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 The Bronx
Lock installation and rekeying in The Bronx means working with prewar mortise locks, NYCHA master-key hierarchies, and co-op boards that have opinions about your door hardware. We know that because we do this work across The Bronx every week. Call (331) 310-8471 and a live person answers. Rekeying typically runs $25-$45 per cylinder, and a new deadbolt installation ranges $120-$220, quoted in writing before anyone is dispatched.
Most Bronx customers call us because their existing hardware is older than they are. A 1930s Yale mortise lock on the Grand Concourse doesn’t accept a modern Kwikset cylinder, and a smart lock won’t mount cleanly over a 3-inch-deep mortise pocket. Our technicians open the lock case, diagnose what’s actually failing, and tell you straight whether it’s a rekey or a rebuild. That conversation happens before money changes hands.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is The Bronx’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Novak Lock & Security has installed or serviced over 60,000 locks, keys, and systems since 2002, with every job priced in writing before work begins. The dispatcher quotes a firm price on the phone, and the technician is not permitted to change it at the doorstep. That rule has been in place since the company was founded, and it’s the single biggest reason Bronx building managers and co-op residents call us back. The price on the phone is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival, no “discovered damage” upsell after the lock is apart.
Every visit is performed by a background-checked, uniformed technician working under The Haven Standard, the documented quality framework shared across all ten Haven brands. You receive a written scope before work starts, a documented photo record when the job is done, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise that covers the work. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
Daniel Novak, who leads the company, built this operation around a single idea: a customer should never feel like they’re guessing what the final bill will be. That philosophy matters even more in The Bronx, where a locksmith call often involves a building super, a co-op board, and a tenant, each needing to see documentation. We’re factory-authorized on Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Baldwin, and Schlage, and our service area covers every Bronx neighborhood, from Riverdale down to Throggs Neck.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in The Bronx
Smart Lock Installation
Smart locks are the fastest-growing request we get in The Bronx, but they’re also the most misunderstood. On a prewar mortise door, a smart deadbolt can’t simply be screwed into place. The existing mortise pocket has to be measured, the strike has to be aligned, and in many co-op and condo buildings, board approval is required before any modification is made to the door or frame. We handle that paperwork conversation for you and document everything in writing. A typical smart lock installation in The Bronx runs $180-$350 depending on the lock model and whether the existing mortise hardware stays in place.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry in The Bronx usually means one of two things: a keypad deadbolt on an apartment door or a standalone keypad on a vestibule or lobby door for a small building. For apartment doors with original mortise locks, we don’t drill new holes. We install a keyless system that works with the existing mortise case or we rebuild the case to accept the new cylinder. For building entries, we coordinate with the super or board to ensure the master-key hierarchy stays intact. Keyless entry installation typically runs $150-$300 in The Bronx, quoted in writing before we start.
Keypad Lock
Keypad locks are the workhorse of Bronx multi-family buildings where a landlord wants tenant turnover without cutting new keys every time. The right keypad lock for a Bronx prewar door is one that fits the existing mortise pocket without forcing door modification. We stock keypad models from Yale and Baldwin that adapt to older doors, and we rekey the mechanical override cylinder to work with the building’s existing key system. Expect $130-$280 for keypad lock installation in The Bronx, including the written scope and photo record.
Biometric Lock
Biometric locks (fingerprint or proximity fobs) are increasingly common in Co-op City high-rises and newer luxury buildings near Yankee Stadium. The Bronx’s humid summers and salt air near City Island and Throggs Neck can affect the sensor housing, so we recommend weather-rated models for exterior applications. On interior apartment doors, a biometric lock generally replaces the deadbolt portion while leaving the existing mortise lock functional. Installation runs $200-$400 in The Bronx depending on the hardware.
Key Duplication
Key duplication in The Bronx isn’t always as simple as walking into a hardware store. We regularly cut keys for Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy restricted systems where the blanks aren’t available to the public and require a signature card on file. We duplicate standard Schlage and Kwikset keys while you wait, and we maintain a key control log for building managers who need to track how many keys are in circulation. Most standard key duplication in The Bronx runs $4-$15 per key; restricted high-security keys are quoted based on the system.
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 The Bronx
We’re factory-authorized for Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Baldwin, and Schlage, and we service the full spectrum from entry-grade Kwikset to high-security cylinders that can’t be picked or bumped by standard tools. A lot of Bronx prewar buildings still run original Sargent, Yale, or Corbin mortise locksets, and we source discontinued parts for those when they need rebuilding. We keep common Yale and Baldwin cylinders in stock for Bronx jobs, which means faster turnaround when a tenant’s key stops working on a January morning.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in The Bronx Homes
- Frozen vestibule cylinders in January: The Bronx’s humid freeze-thaw winters push moisture into exterior lock cylinders on older building entries where weatherstripping has long since failed. Then a real freeze hits, and the cylinder seizes. We see this spike every January and February, especially on the Grand Concourse and along the eastern Bronx near the Long Island Sound. The fix is often a new cylinder plus realignment of the strike, not just a shot of de-icer that lasts two days.
- Warped prewar doors that bind the deadbolt: When a 90-year-old door has settled out of square, a new deadbolt will throw fine in the shop and bind in the frame when you’re standing in the hallway. Rekeying alone doesn’t fix this. We adjust the latch and strike alignment before the rekey so the lock works smoothly afterward.
- Mortise locksets with worn pin-and-tumbler stacks: The original Yale and Sargent mortise locks in Grand Concourse co-ops often still function, but the pin stack is worn enough that keys stick, turn partially, or fail in cold weather. Rebuilding the cylinder in-place (repinning the stack, checking the springs) is usually faster and cheaper than replacing the lockset, and it preserves the original faceplate.
- Smart locks installed over mortise pockets without board approval: Drilling new holes for a smart lock on a fire-rated door in a Multiple Dwelling Law building can get flagged by the super and require remediation. We review the door, the building’s rules, and what can be done without modification before any install. If the board needs a written scope, we provide one.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in The Bronx, NY
Lock rekey in The Bronx typically runs $25-$45 per cylinder, with most apartments having two or three cylinders (door knob or mortise, deadbolt, and possibly a top lock). A standard deadbolt installation runs $120-$220 including hardware, and high-security deadbolts run $180-$350. Smart lock installation starts around $180 and goes up to $400 depending on the hardware and whether the existing mortise pocket needs working around. Keypad and keyless entry installations run $130-$300.
What affects the price is the condition of the existing door and lock, not some vague “complexity fee” we invent on site. We quote the full amount on the phone, and that number doesn’t change when the technician arrives. Bring us a written estimate from another company and we’ll review it at no charge. Call (331) 310-8471 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near The Bronx
Our technicians serve all of The Bronx plus Lock Installation & Rekey in The Bronx across New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. If you’re in a neighboring borough and need a locksmith who understands prewar hardware and building-side key systems, call (331) 310-8471. We’ll tell you over the phone whether we can handle your specific lock setup that same day. Our Lock Installation & Rekey team covers the full service throughout the metro area.
Serving The Bronx, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the The Bronx 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 The Bronx
We can rekey and rebuild the original mortise lock in-place without board approval in almost every case, because no door modification is involved. We open the mortise case, repin the cylinder, and restore the original faceplate. Board approval is only required when you want to install new hardware that changes the door itself, like a deadbolt that requires drilling. Call (331) 310-8471 and we’ll tell you which situation applies to your door.
Yes, we rekey individual NYCHA and other master-keyed units while preserving the super’s master key access. The new tenant keys and the building master key are compatible because the cylinder is repinned to a new change key while retaining the master wafer stack. We document the key change and coordinate with the building’s management office when required. Call us for a written scope before the job.
In most Bronx vestibule freeze cases, replacing the cylinder without addressing the underlying strike alignment and weatherstripping means the new cylinder seizes again within weeks. Moisture gets past the worn weatherstripping, reaches the cylinder, and the next freeze locks it up. We service the entire assembly: cylinder, strike alignment, and the gasket or weatherstripping that’s letting moisture in. That’s the difference between a cylinder replacement and a repair that lasts. Call (331) 310-8471 for a diagnosis.
In most cases, yes, but not by drilling out the mortise pocket. We install a smart lock that functions alongside the existing mortise case, often as a smart deadbolt above it, provided the door and frame are in good enough condition. If the mortise case itself is failing, we rebuild it first. Co-op City doors are typically fire-rated, so any modification may need building management review. We can provide the written scope that management will want. Call us and we’ll talk through your specific door.
If the deadbolt won’t throw, the problem is usually the door or the strike alignment, not the lock cylinder. Rekeying alone won’t fix it. We first adjust the strike plate and latch alignment to get the door closing cleanly, then we evaluate whether the existing lock is worth rekeying or whether the cylinder itself is worn past service. We’ll tell you the honest answer, in writing, before any work starts. Call (331) 310-8471 and describe what the door does.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving The Bronx since 2002.