How to Secure Your Garage Against Break-Ins

Many homeowners lock the front door carefully but treat the garage as an afterthought. That's a problem. An attached garage often holds bikes, tools, and sports gear, and it usually has a door straight into the house. For an opportunist, an open or poorly secured garage can be an easy way in.

Here's how to close the gaps.

1. Keep the garage door closed

It sounds obvious, but a garage door left open, even for an hour while you're in the backyard, advertises what's inside and gives easy access. Build habits:

• Close the door as soon as you've driven in or out
• Don't leave it open while you're away from the front of the house
• Use a smart opener that alerts your phone when the door is left open and lets you close it remotely. See choosing a garage door opener, or ask us about opener installation and repair.

2. Protect the opener remote

A remote left in a car parked on the driveway is a key to your house. If someone breaks into the car, they can open the garage.

• Use a keychain remote instead of a visor clip when parking outside
• Lock the car, and don't leave the remote visible
• Many openers have a lock or vacation mode on the wall control that disables remotes while you're away

3. Use modern rolling-code technology

Older openers used fixed codes that could be copied. Modern openers use rolling codes that change every time. If your opener is very old, replacing it improves security as well as convenience. After a move, reprogram remotes and change keypad codes.

4. Secure the emergency release

The emergency release cord lets the door be opened manually during a power outage. On some doors, it can be reached from outside through the top of the door with a tool. Ask your technician about release shields or other ways to make it harder to trip from outside while still usable from inside in an emergency.

5. Lock the door between the garage and the house

Treat the interior garage door like an exterior door:

• Install a deadbolt, not just a knob lock
• Use a solid-core or metal door with a sturdy frame
• Keep it locked, especially at night and when you're away

Our home security checklist and rekey or replace your locks guides cover lock choices.

6. Cover garage windows and side doors

• Frost or cover garage windows so valuables aren't visible
• Lock side entry doors with a deadbolt
• Keep side doors and windows well lit at night

7. Keep the door in good working order

A garage door that doesn't close fully, reverses unexpectedly, or has to be forced gets left open or unlocked. Fix these issues promptly:

• Sensor problems: see garage door safety sensors
• A heavy or unbalanced door: see broken garage door springs
• Worn weatherstripping that leaves gaps at the bottom

Our garage door repair service can sort out any of these.

8. Add a camera watching the garage

Cameras are one of the most effective additions for garage security:

• An outdoor camera at the garage corner covers the driveway, garage door, and cars
• An indoor camera watches the inside of the door and the entry door to the house
• AI person and vehicle detection sends alerts only when someone approaches, not when leaves blow past. See AI detection explained.

We install wired PoE cameras with local recording and phone access through our security camera installation service.

9. Light it up

Motion-activated lights over the garage door and side entry make it harder to work unseen and improve camera footage at night.

Frequently asked questions