to the reader, request-to-exit devices, and fire-alarm integration for magnetic locks are what the site survey prices.
What the installation involves
- Door survey. We walk every door and record construction, existing strike or lock, wiring path, and egress hardware.
- Design and BOM. Controller placement (one controller serves doors within roughly a cable run of each other), reader selection, credential plan.
- Cabling and device install. PoE to the controller, reader and strike wiring at each door, request-to-exit and door-position switches.
- Fire and egress compliance. Maglocks get release tied to the fire alarm; free egress is never blocked.
- Commissioning. Doors built in Verkada Command, schedules and access groups set, test badges issued.
- Handover. Credentials distributed, admin training, documentation of every door and device.
Credentials and add-ons
| Item | List price |
|---|---|
| Desfire EV3 encrypted cards, pack of 100 | $799 |
| Proximity cards, pack of 100 | $599 |
| Mobile NFC credential, 20 users, 1-year term | $199 / yr |
| Video intercom reader (TD53), 3-year license | $1,199 |
| Cellular backup for controllers (1-year) | $299 / yr |
Encrypted cards (Desfire EV3) are the standard for new installs; prox cards suit sites standardizing on legacy HID formats.
Common questions
- “I already have Verkada cameras.” Access control runs in the same Command organization — one login, door video on the door page, no new server.
- “My doors are old.” Old doors usually keep their hardware; the AL54 lock or a strike swap is quoted per door after the survey, not assumed.
- “What about the system I have now?” Existing Wiegand readers can often stay on a Verkada controller, which protects the cards your staff already carry.
- “Who watches it?” HTS manages licenses, firmware, and health monitoring under a managed plan — or hands you the keys after commissioning. Your call.
Browse the hardware
The access control catalog is open in the HTS store — controllers, readers, locks, and licenses, with quotes from the product page.
Where to go next
Comparing platforms? Read the access control systems overview and the Verkada pricing breakdown, or the Verkada platform overview. For platform features and implementation detail, see the Verkada access control guide on the HTS blog.