Smart Lock Installation in Fort Collins, CO

Does your door suit a smart lock?

Most smart deadbolts suit a standard modern door with a round bore through the face, a bolt hole in the edge and a thickness within the maker's range. Fort Collins built more of its homes in the 2000s than in any other decade, 21.5 percent in Census Bureau estimates for 2024, and newer doors are the likeliest to take a retrofit lock. Older doors differ. A Late Victorian or Bungalow/Craftsman house in Midtown may still have a mortise lock, which most retrofit smart locks do not replace directly. Check the lock type before buying.

Approvals to get first

• Landmark design review. Owners of locally designated properties, which can include homes in a landmark district such as Sheely Drive (eleven mid-century Modern homes off West Prospect Road), must complete landmark design review for most exterior projects under Chapter 14 of the Municipal Code. A keypad on a street-facing door may count, so ask the city's historic preservation staff first.
• The landlord. If you rent, as 49.0 percent of Fort Collins households do, get written approval before changing a lock.
• The inside release. In a rental, the city's Landlord-Tenant Handbook wants entry-door locks that work from inside without a key or special knowledge. A thumb turn on the inside fits that; a lock that needs a code or an app to get out may not.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Batteries, cold and a backup key

The Colorado Climate Center describes large day-to-night temperature changes across Colorado, and batteries lose capacity as they cool. An outdoor keypad that works at noon can turn sluggish overnight. Use the battery type the maker specifies and replace batteries at the first low-battery warning. Keep the mechanical key, or the maker's emergency power option, where you can reach it from outside, such as with a neighbor, so a flat battery or a dropped phone is not a lockout.

Before you buy, note the door material and any lock model already chosen, and say whether the house is in a landmark district. If the existing lock is worn out, lock replacement may come first. The city's design-review rule for street-facing changes is explained on the Fort Collins page.