Frequently Asked Questions

You call (331) 310-8471, a live coordinator answers, and you describe the job. They ask the questions that determine price: borough and neighborhood, lock type, number of locks, and what happened. Then they quote a firm price in writing before anyone is dispatched. You get a real arrival window and a named technician. The technician confirms the price before touching anything, does the work, shows you the evidence of what was found, and leaves the written record of what was done. That's it. No negotiating at the door.

Yes. In most residential cases, a locksmith can make a new key by reading the wafers or pins inside the lock cylinder, without the original key on hand. This is called originating a key, and it's routine for older New York apartment locks and mortise cylinders. For high-security or restricted systems by brands like Medeco or Mul-T-Lock, key origination requires proof of ownership and may involve the manufacturer's authorization channel. We'll tell you on the phone which path applies to your lock and what it costs. No surprises, written scope, per-lock price.

We don't do automotive locksmithing. Our work is residential and commercial: doors, deadbolts, mortise locks, master-key systems, access control, and high-security keywork. If you call us about a car key, we'll say so plainly and save you the trip. What we do in New York City is the lock on the front door, the office suite door, the building entry, the file cabinet, the padlock gate. For anything with a transponder and an ignition, you'll want an automotive locksmith.

Most residential lock replacements take 30 to 90 minutes on site. A standard deadbolt swap is usually under an hour. Rekeying three cylinders runs 20 to 45 minutes. High-security hardware, first-time installation with new bore holes, or damaged door prep extend the timeline, sometimes to two hours. We'll give you a realistic window on the phone, named technician included, and we text when the tech is on the way. That's Haven Standard Clause 2: Arrive on schedule. No vague "sometime Thursday." A real window, kept.

Rekey unless the hardware is worn or you want an upgrade. In New York City, after you close on an apartment or house, rekeying every exterior lock is the first security step: you don't know how many previous keys are floating around. Rekeying costs less than replacement and keeps the existing hardware. Replace when cylinders are corroded, the finish is failed, or you're moving from basic hardware to a Name-brand deadbolt or a smart lock. We'll assess by phone and quote both options before we send anyone.

We work with most major American and European lock brands, including Yale, Baldwin, Medeco, and Mul-T-Lock. Yale and Baldwin cover most residential deadbolts and entry sets; Medeco and Mul-T-Lock are the common high-security and restricted-key systems we see in New York City buildings that maintain managed access. We stock common cylinders, tailpieces, and finish-matched hardware across our locations. If your building has a proprietary core or managed keyway, we coordinate with the building's system owner before cutting or replacing anything. We'll tell you on the phone what applies.

In a city where door hardware gets real abuse, yes. Medeco and Mul-T-Lock cylinders hold up to picking, bumping, and forced entry better than basic residential locks, and their restricted keyways mean keys can't be copied at a hardware store. For New York City apartment owners and co-op shareholders, restricted systems also give you control over who can duplicate keys. The tradeoff is price: these systems run meaningfully higher per cylinder and per key. We'll give you honest comparisons by phone rather than steering you to the most expensive option.

A grade-2 or grade-1 deadbolt with a reinforced strike plate, installed properly into a solid door. For most NYC apartments, a quality deadbolt from Baldwin or Yale, combined with the existing rim cylinder, covers the realistic threat profile. Buildings with a history of package theft or known key-copying issues often benefit from a restricted keyway like Medeco or Mul-T-Lock. The lock only matters if the installation is right: we check the door prep, reveal gap, and strike screws, and we document what we find with photos and readings. That's Clause 4: Evidence on every job.

Yes, we match existing keyways when the system allows it, which most standard co-op and condo keyways do. NYC buildings often use restricted or semi-restricted keyways where duplication requires authorization from the building's system owner. We work within those controls, not around them. Bring or describe the keyway, and we'll tell you whether it's restricted, whether we can cut under the building's authorization, and what documentation is needed. For managed-access buildings, we coordinate directly with building management. Call (331) 310-8471 to start with the keyway details.

New York City requires locksmiths to be licensed by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. Every locksmith working under the Novak Lock & Security name is required to hold the license and insurance their state and city require. Licensed technicians carry their license number; we make it available on request, and we put it on the page before work begins. That's Haven Standard Clause 3: Verified crews, licensed, insured, background-checked, license number on the page. Every pro working under our name is held to that requirement.

Ask for the license number before they arrive, then verify it with the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. Legitimate locksmiths in New York City will give you the number without hesitation and carry it on their vehicle and invoice. A technician who deflects the question is a red flag. Our technicians show their license and insurance on request, and we make the license number available on the page before any work starts. You should also ask for a written price before dispatch; our policy is to provide one every time, without being asked.

It means the technician arriving at your door has been checked and documented before they were assigned to you. For Novak Lock & Security, verified means the technician holds the license their state and city require, carries the required insurance, and has passed a background check before they're eligible to wear our name on their van and invoice. The name on the van is the name on the invoice; that's the whole argument for the brand. No anonymous subcontractor, no hand-off to whoever's available. You know who's coming.

We're open seven days a week: Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. When you call (331) 310-8471 during those hours, a live coordinator answers and connects you with the local team covering your address. We schedule a real window and a named technician, with a text when they're en route. We don't run a 24/7 emergency line; we run dependable, documented locksmithing during honest hours.

Yes. We're open Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Weekend appointments fill earlier, especially in Manhattan and Brownstone Brooklyn, so call ahead if you can. The same pricing applies on weekends; we don't inflate rates because it's Saturday. You'll get a real arrival window, a named technician, and the same written-price guarantee. The weekend isn't an excuse to change the rules. Call (331) 310-8471 to book a weekend window.

Call (331) 310-8471 and tell the coordinator where you are, what kind of door it is, and whether the key is lost or broken or just inside. We'll quote the job in writing on the phone and give you a realistic arrival window. While you wait, stay with the door if you're in a lobby or vestibule; don't leave devices or bags unattended outside. In New York City cold weather, most landlords and supers have emergency contacts, so call them too if you're locked out of a controlled building. We'll handle the lock.

That depends on where in the five boroughs you are and what our schedule looks like when you call. Manhattan and the closer parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx usually see shorter lead times because our local teams work those areas in rotation. We give you a real window on the phone, not a "we'll be there in ten minutes" promise that becomes an hour. The window is kept, and you get a text when the named technician leaves. Call (331) 310-8471 and we'll tell you what's real for your address.

Yes. We warranty our workmanship on locks, keys, and systems we install or service, and we warranty the hardware we provide according to the manufacturer's terms. Before any job starts, you get a written scope that includes the warranty language. After the job is done, you get a documented record of what we found, what we did, and what's covered. That's Haven Standard Clause 5: No surprises. If something fails because of our work, we come back. Call (331) 310-8471 with any post-job concern.

The Haven Standard is the five-clause operating code every Novak Lock & Security location works under. Clause 1: Have it in writing; flat price, written scope, written warranty, before anyone starts. Clause 2: Arrive on schedule; a real window, a named tech, a text when they're on the way. Clause 3: Verified crews; licensed, insured, background-checked, license number on the page. Clause 4: Evidence on every job; photos and readings of what we actually found. Clause 5: No surprises; no door upsell, no scope creep. The price you were quoted is the price on the invoice.

You call us and we make it right under the warranty terms in your written scope. We keep the documented record of every job, so there's no he-said-she-said about what was done, what hardware was used, or what was covered. That record exists because of the system every location works under. Daniel Novak built the company on the rule that the written price is the final price; the documentation system extends that rule to after the work is done. Call (331) 310-8471 and we'll pull your job file.

Yes, in writing. That's the point of Novak Lock & Security. The coordinator quotes the full job on the phone before anyone is dispatched. The technician confirms the price before touching anything. If the scope changes, you get a written change order with the new price before the extra work starts. There's no call-out surcharge added on arrival. There's no "we need to open this up first" pricing. Since 2002, the business has run on one rule: the price quoted is the price on the invoice. Call (331) 310-8471 and we'll quote yours.

Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving New York City since 2002.