Otherwise we'll book a time that suits you.
A Pet Sitter Who Kept the Key, and a Plan Made on the Phone
Most lock changes are planned before the technician leaves. Here's a typical example, from the dispatcher's side of the call.
Close to five in the afternoon, a homeowner in Memorial called, her voice tight. She'd booked a pet sitter through an app for a week-long trip. The visits had happened; the dog was fine. But the sitter hadn't returned the house key as promised, had stopped answering messages, and the app's support team said they'd "look into it." She'd been home for three days. She didn't want to wait any longer.
The dispatcher kept it steady and specific. Did she have any reason to think someone had been in the house since she got back? No. Was she safe right now? Yes. Which doors did that key open? Front and back, same key. Did the sitter also have the garage keypad code or the alarm code? Both. He told her to change those two, while they were talking, because new locks wouldn't change them. She did.
Then he walked through the choice. Rekeying would make the sitter's key useless and keep her locks. Changing the locks would do the same and let her upgrade. She said the front deadbolt had always been stiff and the back door's knob felt flimsy. She wanted new locks, something sturdier, all on one key. He described two hardware options in plain terms, asked her to have ID and a property document ready, and offered a technician that evening. She picked the stronger option.
Just the technician pulled up in uniform and showed his ID. He checked her license and a tax notice with the address. The old front deadbolt was builder-grade with a short throw, and the strike was held by two short screws. He fitted a Grade 1 deadbolt and a new handle set, cut a deeper strike pocket, and drove 3-inch screws into the stud. At the back door, he replaced the knob with a sturdy lever and added a matching deadbolt, using his drill to bore the door. He keyed everything alike.
She tested both doors, closed and locked, pushing hard. Nothing moved. His advice: next time, lend a code on a keypad, not a key, so you can delete it from your phone.
Changing Locks Without Guesswork
If You Think Someone Is in the House
Leave and call 911. Don't go in until police have checked it. We'll come when it's safe.
Rekey First, or New Hardware?
Change the locks when they're stiff, flimsy, worn or damaged, or when you want stronger hardware.
When a Door Has Been Forced
A lock change after a break-in looks beyond the lock. After a forced entry or an attempt, the strike and jamb usually take the damage. We replace bent hardware, fit heavy strikes with long screws, and tell you plainly if the frame needs a carpenter. If a door can't be locked tonight, our emergency locksmith service secures it.
Done in One Trip
Most lock changes are done in one visit with hardware from the van.
Builder-Grade Locks on Newer Homes
Many newer houses came with basic locks on every door. They work for a while, then loosen and stick. Replacing them with Grade 1 or Grade 2 hardware and proper strikes is one of the most useful upgrades for a newer home.
Codes Don't Change With Locks
Garage keypads, alarm codes, gate codes and smart lock users are separate. Change them that day you change the locks.
Lending Access Without Lending Keys
Pet sitters, cleaners and contractors can get a keypad code that you set to work only on certain days and delete when they're done. See smart lock installation.
Doors That Face the Woods
Many Memorial lots back onto heavy trees, a greenbelt or the bayou, which means back doors and sliders that nobody on the street can see. Those doors deserve the same hardware as the front, plus a heavy strike, and a motion light helps too. When we change locks, we look at the back of the house as carefully as the front.
Keys Lent to Teenagers' Friends
Teenagers hand out house keys more freely than parents realize, to friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, and carpool families. If you've lost track, a lock change or a rekey resets it, and a keypad with individual codes makes it easier to manage next time.
Choosing the New Hardware
Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolts with a full one-inch throw, heavy strikes, and levers or knobs that suit your grip and style. We'll match finishes across the house.
Owners, Tenants and Approval
Owners, or tenants with landlord approval. We check a photo ID against a deed, tax notice or lease.
Mobile Visits in Memorial
Our technicians drive to you across Memorial, so there is no shop to visit. Late afternoons on the Katy Freeway and Memorial Drive are slow, and the lights at Gessner, Kirkwood and Dairy Ashford near I-10 back up.
Steady, Careful Work at Your Door
Our technicians wear the company uniform and carry ID, which matters when you're already uneasy about who has had a key. They explain the plan before they start, look at the frame and strike as well as the lock, protect floors and finishes, and test each new lock with the door closed before they leave.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, and homeowners have rated us 5 stars on Google.
Lock Changes Around Memorial
Memorial lock changes follow a few familiar patterns: keys lent to sitters, cleaners and contractors that never came back, builder-grade hardware on newer homes wearing out, attempted break-ins at back doors facing wooded lots, and new owners who want stronger locks than the house came with. A lock change in Memorial is usually done in a single visit, and the house is noticeably stronger afterward.
Changing locks makes sense when the old ones are worn out, mismatched or no longer trusted. After a move, a break-in or a long period of renting out the house, new hardware is a clean start.
Pick a finish that fits the house. Satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and matte black are popular in Memorial. A consistent look from the front door to the garage entry gives the house a finished feel.
Measure what you can, or send photographs. Door thickness and bore size decide what fits, and we want to bring the right parts the first time.
Decide how you want the keys arranged. One key for every door, or separate keys for the guest house, the pool house or the workshop.
Take a close look at the doors themselves. A lock is only as good as the wood or steel around it, and we point out any frame damage we see.
Keep the old hardware until everything works. If anything needs adjusting, you'll have the original to compare.
If you have a gated driveway, a pedestrian gate or a shed with a padlock, bring them into the plan. We can match gate hardware to the house keys, so one ring covers everything.
Ask us to check the alignment of each door before fitting. A door that sags or sticks makes a new lock feel worse than the old one.
For doors that face the afternoon sun, we recommend finishes that hold up. Thin coatings fade and flake in a Houston summer, and the difference shows within a year or two.
We also change locks in Spring Branch, Hedwig Village and Uptown.
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