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 Allen
Lock installation and rekeying in Allen typically runs $65-$180 per cylinder for rekey work and $120-$450 for new hardware installation, depending on the lock grade and what’s already on your door. We quote that number in writing before anyone gets in a van, and Haven Standard Clause 1 says the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. If you just closed on a home in Twin Creeks, Watters Creek, or Stacy Ridge and the builder’s key still works, call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll have a technician at your door, usually the same day.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Allen’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Allen’s housing stock is specific. It’s overwhelmingly brick-veneer tract homes built between 1995 and 2020 in planned communities, which means we’re rarely pulling out antique mortise locks or knob-only sets. What we find instead is standardized Kwikset or Schlage deadbolt and handleset combinations on fiberglass or insulated steel doors with composite frames. Our technicians know these doors before they arrive. That’s the difference between a 45-minute rekey and a two-hour job with a drill involved.
Customers across Allen call us for two reasons that show up in their reviews. First, we stock the finishes their HOAs actually approve: satin nickel and oil-rubbed bronze, mostly, because we know Twin Creeks and Watters Creek have architectural standards that polished brass doesn’t meet. Second, our dispatcher answers live, 24 hours a day, and gives a firm price on that first call. No callback window. No “we’ll see when we get there.” That’s rare in this trade, and Allen homeowners notice it.
Daniel Novak founded this company in 2002, and the operating rule has not changed since: written price before work starts, documented photo record when we leave. Every technician is background-checked and uniformed. That’s not marketing language. It’s the procedure.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Allen
When Allen residents need work done, four services come up more than anything else. Here’s what they actually involve.
Smart Lock Installation
Allen’s tech-heavy workforce, much of it tied to the Legacy/121 corridor, means smart lock installation is a daily call here. We install and configure August, Schlage Encode, and similar deadbolts, integrating them with your existing door prep so you’re not left with a gap where your old hardware sat. On a 2010s Allen home, that usually means reinforcing the strike plate while we’re at it, because the builder installed a short screw plate that a shoulder can defeat in one hit.
Keyless Entry
Homes in Allen’s master-planned communities often have three or more exterior doors: front, garage entry, and back patio. Keyless entry works well here because family members and dog walkers come and go through different doors. We install keypad deadbolts matched to your HOA’s finish requirement, and we set separate codes for each person. You get a written record of every code we program, but the actual codes are yours to change.
Keypad Lock
A keypad lock in Allen has to hold up against heat. Cheap keypads with plastic internals can warp or fail when a west-facing door hits 110°F in July. We recommend models with metal keypad faces and direct-drive deadbolts that won’t bind when the frame expands. If you’re in a community like Stacy Ridge where the HOA checks exterior hardware for finish compliance, we’ll confirm the approved finish family before we install anything.
Biometric Lock
Biometric locks are popular with Allen homeowners who want access restricted to specific people rather than a key anyone can copy. Our team installs fingerprint and Bluetooth-enabled deadbolts, then walks you through enrolling and deleting users. One thing to know: biometric locks on exterior doors in Allen need a backup keyway, because extreme heat and dead fingers from pool days can reduce sensor reliability. We only install biometric hardware that includes a mechanical override.
This is the full Lock Installation & Rekey team, by the way. Same crew, same written pricing rule, same documented record on every job.
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.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Allen
We’re factory-authorized for work on Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, and Sargent hardware, plus the full residential line from Schlage and Kwikset. For Allen customers, that means we can do more than swap a cylinder. We can order and key Abloy or Mul-T-Lock high-security cylinders (locks that can’t be picked or bumped by standard tools) to match your existing keyway, so high-security doesn’t mean a fistful of different keys. We carry a rolling stock of common finishes matched to Allen’s HOA standards, which means the job happens in one visit, not two.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Allen Homes
- The builder master key is still active. Allen’s subdivisions went up fast. Thousands of homes share a contractor master key that was never retired after construction. If you bought in the last several years and never rekeyed, there’s a real chance a key you don’t know about still opens your front door. This is the single highest-volume call type we run in Allen.
- July deadbolt binding. Allen’s sustained summer heat causes steel and fiberglass door frames to expand measurably. A deadbolt that worked in March suddenly needs a shoulder shove by July. Most of the time, the lock is fine. The strike plate needs repositioning. We check alignment before we ever reach for a drill.
- HOA finish mismatches. You swap a front entry handleset and buy polished brass because it was on sale. Then the HOA sends a notice. In Twin Creeks and Watters Creek, the approved finishes are typically satin nickel or oil-rubbed bronze. We match the community standard before we install, so you don’t get a letter.
- Post-relocation rekey delays. Families moving into Allen for jobs at Toyota North America or the Legacy business corridor often wait weeks to rekey. Every day the builder key or the previous owner’s key exists is a day someone could walk in with a key you never authorized. We rekey the day of closing when asked.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Allen, TX
Here are the numbers we quote for Allen, in writing, before any work begins.
| Service | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Rekey a single cylinder (labor + new keys) | $65-$95 |
| Rekey a full home (3-4 locks, same key) | $150-$280 |
| Smart lock installation (standard deadbolt prep) | $120-$250 per lock |
| Keypad or keyless entry installation | $140-$300 per lock |
| Biometric lock installation | $200-$450 per lock |
| High-security cylinder upgrade (Mul-T-Lock, Abloy) | $95-$180 per cylinder |
| Strike plate reinforcement or realignment | $45-$85 |
What moves the price within these ranges is the condition of the existing door prep. If the builder cut the bore clean and the frame hasn’t shifted, the job lands at the low end. If we have to enlarge the bore, reinforce a split frame, or remove a seized cylinder, the labor goes up. You’ll know the full number on the phone, and there’s no call-out fee added on arrival. If you have a written estimate from another company, we’ll review it at no charge.
We also want to say this plainly: a big-box rekey kit can’t reset SmartKey cylinders that were contractor-pinned at build scale. That’s why our Allen customers call us instead of fighting a kit on a Saturday afternoon. We’ll rekey without replacing the hardware if the hardware is worth keeping, and we’ll tell you honestly when it isn’t.
We Also Serve Cities Near Allen
We work throughout the Collin County corridor, so the same written-price rule and same background-checked technicians cover Allen plus Plano, McKinney, Wylie, and Richardson. If you’re just over the city line, the price structure on this page applies to you too.
Serving Allen, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Allen 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 Allen
The fastest way is to look at the lock cylinder. If it has a small slot beside the keyhole, it’s a Kwikset SmartKey, which is what Allen’s builders installed at scale. If you never rekeyed after closing, the builder master key likely still works. We can rekey those cylinders in under an hour without replacing the hardware. Call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll confirm the cylinder type and give you a firm price on the phone.
Generally yes. Most master-planned communities in Allen, including Twin Creeks and Watters Creek, specify satin nickel or oil-rubbed bronze for exterior hardware. Show up with polished brass and you can fail an exterior inspection. We stock the approved finish families and match them before installation.
Allen’s summer heat causes steel and fiberglass exterior door frames to expand, shifting the strike plate out of alignment with the deadbolt. The fix is usually striking plate adjustment or a minor frame correction, not a new lock. If a technician wants to drill your lock in July before checking the alignment, stop them. Call us for a second look.
Yes. Most Allen homes from the 2000s and 2010s have Kwikset SmartKey or standard Schlage hardware that can be rekeyed without replacing anything. We cut new keys and the old ones stop working. If the hardware is builder-grade and you want stronger deadbolts, we’ll show you options, but rekeying is always the lower-cost first step.
Choose a smart lock that uses the same wireless protocol as your existing keypad, typically Z-Wave or Zigbee, and have it installed on the same door prep. We handle the physical install and pair it with your hub. The whole job is usually one visit, and you get a written record of every code and user account before we leave.
Call Novak Lock & Security in Allen
If you need lock installation or rekeying in Allen, call (331) 310-8471. You’ll reach a live person, get a written price before we schedule, and have a background-checked technician at your door with the right hardware and the right finish for your HOA. Every job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Allen, TX since 2002.
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