Most house locksmith calls come down to three situations. Someone is standing outside their own front door, someone just moved in and does not know who else has a key, or a lock has started sticking and is about to fail entirely.

All three are handled at the house. We carry the hardware and the tools in the vehicle, so most jobs are finished in one visit.

Lockouts

House lockout

Locked out of your house or apartment. We pick locks open rather than reaching for a drill, so in almost every case the lock keeps working afterwards and there is nothing to replace. Knob locks often come open with a shim or an air wedge without touching the cylinder at all.

Interior doors count too. Bedroom, bathroom and closet locks are privacy locks rather than security locks, and they usually open in seconds.

Rekeying and lock changes

Lock rekeying

Rekeying changes the pins inside the lock so the old keys stop working, while the lock itself stays on the door. It is the cheaper option and it is what most people actually need after moving house, ending a tenancy, or losing a set of keys.

If you have several doors on different keys, they can usually be rekeyed to match so one key opens everything.

Lock change

Replacing the hardware entirely. Worth doing when the lock is worn out, when it is builder-grade and you want something better, or when you are changing the look of the door.

Installation and repair

Lock installation

New deadbolts, adding a second lock to a door that only has one, or fitting hardware to a door that was never drilled for it. Doors that have shifted with the seasons often need the strike plate adjusted at the same time.

Smart lock installation

Keypad and app-controlled locks fitted and set up properly. Most will physically bolt onto a standard door, but whether one works well depends on the door thickness, the backset and how square the door sits in its frame. A smart lock on a door that does not close cleanly will fail at the worst moment.

Rekey or replace?

This is the question we get asked most, and the answer is usually simpler than people expect.

Rekey if the locks work fine and you only want the old keys to stop working. Moving into a house, a tenant moving out, a lost set of keys, a relationship ending. The hardware is not the problem, the keys are.

Replace if the lock is damaged, sticking, older than the door, or too weak for where it is. A key that has to be jiggled is a lock telling you it is near the end.

Buying your own lock

Plenty of people buy hardware themselves and have us fit it, and that is fine. Three things are worth checking before you order, because they are what usually goes wrong.

Deadbolt or handle. Keypad locks come in both, and they are not interchangeable. A keypad handle will not fit a hole drilled for a deadbolt. Look at what is currently on the door and buy the same type.
Matching to your existing keys. A new lock can only be keyed to your current key if it uses the same keyway. Different brands mostly use different keyways, so a Schlage will not take a Kwikset key. If you want everything on one key, tell us before you buy.
Brand. We install Yale, Kwikset, Schlage and the better-known keypad brands regularly and know how they behave. Some of the cheaper online locks have undersized cylinders that are difficult to rekey, and a few are not built to be opened for rekeying at all.

Send us a photo of your current lock and the door edge if you are unsure. It takes a minute and it saves ordering the wrong thing. Hardware you supply is not covered by our warranty, because we did not supply it.

New homes and rental properties

If you just bought a house, rekeying is worth doing in the first week. You have no way of knowing how many keys are out there: previous owners, relatives, contractors, cleaners, a realtor lockbox. Rekeying every exterior door to a single new key ends all of that in one visit.

Landlords and property managers dealing with turnover can be handled the same way between tenants. If you have several units, tell us when you call and we will work out the most sensible way to key them.

Common questions

Will you have to drill my lock to get me in?

Almost never. We pick locks open, and the lock keeps working normally afterwards. Drilling is a last resort on the rare lock that will not cooperate, and we would tell you before doing it rather than after.

I just moved in. Should I rekey or change the locks?

Rekey, in most cases. If the locks are in good condition, changing the pins stops every old key working and costs less than new hardware. Replace only if the locks are worn, damaged or weaker than you want on that door.

Can all my doors be on one key?

Usually yes, provided the locks are the same brand and keyway. If they are mixed, we can often rekey some and swap the odd ones out so a single key works on everything.

Do you install locks I bought myself?

Yes. See the section above on buying your own lock, because a few common mistakes are worth avoiding before you order. Locks you supply are not covered by our warranty, since we did not supply them.

Are smart locks worth it?

They are convenient, particularly for households where keys go missing or people need temporary access. They are not more secure than a good deadbolt, and they need batteries. If you fit one, keep a mechanical key that works.

Residential Locksmith