Each door is a kit — reader, strike, controller, cable, and programming time.
Photo: Unsplash / Danist Soh
How-to · 2026-10-12
Access control for SMB security companies: quoting without guesswork
How small security companies scope door access control — readers, controllers, credentials, and labour — for cleaner proposals.
By Linki Security
Access control jobs stall when the proposal mixes doors, credentials, and labour into one vague number. Treat every opening as a kit.
Per-door building blocks
- Reader / keypad / mobile credential
- Lock hardware (strike, maglock, exit device interfaces)
- Controller / door module and power supply
- Cable, raceway, and fire-alarm interface if required
- Programming, training, and as-built documentation
Questions that change price
- Fail-safe vs fail-secure expectations
- Existing door hardware condition
- Cloud vs on-prem software fees
- How many credentials / mobile licenses year one
Tie access to video when it helps the sale
Many SMB buyers want door events next to video surveillance clips. Quote integration as an explicit line — don’t bury it in “misc labour.”
From survey to PDF
Use Linki to keep equipment, labour, and notes as separate editable lines. Your techs see costs; customers see a professional proposal without margin leakage.