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 Union City
Lock installation and rekeying in Union City typically costs $95-$185 for a standard deadbolt install and $18-$35 per cylinder to rekey, quoted in writing before we dispatch. Most jobs in Union City are completed same-day, often within 90 minutes of arrival. If you just bought a home in Union City, changed tenants, or want a smart lock working with your existing system, call Novak Lock & Security at (331) 310-8471 and we’ll give you a firm price on the phone.
We know Union City’s housing stock because we work it every week: 1960s tract homes in Decoto with original Kwikset deadbolts, pre-war bungalows in Alvarado with mortise locks that predate interchangeable cylinders, and new townhome clusters near the Union City BART station where builder’s keys are still circulating. That range means we carry the right hardware on the truck, not in a catalog.
Why Novak Lock & Security Is Union City’s Preferred Lock Installation & Rekey Company
Since 2002, our technicians have installed or serviced over 60,000 locks, keys, and systems across the East Bay, and Union City calls come in daily. Daniel Novak founded the company on one rule that still governs every job: the price quoted on the phone is the price on the invoice. No technician is permitted to change it at the door. That rule is Haven Standard Clause 1, and it applies to every lock installation, rekey, and emergency call we run in Union City.
Union City customers deal with a specific set of hardware problems you won’t find a few miles east. Bay salt air from the estuary and persistent marine fog accelerate oxidation on exterior lock cylinders. Brass and zinc components seize. Deadbolt internals corrode. We stock replacement cylinders, strike plates, and smart lock hardware suited to this microclimate, so a rekey or replacement in Union City doesn’t turn into a two-visit job.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey team arrives in uniform, background-checked, and carrying a documented photo record protocol. After every job, you receive photos of the work performed, the condition of the hardware found, and the completed installation. That is not an upsell. It is standard procedure under The Haven Standard.
We also answer the phone with a live person, 24/7. When a Union City landlord on Alvarado-Niles Road needs a tenant-turnover rekey before the next lease starts at 9:00 AM, there is no voicemail queue. Someone picks up.
Our Lock Installation & Rekey Services in Union City
Smart Lock Installation
We install Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, and other smart locks in Union City homes daily, and the job is never just screwing a deadbolt to a door. On newer townhomes near the Union City BART station, HOA-controlled doors often have a master key system running underneath. We integrate the smart lock so the property manager’s master key still works in an emergency. On older Union City homes with existing electronic systems, we confirm compatibility before anyone drills. A smart lock install in Union City typically runs $185-$320 including hardware setup, programming, and a walkthrough with every family member’s access code.
Keyless Entry
Keyless entry makes sense for Union City households with multiple drivers, cleaning services, or kids coming home from James Logan High School at different hours. We install keypad deadbolts and lever sets that let you issue and delete codes without calling us back. For HOA communities, we verify the keyless system works with any common-area access points. Most keyless entry installs in Union City run $150-$275.
Keypad Lock
A standalone keypad deadbolt is the most common entry-level smart lock we put on Union City front doors. We stock keypad models compatible with existing door prep, which matters on Decoto tract homes where the door was prepped for a standard cylindrical deadbolt in 1972 and nobody wants us boring a larger hole through the face. Keypad lock installation in Union City ranges from $140-$240, including programming and demo.
Biometric Lock
Fingerprint and biometric deadbolts are becoming standard on rental properties along Alvarado-Niles Road where multiple tenants cycle through. They eliminate key exchange entirely, which saves Union City landlords time and money on every turnover. We install and program biometric locks from Yale and other manufacturers, and we make sure the backup key override is a high-security cylinder, not the cheap one that ships in the box. Biometric lock installation in Union City typically runs $220-$380.
What happens when you call
- 1
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 Union City
We’re factory-authorized for Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Baldwin, and Schlage, and we service everything from entry-grade Kwikset to high-security Sargent commercial systems. For Union City homeowners, that means we can match your existing hardware rather than forcing a brand swap. We stock common Baldwin and Schlage parts on the truck, so a rekey or cylinder replacement on a Union City front door usually completes in one visit. If your lock is a less common brand, we source parts locally and give you an honest lead time before any work begins.
Common Lock Installation & Rekey Problems We See in Union City Homes
- Builder’s keys still opening new-construction doors. Every new townhome or condo near the Union City BART station is handed over with builder’s keys or construction keys that may still be in circulation among contractors, agents, and previous walkthrough visitors. We rekey new Union City homes day one so the only keys that work are the ones in your hand.
- Salt-corroded deadbolts on Decoto tract homes. Homes built in the 1960s and 1970s in central Union City often still have the original builder-grade Kwikset deadbolts. Bay salt air gets into the cylinder and the tailpiece seizes. We remove cylinders non-destructively, clean or replace internals, and install corrosion-resistant hardware when the original is beyond saving.
- Smart locks fighting HOA master key systems. A keypad deadbolt installed without accounting for the HOA’s master key setup works fine for the resident and fails the first time the property manager needs emergency access. We integrate smart and keyless locks so both systems function.
- Pre-war mortise locks in Alvarado bungalows. Union City’s Alvarado district has wood-frame homes from the 1920s through 1940s. Their mortise locks do not accept modern cylinders without modification, and the door jambs have often settled. We retrofit carefully and tell you honestly whether the existing hardware is worth keeping or replacing.
Pricing for Lock Installation & Rekey in Union City, CA
Here are the real numbers for Union City, in writing: standard deadbolt installation runs $95-$185 per lock. Rekeying a single cylinder runs $18-$35, with most Union City homes having three to five cylinders. Smart lock and keypad installation runs $140-$320 depending on hardware and whether HOA integration is required. Key duplication runs $3-$8 per key for standard cuts, $12-$25 for high-security or side-milled keys. The price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice. It is Haven Standard Clause 1, it has been in place since 2002, and no technician is permitted to change it at your door. Call (331) 310-8471 for a written estimate before we dispatch.
We Also Serve Cities Near Union City
Novak Lock & Security runs daily routes through the East Bay. In addition to Union City, we install and rekey locks in Fremont, Newark, Castro Valley, and Hayward. If you own rental property across multiple East Bay cities, one call handles the whole schedule. Call (331) 310-8471 and tell the dispatcher what you need; you’ll get a written price before anyone leaves the shop.
Serving Union City, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Union City 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 Union City
Yes. Builder’s keys and construction keys are often duplicated across contractors, subcontractors, real estate agents, and previous walkthrough visitors. Rekeying a new Union City home costs $18-$35 per cylinder and takes under an hour for most townhomes near the Union City BART station. Call (331) 310-8471 to schedule a same-visit rekey on the day you close.
Union City sits low on the East Bay plain directly exposed to San Francisco Bay salt air and marine fog. That salt air accelerates oxidation on brass and zinc lock cylinders, which is why seized deadbolts and corroded strike plates are recurring service calls here but less common in Fremont’s drier foothills. We stock corrosion-resistant replacement hardware on the truck and can swap a seized cylinder same-day.
Yes, but the smart lock must be integrated with the HOA’s master key system so the property manager retains emergency access. We install smart locks on HOA-controlled doors throughout Union City and confirm master key compatibility before programming. This is standard procedure on every condo and townhome job we run near the BART station.
Same-day in most cases. Tenant-turnover rekeying along Alvarado-Niles Road is one of the highest-volume jobs we run in Union City. A typical rekey of three to five cylinders takes under an hour once we’re on site. Call (331) 310-8471 in the morning and we’ll typically have the unit rekeyed before your next tenant walks through the door. We even cut new bump-resistant keys on site.
Replace it. Original builder-grade deadbolts from the 1960s and 1970s use loose internal tolerances and corrode fast in Union City’s salt air. A rekey of a cylinder that worn will still leave you with a weak lock. We install Grade 1 deadbolts with corrosion-resistant finishes for $95-$185 per lock, in writing, with no price change at the door.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Union City since 2002.