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 Change Door Locks Across Los Altos
Changing door locks in Los Altos typically costs $95 – $240 per standard lock, including the new hardware. If you need a full lock change plus rekeying so every door, gate, and outbuilding works off one key, most Los Altos homes run $180 – $420 all-in. We handle the whole thing, from matching the new hardware to your existing doors to verifying every cylinder turns cleanly before we leave. Call (910) 714-4287 and we’ll give you a written price before anyone is dispatched. That price is the price on the invoice.
Why Dunmore Locksmith Is Los Altos’s Preferred Change Door Locks Company
Los Altos homeowners call us for one reason that shows up before the technician does: we send the name and photo of the person coming to your door before the visit. Perry Osgood runs our operation, and every technician who arrives at a Los Altos property carries a photo ID badge, wears a clean marked uniform, and has already passed a background check and identity verification under the Threshold Standard. If someone shows up who you were not told to expect, that visit is on us.
We have worked homes from the ranch neighborhoods north of Foothill Expressway to the newer builds off El Monte Road near the Los Altos Hills edge. That matters because lock work on a 1960s slab-foundation ranch is not the same job as lock work on a fresh teardown-rebuild. We know the difference before we pull into the driveway. Every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If our work fails within a year, we return at no charge.
Lock Change in Los Altos
Lock change in Los Altos means removing the existing hardware and installing a new lock or deadbolt. It is the right call after a move-in, a tenant turnover, lost keys, or any situation where you do not know who holds a copy of your current key. On typical Los Altos single-family homes, a standard lock change runs $95 – $180 per door for hardware and labor, and a high-security deadbolt upgrade runs $180 – $320. We stock Schlage, Kwikset, and Medeco hardware locally so there is no week-long wait for parts.
One Key for the Whole Property
Los Altos acreage properties rarely need just one lock changed. The house, the detached workshop, the side gate, the garden shed. When you want every one of them keyed alike, we handle the full set in a single visit rather than three separate trips. We rekey the existing pin and tumbler cylinders to match a single key, replace worn or builder-grade cylinders where needed, and spec heavier hardware on gates and outbuildings that sit exposed.
After a Move-In or Tenant Change
If you just bought a home in the Covington or Highlands neighborhoods, or you are putting a rental on the market near downtown Los Altos, the previous owner or tenant may still hold working keys. A lock change closes that gap completely. We can also rekey Change Door Locks cylinders so the original hardware stays in place but the old keys stop working, which runs less than full hardware replacement.
Change Lock Cylinder in Los Altos
Change lock cylinder in Los Altos is a more surgical job: we swap the internal cylinder, not the full lock body. This is the common fix when the lock itself is in good shape but the pins are worn, the key stopped turning smoothly, or you simply want old keys dead without replacing the visible hardware. Cylinder changes in Los Altos run $65 – $140 per lock, including the new cylinder and labor. It is a quieter repair, ideal for matching a replacement to existing Baldwin or Schlage trim on mid-century homes.
When the Deadbolt Binds
On older Los Altos ranch homes built on slab foundations, dry-season soil shrinkage shifts door frames by a few millimeters. The deadbolt throw no longer lines up with the strike plate, and the lock feels broken. In most of these cases the cylinder is fine. We adjust the strike, realign the frame, and often solve the problem without drilling anything.
Smart Lock Cylinder Replacement
Many Los Altos rebuilds arrive with smart-lock hardware from Schlage or Kwikset that was never fully provisioned to the home automation panel. The builder hands over keys and a half-configured app. We replace or rekey the cylinder, then walk through the programming with you so the lock actually talks to your Z-Wave or Control4 system before we leave.
Trusted Brands We Service in Los Altos
We are factory-authorized to install and service Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Abloy hardware across Los Altos. That covers everything from a standard Kwikset knob on a rental unit near San Antonio Road to a Medeco high-security cylinder on a custom home off Magdalena Avenue. Because we live in this market, we keep Schlage and Kwikset parts on hand for same-day work. Medeco and Abloy cylinders are special-order, but we quote lead times upfront and write them into the price before you commit.
Common Change Door Locks Problems We See in Los Altos Homes
- Binding deadbolts on slab-foundation ranches. The Santa Clara Valley’s dry-season soil shrinkage shifts door frames on 1950s – 1970s ranch homes, so a deadbolt that will not throw is usually a frame alignment problem, not a lock failure. We adjust the strike rather than drilling out good hardware.
- Builder-grade cylinders on teardown-rebuilds. New custom homes in Los Altos often get bare Schlage or Kwikset cylinders installed at framing and never upgraded. Homeowners call assuming the lock failed, when it was never provisioned to the smart panel in the first place.
- Seized outbuilding and gate locks. Locks on detached workshops, side gates, and garden sheds sit exposed and unaddressed between visits. If each cylinder is not checked on the same trip, a one-key plan falls apart the first time the gate lock freezes.
- Multiple keys for one property. We regularly find Los Altos homeowners carrying four or five keys: one for the front door, one for the back, one for the workshop, one for a gate. One rekey visit collapses all of them into a single key.
Pricing for Change Door Locks in Los Altos, CA
A standard lock change on one door in Los Altos runs $95 – $180. Rekeying a standard knob or deadbolt cylinder runs $65 – $110 per lock. Changing a lock cylinder while keeping your existing trim runs $65 – $140. Full-property jobs, where we key a house, workshop, gate, and shed alike in one trip, typically run $180 – $420 depending on cylinder count and hardware grade. The full price is quoted in writing on the phone before anyone is dispatched, and there is no add-on surcharge when the technician arrives. That quoted figure is the invoice figure. Call (910) 714-4287 for a free estimate on your Los Altos property.
We Also Serve Cities Near Los Altos
Dunmore Locksmith covers Los Altos and the surrounding area, including Mountain View, Stanford, Palo Alto, and Portola Valley. If your property sits on the edge of Los Altos Hills or you have a rental across the border, see our full Change Door Locks in Los Altos coverage and call our team for scheduling.
Serving Los Altos, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Altos 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 About Change Door Locks in Los Altos
Yes. We do this regularly for Los Altos acreage and large-lot properties. The job involves rekeying the house cylinders, checking and rekeying the workshop and shed locks, and verifying the gate hardware. A single visit from our team covers every cylinder. Call (910) 714-4287 and we will quote the full job before dispatch.
Rekey first, unless the hardware is visibly worn or you want a higher security grade. Builder-grade Schlage and Kwikset cylinders are reliable, and rekeying costs less than replacing. If you are adding smart-lock or Z-Wave integration, we can rekey and provision the locks in the same appointment.
Usually not. On slab-foundation ranches in Los Altos, dry-season soil shrinkage shifts the door frame and misaligns the deadbolt throw. We check the strike alignment before replacing anything, and in most cases the fix is a frame adjustment rather than a new lock. Call (910) 714-4287 and we will diagnose it over the phone.
Yes. Los Altos homeowners who travel frequently or maintain investment properties typically set up a keypad or smart lock with multiple temporary codes. We install and program the lock, then show you how to add or revoke codes from your phone. This is a standard call for us, not a specialty upsell.
Because drilling destroys hardware that can usually be saved, and it is the first move of a bait-pricing operation. We start with non-destructive methods: shimming, picking, or removing the cylinder through the set screw. If a drill is genuinely required after those fail, we tell you why and confirm the cost before the bit touches the lock.
Need a lock changed, rekeyed, or keyed alike across your whole Los Altos property? Call Dunmore Locksmith at (910) 714-4287 for a free estimate. The price is written before anyone leaves our office, and that is the price on the invoice.
Written by Perry Osgood, Owner at Dunmore Locksmith, serving Los Altos and the South Bay since 2007.