When a door has to lock tonight, timing is everything.
A New Front Door With No Holes and a Flight in the Morning
Deadlines show up on installation calls more than you'd think. This is a typical one from a Briargrove street.
A family had been waiting weeks for a new fiberglass front door. It finally arrived on the day before they left to visit grandparents for a week. The door company hung it beautifully, square and weathertight, then packed up. When the homeowner asked about the lock, the installer said they don't bore doors for hardware and suggested a locksmith. So there it was: a handsome new door with no knob, no deadbolt and nothing holding it shut but the weatherstrip and a chair.
They had a flight first thing in the morning. Leaving the house for a week with that door was not an option. The husband searched for a locksmith to install locks nearby and called in the early evening.
The dispatcher asked what kind of door it was, whether it had any holes at all, and whether they had hardware already. They did, a handle set and deadbolt in a box from the hardware store, plus matching knobs for the back door they wanted keyed alike. She asked for an ID with the address, explained what the job involved, and said a technician was on the way, since traffic on Westheimer was still heavy.
The technician pulled up in uniform and introduced himself with his ID. He checked the homeowner's license against the address. Then he looked over the door, read the hardware's instructions for spacing, and measured twice. He clamped his boring jig to the door edge, marked the centers, and started the hole saw. Fiberglass can chip, and the skin started to fray at the edge of the first cut. He stopped, put painter's tape over the spot, slowed the drill, and finished the hole from both sides so neither face blew out. Then he chiseled the pockets for the latch and bolt faceplates, set the handle set and deadbolt, and moved to the frame.
Behind the strike area, there was a gap between the jamb and the wall framing. Long screws would have pulled the jamb out of line. He shimmed the gap, then fixed the reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws into solid wood. He rekeyed the back door knob to the new key with his pinning kit so one key worked both doors.
They had expected to spend the night worrying. Instead, the kids were asleep before he finished cleaning up the shavings. His advice: next time, ask the door company to pre-bore for your hardware, and keep the door's warranty card handy.
Installing Locks on New Doors
What a Proper Installation Involves
Boring the cross holes at the correct backset and height, cutting the edge bore, chiseling pockets so the latch and bolt faceplates sit flush, mortising the strike plates into the jamb, and fixing them with long screws. Then the door is tested so the latch catches without slamming and the deadbolt throws fully without pushing.
Install Deadbolt and Knob Together
Most entry doors get a knob or lever and a deadbolt, often sold as a combo pack keyed alike. Standard spacing between the two holes is common, but some handle sets and decorative doors need specific spacing. We read the hardware specs before drilling.
Fiberglass, Steel and Wood Doors
Wood is forgiving. Fiberglass needs sharp cutters, slow speeds and tape to prevent chipping. Steel doors have thin skins and a wood lock block inside, and holes must land on that block. We check before cutting.
Keyed Alike Locks
Buying locks in a keyed-alike pack is easy if they're the same brand. Mixed brands can be rekeyed to one key if their keyways match. If not, we can suggest a lock for the odd door. For existing locks, see rekey service.
Door Hardware Installation for Remodels and Additions
Garage conversions, new in-law suites, pocket doors, closet locks, gates and interior privacy sets all need hardware. We install what you've chosen or recommend something suitable for the door and the use.
Smart Locks and Deadbolts on New Doors
A new door is the easiest time to add a keypad or smart deadbolt, since the holes are cut fresh. See smart lock installation and deadbolt installation for details.
Buying Your Own Hardware
That's fine. Bring us the boxes, and we'll check the grade, the backset, the finish and whether it suits the door before drilling. If it doesn't, we'll tell you before any holes go in.
Who Can Authorize the Work
A photo ID with the address, or ID plus a deed or tax statement. For builders and contractors, authorization from the owner.
Gates, Side Yards and Pool Enclosures
Galleria-area lots are tight, and side gates often lead straight to the back door. A gate latch that locks with a key, or a keyed padlock hasp done neatly, closes that gap. If you have a pool, pool barrier codes generally call for self-closing, self-latching gates, so any lock we add has to work with that latch rather than replace it. Ask about gate hardware when you book a lock installation in the Galleria area, and we'll look at it on the same visit.
On-Site Visits in the Galleria
Calls from the Galleria go to dispatch, and a technician is sent to wherever you are standing. Evenings on Westheimer and San Felipe are slow, especially near the mall, and the West Loop backs up from late afternoon. Planned jobs are scheduled at a time that suits you or your contractor.
Technicians Who Leave Clean Work Behind
Your technician wears a company uniform and carries ID. He measures before drilling, explains where every hole will go, and protects the floor, the door finish and the surrounding trim. He uses proper jigs, sharp cutters and long screws, and he vacuums up shavings when he's done. If the door or frame has a problem that would make the lock work poorly, he tells you.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, and we hold a 5-star rating on Google.
Lock Installation Around the Galleria
New doors are everywhere in the Galleria area right now. Tanglewood and Briargrove see older homes torn down and rebuilt, with tall custom doors that need careful hardware choices. Townhome owners off Fountain View and Richmond replace tired entry doors and add garage-entry deadbolts. And condo owners along San Felipe and Post Oak swap unit doors under association rules about finishes and keyways. Each one needs locks fitted to that door, not a template.
Tell us what the door is made of. Wood, steel, aluminum and fiberglass each need different drill bits and fittings, and a hollow-core door asks for extra support. A photo of the edge lets the technician bring the right hole saw.
Decide where the lock sits. Height, handing and the distance from the edge matter, especially on new or custom doors in the Galleria area, where door finishes are often carefully chosen.
Plan the keys. New installations can be keyed to match the rest of the house, so you carry one key for every door.
Test the door afterward. Close it, lock it, open it and push it. If anything binds, tell the technician while he is still there.
We also install locks in Memorial, River Oaks and Westchase.
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.