Apartment Call Box: A Complete Guide

Article Updated: 13th September, 2024

Owning or managing multi-unit residential buildings such as apartments and condos can be challenging. Demands on residential managers include controlling building access and providing general security, keeping buildings updated with the features residents want, troubleshooting tech issues, and controlling operating costs. Apartment call boxes can help address some of these headaches. The market is full of models for every potential use case, from simple analog systems to high-tech digital systems with numerous features to answer calls and unlock doors remotely.

In this post, we explore the most need-to-know information about different types of apartment call boxes, their benefits and limitations, and how they can help enhance building security and convenience. Our guide aims to help you if you are looking to add a call box system to your building or upgrade from an older style to gain access to some of the newer features available in recent years.

What is an Apartment Call Box?

A call box is a fixed communications device that facilitates communications between two points. Emergency roadside call boxes, elevator help call boxes, public transit assistance call boxes, and police/fire call boxes are all examples. An apartment call box connects building visitors to individual apartment or condo units in a multiunit residential building. It’s a way for the visitor to announce their arrival and for the resident to screen the visitor. The system is connected to an electronic door release, also known as a door strike, that the resident can remotely unlock.

Call boxes developed on the backbone of telephone technology and the emergence of transistors. They became typical for multiunit residential buildings by the 1950s and enabled many buildings to forgo traditional door staff. The most basic analog designs, still in use, operate somewhat like a two-way doorbell, with a button at the door for a visitor to “buzz” or ring an apartment and a button in each apartment to release the door. A two-way audio cable and speakers let visitors communicate from the door panel to a resident module in each apartment.

The author’s pre-war eight-unit building in Brooklyn uses a simple, old-fashioned, wired, analog call box system. The visitor call box (left) has a push button for each apartment. The call box is wired to a small module in each apartment (right) from which the resident can TALK, LISTEN, or release the DOOR with the respective buttons.

Call Box vs. Intercom – What’s the Difference?

People use “call box” and “intercom” interchangeably in everyday speech. If you want to be precise and technical, a call box is a more robust device built to weather the outdoors, whereas intercoms are made for indoor use and may be smaller and less durably housed. In reality, many call box brands today use either term in their marketing to align with consumer usage.

Call Box Features To Look For Today

Over time, the range of apartment call box models has increased, and call boxes have adopted various digital-age capabilities, including digital screens, entry pin codes, Internet connectivity, and video transmission, among others.

Less Wiring

Many call boxes today forgo wiring to each residential unit. A so-called Telephone Call Box has a dedicated wired or cellular phone line to call the resident’s existing landline number or mobile phone. Meanwhile, an Internet-connected call Box can use WIFI, 4G and 5G connectivity, or an ethernet cable to connect to cloud-based services on the Internet, enabling communications such as to an app on a resident’s smartphone or a cloud-based platform for building management to program the device.

Remote Access for Building Management

Internet-connected call Boxes enable remote control for building management. Management can log in to an online cloud-based platform to change pin codes on modern call boxes, add or remove tenants, or approve various third parties like delivery companies with their pins. Management can also answer the door remotely for visitors like tradespeople and service workers who need building access. With these remote tools, management can save time and control access to multiple buildings from a central office.

Numeric Keypads and Pin Codes

Instead of individual push buttons for each apartment, many systems today are digital and offer numeric keypads from which visitors can select apartments from a directory. This makes the callbox unit much more compact than those where each apartment has its button. When a call box features a numeric keypad, building managers can program an access PIN that residents can use to unlock their front door, avoiding making physical keys for each tenant or changing the building locks if a metal key becomes lost or stolen. Management can change the pin code periodically to help maintain security, but must keep residents updated.

The author spotted two versions of a digital Aiphone call box in Brooklyn. The system on the left is audio only, while the system with a camera on the right allows residents to screen visitors visually.

Video Capabilities

Many call boxes today are also equipped with a camera. At the most basic level, the camera can provide a visual way for residents to screen visitors from a video phone installed in their apartment/condo or via an app on their smartphones. Some camera-equipped systems also offer facial recognition so that building residents can simply look at the camera to unlock their building door, rather than using a numeric code or a wireless key fob.

Touchscreens

Today, some call boxes replace numerous push buttons with a single touch-screen. This enables the system to list an extensive directory of resident names while maintaining a sleek, weatherproof design.

Resident Control Apps

Some of today’s call boxes are integrated with cloud-based software, including apps that residents can control on their smartphones to remotely grant access to visitors, screen visitors, via video, and set unique pin codes for guests. This can be helpful for residents who want to put codes for service people like a dog walker or cleaning person or a useful way to make one’s home accessible for short-term vacation rentals, such as via Airbnb or VRBO, without having to give out physical keys that can be copied.

A Comelit call box spotted in Brooklyn features a touchscreen and a wireless key fob reader for residents to unlock their doors.

Call Box System Components

All call box systems require the same primary array of hardware components, but the specific capabilities of each piece of hardware may differ. In any system, you will generally find the following components:

The entryway call box

It is a wall-mounted, metal, weather-proof box with buttons, a keypad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a speaker, and a video camera for communications. It is usually found at an external building door or an entryway gate. These range from analog to digital and from low-tech to high-tech.

Communications connection

Signals must be sent between the call box and the residents. This can include wired connections to each apartment, using the telephone system or mobile phone networks, or via the Internet and cloud-based services, usually to an app on the resident’s phone.

Resident receiver device

In older designs, each apartment or condo has a box to communicate and open doors, or calls come from a landline phone or video monitor. On more recent systems, the resident can screen visitors and open the door from their mobile phone via an app.

Electronic door strike

The door must have an electronic strike that can remotely unlock it for guests.

Power

Both the call box and the electronic door strike require a power source at the door. These can be low-voltage systems, but most systems require professional installation.

Some systems require a service plan

Callbox systems that use a dedicated telephone line or the Internet may require an ongoing monthly service plan to connect or include fees for cloud-based services. Systems in which the call box is directly wired to each apartment typically avoid such fees but often cost more to install, are less sophisticated, and are more challenging to upgrade. Such systems have become uncommon for new residential construction and retrofits.

Types of call boxes

Fixed wiring

In these systems, the call box is individually wired to every unit in the building. This avoids paying ongoing service fees, but such systems can be challenging to maintain and are the most costly to install.

Telephone connected

In these systems, the call box gets a dedicated wired or cellular phone line, and the telephone system is used to call residents’ phones rather than relying on fixed wiring for each unit. These have lower upfront costs but require a monthly fee to maintain the phone line. Residents open the door by pressing a button on their phone, often “9.”

Internet-connected

Similar to telephone-connected systems, Internet-connected call boxes have a dedicated connection to the Internet, either over mobile phone networks, WiFi, or wired ethernet. Therefore, they incur a monthly Internet service provider fee. Such systems can route visitor calls to an app on a resident’s smartphone and link the call box to cloud-based services.

Voice vs. Video

Older and simpler apartment call box systems rely on voice communications. That can save on costs for video monitors in individual apartments. Still, these days, residents can also be subject to scams where callers pretend to be authorized delivery people and then enter the building to steal packages. Video systems provide a more comprehensive and secure solution to manage building foot traffic.

How Does an Apartment Call Box Work

Using an apartment call box is a straightforward process. Here are the steps to follow:

When you arrive at the apartment building, locate the call box near the door, building gate, or driveway gate.
Use the call box to select the residence you are visiting. You can do this by pressing a button or selecting the resident’s name from a list.
Wait for the resident to answer the call and inform them you have arrived.
The resident will then grant or deny access to the building by pressing a key on their phone.
The door or gate will unlock automatically if access is granted, and you can enter the building.

It’s important to note that the exact process of using an apartment call box may vary depending on the specific system in place at the building. However, most call boxes are designed to be intuitive and easy to use, so you shouldn’t have any trouble communicating with the resident and gaining access to the building.

How Does an Apartment Gate Call Box Work

An apartment gate call box at a property gate works similarly to an apartment call box at the door. With a pedestrian gate, the resident unlocks the gate so the visitor can enter the property. The primary difference with a vehicle gate at a driveway is that the call box is usually mounted on a post at driver level so drivers can call residents while seated in the car. Typically, when the resident grants access at a vehicle gate, a motor automatically opens the gate for the visitor’s car.

Here’s how an apartment gate call box at a vehicle gate typically works:

A vehicle approaches the entrance gate and stops before the call box.
The driver or passenger presses a button on the call box to initiate a call to the resident’s phone or the telephone line connected to the box.
The resident answers the call and can converse with the driver or passenger, possibly viewing the driver via video feed.
The resident can then unlock the gate by pressing a button on their phone or a key on its keypad if the phone has that capability.
Once the gate opens, the driver or passenger can drive through, and the gate will close automatically behind them.

Using an apartment gate call box at a vehicle gate provides added security for the apartment complex by allowing residents to verify the identity of drivers and passengers before granting them access. Additionally, it provides a convenient way for drivers and residents to communicate without residents having to go to the gate to open it physically.

Benefits and Potential Limitations of a Call Box

Call boxes can benefit residents and building owners/managers, mainly when using newer systems incorporating multiple capabilities.

Saves residents time

Residents of multiunit buildings, especially those on upper floors, want to avoid going back and forth to see who is at the front door. A call box saves time and has become essential as households increasingly get deliveries from online retail and other service providers. The newest Internet-connected call box systems also let residents respond to visitors and open the door remotely even when they are away from home.

Screen visitors/security

Polling finds that Americans increasingly consider crime a serious problem. Apartment call boxes, especially those with video, provide an added layer of security in which residents can control who comes in and out of buildings and visually screen visitors. Building management can also log who comes in and out on many systems and keep a visual record of foot traffic. This becomes important when many worry about stolen package deliveries, particularly in large urban areas.

Reduced labor costs

Particularly in larger residential buildings, various door staff were traditionally necessary, at a minimum during business hours, to screen visitors, receive packages, or let service providers into the building. A comprehensive access system with a modern call box can act as a “virtual doorman,” saving tremendously on operating costs in an environment of rising labor costs. Operators of multiple buildings can screen service providers from one central office rather than keeping full-time staff at each location.

Drawbacks

A call box’s potential limitations are, well, limited. A rare power outage, failure of the telephone system, or an Internet outage could leave a call box inoperable and require residents to have their traditional metal keys. Lastly, a narrow tier of high–end or massive buildings needs traditional door staff to maintain their luxury residential status or handle hundreds of visitors per day. For such buildings, an apartment call box is no replacement for this 24-hour-a-day staff.

Major Call Box Brands

There are dozens of companies that manufacture apartment call box systems. We focus on a quick overview of some of the major players in the industry and what they are known for.

Sentex

Sentex manufactures many traditional call boxes that use an ordinary telephone landline to connect visitors with each resident. Many models feature durable stainless steel boxes with a conventional telephone-style numeric pin pad. Many systems are straightforward to use without too many bells and whistles.

Swiftlane

Swiftlane focuses on modern, cloud-based access control systems, combining various advanced technologies, notably facial recognition, to enhance security and convenience in multi-family residential and commercial buildings. This might be a brand to go with to offer modern convenience for on-the-go residents wanting a sleek video intercom system they can manage from a smartphone app.

Linear

Linear specializes in access control systems, including intercom systems for multi-family residential buildings with up to 64 doors and gates. They offer audio and video options with various features, such as wireless communication and remote management.

DoorKing (DKS)

DoorKing is a well-known brand that provides gate operators, access control systems, and intercom systems, often via a traditional telephone landline. Their call boxes are widely used in gated communities and multi-unit dwellings. This brand is a good choice because of its straightforward design and simplicity.

Comelit

Comelit offers intercom and video entry systems that can integrate with smart devices and are known for their sleek designs. If you want to make a design statement at your building, you might choose Comelit.

Kantech

Kantech is a part of the large Johnson Controls industrial group. It offers a range of access control solutions, including intercom systems, fobs, and smart card readers. Their products are known for integrating well with other security systems. Consider this brand if you have a large complex property with numerous entryways or need products for a commercial building.

How Much Does an Apartment Call Box Cost?

If you’re considering installing an apartment call box, you may wonder how much it will cost. The answer depends on the type of call box you choose, the installation cost, and ongoing fees. Here’s what you can expect for the two most common types:

Telephone Call Box Cost

Hardware: Telephone call boxes for apartments typically cost between $1000 and $2500, though we found some models for as much as $4,000 in our search. These boxes usually have a larger digital screen than more compact models.
Installation: Installation can cost around $2000.
Monthly fees: You need a landline connection to run the telephone call, and there is an ongoing monthly fee for this service. These costs have increased monthly because telecom companies are shutting down their telephone landline business.

Video Intercom Call Box Cost

Hardware: Video intercom call boxes typically cost between $2000-$6000.
Installation: Installation can cost around $2000.
Monthly fees: You require a cloud hosting service or monthly subscription fee to make wireless video calls through the manufacturer’s servers.

Conclusion

Apartment call boxes provide a secure and convenient way for residents to communicate with visitors and grant them access to the building. Whether you’re using an audio-only system or a video intercom, letting someone into the building is straightforward.

If you want to add or upgrade your building’s access system, read our comprehensive review of Best Apartment Call Box Systems.

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