We service commercial properties across Johnson County — offices in Overland Park, retail spaces in Olathe, restaurants in Leawood, warehouses in Lenexa. And across all of them, we see the same security gaps over and over again. Most business owners aren’t security professionals, and that’s fine. But many of the vulnerabilities we find are simple to fix once you know what to look for.
This is the checklist we run through during a commercial security assessment. Walk through it yourself, and you’ll be surprised how many apply to your business.
Why This Matters
According to FBI data, burglary and property crime affect small businesses disproportionately. Small businesses are targeted because they typically have fewer security measures than large corporations, often contain valuable inventory or cash, and many close for extended periods overnight and on weekends. The average loss from a commercial burglary isn’t just the stolen property — it includes the cost of repairs, business disruption, insurance deductible, and the time spent dealing with the aftermath.
The good news: most commercial break-ins are opportunistic, not planned. They exploit basic weaknesses. Addressing the 12 items on this list eliminates the majority of those weaknesses.
Exterior: Your First Line of Defense
1. Front Door Hardware Grade
Commercial doors should have ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 hardware — the highest commercial rating. Many businesses, especially those in strip malls or converted retail spaces, still have residential-grade (Grade 3) or light commercial (Grade 2) hardware that was installed when the space was built out. Grade 1 locks are designed to withstand significantly more force and have longer-lasting mechanisms. If you can wiggle your front door lock or the deadbolt has less than a 1-inch throw, it’s probably not Grade 1.
2. Door Frame and Strike Plate
This is the single most common vulnerability we find. A commercial-grade deadbolt installed into a weak frame with short screws is only as strong as the frame itself. We routinely find commercial doors with strike plates attached by 3/4-inch screws that barely reach the door jamb, let alone the structural framing. Replacing these with 3-inch hardened screws and a reinforced strike plate is one of the simplest and most effective security upgrades any business can make.
3. Back and Side Doors
Many business owners focus their security attention on the front entrance and neglect secondary doors. The back door that opens to a loading area or employee parking lot is often the weakest entry point. We commonly find back doors with no deadbolt at all — just a doorknob lock — or with deadbolts that haven’t been re-keyed since the last tenant occupied the space. Every exterior door should have a commercial-grade deadbolt and should be rekeyed whenever there is tenant turnover.
4. Hinge Security
If any of your exterior doors swing outward (which is common for fire code compliance), the hinges are exposed on the outside. An intruder can simply pop the hinge pins out and remove the door from the hinge side, completely bypassing the lock. The fix is straightforward: install security hinges with non-removable pins, or add hinge bolts (also called door dogs) that interlock the door and frame even when hinge pins are removed.
Many businesses share a building with other tenants and assume the building management handles security for shared doors, stairwells, and utility areas. In most commercial leases, the tenant is responsible for their own suite’s security. Don’t assume — check your lease and inspect your own perimeter.
Access Control: Who Gets In
5. Key Control
Ask yourself: how many copies of your business keys exist, and who has them? In many businesses we service, the answer is “I don’t know.” Keys get copied by employees, given to contractors, left with cleaning services, and forgotten about when people leave the company. If you can’t account for every copy of your keys, it’s time to rekey or implement a restricted keyway system that prevents unauthorized duplication.
6. Employee Turnover Protocol
When an employee leaves — especially one who was terminated — what happens to their access? Many businesses collect keys and badge cards but don’t rekey the locks. If the former employee ever made a copy of the key (which is easy with standard keyways), they still have access. Establish a protocol: every time a keyholder departs under anything other than fully amicable circumstances, rekey the affected locks.
7. After-Hours Access Management
Cleaning crews, maintenance workers, and delivery services often have keys or access to your business during off-hours. Who are these people? Have they been vetted? Do they have access to more of your space than they need? Restricted keyways, master key systems, and electronic access control can all help segment after-hours access so that each service provider can only reach the areas they need.
8. Master Key System Integrity
If your business uses a master key system (one master key opens all doors, with individual keys for specific areas), when was it last audited? Master key systems can become compromised over time as keys are copied, locks are replaced without maintaining the system, or pinning mistakes are made. A compromised master system may allow individual keys to open doors they shouldn’t. If your system is more than five years old and hasn’t been audited, it’s worth having a locksmith inspect it.
Interior & Operations
9. Server Room and Sensitive Areas
If your business has a server room, a room with safes, a pharmacy, a controlled substance area, or any space with high-value or sensitive contents, that room should have a separate lock with restricted access — not the same key that opens the front door. Ideally, it should have a commercial-grade deadbolt with a restricted keyway, and access should be limited to specific named individuals with logged key distribution.
10. Panic Hardware (Push Bars)
If your business has panic hardware (push bar exit devices) on any doors, check that they’re functioning properly. The bar should push smoothly, the latch should retract fully, and the door should close and latch securely when released. Panic hardware that sticks, doesn’t latch, or doesn’t close properly is both a security vulnerability and a fire code violation. These devices need periodic maintenance — the springs and mechanisms wear over time.
11. Window Security
Ground-floor and accessible windows are often overlooked in security planning. Standard window locks are minimal deterrents at best. For ground-floor businesses, consider window security film (which holds glass together when broken, preventing easy entry), window bars or grilles (if aesthetics and code allow), or simply ensuring that windows are locked every night as part of closing procedure. Many commercial break-ins in the KC metro involve smashing a side or rear window rather than attacking the door.
12. Emergency Lockout Plan
What happens when an employee loses a key, a lock malfunctions at 6 AM before opening, or someone gets locked out after hours? Having a locksmith relationship established before an emergency happens means faster response and no scrambling to find a reputable provider at the worst possible time. Keep your locksmith’s number in multiple employees’ phones, posted in the break room, and in your business continuity documentation.
Walk through this list and count how many items apply to your business. If you score 3 or fewer gaps, you’re ahead of most businesses we see. If you’re at 5+, consider scheduling a professional security assessment. We can prioritize which fixes matter most for your specific situation.
Taking Action
You don’t need to fix everything at once. Start with the highest-impact items: door frame reinforcement, key control, and back door hardware. These three alone address the most common break-in methods and can typically be resolved in a single visit.
After that, work through the remaining items based on your specific risk profile. A retail store with inventory has different priorities than a law office with client files. A restaurant with daily cash has different needs than a warehouse with heavy equipment. The right approach is tailored to your business.
Want a professional security assessment? We offer on-site commercial security evaluations for businesses across Johnson County. We’ll walk through your property, identify vulnerabilities, and recommend solutions based on your specific needs and budget. Call (913) 530-9874 or schedule online.