Lock Install

Lock install starts from $90. Locksmith Auto pulls your old locks and puts in new deadbolts, knob locks, or full handlesets. We carry Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Baldwin, and Medeco on the van. You get new keys handed to you before we leave.

People ask us all the time whether they should rekey or replace. Short answer: rekey when the hardware's still solid but you need new keys. Replace when the locks are beat up, outdated, or just not secure enough. Full lock install swaps out everything: cylinder, housing, strike plate, trim. It's a different job than rekeying, and it makes sense when the old hardware isn't worth keeping.

Grades matter more than brand names for locks. ANSI/BHMA Grade 3 is builder-grade, the cheapest stuff that comes pre-installed in new construction. It handles about 200,000 cycles and won't do much against a solid kick. Grade 2 is residential security-grade: 400,000 cycles, reinforced strike plate, much harder to force open. Grade 1 is commercial-grade, rated for 800,000 cycles with the highest forced-entry resistance you can get. Locksmith Auto installs Grade 2 as the standard and recommends Grade 1 for high-risk entry points.

Installation takes 20-40 minutes per lock. We pull the old one, check the door bore and strike pocket dimensions, drop in the new lock, and reinforce the strike plate with 3-inch screws that reach into the wall stud behind the frame. Not just the trim wood. This is a detail most people don't think about. A customer in West Palm Beach called us after a break-in where the intruder kicked the door once and the strike plate ripped right out. The original screws were three-quarter inch. That's basically decorative.

What it runs. Basic Kwikset deadbolt install runs $90-140 with parts and labor. Schlage B60N single-cylinder deadbolt is $140-200. Schlage Connect smart deadbolt installed goes for $250-350. Baldwin premium hardware starts at $300-450. Locksmith Auto stocks the popular models on every service van, so there's no waiting on parts orders.

Changing multiple locks? We key them all alike at no extra charge. One key for every door. We also take care of disposing the old hardware. Every lock install from Locksmith Auto includes installation, new keys, strike plate reinforcement, function testing, and a 90-day warranty on parts and labor.