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Crenshaw Lock

Panic Bar Installation in Santa Monica · 24/7 mobile

Panic Bar Installation in Santa Monica, CA

Crenshaw Lock Company provides panic bar installation and exit device repair throughout Santa Monica, California, 24/7. Our fully mobile technicians come to your restaurant, shop, office, or studio and fit emergency-exit hardware that works. Call (323) 997-8867 to talk with a locksmith about your door.

  • Mobile to your Santa Monica location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Commercial double exit doors fitted with horizontal panic bars
Open now(323) 997-8867

A panic bar is the one piece of hardware on a commercial door that has to work every single time, under stress, for people who have never touched it before. In Santa Monica that covers a lot of ground: restaurants and bars off Ocean Avenue, retail units along the Third Street Promenade, creative offices in Bergamot Station's orbit, fitness studios on Montana Avenue, and classrooms and event spaces near Santa Monica College. Each has a back or side door that must open from the inside with a single push, while still keeping the building secure from the outside.

Crenshaw Lock Company has been serving Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and owner and lead tech David Shar has spent decades around exit devices of every type: rim devices, surface and concealed vertical rod, mortise-lock versions, and the less common ones tied into alarms or access control. We install new panic bars where a door has none, replace worn or non-functioning units, and repair bars that stick, rattle, fail to latch, or no longer retract fully.

We are fully mobile. There is no storefront to visit; we bring the hardware knowledge and tools to your door at any hour, including after your shift ends or before the morning rush. Because Santa Monica sits right on the coast, we also pay close attention to how salt air treats exit hardware over time, and we talk through finishes and materials with you instead of simply handing you the cheapest option.

How it works in Santa Monica

  1. 1

    Talk through the door and the use

    Call (323) 997-8867 and tell us about the door: whether it is wood, hollow metal, or an aluminum storefront, whether it is single or double, and what the space is used for. We ask whether it is a main exit, a back-of-house door, or a stairwell, because that shapes which device makes sense.

  2. 2

    On-site assessment

    A technician comes to your location and inspects the door, frame, hinges, and any existing hardware. We check that the door swings properly, that the frame is sound, and that there is clearance for the device. Salt-air corrosion on hinges and strikes is something we look for on coastal buildings.

  3. 3

    Choose the right device

    We explain options such as rim exit devices, vertical rod devices for double doors, and mortise-style units, along with trim choices, outside key cylinders, and finishes. If your door is part of a fire-rated opening or your building has special requirements, we flag that so the hardware you pick suits the opening. Your local building and fire officials remain the authority on what your space must meet.

  4. 4

    Installation and alignment

    We mount the device, fit the strike, and set the latch so the door closes and secures cleanly. On aluminum storefront doors we use hardware and fastening methods suited to the thin stile. We make sure the bar depresses smoothly and the door releases without force.

  5. 5

    Test, key, and hand over

    We test the push-through release repeatedly, check the outside trim or cylinder, and confirm the door re-latches properly. If you want the outside cylinder keyed to your existing system or rekeyed, we handle that at the same visit. We then show you how to adjust or dog the device, if applicable, and what to watch for.

  6. 6

    Follow-up repairs and maintenance

    Exit hardware works hard. If a bar starts to stick or a latch wears, call us and we repair or replace parts rather than push a full replacement when it is not needed.

Need panic bar installation in Santa Monica?

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What affects the price

  • The type of device: a basic rim exit device differs from a vertical rod set for double doors or a mortise-lock version, and each takes different parts and labor.
  • The door material and condition: hollow metal, solid wood, and thin aluminum storefront stiles each need different mounting methods, and a damaged door or frame may need prep work first.
  • Whether you are installing new or replacing: a first-time installation may need drilling, reinforcement, and strike work, while a like-for-like swap is usually simpler.
  • Fire rating and code considerations: rated openings call for specific listed hardware, which can narrow the product choices.
  • Finish and corrosion resistance: coastal buildings often benefit from more durable finishes, which can change the cost of the hardware.
  • Extras such as outside cylinders, rekeying, alarm or access-control integration, and the time of day you need the work done.

Why Santa Monica chooses us

  • We have served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, so exit devices on older coastal buildings and newer commercial spaces are familiar territory.
  • Owner and lead tech David Shar is directly involved, so you are dealing with someone accountable for the work.
  • We are 24/7 and fully mobile, so an exit door that will not latch does not have to wait for business hours.
  • We handle the whole door: panic bar, outside cylinder, strike, closer adjustment, and rekeying, so you do not have to coordinate several vendors.
  • We tell you plainly when repair is enough and when replacement is the better call, and we keep code decisions with the officials who own them.
  • We think about salt air from the start, discussing finishes and materials for doors that face the coast.

Panic Bar Installation across Santa Monica

Santa Monica's commercial doors live in a particular environment. Ocean breezes carry salt that works into hinges, strikes, and latch mechanisms, and a panic bar on a back alley door behind a Third Street Promenade shop or an Ocean Avenue restaurant can start sticking long before it looks worn. We regularly see exit hardware that has seized or stopped retracting fully because of corrosion, and choosing a more durable finish at installation helps.

Our work spans the city's mix of buildings. In Downtown and around Santa Monica Place, we deal with mixed-use buildings and retail units with aluminum storefront doors, where narrow stiles limit which devices fit. Along Montana Avenue and in North of Montana, boutiques, studios, and offices often occupy older buildings with doors that need careful fitting. Over in Pico, Wilmont, and Sunset Park, small businesses, workshops, and multi-unit buildings need dependable exit hardware on side and rear doors, and Ocean Park's mix of cafes and older structures brings its own quirks.

We serve all of Santa Monica's ZIP codes, including 90401 downtown, 90402 north of Montana, 90403, 90404 near Santa Monica College and the Bergamot area, and 90405 around Ocean Park and Pico. Whether your building is near Lincoln Boulevard, Wilshire, or the Pier, call (323) 997-8867 and we will come to you, any hour.

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Other Santa Monica locksmith services

See all of our Santa Monica services, or our citywide panic bar installation page.

Panic Bar Installation in Santa Monica — FAQs

What is a panic bar and when do I need one?
A panic bar, or exit device, lets people leave a building by pushing a horizontal bar rather than turning a knob. Many commercial and assembly spaces need them on certain exits. Your local building and fire officials decide what applies to your space, and we can install the hardware once you know what is required. Call (323) 997-8867 to discuss your door.
Can you install a panic bar on an aluminum storefront door?
Yes. Storefront doors have narrow stiles, so we use devices designed for them and mount them with fastening methods suited to thin aluminum. It is common for Santa Monica retail units, including those on the Third Street Promenade.
Do you repair existing panic bars or only install new ones?
We do both. Bars that stick, rattle, will not latch, or do not fully retract can often be repaired by replacing worn parts or adjusting the strike and latch. If a unit is too corroded or worn, we will explain why replacement is the better choice.
Does salt air really affect exit hardware?
It can. Coastal air speeds up corrosion on latches, springs, hinges, and strikes. Choosing durable finishes and keeping hardware adjusted helps. We discuss this with Santa Monica clients when selecting a device.
Can the outside of the door still be locked?
Yes. Exit devices can be paired with outside trim or a key cylinder so the door stays secure from the outside while still opening freely from the inside. We can key the cylinder to match your existing system.
Are you available outside business hours?
Yes, we are 24/7 and fully mobile. If an exit door will not latch or a bar has failed, call (323) 997-8867 any time and we will arrange to come to your location.
Do you handle double doors?
Yes. Double doors often use vertical rod devices or a combination with a removable mullion. We assess the opening and recommend a setup that latches properly and releases cleanly.
Do you take care of fire code approval?
Code requirements and approvals belong to your local building and fire officials. We can install listed hardware appropriate for the door and flag fire-rated openings, but you should confirm requirements with the city or your inspector.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7