Otherwise, we'll book a time that suits you.
A Fired Contractor and a Deadbolt That Wouldn't Throw
People often try to change the locks themselves first, which is reasonable. Here's a typical example of how that can go, and what we do when it doesn't work out.
A homeowner in St. George Place had let her remodeling contractor go halfway through a bathroom job. Missed days, unanswered calls. He still had a house key and the code to her garage keypad. She changed the keypad code herself that evening. The next morning, a Saturday, she bought a deadbolt and two knob sets at a big-box store and spent most of the day on the front door.
By late afternoon, the new deadbolt was on the door and it looked fine. But the thumbturn only went partway, and when she pushed on the door, the bolt slid back in. She'd had enough, so she searched for a locksmith who could change locks near her and called.
The dispatcher, who has heard this story many times, kept it simple. Is anyone trying to get in right now? No. Do you feel safe tonight? Mostly. Which doors? Front, back and the door from the garage. Do you have ID with the address? Yes. He told her that the most common snag with a store-bought deadbolt is the bolt hitting the old strike, explained that the technician would check and correct her installation and change the other two doors, and said a technician was on the way.
The technician arrived because of traffic at Westheimer and the West Loop. He came to the door in uniform with his ID out and checked her license against her address. Then he looked at her work, and told her honestly that she'd done most of it right.
Two things were off. The tailpiece on the thumbturn was turned the wrong way, so the turn stopped halfway. And the new bolt sat slightly lower than the old one, so it hit the edge of the old strike plate and couldn't extend fully. That's why it slid back when pushed. He flipped the tailpiece, deepened the bolt hole in the frame with his drill, chiseled the strike pocket down, and installed a reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws into the framing.
Then he changed the back door and garage door locks and keyed all three alike. He tested each deadbolt by pushing hard on the closed door. Nothing moved. His advice: keep the receipt for the deadbolt she bought, since a correctly fitted lock is one you can trust.
Changing Door Locks the Right Way
If Someone Is Trying to Get In
If you hear or see someone trying to break in, leave if you can and call 911. Don't confront anyone. Once the police have cleared the house, we can secure it.
Lock Change After a Break-In
After a forced entry, the lock is often fine but the door frame, the strike or the jamb is cracked. We secure what can be secured that day, fit a reinforced strike with long screws, and tell you plainly if the frame needs a carpenter. If the door won't close or lock at all, our emergency locksmith service handles securing.
Rekey or Change?
Change the locks when they're worn, damaged, low grade, or when you want a different look or a stronger deadbolt.
Choosing Replacement Hardware
For outside doors, we recommend Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolts from brands like Schlage and Kwikset's higher lines, single-cylinder on most homes for fire safety. Knobs or levers are a matter of taste and grip. Matching finishes across the house is easy if you tell us what you have.
Doing It Yourself
Changing a lock yourself is possible. Watch for three things: the backset (the distance from door edge to the center of the hole), the bolt fully extending into the frame, and the tailpiece orientation on the thumbturn. If the bolt can be pushed back with the door closed, it isn't locked.
Garage Codes, Openers and Smart Locks
New locks don't change your garage keypad or opener codes, and they don't remove users from a smart lock. Reset those that day. If you'd like a keypad on a door, see smart lock installation.
Lock Changes in Galleria Condos and Townhome HOAs
Associations around the Galleria often set rules for exterior door hardware: a finish that matches the hallway, no keypads facing the corridor, or cylinders that work with a building master key. Before a lock change in a Galleria condo or a townhome community with an HOA, check those rules or send us a photo of a neighbor's door. We'll match the look and the keyway so the board has nothing to complain about, and you still end up with keys no one else holds.
Checking Your Right to Change the Locks
A photo ID with the address, or ID plus a deed, tax statement or lease. Renters need the landlord's approval in most cases.
Mobile Coverage in the Galleria
Dispatch covers the Galleria street by street, and the technician comes to the spot you name. Weekend afternoons near the mall, rush hour on the West Loop and evenings on Westheimer slow everyone down. Quiet residential streets in St. George Place.
Who Fits Your New Locks
Our technicians wear the company uniform and carry ID, which matters when you've just had a reason to distrust the last person with a key to your house. They check the door, the frame and the hardware before recommending anything, explain the plan in plain words, and protect floors, paint and trim. If you already bought locks, they'll fit yours when they're suitable and tell you honestly when they aren't.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, and customers have rated us 5 stars on Google.
Lock Change Requests Around the Galleria
Many lock change calls in the Galleria area follow remodels and rebuilds, since crews come and go with keys for months in Tanglewood, Briargrove and St. George Place. Others follow move-outs in the townhomes off Richmond and Fountain View, or break-ins where a door was forced. The older wood doors in this part of town often have soft, worn frames.
Decide what you want from the new hardware. Some people want matching finishes across the house, some want stronger deadbolts and some want smart locks. Tell the dispatcher your goal, and the technician brings samples that fit your doors.
Measure the door if you can. The thickness and the bore size decide which locks fit. A photo of the edge of the door and the existing lock lets the technician check before arriving.
Think about the whole set. Changing only the front door and leaving an old back door lock in place weakens the plan. We look at every exterior door and tell you which ones are worth changing together. Doors that face the sun or the weather, like a west-facing entry on a Galleria townhome, wear finishes faster, and we suggest hardware made for that exposure.
Keep the old hardware for a day. Occasionally a part is missing from the box or a door needs a small adjustment, and the old lock is a fallback. Once everything works, you can discard it.
Ask about keys. New sets can be keyed alike, so one key opens every door, or keyed separately for places like a guest house or a shed.
We also change locks in River Oaks, Memorial and Meyerland.
Estimated Technician Arrival Time
Arrival times vary depending on your location and technician availability.
Actual arrival time may vary depending on your exact location, traffic conditions, time of day, current demand, and technician availability.
Providing your exact vehicle location when calling allows us to give you a more accurate estimated arrival time.