House Lockout Service in
Memorial City, Houston, TX

The Phone Number From an Ad, and the Drill That Came Out

A lot of house lockout calls start with somebody else's bad advice. Here's a typical example from a street just south of the freeway.

Close to seven in the evening, a man came home from work to his house near Bunker Hill Road and realized his keys were on his desk at the office. His wife was out of town. The garage remote was in her car. He searched on his phone. He sat on the front step and waited.

The man who showed up drove an unmarked car, wore no uniform and didn't ask for ID. He looked at the front door's deadbolt for about a minute, said it was "a high-security lock," and pulled out a drill. The homeowner knew the deadbolt was a regular brand from the hardware store. He said no. The man shrugged, and left.

A neighbor walking her dog had seen the whole thing. She'd used us before and gave him the number. He called. The dispatcher asked whether anyone was inside who needed help (no), whether anything was on (no), what kind of locks were on the front and back doors, and whether he had ID. Yes. She also mentioned, kindly, that a real locksmith almost never needs to drill a standard residential deadbolt.

The technician arrived in a marked van and company uniform, and showed his ID. The homeowner stood nearby and noticed what the first man had skipped. This one looked into the keyway with a light, asked which key he normally used and checked that the paint around the cylinder was untouched. He looked at the deadbolt, a standard residential brand, and picked it with a pick and tension wrench. It took a few minutes because the pins were stiff, but the bolt slid back. The knob lock below wasn't locked at all.

Inside, the homeowner showed his license with the address. The technician sprayed a little dry lubricant into the deadbolt so the next key would turn more easily, and suggested he hide a spare key with the neighbor who'd sent him our way. The homeowner said he planned to bring her cookies.

What to Do When You're Locked Out of the House

Check Every Door and the Garage

Before calling anyone, walk the house: back door, side door, garage keypad, the door from the garage. A dead keypad battery is a common cause. Some keypads have a 9-volt terminal or can be opened with the remote from inside a car.

Don't Break a Window

Takes days to fix and leaves the house open. Climbing through windows also sends a lot of people to the emergency room.

Locked Out of House No Key, No Spare

If nobody has a spare, a locksmith is the answer. We'll open the door and, if you'd like, cut a spare from your key once you're inside.

Locked Out of House Deadbolt Thrown

A thrown deadbolt takes a little longer than a knob, but standard residential deadbolts can almost always be picked without damage. If you hear someone say yours needs drilling, ask why.

After Dark on the Front Step

If you're locked out of house at night, wait in your car with the doors locked, at a neighbor's, or somewhere well lit. If you think someone has been inside, call 911 before anyone opens the door.

Children, Pets and Stoves

A child or vulnerable person locked inside, a pet in a hot house or a stove left on changes our priority. If there's danger, call 911 first.

Townhomes and Patio Homes

Townhomes around Memorial City often have a front door, a back door and a garage entry with three different locks. Tell us which one you'd like opened.

Garage Doors and the Door Into the House

If you're in the garage but the door into the house is locked, that's still a lockout, and usually a quick one. Those doors often have only a knob lock. Once you're in, think about adding a deadbolt there, since a stolen garage remote leads straight to that door. See deadbolt installation.

Proof of Residence

A photo ID with the address, or ID plus mail, a lease or a deed. If everything is inside, we check it once the door is open.

Planning for the Next One

A spare key with a trusted neighbor, a keypad deadbolt on one door, or a keypad battery changed every year prevents most lockouts. See smart lock installation.

Where We Meet You in Memorial City

A technician comes to you wherever you are in Memorial City. The I-10 feeders at Gessner and Bunker Hill crawl at rush hour, and the mall entrances fill on weekends and in December. A technician coming off the Beltway can be with you sooner than you might expect.

The Technician on Your Front Step

Technicians come in the company uniform, ID in hand, and drive marked vehicles, so you'll know who's at your house. They pick or bypass the lock, explain what they're doing and leave your door and lock working the way they were. If they notice a stiff deadbolt or a loose strike, they'll tell you.

Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, and customers rate the company 5 stars on Google.

House Lockout Service Around Memorial City

Most of Memorial City is offices, shopping and apartments, but the streets around it are full of houses and townhomes: north of I-10 into Spring Branch, south toward Bunker Hill Village and Hedwig Village, and the newer townhome rows tucked behind the feeder roads. A call for house lockout service in Memorial City usually means a standard deadbolt, a knob or lever and a garage entry, and it's usually a short visit.

House lockouts around Memorial City tend to involve townhomes, patio homes and older ranch houses behind the commercial strip. Many have a back gate, a garage door and a side door, and one of them might be open.

Before you call, walk around the property. A garage keypad, a patio door or a gate latch could be your way in. Please don't climb through a window, because it's easy to get hurt and expensive glass is easy to break.

Tell the dispatcher if there are children, pets or anything on the stove inside. We handle the call differently when someone needs help.

We'll ask for proof that you live at the address, such as a photo ID, a utility bill or mail. If your wallet is inside, a neighbor who knows you can sometimes help.

Once the door is open, the technician looks at the lock. If it is worn or damaged, he will tell you what he sees, and you decide what to do.

For townhomes with shared walls, mention whether a neighbor has a spare key. Many households here exchange keys, and it can be the simplest answer.

If you often lock yourself out, consider a keypad or a lockbox. The change takes little time and removes the problem.

Look at the door before you call. A deadbolt thrown, a latch caught or a lock that turns freely each points to a different cause, and describing which one you see helps the technician prepare.

Older ranch houses near Bunker Hill often have original hardware that has loosened over decades. If your lock feels sloppy even when it works, mention it, because a lockout is a natural time to look at it.

Garage entry doors from the house into the garage are often forgotten. If yours is locked from inside, it can be a second way in, so check before you call.

If you have a smart doorbell or a camera, glance at the app. It can show whether someone else in the household came home and may have the door open.

Wait somewhere safe. A neighbor's porch, your car or a nearby shop is better than standing in the yard at night.

We also handle house lockouts in Memorial, Spring Branch and Hedwig Village. If you rent an apartment, see our apartment lockout service. For a full reset after lost keys, see rekey service.