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 Seattle
Lock installation and rekeying in Seattle comes down to one question: can the existing hardware be saved, or is it time to replace it? For most of the older homes we see, the honest answer is save it. Our Lock Installation & Rekey team works on original mortise locks in Ballard, Wallingford, and the Central District every week, and we quote a firm price on the phone before anyone drives out. Call (331) 310-8471 and a live person answers, 24/7.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Seattle’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Seattle homeowners tend to research before they call. They read the three-star reviews, they want a price in writing, and they don’t want a technician inventing a reason to upsell at the door. That’s the exact customer we built this business for in 2002. Daniel Novak set the rule on day one, and it hasn’t changed: the dispatcher gives you a written price, and the technician is not permitted to change it on arrival. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1, and it applies to every job we do in Seattle.
Since 2002, we’ve installed or serviced more than 60,000 locks, keys, and access systems. Every visit ends the same way: you receive a documented photo record of the work, a written scope, and a written warranty. Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed. We don’t promise to be careful; the procedure requires it, and the documentation proves it.
What really sets us apart in Seattle is the mortise lock work. A lot of locksmiths won’t touch a 1920s Reading or Corbin mortise lock because replacement parts aren’t stocked at the supply house. We carry obsolete cylinders, tailpieces, and faceplates because we know the housing stock here. The bungalow belt doesn’t need another retrofit kit pitch. It needs a technician who can open the case, diagnose the problem, and fix it on the spot.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Seattle
Smart Lock Installation
Smart locks on a brand-new townhouse in South Lake Union are straightforward. Smart locks on a 1930s foursquare in Wallingford with a swollen wood frame are a different job entirely. Before we install any smart lock in Seattle, we check the door alignment, the strike plate position, and the existing mortise pocket. If the deadbolt binds, the motor in a smart lock will stall. On original doors, we often plane the edge or replace the strike plate before mounting the lock, so it actually locks. We install and service Yale, Schlage, and Kwikset smart locks, and every install includes pairing your phone and testing the full lock/unlock cycle before we leave.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry in Seattle means different things depending on the building. In a 1912 Craftsman in Fremont, it usually means a keypad deadbolt on the back door that can stay unlocked for the kids after school. In a 2018 condo in Belltown, it’s a full key-fob access system with an audit trail. We handle both. For older homes, we recommend keyless locks with mechanical key overrides, so a dead battery doesn’t leave you locked out in the rain.
Keypad Lock
Keypad locks get abused in Seattle’s wet months. Rain drives into exposed keypads on north-facing doors, and the buttons eventually stop responding. We stock weather-sealed keypad deadbolts and lever locks, and we install them with the keypad angled away from the prevailing wind when possible. If you already have a keypad lock that’s flickering or dead, bring it in for a diagnostic before you replace it. Often it’s a corroded battery contact, not a failed board.
Biometric Lock
Biometric locks are fingerprint-based, and they have one real weakness: wet or cold fingers. In Seattle, that’s half the year. We install biometric locks from Yale and Sargent, and we always pair them with a keypad or mechanical key backup. For most Seattle homes, a quality keypad lock with a mechanical override is the more dependable choice. We’ll tell you that plainly, because the wrong lock is a worse problem than no lock.
Key Duplication
Seattle’s older homes often come with three different keys for six doors, and one of those keys opens a back door that nobody ever locks. We can cut and duplicate standard house keys, high-security restricted keys from Mul-T-Lock and Medeco, and obsolete keyways from old Corbin and Reading locks. The old stuff takes longer, but we keep blanks in stock that most hardware stores don’t.
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 Seattle
We’re factory-authorized to work on Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Baldwin, and Schlage, and we service the full spectrum from entry-grade Kwikset to high-security cylinders. For older Seattle homes, we carry repair parts for Corbin, Reading, and Sargent mortise locks, which matters when your 1920s bungalow still has original hardware. We stock local parts for common Seattle door types, and we can usually complete a repair on the first visit.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Seattle Homes
- Moisture-swollen door frames. October through April, the unbroken humidity in Seattle makes wood-framed doors absorb moisture and swell. Deadbolts that threw cleanly in August bind or miss the strike plate entirely by November. This is a door problem, not a lock problem, and forcing the deadbolt is how tailpieces snap.
- Original mortise locks with obsolete cylinders. Ballard, Wallingford, Fremont, and the Central District are dense with 1905-1945 Craftsman bungalows still fitted with original Corbin, Sargent, or Reading mortise locks. Replacement cylinders aren’t on the shelf at Home Depot. We rekey them, repair them, and source obsolete parts rather than cutting new holes in original millwork.
- Rekeyed front door only. A new homeowner rekeys the front door but leaves the original Corbin lock on the back door. The old tenant’s key still works on the less visible entry. We always ask about every exterior door, not just the one you’re looking at.
- Corroded exterior lock cylinders. Seattle’s marine air corrodes exposed lock cylinders faster than drier climates. A rekey that doesn’t include greasing the pins and sealing the keyway has a good chance of seizing by March. This is standard on every Novak rekey.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Seattle, WA
We Also Serve Cities Near Seattle
Novak Lock & Security schedules and dispatches from our Seattle office, and we serve the surrounding metro. We handle lock installation and rekey work in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Renton on a scheduled basis. Response times are shorter inside the Seattle city limits, but we cover the Eastside daily.
Serving Seattle, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Seattle 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 Seattle
My 1920s Ballard bungalow still has original mortise locks. Can you rekey them, or do I have to replace the whole lock?
You can rekey original mortise locks in most cases, and we almost always recommend it over replacement. The lock bodies themselves are more durable than anything sold today. We rekeyed a 1920s Reading mortise lock on a restored Craftsman bungalow in Ballard where the homeowner refused to replace the original hardware. Our tech sourced an obsolete cylinder, rekeyed the pin and tumbler core to a new key, and repaired the corroded faceplate. No retrofit kit, no new deadbolt holes. If the lock body is cracked or the bolt is bent, replacement may be necessary, but that’s the exception. Call (331) 310-8471 and describe the lock; we’ll tell you honestly which path applies.
My deadbolt works fine all summer but binds every winter. Is this a lock problem or a door problem?
In Seattle, it’s almost always a door problem. The unbroken stretch of high humidity from October through April causes wood door frames and slabs to absorb moisture and swell measurably. The strike plate drifts by an eighth of an inch, and the deadbolt no longer lines up. Forcing it will eventually bend the bolt or snap the tailpiece. The fix is realigning the strike plate or planing the door edge, and it’s a standard service call. We’ll diagnose it on site and give you the written price before any work is done.
What’s the difference between rekeying and replacing a lock? My landlord says the old tenant’s key still works.
Rekeying changes the internal pins so the old key no longer turns the cylinder. The lock hardware stays in place. Replacing means removing the entire lock body and installing new hardware. Rekeying is faster, cheaper, and correct for most situations, including a landlord who needs old keys dead. If the old hardware is worn or damaged, replacement makes more sense. We’ll inspect the lock and tell you which is right, with a written price before we start.
Can you install a smart lock on my old Capitol Hill foursquare, or will it ruin the original door?
Yes, you can put a smart lock on a Capitol Hill foursquare without ruining the door, if the prep is done correctly. The original mortise pocket often needs to be filled or reinforced so the new deadbolt sits tight and the old keyhole doesn’t become a security gap. If the door frame is swollen or misaligned, the smart lock’s motor will stall, so we correct the alignment before mounting the lock. We prefer smart locks with a mechanical key override for Seattle, so a dead battery or a wet keypad doesn’t leave you outside. The original door face stays intact, and we document everything before and after.
I just bought a Ballard bungalow and three keys open all six doors. Can you set up one key for everything?
Yes, we can key all six locks alike in a single visit, as long as the lock cylinders can be rekeyed. If you have original mortise locks from different manufacturers, some will take a standard cylinder and some may need an adapter or a replacement cylinder. We carry the parts to make it work. You walk away with one key that operates every door, and the old keys are dead. This is one of the most common requests we get from new homeowners in Ballard, Wallingford, and Fremont.
Call Novak Lock & Security for Lock Installation & Rekey in Seattle
If you need a lock installed, rekeyed, or diagnosed in Seattle, call (331) 310-8471. We answer live, 24/7. You’ll get a written price on the phone, a background-checked technician in a uniformed van, and a documented photo record of the completed work. Every job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right. There’s no bait pricing, no door-step surprise, and no call-out surcharge. Just the real price, in writing, before we start.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Seattle with lock installation and rekey services under The Haven Standard.
Lock Installation & Rekey in Nearby Areas
