Smart Lock Installation in Salt Lake City, UT

Does your door suit a smart lock?

Most smart deadbolts are made for a standard bored door. An older door may instead hold a mortise lock body or leftover holes from earlier hardware, and either has to be dealt with first. Check thickness and backset, make sure the deadbolt throws without pushing or lifting the door, and photograph both sides before choosing a model. A motor that fights a binding strike drains batteries and wears out early.

Approvals before you install

Historic districts. South Temple, University and Westmoreland Place are among Salt Lake City's nine local historic districts. Design review applies to exterior changes there, with standards in Section 21A.34.020 of the Zoning Ordinance. A keypad on the outside of the door is visible hardware, so ask city planning staff whether the property needs an application before you fit one.

Condos and apartments. The unit door may fall under an association's rules or the owner's, and a smart lock on your unit does not change the building's own street entry.

Rentals. Section 57-22-4 of the Utah Fit Premises Act, on owner duties, does not mention locks, so read your lease before changing one and get the owner's consent in writing if the lease calls for it. This is general information, not legal advice.

Cold nights and batteries

The Western Regional Climate Center notes that Utah cools rapidly at night. Batteries lose capacity in the cold, so a lock that shows plenty of charge in the afternoon can stall on a winter morning. Change batteries at the first low warning rather than the last.

Keep a mechanical key or another entry method that works with dead batteries, and store that key somewhere other than inside the house.

Details to have ready

Photos of both sides and the edge of the door, the model if you have chosen one, and whether the home is in a historic district, a condo association or a rental. Bring them to a smart lock installation request; a conventional upgrade instead is covered by lock replacement.