Residential
A lock that needs changing? We fit the new one on site
We take the old lock out and fit a new one, or change just the cylinder when the rest of the lock is sound.
Where
South-eastern Pennsylvania
What we cover
Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia
How we work
We are a mobile locksmith. We come to you.
What this covers
Lock replacement is the work of taking out a lock that is worn, damaged, or no longer the right fit, then fitting a new one in its place. It can also mean changing the cylinder when that is all the hardware needs. We come to you and work on the lock where it is installed, whether it is on a home, vehicle, or business door. The aim is to deal with the lock itself, not the rest of the door, and to leave the opening set up around the new lock.
How we approach it
Every job starts with the hardware already on the door or vehicle, because no two setups are quite the same. We look at the lock style, the way it is mounted, and what needs to be changed before we fit the new part. Some locks are simple replacements, while others need only the cylinder changed out. We work with rim, mortise, and bored cylindrical locks across south-eastern Pennsylvania, and we match the work to the parts already in place, one lock at a time.
Where it stops
This page covers replacement and cylinder changes only. It does not include reshaping parts, opening up the cylinder body, or cutting new channels in the lock. If the hardware needs that kind of work, it is outside this service. We also do not file, ream, or bush a part to make it fit. The job here is to remove the old lock, install the new one, and set the lock in place on the door.
What lock replacement covers
Take out a lock and fit a new one, change the cylinder.
Worth knowing
A lock replacement is straightforward when the case comes off cleanly and the new unit matches the cutout, backset, and latch position already in the door. On a bored cylindrical lock, that can mean taking off the inside trim, pulling the two through-bolts, removing the knob or lever set, and sliding the latch and cylinder out as separate pieces. The work gets awkward when the mounting holes are stripped, the faceplate screws are buried under paint, or the new latch body does not sit in the same pocket as the old one.
Changing only the cylinder is usually simpler than replacing the full lock, since we can leave the latch and case in place and move only the keyed part. On a rim or mortise lock, that means taking out the cylinder retainer, removing the old cylinder, and setting the new one into the same opening with the same length and tailpiece style. It becomes awkward when the old cylinder is swollen, the retaining screw is damaged, or the tailpiece does not match the latch mechanism already inside the door.
Some jobs turn awkward because the hardware is mixed or worn in more than one place at once. A mortise lock with a loose case, a bent spindle, and a cylinder that no longer sits square may need the lock body removed before the new parts can be set in place. A simple swap depends on parts that line up without extra work: the latch fits the edge bore, the cylinder collar seats flat, and the screws thread back into solid metal. When those pieces are distorted or seized, the work shifts to the lock body, the cylinder, and the mounting screws.
Jobs we have done
