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 Chicago
Lock installation and rekeying in Chicago typically runs $95-$180 for a standard rekey per cylinder set and $180-$420 for new deadbolt or handle installs, including the hardware and our written price before we start. Most calls across the city, from Rogers Park to Beverly, are completed same day by a background-checked technician in a marked Novak van. If you’re standing in front of a mortise lock that’s been in a greystone since 1925 and wondering if it can be saved, we’ll tell you straight. Call (331) 310-8471 and you’ll get a live person, a firm quote, and no obligation.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Chicago’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
We’ve built our reputation in Chicago one lock at a time, and we carry that weight honestly. Not with awards we can’t show you, but with a documented photo record of every job and a written price that doesn’t change at your door. Haven Standard Clause 1: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. That rule has held since 2002, and it’s the reason Chicago homeowners who read the fine print before they call end up calling us.
Our technicians work the neighborhoods, not just downtown. We know that a Lakeview high-rise condo and a Clearing bungalow require entirely different approaches, even for what sounds like the same “rekey” job. That local knowledge means we arrive with the right parts, not a shrug and a return trip. When you call Novak Lock & Security for Lock Installation & Rekey, you get a crew that’s already worked your block, already seen your building type, and already knows what’s behind that faceplate.
Every visit includes a written scope, a photo record, and a technician in uniform with a name badge. Daniel Novak set the standard, and every tech works under it. That’s what makes us the locksmith Chicago calls when the last guy’s quote changed in the driveway.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Chicago
Smart Lock Installation
Smart locks on Chicago’s older doors need more than a screwdriver. On a 1915 two-flat in Logan Square, the original door may be 1 3/4 inches thick with a mortise pocket that doesn’t match any modern template. We assess the door, the condition of the existing lock body, and whether the smart cylinder can be anchored securely without compromising the frame. Then we retrofit, align, and test the deadbolt through multiple cycles. A typical smart lock install in Chicago runs $260-$480, including the lock and our written price before any work begins.
Keyless Entry
For rental owners in neighborhoods like Pilsen and Bridgeport, keyless entry changes how you manage turnover. No more rekeying between tenants, no more lost keys on a Friday night. We install and program keyless systems that let you issue and revoke codes without a service call. Keyless entry installation in Chicago generally runs $300-$550 depending on whether you need a single-coded deadbolt or a full multi-code handle setup, priced in writing before we start.
Keypad Lock
Keypad locks are the most popular entry point for Chicago condo owners, especially in buildings where HOA rules restrict modifications to common areas. We install keypad-specific locks that meet those restrictions, and we explain the difference between a keypad deadbolt on a standard bore and one that needs a mortise adapter in a greystone. Expect $220-$400 for a keypad lock install in Chicago, hardware included and quoted before we dispatch.
Biometric Lock
Fingerprint and biometric locks are still scarce on Chicago’s older housing stock, and for good reason: a biometric module needs a perfectly aligned strike, a clean power supply, and a door that doesn’t shift seasonally. On a freeze-thaw-warped frame in a Lincoln Square bungalow, a biometric deadbolt will bind by February. We’ll tell you if it’ll work on your door, and if it won’t, we’ll say so. Biometric installs in Chicago run $380-$650 when the door is suitable, with the same written price guarantee.
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 Chicago
We’re factory-authorized on Baldwin, Schlage, Mul-T-Lock, and Medeco hardware, which matters when a Chicago greystone owner wants a Baldwin mortise cylinder rekeyed to match a Mul-T-Lock high-security keyway rather than replacing a 100-year-old brass faceplate with a big-box deadbolt. We stock conversion cylinders, tailpieces, and strike plates for the legacy mortise locks that dominate Chicago’s prewar housing, so a Bridgeport three-flat doesn’t have to wait a week for a warehouse order. If your lock is serviceable, we service it. If it isn’t, we tell you why and what a replacement actually costs here, not in the suburbs.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Chicago Homes
- Freeze-thaw doorframe movement. Every spring, limestone and brick surrounds around Chicago’s two-flat and greystone doorframes shift enough to throw deadbolts out of alignment. The lock isn’t broken; the door has moved. We realign the strike and adjust the bolt throw so it clears again.
- Road-salt corrosion on exterior cylinders. Winters in Chicago mean salt, and salt means corroded pins and frozen keyways. An exterior lock that’s hard to turn in January likely has corrosion, not a bad key. We clean and re-lubricate or rekey the cylinder with corrosion-resistant pins.
- Original mortise locks with non-standard keyways. Many 1890-1930 mortise locks in Chicago have keyways that modern blanks don’t fit. Rekeying those requires custom pinning and sometimes cutting keys on original or obsolete blanks, which we do in-house rather than sending out.
- Bungalow belt hardware uniformity. Chicago’s 80,000-plus bungalows share nearly identical construction, which is why we stock the same block-wide Corbin and Schlage mortise conversions that contractors installed across Jefferson Park, Portage Park, and Clearing decades ago. One stocked van rekeys a whole block.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Chicago, IL
Here are the numbers, in writing, for Chicago’s market. Standard rekey per cylinder: $25-$45 each, with most homes needing 2-4 cylinders. Full-house rekey on a standard Chicago home: $150-$300. New deadbolt installation: $180-$320 including hardware. Mortise lock rekey or repair: $160-$280 depending on the cylinder condition. High-security cylinder upgrade to Mul-T-Lock or Medeco: $180-$420 per lock. Smart lock installation: $260-$480. Keypad installation: $220-$400. Biometric lock installation: $380-$650.
What changes the price is your building type, not your zip code. A three-flat in Bridgeport with original mortise hardware costs more to rekey than a 2018 condo in the South Loop, because the work is different. You’ll get a firm, written price for your exact address when you call (331) 310-8471. What we quote is what you pay. No dispatch fee tacked on at the door, no “it turned out to be more work” phone call.
We Also Serve Cities Near Chicago
Novak Lock & Security serves Chicago and the surrounding communities, including Cicero, Evanston, Arlington Heights, and Schaumburg. If you’re right over the city line, the same written-price guarantee and the same background-checked techs apply. See our full Lock Installation & Rekey in Chicago coverage area or call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll tell you if we dispatch to your block.
Serving Chicago, IL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Chicago 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 Chicago
Yes, in most cases. If the mortise lock body is sound and the faceplate is intact, we can rekey the existing cylinder or install a cylinder adapter that accepts modern keys. We preserve the brass faceplate and keep the original hardware. If the lock body is cracked or the spring pack has collapsed, replacement is the honest answer. Call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll tell you which one you have.
Freeze-thaw cycles move your doorframe. The limestone or brick surround around the door expands and contracts through Chicago’s winters, and by March the deadbolt throw no longer lines up with the strike plate. The lock itself is usually fine. We realign the strike or file the bolt throw and the lock works again. It’s a Chicago-specific repair we do every spring across the north and northwest sides.
Not necessarily. If the door is sound but the frame has shifted, we can often align the strike and install the smart lock without replacing anything. If the door itself is warped beyond what the lock’s tolerance can handle, we’ll say so and give you a written quote for a new door and hardware. We don’t sell you a door when a strike adjustment solves it.
Because the original builders used a handful of keyways, and decades of handyman rekeys have left many cylinders with worn pins that accept multiple keys. That’s a security problem. We re-pin to a fresh, unique keyway and issue only the keys you authorize. On a Portage Park bungalow, that’s usually a 45-minute fix with the parts already in the van.
Often yes. We stock original and reproduction blanks for many obsolete keyways common in Chicago’s prewar housing, including the mortise cylinders found in greystones and two-flats. If a blank exists, we cut it. If it doesn’t, we can rekey the cylinder to a modern key rather than hunt for the impossible. Bring us the lock and we’ll tell you what your options are.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Chicago since 2002.