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 San Francisco
Changing a door lock in San Francisco usually takes under an hour once our tech arrives, and for most standard deadbolts and knob locks you’ll pay between $95 and $210 including the new hardware. We carry Schlage and Kwikset cylinders on the truck, so there’s no second trip. If you’re locked out or dealing with a seized lock right now, call (910) 714-4287 and a live person answers, day or night.
Our crews work the whole city, from the Outer Sunset to Bernal Heights to North Beach. San Francisco’s older housing stock means we show up expecting mortise locks, swollen jambs, and salt-corroded cylinders, not just a quick swap. That local knowledge changes how fast the job goes and whether the new lock actually works when winter fog rolls in.
Why Dunmore Locksmith Is San Francisco’s Preferred Change Door Locks Company
Dunmore Locksmith operates under the Threshold Group umbrella, and that structure exists for one reason: you should know exactly who is coming to your door before you open it. Every tech we send to a San Francisco address is background-checked, identity-verified, and sent to you by name and photo before arrival. They wear a clean uniform and carry a photo ID badge they’ll show at the door. If anyone shows up unannounced, that visit is covered at no charge. We call this The Threshold Standard.
Our San Francisco customers tell us the same thing over and over: they’ve heard locksmith horror stories, and they want written prices before anyone touches a lock. That’s how we work. The price goes in writing before any job starts, every time. And every repair is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the work fails within a year, we return at no charge. Perry Osgood, who leads Dunmore Locksmith, built that guarantee into the company because a one-year written promise forces us to do the job right the first time.
Our Change Door Locks team handles everything from a single deadbolt replacement in a Marina District flat to full rekeys on Victorian multi-unit buildings in the Mission. We’re not a call center routing jobs to whoever’s nearby. We’re the local crew with the hardware, the training, and the guarantee.
Door Lock Change in San Francisco
A Door Lock Change in San Francisco means removing your existing lock hardware and installing a brand-new unit, whether that’s a cylindrical deadbolt on a Sunset District bungalow or a mortise lock body in a 1920s Edwardian flat. You’d choose this over rekeying when the old lock is worn out, seized, damaged from a break-in attempt, or when you simply want upgraded security hardware. A standard deadbolt replacement in San Francisco typically runs $95 to $210 installed, while mortise lock replacements on older Victorians run $180 to $340 because the hardware costs more and the install takes longer.
New Deadbolts and Knob Locks
Most San Francisco homes have either a cylindrical deadbolt above the knob or a single mortise unit that handles both. We stock Schlage and Kwikset deadbolts in our trucks, so we can often complete a deadbolt swap on the first visit without ordering parts. If you want a high-security cylinder, we fit Medeco and Yale hardware too.
Mortise Lock Replacement in Older Buildings
Victorian and Edwardian buildings in neighborhoods like the Haight, Castro, and Pacific Heights often still run their original mortise lock bodies. These aren’t a ten-minute swap. The lock body sits inside a deep pocket in the door edge, and the trim, cylinder, and strike all need to match the existing footprint. We carry or can quickly source period-compatible mortise locks, and our techs know how to fit them without butchering a century-old door.
Lock Change in San Francisco
A Lock Change in San Francisco, in plain terms, is a broader job than rekeying: we replace the lock entirely, which means brand-new keys, new cylinders, and new hardware rather than just resetting the internal pins. Homeowners choose this after a roommate moves out, a tenant vacates, a key is lost or stolen, or after a break-in or attempted break-in. A basic knob lock or single-cylinder deadbolt change in San Francisco runs $95 to $210. A full mortise lock replacement runs $180 to $340. We quote the exact price in writing before work starts.
After a Move-Out or Tenant Change
Landlords across San Francisco call us between tenants to change locks on units in the Richmond, Noe Valley, and Glen Park. Here’s where city law matters a lot. San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance is one of the strictest tenant-protection frameworks in the country, and changing a lock on an occupied rent-controlled unit without proper documentation can trigger a formal illegal-lockout complaint with the SF Rent Board. We ask for proof of ownership and, where a unit is occupied, documentation showing the change is lawful. A locksmith in Daly City or Walnut Creek wouldn’t think to raise these questions. We do, because we work here.
After a Break-In or Lost Keys
If someone kicked in your door in the Excelsior or you lost your keys near Dolores Park, the lock’s credibility is gone. We replace the entire unit and rekey any other locks matched to the same key. You get new keys, and we can key all your exterior locks alike so one key works everywhere.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Francisco
We’re factory-authorized to install and service Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, Yale, Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, Sargent, and Abloy hardware. For San Francisco’s coastal conditions, we recommend marine-grade stainless steel cylinders and ANSI Grade 1 deadbolts from Schlage and Medeco. We keep common Schlage and Kwikset parts stocked locally, so most residential lock changes in San Francisco happen same-day without waiting on a distributor. If your building manager or HOA specifies a particular brand, we work with what they require and document the install to their standard.
Common Change Door Locks Problems We See in San Francisco Homes
- Salt-corroded cylinders on west-facing doors. The fog off the Pacific carries salt and moisture that gets into exterior lock cylinders and pits the brass. In the Outer Sunset and Ocean Beach, a lock that would last 15 years in Sacramento can seize in five to seven. We replace them with stainless-steel or marine-grade cylinders that handle the salt.
- Swollen jambs on Victorian door frames. San Francisco’s chronic moisture makes the wood framing around original 1880s-1930s doors swell and shift. The door sags, the deadbolt doesn’t line up with the strike plate, and the lock won’t throw. We plane the jamb and reset the strike before fitting the new lock.
- Original mortise locks that can’t be rekeyed. Some period hardware is too worn internally to hold new pins. When a mortise lock body in a Mission or Castro flat is stripped out, we replace the lock body and match the trim so the door still looks right.
- Illegal-lockout risk on rent-controlled units. We get calls from landlords and property managers who want locks changed on occupied units without realizing San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance treats that as a potential illegal lockout. We don’t do that work without documentation, and we explain why on the phone before anyone is dispatched.
Pricing for Change Door Locks in San Francisco, CA
A standard deadbolt change in San Francisco runs $95 to $210 installed, and a knob lock change runs the same range. Mortise lock replacements run $180 to $340. Rekeying a standard knob lock, by comparison, runs $65 to $140. What changes the price: whether you have cylindrical hardware (cheaper, faster) or mortise hardware (more expensive, slower), whether the door jamb needs realignment, and whether you choose a standard cylinder or a high-security option like Medeco. We give you one written price before any work begins, and that price is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added when the tech arrives. Call (910) 714-4287 for a free estimate on your specific lock setup.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Francisco
Our crews handle lock changes across San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area communities. We regularly work in Daly City, Brisbane, Sausalito, and South San Francisco, and we bring the same written pricing and The Threshold Standard to every job, no matter the ZIP code.
Serving San Francisco, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Francisco 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 San Francisco
Salt-laden fog from the Pacific coats exterior lock cylinders with a corrosive film that pits brass and seizes internal pins, especially on west-facing doors in the Outer Sunset and Ocean Beach. The same lock that lasts 15 years in San Jose or Walnut Creek can fail in five to seven years a few blocks from the water. We fit stainless-steel and marine-grade cylinders specifically for this. Call (910) 714-4287 and we’ll tell you what’s on your door and what it would cost to swap.
Yes, with documentation. San Francisco’s Rent Ordinance treats changing a lock on an occupied rent-controlled unit without the tenant’s knowledge as a potential illegal lockout, and the SF Rent Board can get involved. We ask for proof of ownership and written authorization before any lock changes on occupied units. If you’re the tenant, you have the right to change your own lock and provide a key to the landlord, but local rules have specifics. Call us and we’ll walk through what applies to your building.
Often yes. If the mortise lock body is intact and the cylinder just needs new pins, we can rekey it in place and keep the original hardware. If the lock body is stripped or corroded past the point of a reliable rekey, replacement is the safer call. We’ll inspect it, show you what we find, and quote the work in writing before anything happens.
Marine-grade stainless steel cylinders and ANSI Grade 1 deadbolts hold up best against San Francisco’s fog and salt. We stock Schlage and Medeco hardware rated for coastal exposure, and we use stainless fasteners so the screws don’t rust out before the lock does. These cost more than standard brass but they last much longer on west-facing doors.
Yes, whenever possible. We were called to a west-facing Victorian flat in the Outer Sunset where the original mortise lock’s cylinder had seized solid. Salt fog off Ocean Beach had pitted the brass and the bolt wouldn’t throw. Our tech used non-destructive entry to get the tenant back in, then fitted a stainless-steel ANSI Grade 1 deadbolt and a marine-grade cylinder that won’t oxidize like the original. We also planed the swollen door jamb so the new deadbolt threw cleanly. Call (910) 714-4287 and describe what’s happening with your lock. We’ll tell you over the phone what recovery is likely to look like and what it costs.
Written by Perry Osgood, Owner at Dunmore Locksmith, serving San Francisco since 2007.