Most home break-ins happen through the front door, back door, or garage — and most are preventable with the right hardware and habits. After years of responding to lockouts and break-ins across Contra Costa County, we've put together the definitive checklist every Bay Area homeowner should work through at least once a year.
The 10-Point Checklist at a Glance
- Grade 1 deadbolts on all exterior doors
- Reinforced strike plates with 3-inch screws
- Sliding door secondary locks + anti-lift
- Garage door opener reset + entry deadbolt
- Ground-floor window pins or keyed locks
- Motion-activated lighting at all entries
- Smart lock for front door
- Rekey after any change in occupancy
- Safe spare key storage (no fake rocks)
- Annual security walk-through
1. Upgrade to Grade 1 Deadbolts on All Exterior Doors
Builder-grade homes typically come with Grade 2 or Grade 3 deadbolts that can be kicked in with a single blow. ANSI Grade 1 deadbolts (Schlage B60N or Kwikset 980) must withstand 360 lbs of force and 250,000 cycles. At $40–$80 per lock plus installation, it's the single best security upgrade you can make. Check every exterior door — front, back, side, and garage entry.
2. Reinforce Door Frames and Strike Plates
A Grade 1 deadbolt is only as strong as the door frame it's mounted in. Most residential strike plates use 3/4-inch screws that pull out of the door jamb on the first kick. Replace them with a heavy-duty strike plate (Don-Jo or Mag Security) using 3-inch screws that reach the wall stud. This single upgrade can increase kick-in resistance by 10x.
3. Secure Sliding Glass Doors
Sliding doors are a common entry point because they can be lifted off their tracks or the latch can be defeated with a credit card. Install a secondary lock (a pin lock or a Charlie bar) and add anti-lift blocks in the track. For older doors, a simple wooden dowel in the track costs $2 and takes 30 seconds to install.
4. Don't Neglect the Garage
The garage is one of the most overlooked entry points. If your garage door opener remote is in your car, a car break-in becomes a home break-in. Use a keychain remote instead of a visor clip, and make sure the door between the garage and the house has a deadbolt. If you have an older opener without rolling code technology, consider upgrading — older fixed-code openers can be cloned in seconds.
5. Secure Ground-Floor Windows
Window locks are often flimsy. Add window pins (a simple screw through the sash into the frame) or keyed window locks for ground-floor windows. For sliding windows, the same anti-lift and dowel approach used for sliding doors applies. Consider window sensors as part of a broader alarm system.
6. Install Motion-Activated Lighting
Burglars avoid well-lit homes. Motion-activated lights at all entry points — front door, back door, garage, and side gates — are a low-cost deterrent. Modern LED motion lights cost $20–$40 and take 15 minutes to install. Position them high enough that they can't be easily unscrewed.
7. Consider a Smart Lock for the Front Door
Smart locks eliminate the risk of lost keys and allow you to grant temporary access to contractors, housekeepers, or family members without making copies. Schlage Encode and Kwikset Halo are our top picks for Bay Area homes — both are Grade 1, weather-resistant, and work without a hub. We install and program them on-site.
8. Rekey After Any Change in Occupancy
Moved in recently? Had a contractor with a key? Going through a breakup or roommate change? Rekey every exterior lock. It costs $25–$35 per cylinder and takes 30 minutes for a typical home. You have no way of knowing how many copies of your key exist — rekeying is the only way to be certain.
9. Store Spare Keys Safely
Never hide a spare key under a mat, in a fake rock, or above the door frame — these are the first places a burglar checks. Give a spare to a trusted neighbor or family member, or use a combination lockbox rated for outdoor use (Master Lock 5400D or similar). If you use a lockbox, choose a 4-digit combination and change it periodically.
10. Do an Annual Security Audit
Walk around your home once a year and test every lock, check every door frame for signs of wear, and look for new vulnerabilities — overgrown shrubs that provide cover, a new neighbor with access to your driveway, or a lock that's starting to stick. We offer free security assessments for homeowners throughout Contra Costa County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important home security upgrade I can make?
Upgrading to ANSI Grade 1 deadbolts on all exterior doors combined with reinforced strike plates using 3-inch screws is the single highest-impact upgrade. Most residential break-ins are kick-in attacks on the door frame — this combination stops them cold. Cost is $75–$150 per door installed.
How often should I rekey my locks?
Rekey whenever there's a change in who has access to your home — you move in, a roommate moves out, you end a relationship, a contractor returns a key, or you lose a key. Beyond that, a rekey every 3–5 years is reasonable maintenance. It costs $25–$35 per cylinder and takes 30 minutes for a typical home.
Are smart locks as secure as traditional deadbolts?
Grade 1 smart locks (Schlage Encode, Kwikset Halo) are as physically secure as their traditional counterparts — they use the same deadbolt mechanism. The additional attack surface is the wireless communication and the app. Choose a lock with AES-128 encryption and two-factor authentication on the app. Avoid cheap no-name smart locks.
What should I do if I think someone has a copy of my key?
Rekey immediately. Don't wait to confirm — if there's any doubt, rekey. It costs $25–$35 per cylinder and takes 30 minutes. This is always faster and cheaper than dealing with a break-in. We offer same-day rekeying throughout Contra Costa County.
Do I need a security system in addition to good locks?
Good locks are your first line of defense — they prevent most opportunistic break-ins. A security system (alarm + monitoring) adds a second layer that deters more determined intruders and alerts you or the police if someone does get in. The two work together. Start with the locks, then add a security system if your risk level warrants it.