Floor Safe Guide: In-Floor Safes and Bolt-Down Safes

A floor safe is fixed to the floor, in it or on it

The term covers two different products, and listings use it for both.

• In-floor safes. A steel body set into a hole in a concrete slab, surrounded by concrete, with only the lid or door at floor level. Some are square, some are round, and some are tube-shaped and narrow. Hollon describes its in-floor safes as installed in concrete and says removing one "will literally take a jack hammer."
• Free-standing floor safes. A conventional safe that sits on the floor and is bolted down through holes in its base. If you're shopping for the best bolt down safe for a wood floor, this is the category.

Our table lists safes sold for either job. The difference matters for installation, for hiding, and for what kind of floor you need.

A third cousin, the wall safe, mounts between the studs instead. Both are in our hidden safes list, along with diversion safes.

Who a floor safe is for, and who should skip it

A floor safe suits anyone whose main worry is a burglar taking the whole safe. Fixed to concrete, it can't be carried to a car.

In-floor safes fit:

• New builds and remodels, where the slab is open or being poured
• Garages and basements with a slab floor you're allowed to cut
• Cash, jewelry and spare keys that need to be hidden and anchored at once
• Owners who want concealment, since the lid can sit under a rug or carpet

Bolt-down floor safes fit:

• Wood-framed floors and upper stories where cutting a slab isn't an option
• Larger items than a small in-floor body can hold
• Anyone who might move, since bolts come out and concrete doesn't

Skip an in-floor safe if:

• Your slab is post-tensioned. Liberty Safe notes these slabs are often stamped with a warning not to drill, cut or core, because the steel cables inside are under high tension. Don't cut one.
• You rent. Cutting a slab needs the owner's written permission.
• You need daily access. Opening a lid at floor level is slower than opening a door at waist height.
• You're storing paper that must stay dry and the safe has no water rating. See below.

What to look for in a floor safe: lock, moisture, rating, install

Floor safes have their own set of trade-offs. The ground is a good anchor and a damp neighbor.

The lock, and what the warranty says about it

In-floor safes are sold with dials, keypads and high-security locks. Hollon, for example, lists a UL-listed Group 2 lock or dial with an external relocker on most of its in-floor models. UL 768 is the standard for mechanical combination locks; it tests resistance to being opened by sight, touch or hearing.

Electronic keypads appear on many digital floor safe listings. Read the warranty first. Hollon says it does not warrant electronic locks on its in-ground floor safes. That's one manufacturer, but it's the kind of line worth looking for in any manual.

Moisture: concrete breathes

Concrete gives off moisture, Liberty Safe notes, and that moisture can cause corrosion that may not be covered by warranty. An in-floor safe sits in it on five sides. Hollon says its floor safes are "very susceptible to moisture problems" and suggests keeping papers and valuables in sealed bags or containers inside.

So a waterproof floor safe is less about floods and more about the slab itself. If a listing claims water protection, look for the depth, the duration and who tested it. Intertek's listing for one line of SentrySafe chests, for instance, describes submersion in 2 inches of water for 24 or 72 hours. Without that kind of detail, assume the inside can get damp and pack accordingly.

Fire rating: rare, and worth reading closely

Searches for a fireproof floor safe are common. Fire ratings on in-floor safes deserve a closer look. Hollon's in-floor models list a "B" construction rating and no fire rating. Concrete around a safe is not a fire rating, because no lab tested that particular combination.

If a floor safe does list a fire rating, read it as a triple: time, temperature and the lab. UL's fire label pairs a class, the maximum interior temperature reached during testing, with a time rating. Class 350 is intended to protect paper records. A "floor safe fireproof waterproof" listing should be able to name both tests.

Steel and door construction

For bolt-down safes, check the steel gauge. Lower numbers are thicker: under the federal gauge table, 10-gauge is 0.1406 in and 12-gauge is 0.1094 in. For in-floor safes, the lid or door carries most of the load. Hollon lists ½-inch solid steel doors and a drill-resistant hardplate on its in-floor models. Compare door thickness and bolt count on any model you consider.

Installation

In-floor safes are installed into a hole cut or formed in the slab, then surrounded with concrete according to the manufacturer's instructions. Many owners hire a professional, and on an existing slab that's the sensible default.

Bolt-down safes are simpler. Most come with holes in the base and a list of recommended anchors. Liberty Safe recommends a hammer drill and anchors made for concrete. Our guide to bolting a safe to the floor covers concrete, wood and carpet.

Opening a floor safe, and when you can't

A floor safe opens like any other safe with the same lock. Dial the combination or enter the code, then lift the lid or turn the handle as the manual describes. On in-floor models, clear the rug and give the lid room to swing.

If the combination is lost, the routes are the same as for other safes: the manufacturer, with proof of ownership, or a licensed safe technician. An in-floor safe set in concrete can't be carried to a shop, so the technician comes to you. Our guide to being locked out of a safe covers the legitimate options.

Floor safe ideas: where it goes

• A closet floor, under carpet or a rug, if the slab beneath is accessible
• A garage or basement slab, away from drains and anywhere water collects
• Under a heavy piece of furniture that can still be moved when you need in
• A new build or remodel, where the safe can be set before the floor is finished

Keep the lid clear of floor drains and laundry areas. A damp corner makes the moisture problem above worse.

How to read the floor safe table and pick one

The table lists safes sold as floor safes, both in-floor and bolt-down. Variants share a row. A dash means a spec isn't confirmed by the manufacturer or the listing.

To narrow it down:

1. Decide in-floor or bolt-down first. Your floor makes this choice: an accessible, non-post-tensioned slab for in-floor, anything solid for bolt-down.
2. Check the lock column. Combination floor safes avoid batteries under a rug; digital floor safes are faster to open. Read the warranty either way.
3. Check interior volume and shape. Round and tube floor safes have small openings. Make sure what you store fits through the lid, not just inside the body.
4. Read any fire or water rating as a full statement. Time, temperature or depth, and the lab.
5. Look at weight for bolt-down models. Heavier is harder to work loose, but the anchors do the real work.

For a small floor safe, measure the largest item you'll store against the opening, not the interior volume.

Find out what's under your floor before you shop: slab or framing, post-tensioned or not, dry or damp. Then pick the in-floor or bolt-down row that fits it, plan a moisture barrier for anything paper, and check the price. If the slab is post-tensioned, choose a bolt-down safe and leave the concrete alone.