The Bronx
The Bronx has some of the largest apartment buildings in New York. They range from the Art Deco buildings along the Grand Concourse to big co-op communities and multi-building complexes. That’s why those buildings need intercoms that stand up to heavy use. Douglas Security System (DSS) repairs and installs intercoms across the Bronx. We’ve also worked on New York intercom systems for over 35 years.
Maybe your building needs a single repair, a tougher entrance panel, or a full upgrade to video. Either way, you get a free quote once we finish an inspection. Call (212) 262-2820.
For broken systems, see our intercom repair page.
In a large building, the entrance takes more wear than any other part of the security system. These steps help it last:
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For large buildings with many apartments, the Aiphone GT Series is a durable multi-tenant system. It also has modular entrance panels and stainless steel options. Some buildings, however, want touch screen entry and phone access. For those, the Comelit Ultra Touch can often work alongside existing apartment units, which saves a lot on large buildings. For multi-family homes, a video door station like the Aiphone JP-DV is a strong choice. It also has a vandal-resistant faceplate.
In addition, we add security cameras at entrances and mailrooms. For service doors, we install keypads like the Aiphone AC-10S keypad.
Prices depend on the building, the number of apartments and entrances, and the condition of the wiring. Most single repairs cost about $250 to $600. For example, replacing one apartment unit or fixing a door release falls in this range. A video intercom for a small building with one entrance typically costs about $4,000 to $5,000 or more. These are average New York prices, but not a fixed price list. For more detail, see our intercom cost guide. Also, ask about our no monthly fee systems.
Bronx buildings follow New York City’s intercom rules. For example, Class A multiple dwellings built or converted after January 1, 1968, with eight or more apartments must have a working intercom. It needs two-way voice and door release from each apartment. The rule comes from Section 50-a of the New York Multiple Dwelling Law. Next, read our guide to NYC intercom requirements.
We work across the Bronx, including:
We also serve Bronx buildings near the Westchester line, including Riverdale, Wakefield, and Co-op City. So call with the address, and we’ll schedule an inspection.
Finally, see all of our service areas.
Yes. For busy entrances, we install stainless steel and vandal-resistant entrance panels and protected cameras. Those panels handle kicking, prying, and weather far better than standard plastic or thin-faced units. Also, protected cameras sit in housings that make them harder to knock out of position or block. Busy Bronx entrances with heavy foot traffic, deliveries, and late-night use are where a stronger panel cuts down on repeat repairs.
We cover all of the Bronx, including Riverdale, Fordham, the Grand Concourse, Pelham Bay, Throgs Neck, Parkchester, Mott Haven, and Co-op City. The borough mixes pre-war apartment buildings along the Concourse, large complexes like Co-op City and Parkchester, and private houses in Throgs Neck and Pelham Bay. That means very different wiring and entrance setups. If your neighborhood is not listed, we still cover the whole borough.
When a vertical line of apartments goes dead, the problem is usually a damaged section of wiring or a failed connection serving that line. We trace and repair it. Intercom wiring often runs up a building in a riser, so one break, corroded splice, or water-damaged junction box can silence every apartment above it. Tracing the cable shows where the signal stops, so the repair targets that point instead of replacing working equipment.
Frequently, yes. A Comelit upgrade can replace the entrance panel and add phone access while existing apartment units keep working. In a large building this matters, because replacing hundreds of apartment units means entering every home and scheduling around tenants. Updating the lobby side gets residents a new panel and phone access without that burden. Whether it works depends on the type and condition of the current wiring, which we confirm at the inspection.
Yes. In addition, we install video door stations and indoor monitors for two- and three-family homes. Each family usually gets its own monitor, so a tenant on the second floor can see and speak with a visitor at the front door without going downstairs. These jobs are smaller than a large building riser, usually a few short wire runs from the door to each household.
We do. We repair and replace electric strikes, maglocks, and door closers, since a door that doesn’t close and lock properly defeats the intercom. New York rules expect entrance doors in multiple dwellings to be self-closing and self-locking, so a worn closer or a sticking strike leaves the lobby open no matter how well the buzzer works. We check the strike, closer, and latch together, because one failing part often hides another.
Yes, and lost fobs are a main reason buildings choose them. We install key fob, card, and keypad access for lobbies, service doors, and gates, and management can turn off lost fobs without changing locks. Each fob carries its own credential, so cancelling one stops it working while every other resident keeps theirs. Instead, a keyed lock would need a new cylinder and a new key for every resident.
We work with management offices at multi-building co-ops and rental complexes across the Bronx. We survey every entrance, test the wiring between buildings, and give management a clear, phased plan if the budget calls for it. Phasing lets a board spread the work across budget cycles, for example starting with the entrances that fail most often. Cable runs between buildings are tested early, because long runs tend to hide faults.
Most single repairs cost about $250 to $600, and a video intercom for a small building with one entrance typically costs about $4,000 to $5,000 or more. These are average New York prices, not a fixed price. However, larger Bronx buildings with several entrances, long cable runs, or older wiring cost more. The free quote we give after an inspection reflects your building, not a range printed on a website.
Often that works, yes. Comelit video can run alongside the intercom units already in the apartments, so video and phone access are added without a full rewire of the building. Large Bronx buildings with many risers benefit most, since opening walls on every floor is the most disruptive part of an upgrade. So if one wire section is damaged, we repair only that run.
Not with our Comelit systems, which are a one-time investment with no monthly payment. Plus, property management software and call-log servers are optional and sold separately. A larger Bronx building might want them to manage resident lists remotely or keep a record of calls at the entrance panel. Smaller buildings often run fine without either, because the panel, apartment units, and door release work on their own.
On Comelit video intercom installs, we offer a 3-year guarantee on Comelit material and a 1-year guarantee on service and labor. So a defective panel or monitor is covered for three years, while a problem with our wiring or mounting work is covered for one. These are two separate terms for two different kinds of problems. Keep your written quote and invoice, since they record exactly what was installed in your Bronx building.
Call (212) 262-2820 or use the form on this page, and we’ll schedule an inspection. Give us the address, roughly how many apartments and entrances the building has, and what the intercom is doing. A dead buzzer, a crackling speaker, or a door that will not release all point us toward different parts. The inspection is where the exact price gets set, and the written quote that follows it is free.