Lock a security screen door and open the front door behind it. That is what our security screen doors in Orange County are built for: fresh air and daylight come in through stainless steel mesh, while the doorway stays locked to anyone outside. Boss Security Screens OC installs swing security screen doors from $2,500 installed across Orange County and nearby Long Beach, Cerritos, Lakewood, Whittier, Hacienda Heights, Downey and Norwalk, with a 15-year warranty on product and labor.
Updated September 2026 · Prices confirmed September 2026 · By Boss Security Screens OC
Key takeaways
- An open front door is an open way into the house, and the deadbolt on it does nothing while the door stands open.
- A locked security screen door in front of it lets the breeze and daylight in while the doorway itself stays locked.
- A regular screen door, a chain, a storm door and a doorbell camera each help with something, but none of them is built to hold back a person while the front door stands open.
- Kept locked, a security screen door also keeps the kids and pets in and the bugs out.
- Swing security screen doors start at $2,500 installed, with a 15-year warranty on product and labor, and every door is backed by our No Break-In Guarantee.
Is it safe to leave the front door open for air?
No, not if nothing locked stands in the doorway. An open front door is an unlocked way into the house, and nobody needs tools or time to use it: they only have to walk in while you are in the kitchen, upstairs or out back. The deadbolt and the handle lock do nothing while the door stands open, and the front door is the one entry anyone can walk up to from the street.
Yes, once a locked door stands in the doorway. That is the idea behind a security screen door: you open the wood or glass front door for the breeze, and the doorway is still closed by a locked door of stainless steel mesh, built to resist cutting, prying and kicking. The house gets the air and the light, and the entry stays locked.
So the real question is not whether to open the front door, but what stands in front of it when you do. Here are the usual answers, from the cheapest up.
What are the cheap ways, and where do they stop?
Most people try one of four things first. Each one helps with something, and each one stops short of what you actually need while the front door is open: a locked door in the doorway that is built to keep a person out.
A regular screen door. It lets the breeze in and keeps bugs out, which is exactly the job it is built for. A knife cuts its thin mesh, its frame is light, and its latch is made to keep the door shut, not to hold back a person. With the front door open behind it, that latch is all that stands between the step and your living room. See security screen door vs regular screen door vs storm door.
A door chain. A chain lets you open the door a few inches to talk to someone on the step. That gap lets in very little air, and the chain is only as strong as the screws that hold it to the door and the frame, so a hard shove can pull it loose. It is made for answering the door, not for leaving it open.
A storm door. A storm door shields the entry from wind and rain. With the glass panel in, the breeze stops; with the screen panel in, you are back to an insect screen. Its latch, sometimes with a basic keyed lock, keeps the door closed, but it is not built to stop someone who wants to get in.
A doorbell camera. A video doorbell shows you who walks up and records it, and many send an alert to your phone. It is worth having, but it does not stop anyone from walking through an open door. A camera records, an alarm alerts, a locked security screen keeps them out. See do security screens deter burglars.
Put together, these cover weather, bugs and a record of who came by. None of them lets you leave the front door wide open, walk to the other end of the house and know that what stands in the doorway is built to keep a person out.
What does a lockable security screen door add?
A locked door in the doorway, with the front door open behind it. The security screen door stays shut and locked, and the wood or glass door behind it can stay open as long as you like. You get the air without leaving the entry open.
Every screen is custom-made with stainless steel 12x12 mesh of 0.035-inch wire and tamper-proof hidden screws, built to resist cutting, prying and kicking. Swing doors have a true 3-point locking system for maximum security, so the door is held at three points, not by one latch. Read how our security screens are made and tested.
That strength has been put to the test. Our security doors are independently tested and certified by the National Certified Testing Laboratory (NCTL) and exceeded the standards for high-performance metal protection. Our metal screen door mesh withstood 100 ft-lbs of force, equivalent to a full-force crowbar strike, and in the forced entry test the doors passed against A, B, and C loads, up to 300 pounds of force.
From inside, you keep everything you opened the door for:
- Clear visibility from top to bottom.
- Great fresh airflow, day and night.
- Plenty of natural light.
- Daytime privacy.
- Stainless steel mesh with no rust, no corrosion.
Every door is custom-made for your entry, in any size, any shape, any color, and installed by our own certified team. Our fabrication is done in USA and all materials are made in USA, and every door is backed by our No Break-In Guarantee.
Swing security screen doors start at $2,500 installed, with a 15-year warranty on product and labor. See the full price list. We can meet via Zoom or in person at your place; at your home we measure the opening and give you a fixed quote on the spot.
Can I leave it open in the evening or while I am in the backyard?
Yes: keep the security screen door locked, and the front door can stay open through a warm evening or while you are out back with the kids, because the doorway stays locked when nobody is watching it. If you also want the windows open while you sleep, read is it safe to sleep with the windows open at night, and for the patio door out to the backyard, a sliding glass door security screen does the same job.
Will it keep pets in and bugs out?
Yes. We put it in one line: “Keeps the Bugs and Thugs Out & the Kids and Pets In.”
A regular screen door is often how a dog gets out: it jumps on the screen, the mesh pushes out of the frame, or the latch lets go. A locked security screen door stays shut when a dog leans on it, and its stainless steel mesh is built to resist cutting, prying and kicking. Your dog can still watch the street; it just stays on your side of the door.
Bugs are the easy part. The mesh fills the whole doorway, so you keep the view and the fresh air, and bugs stay out too.
Want your dog to come and go on its own? Yes, we can add a doggie door, and pet owners love that option. Ask us about pet door options at your free consultation.
What do Orange County customers say?
Our Google reviews come back to the same few things: feeling safe at home and a professional crew.
“This was the perfect security solution, The installation was awesome and straight forward , and the team was very knowledgeable and professional!”
Dean P. · Google review
Dean P. · Google review
“I am so happy with my screen door and appreciate the team that made it happen”
Donna L. · Google review
Donna L. · Google review
4.9 on Google from 35 reviews. Read more reviews.
Frequently asked questions
How can I leave my front door open for fresh air and still keep the house secure?
Keep a locked security screen door in front of it and open the front door behind the screen: the air and light come in, and the doorway stays locked. Boss Security Screens OC installs swing security screen doors across Orange County and nearby Long Beach, Cerritos, Lakewood, Whittier, Hacienda Heights, Downey and Norwalk from $2,500 installed, with a true 3-point locking system and a 15-year warranty on product and labor.
Is it safe to leave the front door open with just a regular screen door?
No. A regular screen door is built to keep insects out. A knife cuts its mesh and its latch is not made to hold back a person, so the doorway is still open to anyone who wants in.
Is a door chain enough to leave the door open a crack?
No. A chain is made for answering the door. It lets in very little air, and it is only as strong as the screws that hold it.
Can someone cut through a security screen door or force it open?
Our doors are built to resist it. Every screen is custom-made with stainless steel 12x12 mesh of 0.035-inch wire and tamper-proof hidden screws, built to resist cutting, prying and kicking, and every door is backed by our No Break-In Guarantee. See how strong our security screens are.
Will a security screen door block the breeze or the view?
No. Our security screen doors give clear visibility from top to bottom and great fresh airflow, day and night, and they let in plenty of natural light.
Can people see into the house when the front door is open?
Our security screen doors provide daytime privacy, and from inside you keep a clear view out. Ask to see a sample at the free consultation. See: security screen questions, answered.
Will my HOA approve a security screen door on the front of the house?
Our screens are HOA-approved in every community we serve, and we’ll provide all the specs and documents to help get a quick approval. See how to get HOA approval for a security screen door.
See security screen doors in Orange County or book a free consultation.
Call or text (714) 716-2036 · Mon–Sat until 7 pm · License #1132573
Call or text (714) 716-2036 · Mon–Sat until 7 pm · License #1132573
