Intercom and buzzer systems that actually work.

An audio intercom lets you talk to visitors through a handset or speakerphone and release the door remotely: the classic apartment buzzer. A video intercom adds a camera at the door station, so you can see who is there before you answer or buzz them in. For most buildings we install today, video is the right call: the cost difference is modest, and seeing the visitor (a delivery, an unfamiliar face, a package left at the door) adds real value. Audio-only still fits some retrofits where the existing wiring limits the options.

Yes. IP and cloud-connected intercoms send calls to a smartphone app over the internet. When a visitor presses the button, your phone rings, you see the live camera, talk to the visitor and tap to release the door, whether you are upstairs, at the office or anywhere with a data connection. The key is a system built for this, not a consumer video doorbell bolted onto a commercial door. We install SIP and IP intercom systems where remote answering is built into the platform, not added as an afterthought.

Yes, and it is one of the most important parts of the job. Without door release wiring, a visitor still needs a key after you buzz, which defeats the purpose. We wire electric strikes or mag locks to the intercom so pressing release actually unlocks the door. In buildings that already have access control (fobs or cards for tenants), the intercom handles visitors while tenants use their credentials, the cleanest setup for multi-unit buildings. We check the door hardware during the site visit and specify the right strike or mag lock for your door frame and the fire code.

A single-door residential install (door station, one indoor monitor, electric strike) typically takes half a day to a full day. A multi-tenant building with a lobby panel serving 10 to 30 units takes one to two days, depending on the building and how much rewiring is needed. Large commercial buildings with several entrances, IP network work and access control can run two to three days. The biggest variable in NYC is the existing wiring: usable 4-wire or Cat5 makes the job faster, while pre-war buildings with no intercom wiring take longer because of conduit runs or fishing wire. The quote includes a clear timeline.

Yes, it is a large part of what we do. Pre-war buildings in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx often have 2-wire or 4-wire intercom wiring that is decades old. In many cases we can reuse it with a new audio system, and many modern 2-wire video systems run on it too once it tests good. For IP upgrades we usually run new cable: fishing wire through walls, surface conduit in basements and risers, or pulling through existing conduit where there is some. We have worked in buildings with original plaster walls, tight masonry chases and co-op boards that need advance approval for any work. We scope these jobs honestly, so there are no surprises on installation day.