Residential locksmith in Vancouver
For the house, the condo and the suite downstairs.
New keys after a move, a stiff deadbolt, a tired mailbox lock, or a front door you are locked out of. Tell us which door and you hear the price before any work begins.
Home lock jobs we drive out for, front door to mailbox.
Six jobs cover most home lock problems. If yours is not on the list, it is probably a version of one of them.
Home lockouts opened by picking
Shut out of your front door is a bad afternoon, not a reason to buy a new lock. We pick or bypass the cylinder where the lock allows it, so you keep your lock.
Lock installation and deadbolt upgrades
A new deadbolt is only as good as the door it is in. We check the frame, the strike and the screws that actually hold it, then fit hardware that suits the door rather than the catalogue.
Lock repair for sticking and seized locks
A lock that has started to stick is telling you something, usually about alignment, wear or the weather. Caught early it is a repair. Left alone it becomes a lockout.
Mailbox lock replacement
Small lock, surprisingly specific. Condo mailbox banks and house boxes use different cam and cylinder sizes, so knowing the box type saves everybody a trip. Canada Post community boxes are Canada Post's to change.
Patio and balcony door locks
Sliders come with a latch that was never really a lock. Secondary locks, foot bolts and proper keyed hardware all exist, and which one fits depends on the track and the frame.
Rekeying locks after a move or a lost key
Rekeying changes which key turns the lock without changing the lock. After a purchase or a lost set, you rarely know who else has a key. A rekey settles it.
The Vancouver homes a house locksmith works in.
The housing stock here is specific, and so are its locks. Knowing the building usually tells us what hardware to expect.
Detached houses with older mortise and rim locks
Pre-war houses across the east side and the west side still run original mortise sets. Many can be serviced and rekeyed rather than replaced, and the original hardware is usually better made than its replacement would be.
Condos and strata buildings with unit and common-door rules
Your suite lock may be yours to change, depending on the bylaws. The lobby, parkade and amenity doors belong to the strata, and fobs almost always come from the property manager.
Basement suites that need their own keyed entry
A suite that shares a key with the main house is a problem for whoever lives in either. Separating them is routine work, and can usually be done without touching the main door.
Laneway houses and their exterior doors
Laneway builds get weather on every side and often one exterior door doing all the work. That door earns a proper deadbolt and a strike plate with long screws.
Townhouses with shared walls and private entrances
Private entry, shared building. Usually you can change your own door freely, but check the bylaws first if the door faces a common corridor.
What sets the price of home lock work.
The mobile service call is charged separately from the work, and you hear both numbers first. These are the four things that actually move the second one.
Starting figures are on the price guide.
See starting pricesGrade and brand of the lock already on the door
A standard residential cylinder and a high-security restricted keyway are different jobs with different parts.
Number of doors and cylinders in the home
Front, back, garage, suite and a padlock on the shed. Doing them in one visit costs much less per door than doing them in five.
Evening or weekend timing of the house call
Daytime is the least expensive way to have a locksmith at your house. Planned work belongs in a planned slot.
Old hardware holes that fit, or need reworking
If the new lock lands in the existing prep, it is a swap. If the door needs boring or filling, it is carpentry as well as locksmithing.
What homeowners and renters ask before booking a house call.
Should a strata owner tell the council before changing a unit lock?
Check the bylaws before the visit. Some stratas require suite locks to stay on the building keyway, or require access for emergencies. A quick email to the council or manager prevents an expensive misunderstanding.
Who books the locksmith for a basement suite, the landlord or the tenant?
Whoever owns the lock authorizes the work, which in a rental is the landlord or their agent. A tenant can book a lockout for a door they legally occupy, and we will ask for proof of that. Rekeys between tenancies come from the owner.
Can a laneway house be keyed separately from the main house?
Yes, and usually it should be. It can also be keyed alike on purpose if the same household uses both. That is a choice, not a default, so make it deliberately.
Do you carry home locks in the van or order them in?
Common residential deadbolts, knobs, levers, cylinders and strike plates ride with us, so most jobs finish in one visit. Specific finishes, restricted keyways and anything architectural get ordered, and we tell you that before you book.
A residential locksmith who’d rather pick your deadbolt than replace it.
A lockout is not a sales opportunity. We identify the lock, pick or bypass it where the hardware allows, and leave you with the door you already owned.
Selling somebody a lock they did not need is a poor way to get invited back.
When a lock is finished, because it is worn, damaged or the wrong grade for a door facing the lane, we show you why and price the replacement before anything comes off the door.
Licensed under the BC Security Services Act, verifiable in the provincial registry, and the locksmith at your door shows identification.
Tell us which door in the house is the problem, and we’ll price it first.
Front door, back door, suite door, mailbox or the slider onto the deck. Describe it, and you will have the method and the number before any work begins.