Residential break-ins are overwhelmingly forced entry, and forced entry overwhelmingly means the door frame failing, not the lock. A standard strike plate is held by two three-quarter inch screws into soft jamb material. One kick splits it. This is the single cheapest and most-skipped security upgrade in a house.
A Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolt with a full one inch throw. A reinforced strike plate with three inch screws driven into the king stud behind the jamb. Solid blocking in the gap between jamb and framing so the jamb cannot flex. Hinges secured with long screws and, on outswing doors, hinge pins or security studs. Laminated or reinforced glass, or a security screen, on any glazed panel next to the lock. Those five items together change the outcome far more than upgrading a lock cylinder.
We install keypad and app-connected deadbolts and handlesets, and we do the boring part properly: check the door thickness and backset, verify the bore, adjust the strike so the bolt throws fully without forcing, and set the door so the lock does not have to fight a misaligned frame. Most smart lock failures we are called out to are mechanical alignment, not electronics. We will also tell you when a smart lock is a bad idea - a warped exterior door in direct afternoon sun is going to jam a motorised bolt.
Rekeying between tenancies, keyed-alike sets across a portfolio, master key systems, keypad locks so you are not driving across the city with keys, and documented lock changes for your file. Habitability requirements in California include working locks on entry doors and on windows designed to be opened - we correct those and document them.
We are a licensed general contractor, not a locksmith. We do not open locks you are locked out of, and we do not defeat locks. We install, replace, reinforce and rekey hardware where you can demonstrate you are the owner or authorised manager of the property.
Window locks and keyed sash locks. Sliding door foot locks and anti-lift blocks. Security screen doors installed into properly anchored frames. Door viewers and video doorbells. Gate locks and latches. Garage side-door reinforcement, which is the entry point most people forget entirely.
Yes, provided the locks are compatible cylinders. Where they are not, we replace the mismatched ones with hardware from a single keyway so you carry one key. We will confirm what you have before quoting.
Not inherently - most reputable smart deadbolts use the same ANSI-graded mechanical bolt. The realistic weakness is the frame, same as any lock. Get the strike plate and jamb reinforced and the smart lock is fine. Battery discipline is the other practical issue.
Reinforced strike plate with long screws is typically $65 to $120 per door as an add-on. Full jamb reinforcement with a steel strike channel and blocking runs $180 to $350 per door. It is the best value security spend in the house.
No. Lockout service is licensed locksmith work and we do not perform it. We install, replace and reinforce hardware for owners and authorised property managers only.
Yes. The important part is anchoring - a good security door bolted to a rotted or thin frame provides very little. We check the substrate, add blocking or repair the frame where needed, then install so the anchors are into structure.
