Start with the door, not the lock
The most expensive mistake we see on business doors is a lock bought first and a door measured second. A residential deadbolt from a hardware store may not fit a 2-inch-thick metal door, may not suit a fire-rated opening, and may leave staff with a lock they cannot legally use during business hours.
So we spec commercial deadbolt locks in a fixed order. First the door: its material, thickness, any fire rating, and how many times a day it opens. Then the people: who must get out, who needs keys, and whether anyone needs to enter with a card or code. Only then the hardware.
What we record before choosing hardware
- Door material and thickness, and whether it carries a fire-rating label
- Backset needed, since commercial hardware comes in more than the residential two
- Whether the door is a required exit and how many people use it
- Who needs keys now, and who might need them in a year
- Whether the door has, or will have, a card reader or keypad
Commercial deadbolt locks and the grades that matter
Commercial deadbolts are usually rated under ANSI/BHMA A156.36, the auxiliary lock standard. BHMA's public summary says Grade 1 deadlocks must pass 250,000 cycles and seven security tests. Mortise locks are graded under A156.13, where Grade 1 means 1,000,000 cycles with a 10 lb load.
Commercial lines also cover more doors. Schlage's B600 deadbolt, for example, fits doors 1-5/8" to 2" thick and comes in fixed backsets of 2-3/8", 2-3/4", 3-3/4" and 5", plus an adjustable version. It has a 1" throw and a hardened anti-saw pin in the bolt.
One detail catches buyers out: the cylinder can change the grade. Schlage rates the B600 Grade 1 with a conventional cylinder, Grade 2 with a full-size interchangeable core and Grade 3 with a small-format interchangeable core. Our guide to ANSI/BHMA grades explains the grading scales themselves.
Mortise, cylindrical, rim: choosing the body style
The lock body decides how much of the door is cut away and how much strength you get in return. These are the styles we install on business doors.
| Style | How it mounts | Strengths | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortise | A pocket cut into the door edge holds the whole lock case | Schlage calls mortise locks the most secure type; can combine latch, deadlocking latch and deadbolt | Main entrances, high-traffic doors |
| Small-case mortise deadbolt | A smaller pocket, deadbolt only | Schlage's L400: 1" stainless bolt, A156.36 Grade 1, UL listed for 3-hour fire doors | Doors that do not need to latch, multi-stall restroom entrances, utility rooms |
| Cylindrical latch plus bored deadbolt | Two round bores, like a home door | Simpler and less invasive to install | Offices, back-of-house doors |
| Interconnected lock | Latch and deadbolt linked inside the door | One motion retracts both for faster egress | Doors where people must get out quickly |
| Rim deadbolt | Surface-mounted on the inside face, cylinder through the door | No large pocket in the door | Doors too thin or awkward to bore deeply |
A standard auxiliary deadbolt needs a deliberate action to extend and retract and cannot lock itself, which is why it is often paired with a self-latching lock on the same door.
Order by ANSI function number, not by description
"Single cylinder" and "keyed both sides" mean different things to different suppliers. ANSI function numbers remove the guesswork by defining exactly how each side of the lock operates.
On Schlage's B600 line, the numbers map like this: B660 single cylinder is E0151, B662 double cylinder is E0141, B663 classroom deadbolt is E0171, and B680 door bolt is E0191. When we quote, we list the function number, so what arrives is what was agreed. A keyed-both-sides function on an exit door brings its own code questions, covered on our page about double cylinder deadbolt installs.
Egress rules for business doors
Commercial occupancies have a specific allowance for key-operated locks. The 2024 International Building Code, section 1010.2.4 item 3, applies it to the main doors of Group A occupancies with 300 or fewer occupants, Groups B, F, M and S, and places of religious worship.
The conditions are strict. The door must be the main exterior door or main tenant-space door, the lock must be readily distinguishable as locked, and a durable sign on or next to the door must read "THIS DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED WHEN THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED" in 1-inch letters on a contrasting background. The building official can revoke the allowance for due cause.
NFPA 101 has a similar provision and adds that a key must be immediately available to any occupant inside while the door is locked. An egress-side thumbturn deadbolt is not a key-operated lock under these rules, but it still has requirements of its own, such as being the only locking device unless two releasing motions are permitted, and being mounted 34 to 48 inches above the floor.
Storefront doors
Aluminum and glass storefront entrances are where the key-operated allowance most often comes into play, since they are usually the main door. They also have narrow frames that limit which deadbolts fit. Our Deadbolt Fixers technicians assess the frame on site and only quote hardware made for that door type.
Accessibility: operable parts under the ADA
The 2010 ADA Standards treat locks as operable parts. Section 404.2.7 requires handles, latches, locks and other operable parts on doors to comply with section 309.4: operable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and needing no more than 5 pounds of force.
The same section places those parts between 34 and 48 inches above the finish floor, with limited exceptions. In practice, that rules out small thumb turns that need a pinch grip on doors covered by the standards, and it puts a high-mounted extra bolt out of bounds. We plan hardware around these limits from the first visit.
Access control: fail safe or fail secure
Card readers and keypads work with electrified or electronic locks. Electrified locks are mechanical locks with an added motor or solenoid, so they need external power and a controller. In a physical access control system, the lock releases when a credential is presented to a reader on the wall.
Every electrified lock has to answer one question: what happens when the power goes out? A fail safe lock unlocks without power. A fail secure lock stays locked. Magnetic locks, which have no moving parts, suit fail safe uses where code allows. The relevant BHMA standards are A156.25 for electrified locking devices, A156.23 for electromagnetic locks and A156.31 for electric strikes.
Electronic locks can also be battery powered and standalone, which suits a single office door without a building-wide system.
What drives the cost of commercial deadbolt locks
The biggest factors are the body style, the grade, the cylinder or core type, and whether the door needs new prep or electrified hardware with power and a controller. Keying several doors into one system at the same visit also changes the total. Our deadbolt installation cost guide shows how quotes are built and which national price figures are published.
Keeping track of staff keys
Commercial deadbolt locks are only as secure as the keys handed out to staff, cleaners and contractors. Schlage's key system guidance recommends a written key control policy naming who may authorize new keys, and issuing master and grand master keys only on actual need.
On an interchangeable core system, a separate control key removes and installs cores, so a lost key can be handled by swapping cores instead of replacing hardware. On conventional cylinders, rekeying the affected locks does the same job. For tighter control over copies, a restricted keyway with UL 437 cylinders stops duplicates being cut without authorization, and shared keying across your doors cuts down the number of keys each person carries.
Field tip: photograph three things before you call
Before you request a quote for commercial deadbolt locks, take three photos of each door: the edge with the door open, the inside face, and any label on the hinge edge or frame. Note the door thickness if you can measure it.
Those photos usually tell us the body style, the backset and whether the door is fire-rated, which means the first visit can be the install visit instead of a measuring trip.
Next step
Talk to a Deadbolt Fixers specialist
Tell us about the door, the lock and what is going wrong. We will tell you what the job involves before any work starts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between commercial and residential deadbolts?
Commercial deadbolts are built and tested for heavier use, typically to ANSI/BHMA A156.36 Grade 1, and come in more backsets, door thicknesses and functions. Schlage's B600, for example, is made for doors 1-5/8" to 2" thick, beyond the 1-3/8" to 1-3/4" range many residential deadbolts are made for.
What do ANSI function numbers on a deadbolt mean?
They are standardized codes for how a lock operates from each side. On Schlage's B600 line, E0151 is the single cylinder function and E0141 is the double cylinder function, so ordering by number avoids mix-ups.
Is a mortise deadbolt better than a cylindrical lock for a business?
Mortise locks are the stronger choice; Schlage calls them the most secure type of lock. Cylindrical locks are simpler and less invasive to install, so they suit doors where heavy hardware is not justified.
Do businesses need a sign on a door with a key-operated deadbolt?
Where the IBC or NFPA 101 key-operated lock allowance is used on a main door, a sign reading "THIS DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED WHEN THIS SPACE IS OCCUPIED" in 1-inch letters is one of the conditions. Your local code official decides whether the allowance applies to your building.
What is the difference between fail safe and fail secure?
A fail safe electrified lock unlocks when power is lost, and a fail secure lock stays locked. Which one a door needs depends on whether it is an egress route and what your local code requires.
Can a deadbolt connect to an access control system?
Yes, through electrified or electronic locks that release when a credential is presented to a reader. They can be hardwired or battery powered, and either networked to a central system or standalone.
What makes door hardware meet ADA operable part rules?
Under the 2010 ADA Standards, locks and other operable parts must work with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and with no more than 5 pounds of force.
How high should a deadbolt be mounted on a commercial door?
The 2010 ADA Standards place door operable parts between 34 and 48 inches above the finish floor, with limited exceptions. Egress-side thumbturns are commonly held to the same 34 to 48 inch range.
Who should hold master keys in a small business?
As few people as possible. Schlage's key system guidance says master and grand master keys should be issued only on actual need, under a written policy naming who can authorize new keys.
What should a business do when an employee leaves with a key?
Rekey the cylinders that key operated, or swap the cores on an interchangeable core system using the control key. Then update your key log so you know who holds every remaining key.
Do electrified locks need their own power supply?
Electrified locks do, because they are mechanical locks with an added motor or solenoid that needs external power and a controller. Battery-powered electronic locks are the alternative for a door without wiring.
Can a storefront door stay locked with a deadbolt while the shop is open?
Not under the IBC and NFPA 101 key-operated lock allowance, which requires the door to stay unlocked whenever the space is occupied. The deadbolt is for locking up after hours.
Why do commercial deadbolts come in so many backsets?
Commercial doors and frames vary more than house doors, so lines like Schlage's B600 offer fixed backsets of 2-3/8", 2-3/4", 3-3/4" and 5" plus an adjustable version. The backset must match the door's prep or existing holes.