Fast Locksmith 24/7 installs locks across Houston on new doors, replacement doors, remodels, additions, garage conversions, rentals, and office build-outs. We work with homeowners, landlords, contractors, and business owners, and we schedule planned installations around your project.
A Typical Installation: A Garage Office Gets Its Doors
Here's an example of a common installation job.
A homeowner in Montrose has just finished converting half of a detached garage into a home office. The contractor hung two new doors: an exterior door facing the yard, and an interior door between the office and the remaining storage space. Both doors arrived blank, with no holes for hardware. The boxes of hardware the homeowner bought are sitting on the floor, and he's moving his computer and files in on Monday.
He calls us on a Wednesday. The person who answers asks what's on hand: a deadbolt and an entry lever for the exterior door, a keyed lever for the interior door, all the same brand. She asks whether he'd like everything on the same key as the main house. He would. She asks for a photo of the doors' edges and the hardware boxes, confirms the brand will key to his house locks, installing three locks, reinforcing the exterior strike, and keying everything alike.
The technician arrives Friday in uniform, introduces himself, and checks the homeowner's ID against the address. Before touching the hardware, he opens and closes both doors. The exterior door rubs slightly at the top latch corner, so he tightens and adjusts the hinges until it swings and closes cleanly.
Then he marks the exterior door for the lever and the deadbolt at the correct heights and backset, uses a boring jig to drill the cylinder holes and the edge holes, and chisels the mortises for the latch and bolt faceplates. He cuts the strike pockets in the frame deep enough for the full bolt throw and fastens a heavy strike plate with long screws through the jamb into the framing. He installs the interior door's keyed lever the same way.
He rekeys all three cylinders to the main house key, then tests each lock with the homeowner's key from both sides of each door, opening and closing them repeatedly to be sure nothing drags. On Monday, the homeowner moves his office in and locks it with the same key he uses for the front door.
What Lock Installation Includes
Checking the Door
If a door is out of square, sagging, or rubbing, no lock will work properly on it. The technician checks the door first and adjusts hinges or the strike area as needed.
Preparing the Door
For doors without hardware holes, the technician measures the correct height and backset, bores the cylinder hole, drills the edge for the latch or bolt, and cuts the faceplate mortises. On wood doors, this is routine. Steel and fiberglass doors need the right bits and more care.
Preparing the Frame
The strike pocket must be deep enough for the bolt to extend fully. The strike plate should be fastened with long screws into the framing behind the jamb. That one detail does more to resist forced entry than almost anything else.
Keying
New locks can usually be keyed to your existing key during installation. If your current locks are a mix of brands, we can rekey them at the same time so everything matches.
Testing
Every lock is tested from both sides with every key, and doors are opened and closed until the hardware works smoothly.
Hardware We Install
- Deadbolts, single and double cylinder; see deadbolt installation
- Entry knobs, levers, and handle sets
- Interior privacy and passage sets
- Mortise locks on heavier doors
- Keypad and smart locks; see smart lock installation
- Flush bolts on French doors
- Secondary locks on sliding doors
- Gate locks with weather-rated finishes
- Commercial lever sets, storefront locks, and exit devices; see commercial locksmith service
Choosing Hardware for a New Door
For exterior doors, a higher-grade deadbolt with a full one-inch throw paired with a knob or lever is the usual choice. For doors with glass near the lock, a double-cylinder deadbolt prevents someone from breaking the glass and reaching the thumb turn, though you'll need a key nearby to exit in an emergency. For interior doors, privacy sets work for bedrooms and baths, passage sets for closets and halls. If you've bought hardware already, send us the brand and model and a photo of the door edge, and we'll confirm it fits.
Working With Contractors and Builders
On remodels and new construction, timing matters. Hardware installed before painting gets scratched; hardware installed after move-in leaves the house on temporary locks. The best moment is usually after doors are hung and finished, before final cleaning. We're glad to coordinate with your contractor on scheduling and site access.
Accessibility and Ease of Use
If someone in the home has arthritis, limited grip, or uses a walker or wheelchair, hardware choice matters. Levers are much easier than knobs. Keypad deadbolts avoid small keys. Large thumb turns are easier to lock from inside. Tell us who'll use the door, and we'll suggest hardware that suits them.
Rental Property Requirements
Texas law requires landlords to provide certain security devices on rental properties, including keyed deadbolts on exterior doors, keyless bolting devices, door viewers, and specific locks on sliding doors. Requirements can depend on the property, so check current rules. We install the hardware and can key it for a master key setup across units.
Coming To You Across Houston
Our technicians work from vans across Houston, so the tools come with them. Most installations are scheduled.
Precision From Our Technicians
Our technicians arrive in uniform with identification and confirm you're authorized to make changes to the property. They check the door before installing anything, measure twice before cutting, protect your doors and floors, and clean up when they're done. If a door needs work beyond hardware installation, they'll tell you rather than install a lock that won't work well.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, and customers have rated us 5 stars on Google.
Lock Installation Across Houston
Houston is constantly building and remodeling. Older bungalows in Montrose and the Heights get additions and garage conversions. Townhomes inside the Loop get balcony and rooftop door upgrades. Large rebuilds in Memorial and River Oaks need premium hardware fitted precisely. Rentals near the universities need required security devices between tenants. And offices and clinics across the city need commercial hardware for build-outs.
A new lock needs a door that's ready for it. Tell us what the door is made of, how thick it is and whether it has a lock already. A hollow-core interior door, a solid wood entry and a steel service door each need different tools.
Placement matters. Height, spacing from the edge and the position of the strike all affect how the lock feels in daily use. We follow the standard dimensions and adjust for the door.
Once the lock is in, test it with us. Close the door, turn the key, throw the bolt and push on the door. If anything binds or rattles, now is the time to fix it.
For local details, see lock installation in Montrose and Memorial. For replacing worn locks on existing doors, see lock replacement.
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.