The starting point
Document the existing door, wiring, and resident workflow together. Reusing a cable is a possibility to verify, not a specification to assume.
1. Define the arrival experience
Write out a visitor’s trip from the sidewalk to the destination. A street entrance and a separate vestibule door are two distinct decisions. Include a package room, garage, or secondary entrance only if it belongs in the scope.
Decide who receives a call, which door they can release, and what happens if they do not answer. Ask whether residents need a phone app, an indoor answering station, or another supported option. Record accessibility and household needs before narrowing the equipment list.
- List each entrance and the people who use it.
- Separate everyday resident access from visitor and delivery access.
- Identify who updates the directory and removes access when someone moves out.
2. Make an inventory before promising reuse
Photograph the entrance panel, visible model labels, door and frame, existing indoor stations, and accessible equipment locations. Have an installer identify cable types, routes, condition, and endpoints. A cable disappearing into the wall does not establish where it terminates or what it can support.
For example, Ubiquiti lists a compatible console, Access hub, reader, door lock, and appropriate power equipment as parts of a UniFi Access deployment. Its documentation also describes dedicated retrofit hardware. That makes retrofit worth assessing; it does not establish compatibility with an unidentified apartment intercom.
Product reference: Ubiquiti: Getting Started with UniFi Access
3. Compare complete upgrade paths
Ask for an alternate scope if reuse fails inspection. Comparing a reuse proposal with a full replacement proposal only makes sense when the difference is written down.
| Possible approach | What needs checking | What to request in the scope |
|---|---|---|
| Reuse suitable infrastructure | Cable identity, test results, existing lock and supported interfaces | Name the retained parts and the verification required. |
| Use a supported retrofit solution | Exact adapter, hub and reader compatibility; cable and power limits | Specify models and the assumptions behind reuse. |
| Install new cable routes | Accessible pathways, finished surfaces and work access | Show the route and assign responsibility for patching and painting. |
4. Review power, the network, and the actual door
Have the installer check the door’s mechanical operation and coordinate lock, exit, and emergency behavior with the appropriate building professionals. Include who owns each decision in the scope. A new reader cannot resolve an unaddressed door alignment problem.
Identify where network equipment will live, who administers it, and which functions must remain available during an interruption. Ask for a documented power and outage plan for the selected system. PoE, PoE+, and PoE++ are not interchangeable purchasing labels: match each device’s requirements and the switch’s total power capacity.
Product reference: Ubiquiti: PoE Availability and Modes
5. Plan the day the building changes over
Choose a cutover window with management, name the person responsible for resident communications, and agree on how people will enter while work is underway. Schedule access to any apartments or locked service spaces that the agreed work requires.
At handoff, walk through a resident entry, visitor call, door release, unanswered call, and an access removal. Test the agreed interruption scenarios with the installer. Record any unfinished items and who will resolve them.
- Confirm the final directory and designated administrators.
- Receive equipment names, cable labels, operating instructions, and support contacts.
- Arrange account ownership and recovery with the building’s authorized representative.
- Verify that residents understand the new entry and answering process.