Custom Safe Rooms & Panic Rooms in Los Angeles
Bullet resistant, fire rated, and completely hidden. Designed and built by Guardian Angel Security Group for homes and businesses across greater Los Angeles.
A safe room gives your family a protected place to go during a break in, a home invasion, or a wildfire, and the time to wait safely until help arrives. We design each room around your home, your risks, and your architecture, so it protects like a vault and looks like it was always part of the house.
A room that disappears into your home
The best safe room is one nobody knows about. Ballistic panels sit behind ordinary drywall. The vault door hides behind a bookcase, a mirror, or millwork that matches the rest of the house. Inside, the finishes are yours to choose, from a simple closet to a fully furnished lounge.
- Primary closets, close to where the family sleeps
- Home offices and studies with a concealed bookcase door
- Wine rooms and interior storage rooms
- Primary bathrooms, which already have water and ventilation
A Guardian Angel Security Group safe room concept: concealed vault door, camera monitors, air filtration, and backup power.
Inside a Pacific Palisades build
Most people picture a safe room as a steel box in a basement. The ones we design look nothing like that. We are currently planning a safe room for a new construction home in Pacific Palisades. The room is the primary closet on the second floor, about 8 by 12 feet with a 10 foot ceiling, and when the house is finished nobody walking through it will know the room exists.
The owners came to us with two concerns many Los Angeles families share right now: burglary and wildfire. We priced two complete options, one rated for handguns and one rated for rifles, each with a fire rated envelope, filtered air, climate control, battery backup, communication, and cameras. Everything on this page is what went into that design.
Walls rated to stop real threats
Ballistic fiberglass: woven layers that catch the round.
Is it really Kevlar? Almost everyone asks for “Kevlar walls.” Kevlar is a brand of aramid fiber, best known from body armor. Most residential safe rooms use a close cousin: ballistic fiberglass, made of woven fiberglass layered with resin and pressed under heat.
Our panels are tested to UL 752, the recognized standard for bullet resistant construction. When a round hits, the layers separate and trap the bullet instead of letting it pass through or ricochet. The panels fasten directly to the framing and disappear behind ordinary drywall.
A safe room is only as strong as its weakest surface. In a multi story home an intruder can be above or below you, so every surface is protected, including the ceiling and floor, and the vault door, frame, and locking bolts carry the same rating as the walls. For ground floor and basement rooms we can also build in welded AR500 ballistic steel.
UL 752 Level 3
Stops handgun rounds up to a .44 Magnum. Light enough for almost any framed wall, including upper floors.
- ThreatHandguns
- Panel thickness7/16 inch
UL 752 Level 5
Stops a 7.62mm rifle round. Heavier and thicker, so structure is planned early with your engineer.
- ThreatRifles
- Panel thicknessAbout 1 1/2 inch
A UL 752 Level 3 fiberglass panel, tested against three shots of .44 Magnum.
AR500 plate, the steel alternative. Look for the grade stamped on the sheet.
A word on steel. Ordinary mild steel plate is not ballistic rated, no matter how thick it looks. If a contractor offers you “steel walls,” ask for the grade and the rating. UL 752 rates materials from Level 1 through Level 8. Levels 1 through 3 cover handguns, and Levels 4 through 8 cover rifles.
Everything you need behind the door
A sealed room is only useful if you can breathe, see, and call for help inside it. A complete Guardian Angel safe room includes:
NBC air filtration
Clean, positive pressure air that keeps smoke and contaminants out. Runs on AC or DC power with a hand crank backup.
Battery backup
A whole home class battery keeps air, lights, cameras, and communication running when the power is cut or the grid goes down.
Communication
A cellular signal booster and satellite internet, so a call for help still goes out when local service fails.
Cameras and lockdown
Security cameras feed a monitor inside the room, and access control lets you lock other doors from within.
Climate control
A concealed ductless mini split keeps the room comfortable and quiet during an extended stay.
Fire refuge envelope
A fire rated envelope for wildfire areas, as a last resort if evacuation routes close. It never replaces leaving early.
From first visit to final test
Consultation
We walk the home or the plans, talk through your concerns, and pick the right location.
Design
Protection level, door, concealment, and systems, priced as clear options.
Coordination
We work with your architect, contractor, and engineer so wiring and structure come first.
Build and test
Panels, door, and systems installed, then tested with you before handover.
Building or remodeling? Bring us in before the drywall. Every wire, duct, and conduit has to be in place before the ballistic panels go up, and it costs far less than a retrofit.
What does a safe room cost?
All six sides protected and a rated, concealed door for a closet sized room.
Adds filtration, climate control, battery backup, communication, and surveillance.
The main cost drivers are the size of the room, the UL 752 level, the door, and whether the room is planned during construction or retrofitted afterward.
Safe room questions
Is a safe room the same as a panic room?
Yes. Both names describe a reinforced room where your family can shelter during a break in or another emergency until help arrives. Panic room is the older term. Safe room has become more common because a well planned room also covers wildfire smoke, earthquakes, and long power outages.
Are the walls actually bulletproof?
The accurate term is bullet resistant. Panels are tested and rated under UL 752. Level 3 stops handgun rounds up to a .44 Magnum. Level 5 stops a 7.62mm rifle round.
Will guests or contractors know the room is there?
Not if it is designed properly. The ballistic panels sit behind normal drywall, and the vault door can be concealed behind a bookcase, a mirror, or millwork that matches the rest of the house.
How long does it take to build a safe room?
It depends on the size of the room, the protection level, and whether the home is under construction or already finished. In new construction the safe room follows the builder’s schedule, because wiring and ducting go in before the ballistic panels. We give you a clear timeline after the first site visit.
How much does a safe room cost?
For a closet sized room, the ballistic shell and vault door start in the mid five figures. A fully equipped room with air filtration, climate control, battery backup, communication, and cameras typically lands in the low to mid six figures.
Can you add a safe room to an existing home?
Yes. Primary closets, home offices, wine rooms, and bathrooms all convert well. A retrofit means opening the walls, so it costs more per square foot than building the room during construction or a remodel.
What protection level do I need?
Most homeowners choose UL 752 Level 3, which stops handgun rounds up to a .44 Magnum. Clients with a higher risk profile choose Level 5, which stops a 7.62mm rifle round. We walk you through the tradeoffs in weight, thickness, and cost.
Do you work with my architect and contractor?
Yes. We coordinate directly with your architect, general contractor, and structural engineer so the safe room is part of the plans, the weight is accounted for, and every trade knows what has to happen before the panels go up.
Do you build safe rooms for businesses?
Yes. The same ballistic construction works for secure rooms and vault spaces in jewelry stores, cannabis businesses, executive offices, and family offices.
See a safe room in person
We are building a working safe room inside our new Sherman Oaks showroom. Handle ballistic panel samples, watch the air filtration run, and walk through a concealed bookshelf entry. Consultations are private and confidential.
Book a Private ConsultationCall 818 652 5269Serving Sherman Oaks, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Malibu, Encino, Calabasas, and greater Los Angeles.