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How to Conduct a DIY Home Security Audit

By Guardian Angel DIY · Updated October 26, 2026 · About 15 minutes to read, about 2 hours to complete

A home security audit is a slow, systematic walk through your house and property, looking for the gaps a burglar would use and the gaps that would make an emergency harder to handle. You do not need special tools, a security background or a big budget. You need a flashlight, a notepad or phone, a couple of hours, and the checklist in this guide.

The short version

Walk the outside first (day and night), then every door, window and the garage, then your alarms and cameras, then your fallback plan, then your habits. Tick each item on the checklist below that you can answer yes to, fix the free and cheap gaps first, and repeat the audit twice a year.

What a home security audit is (and what it is not)

A security audit is an inspection. You are not buying anything yet and you are not trying to turn your home into a fortress. You are answering one question for every part of the house: if someone wanted in, or if something went wrong, how would this part of my home hold up?

That second half matters. A good audit covers two things. The first is prevention: making it hard, slow and risky for someone to get in. The second is readiness: knowing what your household will do if prevention fails, whether that is an intruder, a fire or a power outage. Most online checklists only cover the first half.

A DIY audit is not a replacement for a professional assessment if you have a specific threat, a high-value property or a complicated building. It is, however, the best first step for almost every household, because the most common weaknesses are simple: an unlocked door, a hidden spare key, a dark side yard, an alarm that nobody arms. You can find and fix those yourself.

Before you start

Adopt the right mindset

Most break-ins are crimes of opportunity. Someone looks for a home where the entry is easy, where they are unlikely to be seen, and where they can get in and out quickly. Your job during the audit is to look at your house with that same eye, not to find ways to feel good about it. If you catch yourself thinking, that has always been fine, mark it and take a second look.

What you need

A flashlight and a phone for photos and notes
A screwdriver (to check screw length and tightness)
A tape measure (optional, useful for shrub height and gaps)
This checklist, on screen or printed
A second person if you can: one to stay inside while the other tests doors and windows from outside

Safety ground rules

Never lock yourself out while testing. Keep a key or your phone on you when you step outside.
Do not permanently block or seal any door or window. Every bedroom needs a working exit in a fire.
If you find signs that someone has already tried to get in (pry marks, damaged locks, fresh footprints under a window), photograph them, do not touch anything and contact local law enforcement on the non-emergency line.
Do not announce on social media that you are doing an audit or what you found.

The four layers of home security

It helps to sort everything you find into four layers. Strong homes have something in every layer, because no single layer is perfect.

Deter. Make the house look like a harder target than the one next door: visible lighting, trimmed sightlines, a clear house number, active neighbors, genuine signs of an alarm or cameras.
Detect. Know quickly that something is wrong: door and window sensors, motion detection, cameras, a video doorbell, even a battery-powered entry chime.
Delay. Make forcing entry take longer and make more noise: solid doors, quality deadbolts, long screws in the strike plate, secured sliding doors and windows.
Respond. Have a plan for what happens next: a safe room, a way to call for help, a household plan everyone has rehearsed, and a separate fire plan.

As you go through the audit, you will see that most of the fixes in the Delay layer are cheap and permanent, while the Detect layer is where costs climb. That is why the audit starts with doors and habits, not gadgets.

The audit, step by step

Work in this order. Each step lines up with a zone in the checklist further down, so you can mark items as you go.

Step 1: Start at the curb

Walk to the street, turn around and look at your home for a full minute, ideally around dusk. Ask what a stranger would notice. Can you see the front door? Are there overgrown shrubs that would hide someone working on a window? Is the house number readable? Is there anything stacked under a second-floor window that could serve as a step? Are packages or flyers piling up, which tells everyone nobody is home?

Take photos from the street and from the back fence line. Photos make problems obvious in a way memory does not.

Step 2: Walk the property in the dark

Repeat your walk-around after dark. Lighting problems are invisible during the day. Note every spot where you cannot see your hand in front of you: the side yard, the back door, the path to the garage, the area behind the shed. Check that lights actually turn on when they should, that motion sensors catch a person approaching (not just a car passing on the street), and that bulbs are working.

Good exterior lighting works automatically. A light that depends on someone remembering to flip a switch will be off on the one night it matters. Motion-activated and dusk-to-dawn lighting both remove the habit from the equation.

Step 3: Test every exterior door

Doors are where most unlawful entries happen, so spend the most time here. Check every exterior door, including the back door, side doors and the door between the garage and the house. For each one:

The door itself. Knock on it. Solid wood, solid-core, steel and fiberglass doors have a dense sound. A hollow door can be kicked in.
The deadbolt. Every exterior door needs one in addition to the knob lock. When you throw the bolt, it should extend at least an inch into the frame. Check the grade: ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 is the strongest residential rating and Grade 2 is a solid middle ground.
The strike plate and hinges. Pull out one of the screws holding the strike plate. If it is short (about three-quarters of an inch is common), it is biting into the thin door jamb and nothing else. Replacing those screws with ones at least three inches long so they reach the wall stud costs a few dollars and takes minutes. Do the same for the hinge side.
The frame. Look for cracks, splits, soft wood and a wide gap at the latch edge. A strong door in a weak frame is a weak door.
Glass and openings. If a pane of glass or a mail slot is within arm's reach of the lock, someone can break it and reach through. Reinforce the glass or move to a design that cannot be reached. Avoid keyed-both-sides deadbolts; in a fire they can trap your family.
Seeing who is there. A peephole, a door viewer or a video doorbell lets you identify a visitor without opening the door.
Hidden keys. Take the spare key out from under the mat, the flowerpot or the fake rock. Burglars know every one of those spots. Give a spare to a trusted neighbor or use a keypad lock instead.

Then think about the people side of the lock: who has keys or codes? If you cannot account for every key, rekey the locks. If a contractor, cleaner or former tenant had access, remove their codes.

Step 4: Check sliding doors and pet doors

Sliding glass doors are often the weakest opening in a home because the factory latch is easy to defeat. Confirm that the latch fully engages. Then add a second line of defense: a bar or a cut-to-length dowel in the track so the door cannot slide even if the latch fails. Make sure the door cannot be lifted off its track from outside; anti-lift pins or screws solve that. If you have a pet door large enough for a person to crawl through, either replace it with a smaller one or lock it at night.

Step 5: Go window by window

Test every latch, starting with ground-floor, basement and any window reachable from a porch roof or deck. If you like to leave windows open for fresh air, install a stop or pin that keeps them from opening more than about four inches. Check window wells and basement windows. Secure window air-conditioner units so they cannot be pushed in from outside. Finally, close the blinds at night and see what a passer-by can see: valuables, computers and TVs in view invite a closer look.

One firm rule: never permanently screw, nail or bar a window shut. Whatever method you use to harden a window must still let you open it from the inside in an emergency.

Step 6: Inspect the garage

An attached garage is effectively a second front door, and it is frequently left open. The door between the garage and the house should be as solid and well-locked as any exterior door. Look at the garage door opener: keep the remote out of sight in parked cars, change the keypad code if it is a default or your address, and shield the emergency release cord so it cannot be hooked from outside. Cover garage windows so tools and bikes are not on display, and close the garage door every time you leave, even for a few minutes.

Step 7: Test alarms, cameras and sensors

Technology only helps if it works and is turned on. Check these things:

Do your sensors cover every ground-level door, accessible windows and the likely path through the house?
Is the system armed every night and every time you leave? If not, make that your first habit change.
Have you tested it in the last month, and do you know what happens if power or internet goes out?
Do cameras show faces at night, not just the tops of heads, and are they free of glare?
Have you changed the default passwords on cameras, doorbells, openers and smart locks, and turned on two-factor sign-in?
Are smoke alarms on every level and in or outside every sleeping area, are carbon monoxide alarms installed, and is every unit less than 10 years old and tested monthly?

If you have no alarm at all, a battery-powered door and window chime is a low-cost way to add basic detection while you decide on a full system.

Step 8: Review your fallback plan

This is the step most people skip. Sit down with your household and answer these questions out loud:

If someone gets in while we are home, where do we go? Which room is our safe room, and does it have a solid door and a lock that cannot be opened with a coin or paperclip from the outside?
How do we call for help from that room? Is there a charged phone or a landline there?
Does everyone, including children, know the plan? Many families agree on a keyword that means go to the safe room now.
What do we do if the smoke alarm sounds? A fire needs a completely different response from an intruder: everyone gets out and meets at a set spot outside. Each bedroom needs two ways out.
Who needs medication, glasses or other essentials, and can they reach them from the safe room?

A plan on paper is not a plan until you have practiced it once. Rehearse it calmly in daylight, the way you would a fire drill.

Step 9: Audit your habits and your digital footprint

The best locks in the world fail if the door is left unlocked. Review your routines candidly: Are doors locked every time, including when you are home? Do you check who is at the door before opening? Do you post vacation photos while you are still away? Do you leave keys in the car, or a spare fob near the front door? Do you know at least two neighbors well enough to call them? Is your Wi-Fi protected with a strong, unique password, and is your router up to date? These habits cost nothing and close more gaps than most hardware.

The home security audit checklist

Below are 63 checkpoints in nine zones. For each one, tick the box if the answer is yes. Anything left unticked is a gap to fix. Items marked Priority are the ones to fix first if you leave them unticked. You can print this page (or just the checklist) and carry it with you as you walk through the house.

Skip an item only if it truly does not apply to your home (for example, no garage). Answer for each exterior door, each sliding door and each window.

Curb view and property

Stand at the street, ideally at dusk, and look at the house the way a stranger would.

House number is large, reflective or lit, and readable from the street at night, so responders can find you fast.
Entry doors and ground-floor windows can be seen from the street or a neighbor's home. Shrubs are trimmed below windowsill height and tree limbs are trimmed up and away from the house.
Nothing near the house lets someone climb to an upper window or roof: no stacked bins, ladders, furniture or sturdy trellis under second-floor windows.
Ladders, tools and garden equipment are stored, not left out where they can be used to break in.
Mail, flyers and packages do not pile up in view of the street.
Any security signs or decals match what you really have installed. Signs for a system you do not own are a weak bluff.

Exterior lighting

Repeat your walk-around after dark. Lighting problems only show up at night.

Every exterior entry door has a working light that turns on automatically (motion sensor or dusk-to-dawn photocell), so security does not depend on someone remembering to flip a switch.Priority
You walked the property at night and listed the dark zones: side yards, back door, garage side door, driveway, and the path to each entrance.
Fixtures are mounted high enough that they cannot be easily unscrewed or smashed from the ground.
All bulbs and sensors work, and motion lights are aimed so they trigger on people approaching, not on the street or a neighbor's cat.
Interior lights are on timers or smart schedules so the house looks occupied when you are away.

Entry doors (check every exterior door, including the one from the garage)

This is where most break-ins happen, so it is the most important zone in the audit.

Every exterior door is solid wood, solid-core, steel or fiberglass. Knock on it: a hollow sound means it is a weak door.Priority
Every exterior door has a deadbolt in addition to the knob lock, and when thrown the bolt extends at least 1 inch into the frame.Priority
Deadbolts are a quality ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 or Grade 2 lock (look on the packaging or the edge of the lock for the grade), not a bare-minimum builder-grade lock.
The strike plate and the hinge-side screws are at least 3 inches long and reach the wall stud, not just the thin door jamb.Priority
The door frame is solid: no cracks, splits, soft or rotted wood, and no large gap at the latch side where a pry tool could fit.Priority
On doors that swing outward, the hinge pins cannot simply be tapped out from the outside.
Glass near the lock (within arm's reach of the knob) is reinforced or shielded. Avoid keyed-both-sides deadbolts, which can trap your family in a fire.
You can see who is at each door without opening it: a peephole, door viewer, side window you control, or a video doorbell.
Storm and screen doors latch and lock, and any mail slot cannot be used to reach a lock or knob.
No spare key is hidden outside (doormat, flowerpot, fake rock, light fixture). Burglars check those spots first.Priority
You know every person who has a key or code: relatives, ex-partners, former tenants, contractors, cleaners. Locks have been rekeyed since the last time you could not account for a key.
Doors latch by themselves when closed. They do not need to be pulled or shoulder-bumped to engage.

Sliding doors, patio doors and pet doors

Sliding doors are often the weakest opening in a house.

The built-in latch engages fully and is not loose or worn.Priority
A secondary blocker, such as a bar or a cut-to-length dowel in the track, keeps the door from being forced open even if the latch fails.Priority
The door cannot be lifted up and out of its track from outside (an anti-lift pin or screw is installed).
The track is clean and the door rolls smoothly, so the latch lines up properly.
Any pet door is too small for a person to fit through, or locks at night.

Windows

Check every window, with extra attention to ground-floor, basement and any window reachable from a porch roof or deck.

Every window latch works and holds the sash tightly closed.Priority
Windows you leave open for fresh air have a stop or pin so they cannot open wider than about 4 inches.
No window is permanently sealed, screwed shut or barred without an inside release. Bedroom windows must stay usable as a fire exit.Priority
Basement windows and window wells are secured, and well covers cannot be lifted from outside.
Window air-conditioner units are secured so they cannot be pushed in from outside.
Blinds or curtains block a clear view of valuables, computers and TVs from the street at night.

Garage

An attached garage is a second front door, and it is often left unlocked.

The door between the garage and the house is built and locked like an exterior door: solid, with a deadbolt.Priority
The garage door remote is not left visible in a parked car, and the keypad code is not the factory default or your address.
The emergency release cord is shielded or secured so it cannot be hooked from outside through a gap at the top of the door.
Any side or service door to the garage has a deadbolt and is kept locked.
Garage windows are covered or frosted so tools, bikes and valuables are not on display.
The garage door is closed at night and whenever you leave, even for a few minutes.Priority

Alarms, cameras and detection

Detection buys you time. Check that what you own actually works.

Your alarm or entry sensors cover every ground-level entry door and any accessible window, plus a motion sensor along the likely path through the house. Even a basic door chime counts as coverage.
The system is armed every night and every time the house is empty. A system nobody turns on protects nothing.Priority
You tested the system within the last month, replaced weak batteries, and know what happens if power or Wi-Fi goes out.
Cameras cover the front door, the back door and any hidden side entrance, and the picture is clear at night.
Camera angles show faces, not just the tops of heads, and are not washed out by direct sun or porch lights.
Cameras, doorbells, openers and smart locks have unique passwords (not the factory default) and two-factor sign-in turned on.Priority
Smoke alarms are on every level and in or outside every sleeping area, carbon monoxide alarms are installed, all are tested monthly, and none is more than 10 years old.Priority

Inside the house: your fallback plan

Prevention can fail. This zone is about being ready if someone does get in.

You have chosen a safe room (usually the primary bedroom) with a solid door and a lock that cannot be opened with a coin or paperclip from outside.
A charged phone, landline or other way to call for help is kept in the safe room.Priority
Everyone in the household knows the plan, including children, and it has been rehearsed. A simple agreed keyword to start the retreat works well.
You have a separate fire plan: two ways out of every bedroom, an outdoor meeting place, and it has been practiced.Priority
There is a flashlight within reach of every bed.
Critical medications, glasses and similar essentials are kept where you can reach them without leaving the safe room.
Important documents, spare cash and backup drives are in a locked or hidden spot, and you have photographed valuables and recorded serial numbers, stored away from the house, for insurance.
Everyone old enough knows the home address by heart and how to give it to a 911 dispatcher.

Daily habits, visitors and digital security

Hardware only works when habits back it up. These items cost nothing.

Doors are locked every time: at night, when you are home, and when you step out to the yard or the mailbox.Priority
You verify the identity of unexpected visitors, delivery people and service workers before opening the door, and you do not hesitate to say no through a closed door.Priority
You do not post vacation photos or check-ins while you are still away, and you have a neighbor or friend who can watch the house, bring in packages and mail, and vary the look of the house.
Keys are not left in vehicles, spare car fobs are not near the front door where they can be seen or reached, and keys are not tagged with your address.
Your home Wi-Fi uses a strong, unique password and a current router, and default admin passwords were changed.
Old guest codes, shared passwords and ex-roommate or ex-contractor access to smart locks and apps have been removed.
You know at least two neighbors by name and have exchanged phone numbers.
You have a standing plan for packages, such as same-day pick-up, a locker, or a trusted neighbor.

How to read your results. Count the unticked boxes, and separately the unticked Priority items (there are 19 in total). If you have zero unticked priority items, your fundamentals are strong and the remaining gaps are upgrades. If you have 1 to 4, fix them this week. If you have 5 or more, treat this as your project for the month and start with doors, locks and habits before spending on technology.

What to fix first: a simple order of operations

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when the list of unticked boxes is long. Sort them by cost and impact, and work from the top down.

Tier	What belongs here	Typical examples
1. Free, do it today	Habits and no-cost changes	Lock every door, every time. Take hidden keys out of hiding places. Close the garage door. Trim shrubs. Remove climbable items from under windows. Remove old guest codes. Agree on a family plan and a keyword.
2. Cheap, this week	Small hardware that hardens the weakest points	Three-inch screws for strike plates and hinges. A dowel or bar for the sliding door track. Window stops. A door chime. Timers for indoor lights. House numbers you can read at night. Replacement bulbs and a motion light on the darkest side.
3. Moderate, this month or quarter	Upgrades to real weak links	A quality Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolt. A reinforced strike plate or door-frame kit. A solid-core door where the current one is hollow. A video doorbell. A starter alarm kit. A better lock on the safe-room door.
4. Larger projects, as budget allows	Comprehensive coverage and redundancy	A full alarm system with outdoor cameras and optional professional monitoring. Security film on vulnerable glass. A replacement exterior door and frame. Whole-property lighting.

Notice what the order does: the first two tiers cost very little and address the way most homes are actually entered. Spend your money on the third and fourth tiers only after the basics are done.

As you fix things, add a date next to each item on your list. When you repeat the audit in six months, you will have a record of what you have done and what is still waiting.

How often to repeat the audit

Do a full audit twice a year. Pairing it with the days you change your clocks works well because you will remember it. Also run through it, at least partially, any time one of these happens:

You move into a new home (before you unpack, and rekey the locks)
You lose a key, or someone who had access no longer should (roommate, contractor, ex-partner)
There is a break-in or a run of incidents in your neighborhood
You are about to travel for more than a few days
Your household changes: new baby, teenage driver, elderly relative, new pet
You change or add a major system, such as a new alarm or new smart-home devices

Tips for renters and apartments

If you rent, you can still do almost all of this audit; you simply have fewer permanent options. Start the same way, then adapt:

Ask for what you cannot change. Broken locks, loose door frames, burned-out common-area lights and non-working entry doors are the landlord's job to fix. Send the request in writing and keep a copy.
Use removable hardware. Portable door stops and door-jam devices, sliding-door bars, battery-powered motion lights and door chimes work without drilling or permanent changes.
Rekey or ask to rekey. Previous tenants may still have keys. Many landlords will rekey on request or when a new lease begins.
Mind the shared spaces. Do not prop open building doors, do not let unknown people follow you in, and learn which neighbors you can call.
Check your lease first before installing cameras, locks or anything that alters the unit.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a DIY home security audit take?

Plan on about two hours for an average house: roughly 20 minutes for the street view and property, an hour for doors, windows and the garage, and the rest for alarms, cameras and your fallback plan. Do the night walk separately, since it only takes about 15 minutes. Larger properties and multi-door homes take longer.

Is a DIY audit as good as a professional security assessment?

A DIY audit will not replace a professional for a high-value property or a specific threat, but it catches most of the common, fixable weaknesses at no cost: unlocked doors, short screws, weak strike plates, dark corners, unarmed alarms and missing plans. Many people find that the checklist alone reveals problems they walk past every day.

Can the police do a free home security survey?

Many local police and sheriff's departments offer free or low-cost crime prevention surveys or can point you to a community crime-prevention officer. Programs vary by area, so call the non-emergency number or check your department's website. Use your own audit first so you can ask better questions.

What is the most common weak point in a home?

Doors are the most common entry point. The usual problems are an unlocked door, a weak or short-screwed strike plate, and a flimsy or hollow frame. Sliding doors and the door between the garage and the house come next. Fixing doors first gives the biggest improvement for the least money.

Do I need cameras and an alarm to pass the audit?

No. Cameras and alarms add detection and evidence, but a home with solid doors, good locks, long strike-plate screws, working lighting, secured windows and consistent habits is much harder to enter than one with expensive electronics and an unlocked back door. Build from the bottom up: habits, then hardware, then technology.

What should I do if I find a problem I cannot afford to fix right away?

Start with the free and cheap items: lock doors every time, remove hidden spare keys, close the garage door, add a track blocker to sliding doors, and swap in long screws. Then write the remaining items down in priority order and fix them one at a time. Progress beats perfection.

How often should I repeat the audit?

Twice a year is a good rhythm, for example when you change your clocks. Also repeat it after moving in, after any break-in or attempted break-in in your area, after losing a key, after a contractor or tenant has had access, and after any major change such as new roommates, kids or a new pet.

Does a security audit work for renters?

Yes, with a few differences. You may not be allowed to change locks or drill into frames, but you can usually add removable items such as door stops, a track blocker for sliding doors, battery-powered lights and sensors, and a portable alarm. Ask your landlord to fix problems you cannot, such as broken locks, door frames and lighting, and get the request in writing.

Ready to start fixing things?

Our free interactive checklist walks you through a tiered, budget-friendly path from basic to advanced security, with practical picks at each level. Use it alongside this audit to turn your gaps into a plan.

Open the free interactive checklist