New installs are booked ahead. If a door can't be secured, a technician comes.
Neighborly advice for new owners: ask the builder how the construction keys are retired. If nobody knows, rekey or install fresh.
A Builder, an Owner and an Inspector on the Same Front Porch
New builds bring several people to one door. Here's a typical example from a new house north of Humble.
A young couple's first house was nearly finished. The final walkthrough was set for a Thursday, with the builder's project manager, the couple and a private inspector they'd hired. Two days earlier, the inspector noticed the front door had no deadbolt yet, just a bore, and the back door's lever had a construction cylinder that the project manager wasn't sure had been retired. The couple wanted new locks installed and keyed to them before they signed anything. The husband had heard from a coworker that construction keys sometimes kept working for months after move-in, and he didn't like the idea of strangers holding a key to the nursery they were planning.
The wife called us. Our dispatcher, who lives a few miles away, asked friendly questions and took notes on everyone involved. Would the builder allow outside work before the walkthrough? Yes; the project manager had agreed. Were the doors pre-bored? The front had a deadbolt bore but no hardware. Who would be there? All three, at around one in the afternoon Thursday. Did they want one key for all doors? Yes. A text from the dispatcher would follow when the technician left for the address.
The technician arrived in uniform and showed his ID to all three. He checked the wife's license against the purchase agreement. He installed the front deadbolt in the existing bore. The bolt didn't throw on the first try; the frame hadn't been drilled for the strike. He drilled the strike hole with a jig, set the plate with 3-inch screws, and it threw cleanly on the second try. He replaced the back door's construction cylinder with a new one and matched every door to the couple's key.
The inspector tested each lock twice, from inside and out, and signed off. The project manager handed back his construction key, which no longer opened anything. The neighborly advice: install or rekey before you move in.
Hardware for Doors Nobody Has Locked Yet
Construction Keys New Home
Construction keys new home buyers inherit may still work. Replacing or rekeying the cylinders makes sure they don't.
Install Locks on New Door
To install locks on new door slabs, we cut bores, mortise latches and strikes and fit the hardware.
New Door Lock Install
A new door lock install includes adjusting the strike so the bolt throws smoothly.
Builder Lock Change
A builder lock change before closing keeps the walkthrough simple. We coordinate with the project manager.
Lock Installer Near Me
A lock installer near me visit brings hardware, jigs and drills on the van.
Undrilled Strikes
New frames often aren't drilled for the strike. We drill them with a jig and set plates with long screws.
Inspectors and Walkthroughs
We can schedule around a walkthrough so the inspector tests the new locks.
Purchase Agreement and a License
Photo ID and the purchase agreement or deed. Builders can authorize work before closing.
Garage and Side Doors
Garage entries and side doors are installed and keyed alike at the same visit.
Locks for Detached Garages and Sheds
New builds sometimes include detached garages or sheds with basic hardware. We install sturdier locks and key them to the house.
Coordinating With the Builder
Tell us the project manager's name and the walkthrough date. We'll confirm access before the visit.
Mobile Visits in Humble
Dispatch covers Humble street by street, and the technician comes to the spot you name. New installs are booked at a time that suits you. New subdivisions north of town and toward Lake Houston are regular stops. Walkthroughs often run on tight schedules, so tell us the start time. Builders' trailers and model homes are easy to find.
Neighborly Technicians on Busy Job Sites
A uniformed technician shows photo ID before any work begins. They work alongside builders and inspectors and explain each lock to the owners. They'll also show the owners how to use any construction-key retirement feature. They'll label keys by door if you'd like. They'll make sure the construction cylinder is removed from the property, not left in a drawer.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, with 5 stars on Google from homeowners across Houston.
Lock Installation Calls Around Humble
Installation calls in Humble come from new home buyers, builders finishing punch lists, owners replacing doors and families adding locks to sheds and offices. Lock installation in Humble often happens just before a walkthrough.
New subdivisions keep spreading across the open land north of Humble and toward Lake Houston, and with them come hundreds of front doors that have never been locked by their owners. Builders use different systems for construction keys. Some use cylinders that retire construction keys automatically when the owner's key is first used. Others simply hand over the keys and move on. Asking the project manager which system was used is a simple way to know whether a rekey is needed.
We also install locks on new doors in older Humble homes, when owners replace a worn entry door, add a door to a garage or put in a new back door during a remodel. Fresh slabs need bores, latch mortises and strike holes cut precisely, and the strike set with long screws into solid framing.
Whatever the project, the goal is the same: locks that fit properly, keys that only the owners hold and doors that latch smoothly every time.
Buyers of new homes in Humble are often surprised by how many people have been through the house before them. Framers, roofers, electricians, plumbers, drywall crews, painters, flooring installers, cleaners, inspectors and the builder's own staff may all have come and gone. Many of them carried a key or knew the lockbox code. That isn't a reason to worry, but it's a good reason to make sure the locks the owners use are keyed only to them.
Installing or rekeying before move-in is simplest, since the house is empty and the doors are easy to work on. If you've already moved in, it's still quick. We bring the hardware, cut the bores and strikes where needed and hand over keys that only the household holds.
We'll also install deadbolts on any doors that came with only a knob, which is common for garage entries and side doors on new builds.
Some Humble buyers ask us to visit the week before closing to plan the work, then return after closing to install and key everything. Others prefer one visit the day they get the keys. Either way works. The important part is that no construction key, lockbox code or builder's master key still opens the doors once the family sleeps there.
If the builder has offered to rekey for you, ask how it will be done and whether you'll be present. We're happy to coordinate with them too.
A new lock starts with the door. Tell us what it is made of and how thick it is. Solid wood, hollow-core and steel doors all take different tools.
Placement matters. Height, spacing from the edge and the position of the strike change how the lock feels each day.
Tell us if the door will be used by children, older relatives or anyone with limited grip. Lever handles make daily use easier.
Ask for spare strike plates and longer screws. They are small items and useful later.
We also install locks in Atascocita, Kingwood and Spring. For replacing old hardware, see lock replacement; for keypads, smart lock installation.
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.