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 Federal Way
Lock installation and rekeying in Federal Way typically costs between $25 and $45 per cylinder for a standard rekey, or $95 to $185 for new lock installation including hardware and labor. We’re Novak Lock & Security, and we quote the full price on the phone before anyone drives to your door in Federal Way. That price is the price on the invoice, no exceptions. Our Federal Way customers call (331) 310-8471, get a written number, and know exactly what the job will cost before our uniformed technician rings the bell.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Federal Way’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Federal Way has a housing stock problem that most national locksmith chains don’t understand. The majority of homes here went up between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, which means thousands of wood-frame houses and apartment units still run original builder-grade Kwikset and Schlage hardware that’s now 35 to 50 years old. We’ve opened and rekeyed enough of those cylinders to know the failure patterns by heart. Daniel Novak founded this company in 2002, and since then our technicians have installed or serviced over 60,000 locks, keys, and systems. Every visit includes a documented photo record left with you at completion, and every tech is background-checked and uniformed. We don’t ask you to trust a vague promise about who shows up. We show you in writing.
Our customers in Federal Way regularly report the same thing: the phone quote matched the invoice, the technician explained what was found, and the lock works. That’s the bar. The 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every job, which means if a lock installation or rekey isn’t right, we fix it. Calls are answered by a live person 24/7, no voicemail queue and no callback window. When you’re locked out at 11 p.m. near the Commons at Federal Way, you hear a human voice on the first ring.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey team works Federal Way streets weekly, so we know Pacific Highway traffic patterns during peak hours, the layout of the 1980s tract developments east of SR-99, and which apartment complexes along the S 272nd to S 320th corridor run master-key systems that need particular attention. That local familiarity translates to faster turnaround and fewer surprises.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Federal Way
Smart Lock Installation
Smart locks in Federal Way’s older wood-frame homes often fail because installers don’t address what’s behind the lock. A 1985-built home near Saghalie Park may have a door frame that’s swelled and shifted through 40 years of rainy winters. We install smart locks from brands like Yale and Schlage after verifying the door is square, the strike plate aligns, and the bolt throws fully. The electronics are the easy part. The door geometry is what makes it work. Smart lock installation in Federal Way runs $165 to $320 depending on the hardware.
Keypad Entry
Keypad entry systems are the most practical upgrade for Federal Way’s rental properties and busy households alike. A keypad deadbolt eliminates the rekey cycle after every tenant turnover, housekeeper visit, or contractor access. For Federal Way property managers, that’s a direct expense reduction. Keypad lock installation runs $145 to $280 per door, quoted in writing before we start.
Biometric Lock
Biometric locks in Federal Way have one local catch: damp, cold fingers. Maritime air and persistent moisture don’t affect modern capacitive fingerprint sensors much, but we recommend models with a keypad or key override for the months when hands are wet from rain or work. For Federal Way homeowners on the east side of the city where visibility from the street is limited by mature evergreens, a biometric deadbolt adds a layer of access control that doesn’t depend on keys. Biometric installation runs $220 to $395 depending on the unit.
Key Duplication
Key duplication in Federal Way isn’t always straightforward for older homes. Original Kwikset and Schlage keys from the 1970s and 1980s are often so worn that copies cut at a big-box kiosk come out inconsistent. We cut duplicates from code rather than tracing a worn original, which produces keys that actually turn the cylinder. Standard key duplication starts at $4 per key. High-security keys from Medeco or Mul-T-Lock require authorization and run $18 to $45 per key.
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 Federal Way
We’re factory-authorized on premium lock brands including Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Baldwin, and we service the full spectrum from entry-grade Kwikset and Schlage up through high-security European cylinders. For Federal Way customers, that means parts don’t need to be special-ordered from a distributor two states away. We stock common cylinders, springs, and tailpieces in our local vehicles, so a rekey job on a Schlage deadbolt near Federal Way High School can be finished in the same visit without a second trip. If the hardware you have is in good mechanical shape, we’ll tell you. If it’s not, we’ll show you the photo and the wear before recommending a replacement.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Federal Way Homes
- Wood jamb warping from over 40 inches of annual rain. Deadbolts and latch bolts in Federal Way’s 1980s tract homes east of SR-99 bind, grind, or fail to throw fully because damp winters have swollen and shifted the door frames. A newly installed deadbolt in a misaligned frame will never work smoothly until the strike plate is repositioned.
- Degraded factory lubricant and corroded cylinders on original builder-grade hardware. Homes built between the mid-1970s and early 1990s in Federal Way often still run the original Kwikset or Schlage cylinders, and persistent moisture has turned factory grease to gum or rusted internal pins. Rekeyed locks on these cylinders can seize or develop sticky keyways within months if the cylinder isn’t cleaned and properly lubricated during service.
- Builder’s keys still in circulation on multi-family properties. Apartment complexes between S 272nd St and S 320th St along SR-99 sometimes still use builder’s keys years after turnover because the previous management never rekeyed. Old keys held by former tenants, cleaning crews, or contractors remain unauthorized entry points. Batch rekeying eliminates that liability in a single scheduled visit.
- Smart locks installed on misaligned doors without checking the throw. A smart lock’s motor can’t overcome a bolt that’s grinding against a warped strike plate. We’ve seen freshly installed smart deadbolts in Federal Way homes drain batteries in weeks because the bolt had to work against the frame on every cycle. The fix is mechanical, not electronic.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Federal Way, WA
What you’ll actually pay in Federal Way depends on the cylinder count and hardware you choose, but here are honest ranges. Standard rekey runs $25 to $45 per cylinder, with a typical three-lock home costing $95 to $145 total. New deadbolt installation runs $95 to $185 per lock including hardware and labor. Smart lock installation runs $165 to $320. Keypad entry runs $145 to $280 per door. Biometric locks run $220 to $395. Key duplication runs $4 to $45 per key depending on the type. We quote the full price over the phone before dispatch, and haven standard Clause 1 says the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. That rule has been in place since 2002 and it isn’t changing. Call (331) 310-8471 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Federal Way
Novak Lock & Security provides Federal Way and surrounding South King County communities with the same written-quote guarantee. If your property sits just outside city limits in Auburn, Kent, Tacoma, or Renton, you can still call (331) 310-8471. We schedule lock installation and rekey work across the area daily, and the pricing structure doesn’t change when you cross a city line.
Serving Federal Way, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Federal Way 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 Federal Way
Yes. Federal Way receives over 40 inches of rain annually, and the prolonged damp causes wooden door frames to swell and shift, which pushes deadbolts and latch bolts out of alignment. A newly installed lock in a misaligned frame binds, grinds, or fails to throw. We correct the strike plate and frame alignment before or during installation, which is the step many installers skip. Call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll quote the job including any alignment work.
Because the rental inventory between S 272nd St and S 320th St along SR-99 is some of the highest-turnover housing in Washington State, and old keys left in circulation are a real liability. A batch rekey lets a property manager reset access to an entire building after occupants change. We can run back-to-back rekey calls along a single two-mile stretch in a single afternoon. The process is quoted in writing before we start.
Yes, you should. New construction in Federal Way is keyed with a builder’s key during construction, and unless the builder hands you the factory reset keys and confirms the builder’s key is disabled, unknowns may still hold a working key to your door. Rekeying a new build runs $25 to $45 per cylinder and gives you a verifiable audit trail of who holds keys. We document the old and new key codes and hand you the photo record when we leave.
Sometimes, but not always a direct swap. Many 1980s Federal Way homes east of SR-99 have cylindrical Kwikset or Schlage prep rather than true mortise locks, which makes smart lock installation straightforward. Homes with genuine mortise cassettes need either an adapter or a conversion plate, and we’ll tell you before quoting which applies. The price on the phone covers whatever the job actually requires.
We can typically rekey 10 to 15 units in a single scheduled afternoon, using the existing cylinders and cutting new keys on site. No drilling is required on standard pin-and-tumbler cylinders. A property manager we work with along SR-99 called us for a 14-unit batch rekey after back-to-back turnovers. We ran back-to-back rekey calls along a single two-mile stretch, swapping out original builder-grade Kwikset cylinders on each unit while re-cutting keys to align with the building’s master key system. All completed in one afternoon without ever pulling a drill. Call (331) 310-8471 for a written batch quote.
Contact Novak Lock & Security in Federal Way
For lock installation, rekeying, smart lock setup, or key duplication in Federal Way, call (331) 310-8471. A live person answers, asks about your hardware and the number of cylinders involved, and gives you a firm written price before anyone is dispatched. That price does not change when the technician arrives. It’s been that way since 2002, under Haven Standard Clause 1, and it’s the entire reason we can put our name on the invoice. Daniel Novak runs this company the same way he started it: quote the job, do the job, document the job, and stand behind it for 365 days. If you’re in Federal Way and you want a lock installation or rekey done right, call us.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Federal Way and South King County with written-price lock installation and rekeying since 2002.
Lock Installation & Rekey in Nearby Areas
