Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Locksmith in Novato, CA
If you’re locked out, dealing with a failed deadbolt, or need new keys cut for a home or business in Novato, we can usually have a technician to you within about an hour. Novato’s mix of 1960s-1980s tract housing and converted military buildings at Hamilton means the lock work here often runs into hardware you just don’t see in San Rafael or Petaluma. Loxley Locksmith & Security handles residential, commercial, and access control jobs across the city, with a written price before any work starts. Call us at (682) 281-8985 and a live person will answer.
Why Novato Homes Are Different
Novato sits farther inland than most of Marin County, which means hotter summers and sharper overnight temperature swings. Metal lock cylinders and strike plates expand and contract more aggressively here than in coastal towns, and after 40 or 50 years, that movement wears down tumblers and loosens deadbolts in ways you can feel in your hand. Eastern Novato adds another layer: salt-laden moisture off San Pablo Bay corrodes exposed exterior deadbolt faces and hinge hardware faster than most homeowners expect. A lock that still looks fine from ten feet away may be pitted and stiff up close.
The housing stock tells the rest of the story. In neighborhoods like Lynwood and Country Club, and along Alameda del Prado, the original builder-grade knob locks and single-cylinder deadbolts from the 1960s through 1980s are still in place on a huge number of doors. Those keyways wear out. Keys get sloppy. Cylinders bind. And then there’s Hamilton.
The Hamilton neighborhood was a U.S. Army airfield before it became a residential community, and the converted officers’ quarters and enlisted housing brought institutional door and frame configurations into the civilian world. Many of those buildings still have steel-reinforced doors with mortise-lock prep work that was never designed for standard residential lock sets. When a lock fails there, the fix often means custom adapters or full hardware replacement, not a standard rekey. That’s a Novato-specific problem, and it’s one of the main reasons we keep a wider range of hardware and adapters on our trucks here than we would in a typical Marin suburb.
Our Main Novato Services
Most Novato calls come in for two things: someone needs a lock rekeyed or replaced, or a business needs a real access control system. Here’s how each one works here.
Commercial Locksmith in Novato
Novato’s commercial spaces range from storefronts along Grant Avenue to offices in the Hamilton repurposed buildings, and a lot of them still carry institutional mortise locks from the airfield days. We handle rekeys, master key systems, panic bars, file cabinet locks, and high-security cylinders from Medeco and Mul-T-Lock. Commercial jobs are scheduled and scoped in writing, with a flat per-lock price so there are no surprises on the invoice. For storefront lock repair, door closer adjustment, or a full building rekey after staff turnover, call us. Full details are on our Commercial Locksmith in Novato page.
Residential Locksmith in Novato
Home lockouts, rekeys after a move-in, deadbolt upgrades, and sliding door locks make up most of our residential work in Novato. In the older tract neighborhoods, we commonly replace worn Kwikset and Schlage cylinders that have been in service since the Carter administration. In Hamilton, we often find that a simple knob or deadbolt replacement doesn’t fit the existing door prep, so we quote the adapter or hardware change up front, in writing, before any drilling happens. You can read more about what a typical Novato home job involves on our Residential Locksmith in Novato page.
Access Control Systems in Novato
For Novato businesses and a growing number of Hamilton condominium buildings, key-based locks are giving way to keypads, card readers, and app-based entry. We install and service access control systems from manufacturers we stock and understand, including Schlage, Yale, and Medeco. These projects are surveyed, scoped, and quoted in writing, and we coordinate with property managers and HOAs on door hardware compatibility. Because the old military buildings in Hamilton have non-standard frames, we always inspect the door prep before recommending a system. See our Access Control Systems in Novato page for more.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Novato
We work on and stock hardware from Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Yale, so most common repairs and rekeys can be completed same-day from what’s on the truck. For high-security cylinders and specialty finishes that aren’t standard, we usually have them in Novato within two business days. See our brands page for the full list.
Pricing for Locksmith in Novato, CA
| Service | Typical range in Novato |
|---|---|
| House lockout (basic) | $85-$135 |
| Car lockout (basic) | $75-$125 |
| Rekey a single deadbolt (Schlage or Kwikset) | $40-$80 |
| Rekey all locks in a standard home (4-6 cylinders) | $150-$300 |
| Deadbolt replacement (standard hardware included) | $110-$220 |
| High-security deadbolt install (Medeco or Mul-T-Lock) | $250-$450 |
| Smart lock install (keypad or app-based) | $180-$350 |
| Commercial door closer replacement | $160-$320 |
| Panic bar install (commercial) | $350-$800 |
| File cabinet lock replacement | $45-$95 |
| Ignition lock cylinder replacement (vehicle) | $180-$350 |
| Mailbox lock replacement | $40-$75 |
What pushes a price up in Novato is usually one of two things: the Hamilton door prep issue, where a standard lock won’t fit and we need an adapter or frame modification, or salt corrosion on the eastern side of town that means the old hardware is too far gone to repair and has to be replaced outright. Either way, you get a written price before any work starts. That price is the price on the invoice, with no call-out surcharge added when the tech arrives.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Novato
We work across the entire city, from the older tracts to the newer developments, and we know the housing-era differences that dictate the hardware you’ll find on the door. Typical response time is under an hour for most lockout and rekey calls anywhere in Novato.
- Hamilton
- Lynwood
- Country Club
- Pleasant Valley
- San Marin
Service Area – Cities Near Novato
Beyond Novato, our crews cover the surrounding Marin and southern Sonoma communities. If you’re outside city limits, we can usually still reach you the same day. We also serve San Rafael, CA, Petaluma, CA, San Anselmo, CA, and Fairfax, CA.
Serving Novato, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Novato area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Locksmith in Novato
Most calls are answered by a live person 24/7, and we can usually have a technician to you within an hour, depending on where you are in the city and what’s already on the schedule. Lockouts are prioritized. Call (682) 281-8985 for a live ETA.
In many Novato HOAs, including several in Hamilton, you need to use approved hardware or match existing finishes. We can help you check your CC&Rs and suggest hardware that fits both the rules and the door prep. We’ll quote the work in writing either way.
Yes. We give you a written price before any work starts, and that is the number on your invoice. There is no call-out surcharge added on arrival, and no figure that changes at the door. If an unseen problem surfaces mid-job, we stop and put the revised price in writing before continuing.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local locksmith pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Novato Customers Say
"Just bought our house and wanted everything rekeyed before we moved in. He did all the doors plus a new deadbolt on the back in about an hour, and gave me the price before starting. Felt safe that first night."
- Pam Oliveira"Our old office locks were sticking and half the keys didn't work right. He rekeyed the suite and fixed two door closers while he was at it. Fair price, showed up right on time."
- Victor Amaya"Changed every lock in the house after a bad breakup. He was discreet, fast, and kind about the whole situation. Wrote up a guarantee on the hardware too."
- Teresa Lyn