Lock Change Vancouver

Lock change vs rekey

Change the lock when the hardware has failed: the bolt drags, the handle wobbles, the cylinder has corroded in the damp, or you are moving up a grade. Rekey when the lock works and only the keys are wrong; that is $25-$45 per cylinder on lock rekey.

Rule of thumb: if the lock turns smoothly with its own key, rekey it. If it fights you, replace it.

Lock change prices in Vancouver

A residential lock change is $80-$160 a door, installed, for a graded deadbolt supplied and fitted. Commercial hardware is $80-$380 a door by lock type. Hardware is quoted with its model number, so you can compare it with a shelf price. A visit in standard hours carries the $75 service call.

Lock repair: fix vs replace

A lock that has stopped working does not always need replacing. A snapped key is extracted and a new one cut. A gritty cylinder is stripped, cleaned and lubricated. A bolt that will not seat usually means the door has dropped, which is an alignment job.

We replace when the body is cracked, the cylinder has been drilled, the bolt is bent, or the parts are no longer made. We say which it is on site, before starting.

What we fit, and what is in the van

Schlage, Kwikset, Weiser and Yale cover most Vancouver homes and come in the common finishes. For a step up we fit Mul-T-Lock, Medeco, Abloy and Schlage Primus restricted cylinders: see high-security locks. Unusual models are ordered by part number, not swapped for something close.

Every deadbolt goes in with a strike plate and 3-inch screws into the framing stud. A bolt held only by the jamb trim leaves with the door.

The cheapest way to change locks on a house

If the locks still work, do not replace them: rekey them. Every old key stops working for $25-$45 per cylinder, a fraction of new hardware. Replace only the lock that is worn or weak, and have the new one keyed to match the rest, so you still carry one key.

How to replace a door lock, and when to call us

A like-for-like deadbolt swap is a screwdriver job: two screws hold the inside half, two hold the latch, and the new lock goes in the same holes. Measure the backset (usually 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inches) and the door thickness before you buy.

Call us when the holes do not line up, the door is metal or a mortise lock, the strike is torn, or you want every lock on one key. Replacing locks that way is where most DIY swaps end up costing more.

After a break-in or a lost key

If a door was forced, the jamb and strike usually split too, and a new deadbolt in damaged wood holds for one more kick. We repair the frame in the same visit: see door repair. If a key was lost rather than the door, a rekey is cheaper and just as final.

Strata, rentals and property managers

Turnovers are routine. We change or rekey on your schedule, keyed into your system, and write down the key count at handover. Property managers can ask about a commercial account, and a building that should run on one key can start a master key system at from $300 setup plus $30-$80 per cylinder ($60-$200 restricted).