Home Security Assessment
Free - $75 | 30-60 minutes | Available 24/7
Triton Locksmith walks through your property and evaluates every lock, door, window, and entry point. We tell you what's strong, what's weak, and exactly what to fix with estimated costs. Free when combined with any service call. Standalone assessments run up to $75.
What Does Triton Locksmith Check During a Home Security Assessment?
Every single entry point on your property. We test each lock's grade and condition, check strike plate screw length, evaluate door frame integrity, test window locks on ground-floor windows, and check whether your sliding doors have security bars. The whole process takes 30-60 minutes depending on the size of the home.
Here's our complete checklist:
- Front door: Lock grade (1, 2, or 3), deadbolt condition, strike plate screw length, door frame integrity, hinge pin exposure
- Back door: Same checks as front door plus visibility from neighbors (isolated back doors are higher risk)
- Garage door: T-handle or slide bolt lock present? Emergency release cord accessible from outside? Interior door (garage to house) has a deadbolt?
- Sliding glass doors: Mortise lock functional? Security bar in track? Auxiliary foot lock installed?
- Ground-floor windows: All latches functional? Secondary locks (pin locks) installed? Vulnerable to reach-through on thumb-turn deadbolts nearby?
- Side gates: Locked? Self-closing hinges on pool gates? Height compliant?
- Less obvious stuff: Hinge pins exposed on exterior doors (can be popped with a screwdriver). Glass panels next to thumb-turn deadbolts (break glass, reach through, turn the thumb turn). Spare key hidden outside (under the mat, in a fake rock). Overgrown landscaping concealing entry points.
What Do You Get After the Assessment?
A prioritized list of recommendations with estimated costs for each fix. Not a sales pitch. We rank every finding by two factors: how much risk it actually creates and how much it costs to fix. The $25 security bar for your sliding door might matter more than the $300 high-security deadbolt. We tell you that.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 66% of residential burglaries are preventable with basic security improvements. Our assessment tells you which improvements give you the most protection per dollar. Most homes have $200-$500 worth of fixes that dramatically reduce break-in risk.
The written report includes:
- Every entry point inspected with pass/fail status
- Risk level for each finding (high, medium, low)
- Recommended fix with estimated cost
- Priority order (what to fix first vs what can wait)
- Total estimated cost to address all findings
Keep this report for your records. Some insurance companies offer premium discounts for documented security improvements. The report gives your agent something concrete to review.
How Much Does a Home Security Assessment Cost?
Free when combined with any service call. $75 standalone. If you're already calling us for rekeying, lock installation, or any other service, the assessment is free. We walk through the house while we're there. No extra charge.
If you just want the assessment by itself without any other service, it's $75 for a standard home. Larger properties (5,000+ sq ft or multiple buildings) may be slightly more depending on the number of entry points. Either way, there's zero obligation to buy anything based on our findings.
What Are the Most Common Security Weaknesses We Find?
These are the top 5 issues we find in South Florida homes, ranked by how often we see them:
- Strike plates with short screws (90% of homes): Factory 3/4-inch screws that don't reach the wall stud. One solid kick and the door opens. Fix: $15-$25 for longer screws. Takes 5 minutes per door. This is the cheapest, fastest, and most impactful upgrade.
- No deadbolt on the garage-to-house door (70% of homes): Just a knob lock that can be bypassed with a credit card. Fix: deadbolt installation $85-$200.
- Sliding glass door without a security bar (65% of homes): Factory latch is the only defense. Fix: security bar $25-$40.
- Builder-grade locks (Grade 3) on exterior doors (60% of homes): Cheapest hardware the builder could buy. Easy to pick, bump, and force. Fix: upgrade to Grade 1 $120-$200 per door.
- Ground-floor windows without secondary locks (50% of homes): Factory latch only. Fix: pin locks or window locks $15-$25 per window.
Total cost to fix all five on a typical 4-door, 8-window home: $400-$700. That's less than one insurance deductible. And it makes your home dramatically harder to break into.
When Should You Get a Home Security Assessment?
Four key times:
- Just bought a home: You don't know what the previous owner did or didn't do. Get the assessment when you rekey the locks.
- After a break-in or attempted break-in: Understand exactly how they got in (or tried to) and close that vulnerability plus any others.
- Before a long vacation: Make sure everything is locked, functional, and as secure as possible before the house sits empty. See our vacation security checklist.
- Every 3-5 years: Hardware degrades. South Florida weather is brutal on locks. A periodic check catches problems before they become failures.
Will Triton Locksmith Try to Upsell Me During the Assessment?
No. If your $40 Schlage deadbolt is doing its job, we'll say so. We don't replace things that work. We don't push high-security hardware on homes that don't need it. The assessment identifies real vulnerabilities with real cost estimates. You decide what to fix and when. We give you the information. The decisions are yours.
Our business model is based on trust, not upselling. We have 252 five-star Google reviews because people trust us. We'd rather earn your referral than squeeze an extra $200 out of one visit.
Where Does Triton Locksmith Offer Home Security Assessments?
Any home in Broward or Palm Beach County. Houses, condos, townhouses, and duplexes. We service Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and 43 other cities. 20-minute response. Call (561) 524-8500 to schedule.
Common Questions
Is the security assessment really free?
It's free when combined with any service call (rekeying, lock install, lockout, etc.). If you just want the assessment by itself without any other service, it's $75. Either way, there's zero obligation to buy anything.
How long does the assessment take?
30-60 minutes depending on the size of your home. A typical 3-bedroom house takes about 40 minutes. We check every exterior entry point plus interior doors that need locks (home office, gun room, etc.).
Will you try to upsell me on expensive locks?
No. We'll tell you what you need and give you options at different price points. If your $40 Schlage deadbolt is doing its job, we'll say so. We don't replace things that work.
Do you provide a written report?
Yes. You get a written summary of every finding with our recommendation, the security risk level, and the estimated cost to fix. Keep it for reference or share it with your insurance company.
Can the assessment lower my home insurance?
Possibly. Some insurance companies offer discounts for documented security improvements. The written report from our assessment gives your agent something concrete to review.
How long does a home security assessment take?
30-60 minutes depending on the size of your home. A typical 3-bedroom house takes about 40 minutes. Larger homes with more entry points and outbuildings take up to an hour.
Do you check windows during the assessment?
Yes. Every ground-floor window latch is tested. We also check for opportunities to add secondary window locks (pin locks) and identify windows near thumb-turn deadbolts that could be broken for reach-through access.
What's the most common problem you find?
Short strike plate screws on every exterior door. 90% of homes have the factory 3/4-inch screws that don't reach the wall stud. Replacing them with 3-inch screws costs $15-$25 total and takes 5 minutes. It's the single most impactful security upgrade for the lowest cost.
Can you fix the problems you find during the same visit?
Most of them, yes. We carry locks, deadbolts, strike plates, security bars, and window locks in the van. Simple fixes like strike plate screw upgrades and security bar installation happen on the spot. Larger jobs like deadbolt installs or smart lock setups can usually be done the same visit too.
Do you assess condos and apartments too?
Yes. Condos typically have fewer entry points (front door, sliding door, maybe a service door) so the assessment is quicker. We still check every lock, the sliding door hardware, and any shared-access areas that affect your unit's security.
Should I get an assessment before going on vacation?
Good idea. An empty house is a target. The assessment identifies any weak points before you leave. We can fix them on the spot so your home is secured before you head to the airport. See our vacation security checklist for the full protocol.
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(561) 524-8500