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.
Trusted Lock Installation Nationwide
Lock installation is the work of fitting new locks to doors that have none, or to doors where the old hardware is being replaced with something better. Loxley Locksmith & Security does this across the United States, and we’ve done it the same way since 2007: you get a written price before any work starts, and that price is what you pay. A background-checked, uniformed technician arrives in the window we gave you, fits the lock to the manufacturer’s spec, and tests it with you at the door. We work as the residential and commercial locksmith branch of the Kingswell family of companies. To book a visit, call (682) 281-8985. A live person answers 24/7.
What Lock Installation Covers
Lock Installation means a technician prepares the door, mounts the lock body and cylinder, sets the strike plate in the frame, and confirms the bolt and latch move freely before the key ever goes in your hand. It sounds simple, and on a well-made door it often is. On a door that has been bored badly, painted shut, or hung slightly out of square, the installation is where the quality of the work shows. Most standard installations run $85-$180 per lock for basic residential hardware, and $150-$400 for higher-security models, including labor, door preparation and testing.
The pieces that make up an installed lock
Every installed lock has four parts that have to line up: the cylinder or keyway on the outside, the latch or bolt mechanism inside the door edge, the strike plate in the jamb, and the interior hardware that turns the bolt. If any one of them is off by an eighth of an inch, the lock binds, sticks in cold weather, or fails to seat the bolt fully. Loxley Locksmith & Security technicians check all four on every job, not just the one we came to replace.
What we bring to the door
We carry hole saws, door-prep jigs, chisels for the latch mortise, and a range of strike plates and long screws. That means we can fit a lock to a door that wasn’t drilled for it, and we don’t have to leave and come back with a missing part. You’ll get a straight answer on whether your door can take the lock you want before we cut anything.
Locks We Install
The right lock depends on the door, the building and what you’re protecting. We install the following types every week, and we’ll recommend the one that fits rather than the one with the highest margin.
Knobs, levers and handle sets
Entry knobs and lever handles are the most common installation. A keyed entry lever or knob goes on exterior doors that also have a separate deadbolt, and a passage or privacy set goes on interior doors. We match the backset (2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch) and the door thickness so the hardware sits flush and the latch lines up with the strike on the first try.
Deadbolts
A deadbolt gives an exterior door a second, much stronger locking point. If that is all you need, see our page on deadbolt installation for grades, pricing and how we reinforce the strike. If your door already has a deadbolt that is worn or loose, changing the door locks may be the better fit.
Keypad and smart locks
Keypad deadbolts let you give each person their own code and remove it later without rekeying anything. We install and pair models from Schlage, Kwikset and Yale, delete the factory default codes, and check that the mechanical key override still works. A keypad lock costs more up front, but if you have tenants, cleaners, or family members who come and go, it saves you from copying keys again and again.
Mortise, multipoint and high-security cylinders
Older homes and many commercial doors use mortise locks, and some newer entry doors use multipoint systems that latch at the top, middle and bottom. These take more time and more care to install. For restricted keyways and drill-resistant cylinders from Medeco and Mul-T-Lock, read about high security locks before you choose.
Installing Locks on a New or Newly Hung Door
New doors are the case where lock installation matters most. A prehung door often arrives bored for a standard lockset, but not always, and not always accurately. A replacement door you buy at a home center may have no holes at all. Our technician measures the door thickness, marks the bore centers, drills the cross bore and the edge bore with a jig so the holes are square, and then mortises the latch plate flush with the door edge.
Why the jamb matters as much as the door
A lock is only as strong as the frame it latches into. On a new door we check that the jamb is solid and that the strike plate is anchored with screws long enough to reach the stud behind it. The short screws that ship with most hardware only bite into the thin jamb board, and a hard kick splits that board. We swap them for 3-inch screws on exterior doors as a standard part of the job.
Doors that were never meant to lock
Some doors, like a back room, a garage side door, a shed or a basement entry, were hung with a simple latch and nothing else. Adding a proper lock to them is a common request. We install a keyed lock or a deadbolt that matches your other doors, and we can key it to the same key so you don’t need a bigger key ring.
Matching Keys Across Your Doors
One decision comes up on almost every installation: should the new lock use your current house key, or a new one? Keyed-alike installation means the new lock is set to open with the key you already carry. That is the right choice for most homeowners, since you end up with one key for the front door, the back door and the garage. If you don’t know who still holds a copy of your old key, a fresh keying makes more sense, and we can rekey the locks you are keeping so every door matches the new one.
Either way, we tell you how many keys exist when we leave, and we write it on the invoice. That small record is useful later, when a contractor returns a key or a tenant moves out and you need to know what is still out there.
Brands We Install
Loxley Locksmith & Security technicians stock and install hardware from Schlage and Kwikset, the two most common residential brands in the country, plus Yale, Baldwin and Sargent for homes with different finishes or older doors. We also install Medeco and Mul-T-Lock cylinders where key control matters. If you bought a lock yourself, bring it out and we’ll install it, and we’ll tell you honestly if the model is a poor fit for your door. If you want us to supply the lock, we’ll quote the hardware and labor on one line each so you can see both.
Finish matters too. Satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, matte black and polished brass are all common, and a mismatched finish on a front door is the first thing a visitor notices. Tell us the finish of your existing hinges and handles, and we’ll match it.
Signs You Need a Lock Installed Now
- Your exterior door has a knob lock and nothing else. A single spring latch can be slipped with a plastic card in seconds. Adding a deadbolt gives you a real bolt in the frame, and that is the cheapest meaningful security upgrade a home can get.
- You just bought a house or moved into a new rental. You can’t know how many keys are out there. Installing new locks, or rekeying the ones you have, is the standard first step before you unpack.
- A door was replaced or repaired after a break-in. New door, new lock. Frames often take damage you can’t see, so we look at the jamb and strike along with the lock itself.
- You added a room, a garage door entry, or a detached building. New doors need locks fitted to them, and a door that locks on one side only (a privacy set) is not the same as a door that locks against entry.
- Your current lock sticks, wobbles or no longer matches your hardware. If repair costs more than a new lock, installing new hardware is the sensible route. For lighter problems, our door lock repair service may save you money.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
Call us, or check the home page for service details. A live person answers at (682) 281-8985. You tell us which doors need locks, what type of door each one is, and whether you already own the hardware. No phone tree.
- 2
We give you a written price before the work starts. The price covers the trip, the labor, the parts and the door preparation. If the job changes once we see the door, we tell you before we change the figure.
- 3
A uniformed, background-checked technician arrives in the quoted window. They show identification, look at the door and frame, and confirm the price before touching anything.
- 4
The lock is installed to spec and tested with you. Correct backset, correct bore, strike plate anchored with long screws, and a bolt that moves smoothly. You try every key before we leave.
- 5
If the installation fails within 365 days, we come back free. You call, we schedule the return visit, we fix it. That is the Done Right Promise, and it is written on every invoice.
How Much Does Lock Installation Cost?
Lock installation in the U.S. generally runs $85-$400 per lock depending on the hardware. A standard knob or lever set from Schlage or Kwikset typically lands between $85 and $180 installed. A deadbolt runs $95-$180 for basic hardware and $150-$300 for Medeco, Mul-T-Lock or Baldwin. Smart and keypad locks usually cost $120-$250 for the installation alone, plus the lock. Preparing a new door that has never been bored adds time and sometimes $40-$90. These are honest ranges based on what we charge across the country, and the phone quote matches the invoice.
The number of locks, the brand and grade of hardware, the condition of the door and frame, and how far the technician has to travel all move the price. You avoid overpaying by getting the figure in writing before dispatch and by refusing any company that won’t give you one. Installing several locks in one visit lowers the per-lock cost because the trip is shared. There is a free estimate on every call, so phone our team at (682) 281-8985 and ask for your number. No obligation, no surprise charges.
Where We Work
Loxley Locksmith & Security serves homeowners and businesses across the United States through local crews held to the same written Kingswell standard. Each location is independently owned and operated, which means you get a locksmith who knows the local area but works under one national rulebook: price agreed before the work starts, arrival window kept, job site left clean, and every installation backed by a written guarantee. Wherever you’re calling from, a live person answers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lock Installation
A single lock on a door that is already bored usually takes 20 to 45 minutes. A door that needs new holes drilled, or a mortise lock, can take an hour or more. We give you a realistic time when you call, and a technician who has done thousands of these rarely runs over.
Yes. Bring it out, and we’ll check that it fits your door thickness and backset before we start. If the model is a poor match, we’ll say so and suggest an alternative. Our 365-day guarantee covers our installation work, while the lock itself carries the manufacturer’s warranty.
Most installations run $85 to $180 per lock for standard hardware and $150 to $400 for high-security brands, labor and door preparation included. Every quote from Loxley Locksmith & Security is written before work starts. Call (682) 281-8985 for a free estimate on your specific doors.
It can. We can key the new lock to match your current house key so one key opens every door, or we can set it to a brand new key and rekey the rest of the house to match. You choose, and the price for each option is in writing before we start.
Yes. We work on storefront, office and back-of-house doors, including commercial-grade Grade 1 hardware, mortise locks and panic-bar compatible setups. Tell us the door type and any fire-code or access requirements when you call and we’ll price the job in writing.
Every installation carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work fails inside a year, we come back and fix it at no charge, parts and labor included. That is a written guarantee on every invoice, not a verbal promise.
Schedule Your Lock Installation Today
If you have a door that needs a lock, or a lock that needs to be better, call (682) 281-8985. We’ll give you a written price before anyone is dispatched, a real arrival window, and a written guarantee on the work. A live person answers 24/7, and the estimate is free. No pressure, no surprise charges. Just a straight answer and a locksmith who shows up.
Written by Sam Rourke, Owner at Loxley Locksmith & Security, serving homeowners and businesses since 2007.