A kicked-in entry door is an emergency work order. The resident is shaken, the unit may not lock, and the decisions your team makes in the next hour affect the resident's safety, the cost of the repair, and whether it happens again. Here's a practical order of operations.
Step 1: Make sure it's safe, then secure the unit
- If it's a break-in, the resident or management should contact the police before you touch anything. Follow your company's incident procedure and don't enter or alter the scene until it's cleared to do so.
- Get the unit locking tonight. If the jamb is split but the door still closes and the deadbolt throws into solid wood, a temporary fix may hold. If not, use a temporary securing method your company approves until the permanent repair, and don't leave the unit unable to lock.
- Check for hazards: loose trim, splinters, exposed screws, a door that won't latch.
Step 2: Document everything
Before any repair, record the damage. Your insurer, the owner, and any police report may need it.
- Photos of the door, jamb, strike area, hinges and lock, close-up and from a distance
- Date, time, unit number, who reported it, and the police report number if there is one
- What failed: jamb split at the strike? door split around the lock? hinges pulled? lock broken?
- Door type, size, swing, and material, and frame material (wood or metal)
That last list tells you which repair you need.
Step 3: Diagnose: repair the frame, reinforce it, or replace?
Kick-ins often break the wood jamb at the strike plate; the deadbolt stays locked and the wood gives way. Match the damage to the fix:
| What you find | Usual fix |
|---|---|
| Jamb split or splintered at the strike, door undamaged, damage not from a break-in (or low-risk door) | FIX-A-JAMB: steel sleeve that repairs the broken jamb |
| Jamb split from a break-in, or a door that's been hit before | Door Armor: covers the split jamb and reinforces against the next kick-in |
| Door itself split around the lock | Door Armor door shields wrap the lock area; replace the door if it's beyond that |
| Whole frame pulled from the wall, door won't close, or the door slab is broken through | Replace the door and/or frame (carpenter/contractor) |
One door, one product. FIX-A-JAMB and Door Armor are never installed on the same door. FIX-A-JAMB is a repair, not a security upgrade: it repairs the broken jamb but does not add reinforcement around the lock. Door Armor reinforces the lock side of the frame and the door around the lock, and covers a jamb that has already been kicked in. Hinge Shields are an optional add-on for the hinge side.
Carry both on the maintenance cart so a broken-door call stays a single visit, then put one or the other on the door.
Step 4: Repair or reinforce
FIX-A-JAMB Exterior covers a split jamb without replacing it. It's a fast, clean repair for doors where security isn't the concern.
Door Armor installs over the existing door and frame with a drill, with no door replacement, and covers and reinforces a jamb that's already been kicked in. For multifamily, the MINI PLUS kit adds a Pry Shield, and it comes in a 12-pack for maintenance stock. Door Armor is Made in the USA.
After either repair, test the door: it should close and latch without force, and the deadbolt should throw fully.
Step 5: Close out the work order
- Record the product used, parts, labor time and cost
- Add the photos to the unit file
- Let the resident know what was done (and remind them to lock the deadbolt every time)
- Flag the unit and its building for review in your next security walk
Step 6: Prevent the next one
A unit that's had a kick-in tells you where your doors are weakest. Rather than waiting for the next emergency call:
- Reinforce high-risk doors first: units with a prior break-in, ground-floor and less visible entries, and doors with visible jamb damage.
- Stock kits on the cart so reinforcement can happen during turns and routine work orders.
- Track it. Log kick-in work orders by building so you can show owners what reinforcement saves.
Our door-first playbook for multifamily communities covers how to roll this out across a portfolio, and our rental property burglary statistics have the federal data to support a capital request.
Guarantee: single-door Door Armor kits carry a lifetime kick-in guarantee: $500 on MAX kits and $300 on MINI and MINI PLUS kits, for as long as the purchaser owns the property. It covers kick-ins, not battering rams or prying tools. Double-door kits aren't covered.
Need specs? Our tear sheets are the spec sheets for each kit; request them at [email protected]. For multifamily kits and special pricing, see our multifamily program page.
Frequently asked questions
Can maintenance staff install Door Armor?
Yes. It installs over the existing door and frame with a drill, with no door replacement.
Should we use FIX-A-JAMB or Door Armor?
One or the other, never both on the same door. FIX-A-JAMB repairs a split jamb. Door Armor covers a kicked-in jamb and reinforces the door against the next kick-in.
When should the door or frame be replaced instead?
When the frame has pulled away from the wall, the door won't close, or the door slab itself is broken through.
Does the guarantee cover multifamily kits?
Single-door kits carry a lifetime kick-in guarantee: $500 on MAX and $300 on MINI and MINI PLUS. It covers kick-ins, not rams or prying. Double-door kits are not covered.
Try it on one of your doors
Request a security assessment · Shop the MINI PLUS 12-pack · Tear sheets: [email protected]