Smart Lock Installation in St. Louis, MO

Does the door suit a smart lock?

Most smart locks replace a deadbolt and expect the round holes a standard deadbolt bore provides, so a door that already has one is the simplest starting point. Many older St. Louis doors have a mortise pocket in the edge instead, and a standard smart deadbolt has nowhere to go there. The options are a smart lock made for mortise doors, a conversion that fills the pocket and bores new holes, or a separate smart deadbolt added beside the mortise lock. Look at the door edge before buying anything.

Approvals come first

Buildings with two to four units hold 23.7 percent of St. Louis homes, about three times the national share, by the Census Bureau's 2024 estimates. Changing the shared entrance of a building like that is the owner's decision. A renter should get the landlord's approval in writing before changing a unit door, and settle how the landlord will get in.

Owners in local historic districts such as Soulard, Benton Park and The Ville should ask the city before mounting anything on the street side: each district was created by ordinance with its own design standards, and exterior changes are in most cases reviewed. A keypad shows from the sidewalk. This is general information, not legal advice.

Batteries, outages and the backup key

Missouri winters bring cold arctic air, NOAA's climate summary says, and batteries deliver less in the cold. A smart lock on an exposed door may warn of low power sooner in January than in May, so change batteries in fall rather than waiting for the warning. A bolt that already drags in humid weather should be adjusted before a motor is asked to drive it.

Keep the mechanical backup key with a neighbor or family member, never under a mat. If the batteries die or a power outage takes down the Wi-Fi, the keyed cylinder is the way in.

What to send

Give the door material and thickness, photos of the door edge and both faces of the current lock, whether the building is a single house or has two to four units, and the smart lock you have or want. See smart lock installation, lock replacement and the St. Louis page.