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.
Fast, Reliable Lock Installation & Rekey Across Cambridge
Lock installation and rekeying in Cambridge typically costs $25-$45 per cylinder for standard pin-and-tumbler locks, $85-$185 for a new deadbolt installed, and $150-$350 for smart lock installation. A same-day visit to most Cambridge neighborhoods is usually available when you call before noon. Novak Lock & Security has served Cambridge properties since 2002 with written pricing quoted on the phone before anyone is dispatched. Call (331) 310-8471 and you’ll get a firm number, not an estimate range that changes at the door.
Cambridge is a city of triple-deckers off Mass Ave, brick rowhouses in Mid-Cambridge, and newer condo builds near Kendall Square and Alewife. Each housing type has its own lock hardware quirks, and we see them all weekly. A technician who knows that a Huron Village triple-decker likely still has its original mortise lockset, while a Cambridgeport condo was probably built with contractor-grade Kwikset, can stock the van correctly and finish the job in one trip. That’s the whole argument for using a local crew.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Cambridge’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Since 2002, the guiding rule at Novak Lock & Security has been Haven Standard Clause 1: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. Our dispatchers quote a written price before we send anyone to Cambridge, and our technicians are not permitted to change it at the door. Every job, from a single cylinder rekey in a Porter Square apartment to a full keyed-alike system across a West Cambridge house, gets a documented photo record and a written scope.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, and we work on the full hardware spectrum: Kwikset and Schlage at the entry grade, Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy at the high-security end. Daniel Novak, our owner, built the company around one idea: tell the customer the price, in writing, before touching a cylinder. That approach has earned us a strong local reputation across Cambridge, where landlords and homeowners alike expect straight answers, not a bait price that triples when the tech arrives.
We know Cambridge the way you only can if you’ve worked it for years. We know that a north-facing entry on a triple-decker off Huron Avenue seizes in January. We know that the last week of August is not a time to “squeeze in” a quote. And we know that a lot of Cambridge decisions about locks come down to one question: can you be here Tuesday before the tenants arrive? The answer is usually yes, and the price is known before we dispatch.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Cambridge
Smart Lock Installation
Smart lock installation in Cambridge runs $150-$350 depending on the lock model and whether your deadbolt prep is standard. We install Yale Assure, Schlage Encode, and Level Bolt models regularly in Cambridge, including retrofit jobs on older doors where the existing bore is shallow or the door is out of alignment. In a city where half the housing stock predates 1940, a smart lock install often begins with fixing the door prep, and we quote that work in writing before starting.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry systems are a practical fit for Cambridge’s rental-heavy housing stock. Landlords who rekey between tenants every year or every semester can eliminate the cylinder-rekeying cycle entirely with a keypad or fob-based system. We install standalone keypad deadbolts and full access-control panels, and we explain in plain terms what happens during a power outage or battery failure. For properties where a landlord manages keys for three units in Central Square, keyless entry often saves money within two lease cycles.
Keypad Lock
Keypad lock installation typically costs $120-$250 in Cambridge, including a standard deadbolt replacement. These are common on Cambridge triple-decker common entries, where a front door serves three units and key management is a weekly headache. We stock Schlage and Kwikset keypad deadbolts locally and can complete most installs in under an hour. If your existing deadbolt prep is worn from decades of use, we’ll say so and quote the frame repair before touching anything.
Biometric Lock
Biometric locks, which open with a fingerprint, are a smaller part of the Cambridge market but we install them regularly for residents who want keyless entry with a higher-end hardware feel. Biometric lock installation starts around $250 and rises with the model and any door prep work. Cambridge’s winter freeze-thaw cycles are a consideration here: some fingerprint sensors are finicky below 15°F, and we’ll tell you which models handle cold better than others before you buy.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Cambridge
Novak Lock & Security is factory-authorized to work on Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy high-security lines, plus Yale and Schlage at the residential grade. We stock common cylinders, tailpieces, and strike plates for these brands, so a rekey or lock installation in Cambridge rarely requires a second visit. If your Cambridge triple-decker has a Baldwin mortise lockset from the 1980s next to a Schlage deadbolt from the 2000s, we can key both to the same cut in a single visit, assuming the keyways are compatible. When they’re not, we’ll tell you exactly what needs to be replaced and what it costs, in writing, before we start.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Cambridge Homes
- Frozen keyways in winter. Cambridge’s freeze-thaw cycles cause ice to form inside exterior cylinders on older, poorly-weatherstripped doors. It’s the single most common January-through-March emergency call we run in Cambridge, especially on north-facing triple-decker entries near Fresh Pond and along Huron Avenue.
- Original mortise locksets on pre-1940 doors. A large share of Cambridge’s late-Victorian wood-frame homes and brick rowhouses still carry skeleton-key mortise hardware. These locks cannot always be rekeyed to a modern key, and we’ll remove, inspect, and report the exact condition before recommending a path forward.
- Mismatched hardware generations on multi-unit buildings. We routinely see Cambridge triple-deckers where each unit has a different lock brand and keyway, so nothing can be keyed alike without retrofitting. A landlord who wants one master key for the whole building sometimes needs two or three cylinders replaced first.
- Racked door frames binding deadbolts. A century of seasonal movement racks many Cambridge door frames, so a newly installed deadbolt binds or fails to throw. We correct the frame and strike plate on nearly every lock installation on pre-1940 doors, and it’s part of the quoted price when we identify it up front.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Cambridge, MA
Here’s what we charge in Cambridge. A standard cylinder rekey runs $25-$45 per cylinder with a typical service call fee of $65-$95. New deadbolt installation runs $85-$185 including hardware. Smart lock installation runs $150-$350. Key duplication runs $3-$8 for standard keys and $15-$45 for restricted or high-security blanks such as Medeco or Mul-T-Lock. These are written prices, quoted on the phone before we dispatch, and the dispatcher’s quote is the price on your invoice. There is no call-out surcharge added at the door. Haven Standard Clause 1 applies to every job in Cambridge.
What changes the price? A lock that can’t be rekeyed and must be replaced. A door frame that needs repair. A keyway that’s incompatible across multiple locks. When any of these comes up, we tell you and requote in writing before proceeding. Call (331) 310-8471 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Cambridge
Our Lock Installation & Rekey team serves Cambridge and the surrounding cities including Somerville, Watertown, Medford, and Boston. The September 1st lease-turnover crunch is a Cambridge-specific pressure, but we run the same written-price rule in every city we cover.
Serving Cambridge, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Cambridge 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 - Lock Installation & Rekey in Cambridge
Yes, in most cases we can rekey barn, workshop, gate, and house locks in one Cambridge visit. The limitation is keyway compatibility. If all the locks are standard pin-and-tumbler, we can key them alike in two to four hours. If some are mortise locks with a different keyway or electronic locks, we may need to replace a cylinder or two. Rural and acreage properties around Cambridge often have mismatched hardware generations, so we stock common cylinders and tailpieces to avoid a second trip. Call (331) 310-8471 and describe what’s on each door; we’ll tell you in writing what’s possible and what it costs.
Book at least three to four weeks ahead for September 1st rekeying in Cambridge. The city’s lease-turnover spike is real: thousands of rental units flip within 24 to 48 hours, and Massachusetts law obligates landlords to provide new tenants secure locks. The last week of August is bookable only for emergency calls at most Cambridge locksmiths, including us. If you manage a multi-unit in Mid-Cambridge, Inman Square, or Cambridgeport, schedule in the first half of August. Call (331) 310-8471 to reserve a window before the crunch.
Yes, we work on skeleton-key mortise locks every week in Cambridge. These original mortise locksets are common in late-Victorian triple-deckers across the city, from Area IV to North Cambridge. In some cases the lock can be rekeyed to a modern key; in others the internal components are too worn and a replacement mortise cassette or a new deadbolt above the old lock is the right fix. We’ll remove, inspect, and report the condition before quoting anything. Call (331) 310-8471 and describe the lock; we’ll tell you what we typically find.
Yes, with a caveat. Electronic locks, keypad locks, and smart locks don’t use a traditional keyway, so they can’t be physically keyed alike to your standard deadbolts. What we can do is program the electronic locks to the same code or credential while keying all the mechanical cylinders alike, so you carry one key and know one code. If keying everything to one physical key matters more than keeping the electronics, we’ll replace the electronic locks with standard cylinders. Call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll lay out both options in writing.
Older Cambridge locks ice up because the cylinder sits in an uninsulated door, on a poorly-sealed entry, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles draw condensation into the keyway. When the temperature drops, the moisture freezes and the pins won’t move. We can usually clear the ice with a lock de-icer and warm the cylinder, then lubricate with a graphite or Teflon-based lubricant. If the cylinder is too corroded, non-destructive entry may not be possible and we’ll tell you before drilling. A weather-resistant cylinder or keypad lock is often the permanent fix for north-facing Cambridge doors. Call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll get you in without damaging the door if it’s possible.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Cambridge since 2002.