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 Fort Worth
Lock installation and rekeying in Fort Worth costs $85 to $240 per lockset for standard residential work, with high-security cylinders running higher. Most jobs in Fort Worth are completed same-day or next-day, and the price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice. That written-price rule has been in place since 2002, and it applies to every single call we run in Fort Worth, from a quick Kwikset rekey in Wedgwood to a vintage mortise lockset rebuild in Fairmount.
Daniel Novak founded Novak Lock & Security on a simple premise: a locksmith should name the price before the van moves, not after the lock is apart. We serve Fort Worth homeowners directly, including the historic districts and the 1950s-1970s ranch belts where the housing stock is older and the hardware is often obsolete. Call us at (331) 310-8471 for a firm quote.
Why Fort Worth Homeowners Call Novak for Lock Installation & Rekey
The biggest difference between us and most locksmiths in Fort Worth is the paper trail. Every job starts with a written quote and ends with a documented photo record of the work, left with you before we leave. Haven Standard Clause 1 governs everything: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. No dispatcher has authority to bump it. No technician has authority to bump it. That rule has not changed since 2002.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and carry the full brand range, from entry-grade Schlage and Kwikset to high-security Mul-T-Lock and Medeco cylinders that cannot be picked or bumped by standard tools. The Fort Worth crews are scheduled and dispatched from our Dallas-Fort Worth office, which means response to Fort Worth neighborhoods is generally under 90 minutes for urgent lockouts or lock failures. Every visit ends with a written scope of work, a photo record, and a warranty statement, because the documentation is the point. If we cannot show you what was found and what was done, we did not do the job properly.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Fort Worth
Smart Lock Installation
Retrofitting a smart lock onto a Fort Worth door is not always a drop-in job. Older homes in Fairmount and Ryan Place often have thick, solid-wood doors with mortise-prepped edges, not standard 2-1/8-inch cylindrical bores. We carry adapter plates and extended tailpieces for Yale and Baldwin smart hardware, and we check door plumb and strike alignment before mounting anything. A smart lock installed on a binding door will eat batteries and fail to throw the deadbolt correctly. We fix the door first, then install the lock.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry in Fort Worth runs $180 to $380 installed for a standard keypad deadbolt, depending on grade and finish. We see heavy demand for keyless entry in the Alliance corridor and Walsh Ranch new-construction tracts, where buyers take possession after builder-phase occupancy and want the builder’s master key out of circulation immediately. The cleanest fix is a full rekey of all exterior cylinders, and in many cases the homeowners upgrade to keyless at the same time. One visit, one written quote, both jobs done.
Keypad Lock
Keypad locks are a strong choice for Fort Worth’s climate, because there is no keyway to freeze in the North Texas ice belt. Exterior keypads on covered porches and back doors hold up well, but direct-sun southwest exposures near Benbrook and Ridglea can cook a cheap touchscreen in a single summer. We recommend Schlage and Baldwin keypads with physical buttons for full-sun locations, and we stock the common parts locally so a failed keypad does not mean waiting a week for a replacement.
Biometric Lock
Biometric deadbolts are the right call for Fort Worth homeowners who want access control without carrying a key or remembering a code. We install fingerprint-reader deadbolts from Mul-T-Lock and Yale, and we are direct about the limits: extreme heat and direct sun degrade fingerprint sensors faster than shade-mounted units. We will tell you if your door is a good candidate, and we will put that in writing before we quote the install. Biometric hardware in Fort Worth typically runs $220 to $450 installed, depending on cylinder grade and door condition.
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.
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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 Fort Worth
We are factory-authorized for Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Baldwin, and Schlage, and we stock cylinders, tailpieces, and strike plates for Sargent and Yale commercial hardware across Fort Worth. That matters when a 1950s ranch home in Wedgwood still has an original Sargent mortise body and the lock needs a new cylinder, not a new door. We keep common discontinued parts on the van and source the obscure ones fast. You will never hear us say the only fix is a new lock until we have checked whether the old hardware is serviceable.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Fort Worth Homes
- Clay-soil deadbolt misalignment. Fort Worth sits on expansive black clay. Dry spells shrink it; heavy rain swells it. Door frames shift, deadbolts bind, and strike plates need re-cutting. This is a soil problem disguised as a lock problem, and we see it weekly in Wedgwood, Ridglea, and Benbrook.
- Warped original doors on 1920s-1940s homes. Craftsman bungalows in Fairmount and Ryan Place often have original solid-wood doors that have swollen, sagged, or twisted over 80 to 100 years. A modern cylindrical deadbolt does not simply drop in. We check plumb, adjust the strike, and only drill where it is genuinely necessary.
- Builder-grade hardware on new construction. Homes in the Alliance corridor and Walsh Ranch ship with entry-grade Kwikset or Schlage locks that meet code and little else. New homeowners call us to rekey, and many upgrade to grade 2 or grade 1 hardware at the same time.
- Frozen exterior hardware in the I-35 ice belt. Freezing rain events hit Fort Worth harder than Dallas. Padlocks, gate latches, and commercial deadbolts on Stockyards-area properties freeze solid. We do not drill a frozen lock unless there is no alternative; we thaw, clean, and lubricate first, then service the cylinder properly.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Fort Worth, TX
Bring us a competitor’s written estimate and we will review it at no charge. That is not a sales tactic; it is how we earn the right to be on your door.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fort Worth
Novak Lock & Security runs daily routes from Fort Worth into Haltom City, North Richland Hills, Hurst, and Bedford. If you live in one of those nearby cities, we provide the same written pricing, same photo record, and same same-day response you get in Fort Worth. Call (331) 310-8471 and tell the dispatcher where you are; you will get a firm quote before the van moves.
Lock Installation & Rekey in Fort Worth: Key Takeaways
- Rekeying typically runs $18-$35 per cylinder; full-home rekeys run $90-$180.
- New deadbolt installation runs $85-$160; smart locks run $150-$380 installed.
- Fort Worth’s expansive clay soil shifts door frames; we check plumb before installing any lock.
- Historic Fairmount and Ryan Place homes need mortise-lock expertise, not just a drill.
- Every quote is written, and the price on the phone is the price on the invoice.
Serving Fort Worth, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fort Worth 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 Fort Worth
Can you rekey a 1920s mortise lockset in Fairmount without replacing the entire lock body?
Yes. In most cases, the mortise lock body on a 1920s Fairmount home is still serviceable, and the problem is the cylinder, the strike plate, or the door’s plumb. Our crew rekeyed an original Corbin mortise lockset in Fairmount with a seized cylinder; we sourced a discontinued replacement cylinder, re-cut the strike plate after a clay shift pulled the deadbolt out of alignment, and keyed the new Baldwin deadbolt to match so one key works both. That is a rekey, not a replacement. Call (331) 310-8471 for an exact quote on your home’s specific hardware.
My deadbolt binds every spring after heavy rain - is that a lock problem or a Fort Worth clay-soil problem?
It is usually a clay-soil problem. Expansive clay swells after heavy rain and the door frame shifts, pulling the deadbolt out of alignment with the strike plate. The lock itself is often fine. We re-cut or reset the strike plate and check the frame for plumb. If the rebound happens every spring, the fix is a larger strike opening and sometimes a door re-hang, not a new lock. Pricing for strike-plate adjustment and re-alignment runs $60 to $120 in Fort Worth, and we always quote it in writing before we start.
What is the difference between rekeying and replacing a lock cylinder on a 1950s ranch home in Wedgwood?
Rekeying changes the pins inside the existing cylinder so old keys no longer work. Replacing the cylinder swaps the entire cylinder assembly for a new one, which you would do if the original cylinder is worn, seized, or broken. On a 1950s Wedgwood ranch with original hardware, we often rekey the cylinder if it is in good shape, and replace it if the keyway is sloppy or the plug is failing. Rekeying runs $18-$35 per cylinder; a cylinder replacement runs $45-$85 per cylinder in Fort Worth, including the new cylinder.
Can a smart lock be installed on a warped, original wood door in Ryan Place without weakening security?
Yes, if the door is checked first. A smart lock on a warped door will not throw the deadbolt correctly, and a lock that does not fully extend is a security risk. We check the door’s plumb, adjust or mortise the strike plate, and use adapter plates for mortise-prepped doors where needed. On Ryan Place and Fairmount homes with original doors, the install takes longer than on a modern door, but the result is the same: a fully engaging deadbolt and a smart lock that does not fight the frame. We quote the full price upfront, including the door prep.
Why do Stockyards commercial properties need a locksmith who understands vintage mortise hardware?
The Stockyards National Historic District’s century-old brick buildings still run antique mortise lock hardware that sees heavy daily traffic from tenants and tourists. Rekeying or sourcing parts for a vintage mortise set requires a locksmith who knows what a Corbin or Sargent body from the 1920s takes, not someone who drills it out and installs a modern lock that does not fit the door. We service commercial accounts in the Stockyards and the surrounding industrial streets, and we carry or source discontinued mortise parts for those buildings. Call (331) 310-8471 and ask for our commercial desk.
Call Novak Lock & Security for Lock Installation & Rekey in Fort Worth
You know your Fort Worth door better than anyone. You know if it binds in the spring, if the deadbolt rattles in the strike, if the key is getting hard to turn. We know how to fix it, and we will tell you the price before we touch it.
Call (331) 310-8471 for a free estimate on lock installation, rekeying, smart lock retrofit, or key duplication in Fort Worth. A live person answers, 24/7. You will get a written price, a firm arrival window, and a documented record of the work when we leave. Every lock, every key, every visit, since 2002.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Fort Worth with documented, written-price locksmith work since 2002.