How Much Does It Cost to Change the Locks in Vancouver? Price by Door and Lock Grade
A Vancouver lock change is priced per door: labour plus the hardware you choose. Grade, keyway and door type move it; the total is confirmed on the call.
A lock change in Vancouver is priced per door: the technician's labour plus the hardware you choose. A standard Grade 2 deadbolt swap sits at the low end, a Grade 1 or restricted-keyway lock costs more, and mortise or smart hardware costs the most. The Vancouver Locksmith confirms the total on the call before anyone is dispatched.
Written by the technicians at The Vancouver Locksmith. Updated September 2026.
Lock change vs rekey: which one you're actually paying for
People call asking for a lock change when what they need is a rekey, and the difference is most of the bill. A rekey keeps your existing locks on the door and swaps the pins inside the cylinder so old keys stop working. You walk away with the same hardware and a new set of keys.
For a typical Vancouver house with two or three exterior doors, rekeying runs about $80 to $180 when the locks are in decent shape. That's the cheaper path whenever the hardware is sound and you simply want control of who holds a key. Our rekey service covers it.
A lock change means the old lock comes off and new hardware goes on. You're paying for the parts as well as more labour, so it only makes sense when the lock is worn, you want a higher grade, the style or finish is changing, or you're moving to a smart lock. Plenty of jobs end up as a mix: change the tired front door set, rekey the back and side doors to match the new key.
Lock change cost per door in Vancouver: labour plus hardware
Every lock change quote has two parts. The first is labour per door, which depends on whether the new lock drops into the existing holes or the door needs work. The second is the hardware itself, which ranges from a basic residential deadbolt to a commercial-grade lock or a mortise set that costs several times as much.
A like-for-like swap on a standard 2-1/8 inch bore with a matching backset is quick. Add a fresh bore, a new strike plate, a door that has swollen in the winter rain, or a frame that was patched badly after a past break-in, and the labour climbs. Keyed-alike sets across several doors add a little time but save you carrying a ring of keys.
The Vancouver Locksmith doesn't publish a price list because a lock change is never one number. What we do is walk through your doors and hardware on the phone, quote the total, and dispatch a technician only once you've agreed to it.
Emergency and late-night calls are priced differently and depend on technician availability. Our lock installation page covers the hardware we fit.
What changes the price of a lock change: grade, smart locks, mortise doors and fire doors
Grade 1 vs Grade 2 deadbolts
Residential deadbolts are graded under ANSI/BHMA A156.36, the standard for auxiliary locks. It puts each lock through operational, cycle, strength, security and finish tests, and a lock only earns a grade if it passes every test at that level.
The gap between grades is real. BHMA's summary of the 2020 edition notes that a Grade 1 deadlock has to survive 250,000 open-and-close cycles and a 1,350 pound force against the door with the bolt thrown.
Grade 2 is the sensible middle for most homes in East Vancouver or Burnaby. Grade 1 is what we suggest for ground-floor doors with a history of attempts, laneway houses and small commercial spaces; it costs more to buy and sometimes needs a reinforced strike to earn its keep.
Restricted keyways
A restricted keyway means blanks aren't sold at the hardware store, so nobody copies your key without authorization. The cylinders cost more and the keys are cut to order, which pushes the hardware line up. Landlords and shared houses in Kitsilano tend to find it worth the difference.
Smart locks
A smart deadbolt is a lock change plus setup. The unit costs more than a mechanical deadbolt, the door has to be aligned well enough that the motor can throw the bolt without straining, and the technician pairs it with your phone or hub before leaving. See smart deadbolt installation for what's involved.
Mortise doors in older houses
Character houses in Mount Pleasant, Strathcona and Kitsilano often have mortise locks: a rectangular lock body sitting in a pocket cut into the door edge. Replacement mortise bodies cost more than cylindrical locks, and if the pocket has been chiselled out over the decades the door may need packing before a new body fits square. The alternative is to retire the mortise lock and fit a modern deadbolt above it, which changes the look of the door.
Condo suite doors and fire ratings
Suite entry doors in Yaletown and downtown towers are usually fire-rated, and hardware on a rated door has to be listed for that use. Many stratas also specify the lock so the building's master key keeps working. Before you buy anything for a condo door, check your strata bylaws and ask us to confirm the lock is a fit for the door and the building system.
When to change the locks: moving in, a breakup, lost keys, a break-in
- Moving into a purchased home: rekey unless the locks are worn, mismatched or a low grade. Changing everything on day one is often money you don't need to spend.
- Starting a tenancy: under section 25 of the Residential Tenancy Act, a tenant can ask at the start of a new tenancy that the locks be rekeyed or altered so the previous tenant's keys no longer work, and the landlord has to arrange it and pay for it. The Act also says a tenant must not change the locks on their unit without the landlord's written agreement or an order from the Residential Tenancy Branch; the province's locks and keys page explains both sides.
- A breakup or a roommate moving out: rekey if the lock is fine. Change to a restricted keyway if you want certainty that no copy exists.
- Lost keys: rekey. Change the lock only if the keys were on a ring with your address or the hardware is already tired.
- After a break-in: usually a change, because kicked or pried hardware is bent even when it still turns. Our break-in repair service handles the strike, frame and lock together.
Three typical Vancouver lock change jobs and what drives each quote
Lock change for a two-door East Vancouver house
The front and back doors get new Grade 2 deadbolts and matching knobs or levers, keyed alike. The technician removes the old sets, checks the bores and strikes, fits the new hardware, and tests each key in every lock. The quote is driven by four locks' worth of hardware, whether the strikes need moving, and the keyed-alike setup.
Condo suite door lock change in Yaletown
A worn deadbolt on a fire-rated suite door is replaced with a Grade 1 deadbolt that's listed for the door and compatible with the building's key system. The technician confirms the strata's hardware requirement first, then swaps the cylinder and bolt without altering the door. Price drivers are the higher-grade hardware, the restricted or building-specific keyway, and any master-key coordination.
Mortise lock replacement in a Kitsilano character house
The original mortise body is failing and parts are no longer made. Options are a new mortise body that fits the existing pocket, or a modern deadbolt bored above the old lock with the mortise left as a passage latch. The quote hinges on which route you choose, the condition of the door edge, and whether the door needs packing or a new strike.
| Door and lock type | Parts involved | Time on site | What moves the quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard entry door, Grade 2 deadbolt | Deadbolt, strike plate, two keys | About 20 to 30 minutes per door | Keyed-alike sets, strike alignment, finish |
| Ground-floor door, Grade 1 deadbolt | Grade 1 deadbolt, reinforced strike, long screws | About 30 to 45 minutes per door | Restricted keyway, frame reinforcement |
| Condo suite fire door | Listed deadbolt or cylinder matching the building system | About 30 to 45 minutes | Strata hardware rules, master-key coordination |
| Mortise door, character house | Mortise lock body, cylinder, trim | About 1 to 2 hours | Pocket condition, parts availability, door packing |
| Smart deadbolt | Smart lock, strike, app or hub pairing | About 45 to 60 minutes | Door alignment, integration, existing deadbolt bore |
Common questions
Can I supply my own locks for a lock change?
Yes. Buy the grade and finish you want and we'll install it, though we can't warranty hardware we didn't supply. Check the box for the bore and backset before you buy; most North American residential locks fit a 2-1/8 inch bore with a 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inch backset.
How long does a lock change take?
A straight swap of one deadbolt takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes on site. A whole house with four or five locks keyed alike is usually done in about two hours. Mortise locks and smart locks take longer because of door fitting and setup.
Do landlords have to change locks between tenants in BC?
Not automatically. Section 25 of the Residential Tenancy Act says that if the new tenant asks at the start of the tenancy, the landlord must rekey or alter the locks and cover the cost. If the landlord already did it at the end of the last tenancy, they don't have to repeat it.
Is it cheaper to rekey or change the locks?
Rekeying is cheaper almost every time because you keep the hardware. A standard Vancouver house rekeys for about $80 to $180. A lock change adds the cost of each new lock on top of labour, so it pays off only when you're upgrading or the old lock is worn out.
Call 778-655-1957 or request service online; the price is confirmed on the call before a technician is dispatched.