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 Los Altos
Lock installation and rekey in Los Altos runs $35-$85 per cylinder for a standard rekey and $180-$460 for a new deadbolt installed, quoted in writing before we dispatch. We answer the phone 24/7 and typically reach Los Altos homes within 45-60 minutes for emergency work. The price you hear on the phone is the price on the invoice. That rule has been in place since 2002, and Daniel Novak enforces it on every job. Call (331) 310-8471 for a firm quote.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Los Altos’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Los Altos homeowners research before they call. They read the three-star reviews. They want the price visible on the page. We understand that, because the customer base here is different from neighboring cities. This is a town of Silicon Valley executives and engineers who ask detailed questions about cylinder grades, bump resistance, and smart-lock integration protocols. We answer in writing, before any work starts. Our Lock Installation & Rekey team has handled everything from original 1960s Kwikset deadbolts on $4M ranch homes to fresh rough-in for multi-point locking systems on fully rebuilt custom properties near the country club.
Every technician who arrives in Los Altos is background-checked, uniformed, and working under The Haven Standard. Clause 1 of that standard is the rule we built the company on: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. There is no call-out surcharge added at the door. There is no “well, once I see the door” price adjustment. The dispatcher quotes a firm number, and the technician is not permitted to change it. Period. We document every visit with a photo record left with the homeowner, and every job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it is not done right, we make it right.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Los Altos
Los Altos has a specific housing profile that shapes the work we do here. The core of the city is 1950s-1970s single-story ranch homes, many structurally original but renovated inside. That means the exterior door hardware is frequently still the builder-grade Kwikset that shipped with the house. On properties regularly valued at $3-5 million, that is a measurable security gap. We address it with Grade-1 hardware and high-security cylinders, priced in writing before we touch a screw.
Smart Lock Installation
Los Altos homeowners routinely ask us to integrate smart locks with existing home-automation systems: August, Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, Control4. We install and program them so they speak to the rest of the house correctly. One thing we see here more than in Mountain View or Sunnyvale: smart locks fitted to exterior doors without weather-sealed strikes and marine-grade hardware. Coastal fog gets into the contacts and the keypad degrades. We specify the hardware that holds up. A typical smart lock installation in Los Altos runs $220-$480 including the lock, programming, and a written record of the pairing.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry on an original 1960s Los Altos front door is usually workable, but the old mortise lock body often needs a retrofit plate or a full replacement before the keypad mounts cleanly. We assess the door, tell you what the existing hardware will support, and quote the full number before we start. Keyless entry installation in Los Altos typically runs $190-$420 installed.
Keypad Lock
Keypad locks are the most common upgrade we fit on Los Altos ranch homes. Schlage Encode and Yale Assure are the two we install most often here, because both pair reliably with the automation systems already common in this market. We stock keypad parts locally and can usually complete the job the same day. Keypad lock installation in Los Altos runs $160-$380 including the lock and programming.
Biometric Lock
Fingerprint and biometric locks are a growing request among Los Altos homeowners, particularly on wine rooms, home offices, and gun safes in rebuilds. We install biometric deadbolts and lever sets from brands that build to ANSI Grade 1 standards, and we explain exactly which models work with existing door prep. Biometric lock installation in Los Altos runs $260-$620 installed, depending on whether we are retrofitting an existing bore or cutting fresh.
Key Duplication
We cut and duplicate standard and high-security keys on site. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy keys cannot be copied at a hardware store; they require factory-authorized duplication. We are authorized to cut those in Los Altos. Standard key duplication runs $3-$8 per key. High-security duplication with a signed authorization card runs $15-$40 per key depending on the cylinder type.
What happens when you call
- 1
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 Los Altos
We are factory-authorized for Yale, Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, and Sargent hardware, and we service the full range from entry-grade Schlage and Kwikset to high-security Medeco and Abloy Protec. Because Los Altos pulls so heavily toward premium hardware, we keep more high-security cylinders and marine-grade finishes on hand for this area than we would for a typical suburb. That means fewer return trips and faster turnaround when a Baldwin mortise lock needs a replacement cylinder or a Mul-T-Lock key needs authorized duplication. You get a written price for the parts and labor before we begin, regardless of brand.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Los Altos Homes
- Fog-driven oxidation seizing pin and tumbler cylinders. Los Altos sits at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, and coastal fog seeps into the older ranch neighborhoods more than it does into Sunnyvale or Palo Alto. Exterior cylinders stiffen, keys bind, and eventually the lock fails to turn at all.
- Original 1960s Kwikset deadbolts corroding at the strike plate. Builder-grade hardware from the original construction of these ranch homes is still on many front doors. Corrosion at the strike causes misalignment, which leads to deadbolts that will not throw, and ultimately, lockouts.
- Smart lock failures on doors without weather protection. We see smart locks installed on salt-air-exposed doors using standard hardware. The finish pits, keypad contacts fail, and the homeowner is locked out of a lock they installed specifically for convenience.
- Mature tree canopies trapping overnight moisture against door hardware. The older ranch-home streets near downtown Los Altos are lined with mature oaks that hold humidity against exterior doors. This accelerates the oxidation cycle and shortens the life of any lock not rated for corrosive environments.
We recently rekeyed a 1968 ranch near downtown Los Altos where the front deadbolt was the original Kwikset unit, its cylinder so corroded from trapped overnight moisture under mature oaks that the key barely turned. After a non-destructive entry, we swapped in an ANSI Grade 1 Medeco deadbolt with bump-resistant pins and rekeyed all exterior doors to a master key system, preserving the home’s mid-century look while bringing its security up to the property’s value. That is the job profile we see repeatedly in this city.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Los Altos, CA
Here is what you can expect to pay in Los Altos. A standard rekey runs $35-$85 per cylinder. Deadbolt installation runs $180-$460 depending on whether we are installing a Grade 2 or Grade 1 lock and whether fresh door prep is needed. Smart lock installation runs $220-$480. Keypad locks run $160-$380. Biometric locks run $260-$620. High-security cylinder upgrades with Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, or Abloy hardware add $90-$250 per cylinder over standard. Every quote is written and firm. We offer a free second opinion on any written estimate you bring us. Call (331) 310-8471 and the dispatcher gives you the number before anyone is dispatched. That is Haven Standard Clause 1, and it has been the rule since 2002.
We Also Serve Cities Near Los Altos
We serve Los Altos and the surrounding communities, including Mountain View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Sunnyvale. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, and crews serve Los Altos locally. Call (331) 310-8471 for service anywhere in the mid-peninsula.
Serving Los Altos, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Altos 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 Los Altos
Los Altos receives more coastal fog infiltration than cities deeper in the valley, and the 1950s-1970s ranch stock was built with entry-grade hardware never designed for that moisture cycle. Fog condenses on exterior cylinders overnight, the brass pins oxidize, and the cylinder seizes. Mature oaks on the older streets trap that moisture against door hardware, which compounds the problem. The fix is usually a new weather-sealed deadbolt with a corrosion-resistant finish. Call (331) 310-8471 and we will tell you over the phone what replacement hardware fits the existing bore.
In most cases, a corroded original deadbolt needs replacement, not repair. The cylinder body on a 1960s Kwikset is not serviceable once the internal pins and springs have oxidized enough to bind. We can sometimes save the exterior trim if the finish is intact and the homeowner wants the mid-century look preserved, but the working cylinder and strike plate are usually replaced. A Grade 1 replacement deadbolt in Los Altos runs $180-$460 installed, and the old hardware is documented and removed. Call (331) 310-8471 for a firm quote on your specific door hardware.
The smart locks that hold up here have sealed keypads and weather-rated electronics. Schlage Encode and Yale Assure both offer models with IP-rated keypads and marine-grade stainless finishes that resist pitting. The bigger issue we see is installation: many smart locks fail in Los Altos because they were mounted without a weather-sealed strike plate or appropriate gaskets. We install the lock and the weather protection together. Smart lock installation in Los Altos runs $220-$480 including programming. Call (331) 310-8471 for a written quote.
Yes, in most cases. The original mortise lock body on a 1960s ranch door can usually be removed or bypassed, and the door re-prepped for a modern cylindrical deadbolt with a keyless entry system. The labor is slightly higher when we are retrofitting a mortise prep instead of working with a standard bore. Keyless entry installation on a retrofit door in Los Altos typically runs $220-$420. Call (331) 310-8471 and we will walk you through what your door requires, over the phone, before anyone is dispatched.
No permit is required for replacing or upgrading locks on an existing door in Los Altos, even in the older ranch-home districts. What you may need to confirm is whether your home falls under any local historic designation that restricts exterior hardware finishes or styles. We can tell you what we see on similar homes in your neighborhood and install hardware that meets the security requirement without altering the home’s character. Call (331) 310-8471 for a written quote on high-security replacement hardware.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Los Altos and the mid-peninsula since 2002.