Exit Devices for Commercial Egress Doors
A panic bar, push bar, crash bar, exit device, same hardware, lets anyone leave a building in one motion, no key, no knob, no thinking. Building and fire codes generally require that kind of single-motion egress on many commercial doors, and the right device depends on the door: rim devices for single doors, vertical-rod setups for pairs, and outside trim where staff need keyed entry from the street side. We install all of them, on hollow metal, aluminum storefront, and wood doors.
What never belongs on an egress door: a deadbolt, a chain, or a padlock. If you've added one to stop theft, there's a legal way to solve that, see below.
Alarmed Panic Bars That Stop Walk-Outs
The classic retail problem: the back door has to open freely for egress, but every free-opening door is a shoplifter's exit and an employee shortcut. An alarmed exit device threads that needle, the door still opens in one push, but a built-in siren sounds the moment it does. Staff stop using it as a smoke-break door, and merchandise stops quietly walking out, while the egress path stays fully legal and usable. We install alarmed bars, set the arming keys, and show your team how to manage them at open and close.
Panic Bar Repair and Replacement
Exit devices fail in predictable ways: the latch stops catching so the door drifts open, the bar sticks halfway, the dogging feature quits, or the outside lever stops accepting its key. Some of that is a service call, cleaning, realignment, new latch parts. A bar that's bent or worn through gets replaced, and we'll say plainly which one you're looking at. Because the work runs 24/7, a failed device on a busy door can be handled overnight, so the door is never sitting unlatched through a business day or propped shut against your own fire exit.
Exit Device Service, Not Just Installation
An exit device is the bar you push to get out, and it wears the way every moving part wears. The latch stops catching, the bar sags, the outside lever goes loose, or the alarm sounds every time somebody leans on it. We service all of that, and a service visit costs less than a replacement on a bar that still has life in it.
One thing we never do is make the door harder to leave by. A bar that sticks is a safety problem before it is a security problem, so a stiff device gets fixed or replaced rather than adjusted tighter.
Which Exit Device Your Door Takes
Three types cover most commercial doors. A rim device mounts on the face of the door and catches a strike on the frame, which suits a single door in a storefront. A vertical rod device sends rods up and down into the frame and the floor, so a pair of doors with no post between them still locks. A mortise device works with a lock body buried in the edge of the door, and it turns up on older office entrances.
The bar also has to sit where a person can reach it. It belongs between 34 inches and 48 inches off the floor, the same range as every other part you touch to get through the door, and we went through those heights here.
This Job, on Video
Short clips from our own crews doing this work in New York City buildings.
Common Questions
Does my door legally need a panic bar?
Many commercial egress doors are required to open in a single motion without a key, and panic hardware is the standard way to meet that. Requirements vary by building and occupancy, so we assess your specific doors on site.
Can a door with a panic bar still lock from outside?
Yes. The inside always opens with one push, while keyed outside trim controls who gets in from the street. Free egress and controlled entry on the same door.
What does an alarmed panic bar do?
It sounds a built-in siren whenever the door opens, while still letting anyone exit in one push. It deters walk-out theft and casual propping without blocking the egress path.
What does panic bar installation cost?
It depends on the device type and the door. We quote it transparently before work begins, no hidden fees, and we can schedule the install outside your business hours.