Smart Lock Installation in Tacoma, WA

Will a smart lock fit a Tacoma door?

Most smart deadbolts are made for the round bore and standard backset of a modern door. About 27 percent of Tacoma's homes predate 1940, and such a house may still use mortise hardware, a lock body recessed into the door edge. Those doors need a smart lock made for mortise hardware, a retrofit that mounts over the inside thumbturn and keeps the existing lock body, or a separate deadbolt. Photograph the existing hardware before you buy.

An inside-mounted retrofit changes little on the outside of the door, which matters in the North Slope and the Wedge, where the City's guidelines ask owners to retain historic entry doors.

Rain, keypads and batteries

Tacoma's wet season runs through winter, and the ocean keeps temperatures in a narrower range than on the east side of the Cascades. For a smart lock here, damp is likelier to be the trouble than deep cold:

• If the door has no porch roof, choose a model built for outdoor exposure, since a keypad may take rain for months.
• Cold still shortens battery life on frosty mornings. Change batteries each fall rather than waiting for the last warning.
• Keep a physical key or other backup. A dead battery, a failed app or a wet keypad should not become a lockout.

Rentals and shared buildings

In an apartment or condo, confirm with management which locks are yours to change, and get written approval before swapping a unit lock. From January 1, 2027, RCW 59.18.750 requires a landlord, when a tenant asks, to offer an alternative key that uses no biometric information or phone app, such as a key fob, key card, physical key or keypad code. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to include in a request

• photos of the door from both sides and of the door edge
• the smart lock model, if you have already bought one
• whether you own or rent, and any written approval
• whether the lock should join Wi-Fi, and how far the door is from the router

Doors that need new hardware first are covered under lock replacement. The overviews are smart lock installation and Tacoma.