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 Door Lock Repair Across Fairfax
Door lock repair in Fairfax typically runs $140 – $320 for common jobs like rekeying a cylinder, extracting a broken key, or realigning a strikeplate, and we’re usually at your door within 45 – 60 minutes. Fairfax’s older housing stock and damp valley climate create lock problems you won’t see in drier Marin towns, which is why our technicians know this town’s doors differently than a dispatch service ever could. Call (910) 714-4287 and a live person answers, day or night.
Why Dunmore Locksmith Is Fairfax’s Preferred Door Lock Repair Company
Fairfax homeowners call us because we tell them who’s coming before they open the door. Every technician is background-checked, identity-verified, and sent to you by name and photo before the visit. When they arrive, they wear a clean marked uniform and show a photo ID badge at the door. That’s the Threshold Standard, and it matters in a town where many people are home alone or with young kids.
Our Door Lock Repair team has worked on more Craftsman bungalows and mid-century cottages in Fairfax than we can count. We know the mortise locks on Bolinas Road, the swollen fir doors near Deer Park, and the gate hardware on the hillside lots above Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Our customers tell us the same thing: the lock gets fixed right the first time, and they knew exactly who was standing on their porch.
Perry Osgood leads our Fairfax service area, and every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If a repair fails within a year, we return at no charge. That’s written on the work order, not implied.
Broken Key Extractor in Fairfax
Broken Key Extractor service in Fairfax handles the moment a key snaps off inside a lock cylinder, a job that runs $95 – $165 on most residential hardware in this area. Fairfax’s older bungalows often have original Schlage and Kwikset pin-tumbler locks from the 1940s – 1960s, and after decades of use, brass keys fatigue and snap, usually right at the bow.
What Extraction Involves
We use a thin, hooked extractor tool to catch the broken key’s teeth and pull it out without drilling the cylinder. The lock stays intact. After extraction, we test the cylinder, clean it, and often recommend rekeying while we’re there, since the key that snapped was likely worn thin.
When Fairfax Homeowners Call Us
The call usually comes on a Tuesday evening or a Sunday afternoon, when a key that’s been wobbling for six months finally gives out. If the cylinder is already seizing from Fairfax’s persistent dampness, you may actually have two problems at once, a broken key and a corroded core. We’ll tell you which it is before we touch anything.
Sliding Door Lock Repair in Fairfax
Sliding Door Lock Repair in Fairfax runs $120 – $240 depending on whether the problem is a misaligned hook latch, a seized keyed cylinder, or a damaged foot lock on a hillside patio door. Fairfax’s geography means a lot of homes are built on slopes, and decks settle over time, which pulls slider tracks out of square and leaves the lock unable to seat.
Track and Latch Alignment
When a slider won’t lock, the issue is often the deck, not the hardware. Over years of winter rain and soil movement, the door frame settles a fraction of an inch, and the hook latch no longer enters the keeper. We realign the panel and adjust the strike, then confirm the lock engages with positive travel.
Keyed Slider Cylinders
Many Fairfax sliders have a keyed lock on the exterior handle. The town’s marine dampness corrodes these narrow cylinders faster than most other locks because there’s no storm door shielding them. We replace or re-pin the cylinder, often upgrading to a Schlage or Kwikset keyed alike with the rest of the house.
Trusted Brands We Service in Fairfax
We’re factory-authorized on Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Yale hardware, and we stock the common cylinders, pins, and strikeplates that Fairfax homes actually use. If your bungalow has an original 1950s Schlage mortise lock, we carry the parts to rekey and repair it rather than telling you to swap it out. For modern deadbolts and handlesets, we can usually complete a repair same day using parts from our van. Older Medeco high-security cylinders get serviced with factory protocols, because cutting corners on a Medeco defeats the whole point of owning one.
Common Door Lock Repair Problems We See in Fairfax Homes
– Winter-swollen redwood and fir door slabs jam the deadbolt mid-throw. After the first heavy rains, the wood absorbs valley moisture, expands, and the bolt binds against the strikeplate. We plane the door edge and reset the strike rather than forcing the lock, which usually ruins the bolt mechanism.
– Corroded exterior gate cylinders seize from Fairfax’s sheltered, persistently damp air. We see locks on Marshall Drive and Creek Road that are only three or four years old and already stiff to turn. The rust starts inside the pin chambers, not on the outside face.
– Misaligned mortise lock strikes on pre-WWII doors prevent the deadbolt from extending fully. These old doors have settled over decades, and the original strike geometry no longer lines up. We correct the strike position and often re-pin the cylinder at the same visit.
– Obsolescent 1940s – 1960s hardware doesn’t match modern deadbolt backsets. A homeowner tries to replace an old lockset with a new one from the hardware store, and the holes don’t align. We can rekey the original, or machine a clean retrofit if replacement genuinely makes sense.
Pricing for Door Lock Repair in Fairfax, CA
We Also Serve Cities Near Fairfax
Beyond Door Lock Repair in Fairfax, our technicians cover San Anselmo, Kentfield, San Rafael, and Larkspur, so if you’re on Marin’s east slope or down the hill toward the bay, we’re still close by. The same written pricing and 365-day guarantee apply everywhere we work.
Serving Fairfax, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fairfax 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 Door Lock Repair in Fairfax
My Craftsman front door in Fairfax jams every winter – do I need a new lock?
Usually not. The lock is rarely the problem; the door slab is swelling with winter moisture and pushing the deadbolt out of alignment with the strikeplate. We plane the door edge and reset the strike, and your original lock keeps working. If the cylinder itself is rusted solid from decades of damp air, we’ll tell you honestly and replace only what’s needed. Call (910) 714-4287 for an exact diagnosis.
Can you rekey my original 1950s mortise lock or do I have to replace it?
In most cases we can rekey it. We open the mortise body, clean it, replace the worn springs, and re-pin the cylinder to work with new keys. The only time we recommend replacement is when the case itself is cracked or the bolt has been forced so hard it’s bent. Rekeying preserves your home’s period hardware, and we do it for $180 – $340 depending on condition. Call (910) 714-4287 and we’ll walk you through it.
Why did my exterior gate lock seize after only a few years?
Fairfax’s valley position traps marine air, and that persistent dampness corrodes the inside of the cylinder even when the outside looks fine. It’s not a brand defect; it’s the microclimate. We can usually free and re-pin a seized cylinder for $95 – $165, and we’ll recommend a lubricant schedule so it doesn’t recur next winter. Call (910) 714-4287 for a free estimate.
Can you get a broken key out without drilling my lock?
Almost always, yes. We use a hook extractor tool that catches the broken piece and pulls it out through the keyway. The cylinder survives intact. Drilling is a last resort, and if we ever recommend it after extraction fails, you’ll know why and the full price before we start. Call (910) 714-4287 and we’ll come out.
Do you service sliding door locks on Fairfax hillside homes?
Yes. We service sliders on hillside lots throughout Fairfax, including the ones where deck settling has pulled the track out of square. We realign the panel, fix or replace the hook latch, and make sure the door actually latches with the key removed. These jobs run $120 – $240, and the full price is in writing before work begins. Call (910) 714-4287 for a free estimate.
Written by Perry Osgood, Owner at Dunmore Locksmith, serving Fairfax and surrounding Marin communities.