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 Newark
Lock installation and rekeying in Newark, NJ typically costs $65-$145 per cylinder for a standard rekey, and $120-$380 for a new lock installed, depending on the hardware and the condition of the door. We quote the full price in writing before a technician is dispatched, and that price stays the price on the invoice. We work across every Newark neighborhood, from the Ironbound to the North Ward to Weequahic. Call (331) 310-8471 and a live person answers, 24/7.
Most Newark calls involve one of two situations: new keys after closing, eviction, or tenant turnover; or an old lock that no longer secures the door. In roughly half our Newark visits, the real issue is the door itself, not the lock. Pre-war frames swell in winter, strike plates sit out of alignment, and a deadbolt that’s new off the shelf throws short because the door has sagged. We handle the lock and the door in one visit because Newark’s housing stock rarely lets you separate the two.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Newark’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Daniel Novak founded Novak Lock & Security in 2002 with one rule that hasn’t changed: the price quoted on the phone is the price on the invoice. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1, and our technicians aren’t permitted to change it at the doorstep. In a trade with a bait-pricing problem, that single rule matters more in Newark than almost anywhere else, because so many customers here are landlords managing properties remotely and tenants who can’t have a budget surprise mid-eviction.
We’ve installed or serviced more than 60,000 locks, keys, and systems since 2002, and every job ends with a documented photo record. Not a promise. A procedure. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and they work to the same quality framework across all ten Haven brands. Newark customers specifically send us photos of their original mortise locksets before we arrive, because they know we’ll bring the right parts or order them properly, not swap in a cheap cylindrical lock and drill out the door.
Our crews serve Newark locally. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from the brand’s New York City office, but the technicians on your doorstep know the difference between a North Ward three-family on 6th Avenue and a Central Ward row house on Springfield Avenue. That local knowledge is the reason we get the rekey right the first time when a previous locksmith said the lock was shot.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Newark
Smart Lock Installation
Smart locks are the fastest-growing request we get in Newark, especially from homeowners in Forest Hill and the newer condos near NJPAC and the Broad Street corridor. A Yale Assure or a Baldwin smart deadbolt installs cleanly on a door that’s plumb and square. On a warped 1920s door frame, we fit the door first, then mount the lock, because a smart motor draws more current through a misaligned bolt and burns out early. That door-fitting step is standard on our Newark smart lock installs.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry means a keypad deadbolt or a lever with an integrated code module. For Newark landlords in the Ironbound and East Ward managing two- and three-family rentals, keyless entry eliminates the rekey bill between tenants. You change the code instead of the cylinder. We quote keyless entry installation at $160-$340 per door, hardware included, and the quote covers the mortise-to-keyless retrofit work so the original door isn’t drilled out.
Keypad Lock
Keypad locks are the entry-level version of keyless: a mechanical or battery-operated code lock that replaces a standard deadbolt or cylindrical lever. In Newark’s rental stock, we regularly install Schlage keypad deadbolts on back doors and basement apartment entrances, where a separate code per tenant beats juggling physical keys. On pre-1940s doors with original mortise cases, we fit the keypad lock alongside the mortise, not instead of it, so the door’s original look stays intact and the security actually improves.
Biometric Lock
Biometric locks read a fingerprint or, less commonly, a retina. They’re standard on commercial doors along Broad Street and in medical or office suites, and increasingly on high-end residential doors in Forest Hill. A biometric lock on a Newark pre-war door has one challenge: the frame has to be aligned perfectly, because a fingerprint sensor releases the bolt electronically, and a sticky bolt reads as a failed attempt. We fit the door, set the deadbolt depth, and then register prints. Biometric installation in Newark runs $290-$520 per door.
Electronic Lock
Electronic locks cover anything with a wire, a battery, and a code or fob: keypad deadbolts, card-reader levers, and access-control strikes. For commercial buildings along Ferry Street and Springfield Avenue, we install electrified mortise locks and maglocks sized to the door’s original prep, and we do not charge a call-out surcharge on top of the written quote. Residential electronic lock installation in Newark runs $140-$380; commercial access control is quoted after a site survey.
Key Duplication
Key duplication in Newark runs $3-$9 per standard key, and $12-$45 per high-security or restricted key when we have the authorization card on file. For Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, or Abloy keys, duplication requires the card that came with the original cylinder, and we keep those records for our Newark commercial accounts. Most of the original Corbin and Yale mortise keys in Newark row houses can be duplicated on-site, but worn keys from the 1930s sometimes need a code cut instead of a trace cut. We’ll tell you which one before we cut.
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 Newark
We’re factory-authorized on Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy, and we service the full residential range from Kwikset and Schlage up through Baldwin and Sargent. For Newark’s original mortise locks, the name that matters most is Corbin and the old Yale cases, and we keep a parts reference library for those 1920s-30s cylinders so we can identify a lock from a photo and order the factory-correct part instead of drilling it out. Lock Installation & Rekey work on any brand starts with the same written quote.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Newark Homes
- The 1930s mortise lock “can’t be rekeyed.” In the North Ward, Ironbound, and Central Ward, most rekey calls involve original 1920s-30s Corbin or Yale mortise locksets. Those require parts ordered, not swapped off a van shelf, and a generic rekey kit fails on them because the pin and tumbler dimensions differ from standard Schlage/Kwikset. We stock the right pins and springs, and when a part is worn beyond service, we order it and return. That’s the difference between a Newark locksmith and a suburban one.
- A modern deadbolt forced into a warped pre-war frame. We see this constantly in Newark’s brick row homes: a homeowner or a previous handyman replaced the original lock with a modern deadbolt, but the door frame had shifted from decades of freeze-thaw cycles. The bolt throws short, the door rattles in the wind, and it’s not actually locked. We fix the frame fit first, then the lock, and the whole job is documented with photos.
- Landlords replacing instead of rekeying. Newark landlords managing properties remotely, especially in the Ironbound, are a major repeat-call segment for us. After every tenant dispute or eviction, the same three-family gets a new emergency call. Many landlords have been told a rekey costs as much as a new lock, so they replace the original mortise lock entirely. That’s wrong. A rekeyed Corbin mortise costs a fraction of a replacement and keeps the door original.
- Keys that are original and worn past duplication. In Newark’s older housing, the original key has often been copied a dozen times over eighty years. The key works, barely, and the landlord wants one more copy. We cut by code when the key is too worn for a trace cut, which saves the customer from a lockout down the line. We’ll show you the difference on the key itself.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Newark, NJ
We Also Serve Cities Near Newark
Beyond Newark, our crews cover Lock Installation & Rekey in Newark and the nearby communities of Irvington, Orange, East Orange, and Union. Same written-price rule applies everywhere, and the same parts library comes with us.
Serving Newark, NJ - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Newark 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 Newark
Most original 1930s Corbin and Yale mortise locks in Newark can be rekeyed as long as the case itself isn’t cracked or the internal springs aren’t worn out. We rekey the cylinder in place, replace the springs if needed, and only recommend replacement when the lock body has failed. Call (331) 310-8471 and send a photo, and we’ll tell you which one you’re looking at before we schedule.
No. A standard rekey in Newark runs $65-$145 per cylinder, while a new mortise lock replacement with parts runs $220-$480. The landlord was likely quoted a replacement by someone who doesn’t stock mortise parts. Rekeying a Corbin or Yale mortise costs a fraction of replacing it, and we can do it on the same call. Call (331) 310-8471 for an exact quote, and the price won’t change at the door.
Usually yes, because the sticking door and the misaligned deadbolt are the same problem. Newark’s freeze-thaw winters cause wooden frames in pre-war row homes to swell and shift, which pulls the strike plate out of line. A locksmith fits the door and the strike, and the deadbolt throws clean. Call (331) 310-8471, and we’ll quote the frame fitting and the lock work in writing before we come out.
Yes. We mount a smart lock or keypad deadbolt alongside the existing mortise lock, which keeps the original door and the original hardware intact. The work includes fitting the frame so the smart bolt doesn’t bind and the door seals properly. We do not drill out original mortise cases. Call (331) 310-8471 for a written quote specific to your door.
Same day, usually within a few hours. We keep a North Ward response schedule and carry the mortise pins and parts for the original Corbin and Yale locks common on North Ward two- and three-families. After an eviction, call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll quote the rekey in writing, then dispatch a technician from the Newark crew.
For lock installation or rekeying anywhere in Newark, call (331) 310-8471. A live person answers, the quote is written, and the technician leaves you a photo record of the work. That’s the whole job, start to finish.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, providing lock installation and rekey services to Newark since 2002.