Quick answer: most deadbolt problems are repairs, not replacements. A stiff, loose or misaligned deadbolt is usually adjusted or serviced on the spot. We only fit a new one when the mechanism is worn or damaged, or you want a better lock, and the new one is keyed to your existing key so you don’t end up carrying another one.
A deadbolt (a deadlock, in Australia) is the lock that only moves with a key or a turn snib, with no spring latch to slip. It’s the lock that does the real work on a front or back door, which is why a deadbolt that’s playing up matters more than a sticky handle.
Repair or replace?
Usually a repair: the key is stiff or needs jiggling; the bolt doesn’t line up with the hole in the frame because the door has dropped; the lock is loose on the door; the snib is hard to turn. We lubricate, adjust the strike plate, re-fix the lock and re-cut a worn key if that’s the cause. Most of these are done in one visit.
Time for a new one: the mechanism is worn out or seized; the lock has been forced or damaged in a break-in; it’s an old, low-grade lock and you want something better; or you’re replacing the whole set of locks anyway. In that case we supply and fit a new deadbolt and, if your other locks are on the same key profile, key it to the key you already use.
Single or double cylinder?
A single-cylinder deadbolt takes a key outside and has a turn snib inside. A double-cylinder deadbolt needs a key on both sides. Double cylinders are common on doors with glass panels, because someone can’t just break the glass and reach in to turn the snib. The trade-off is getting out fast in a fire or an emergency if the key isn’t in the door. We’ll talk through which suits the door, and if you go double-cylinder, keep a key on a hook inside within reach.
What fitting a new deadbolt involves
If there’s already a deadbolt on the door, a like-for-like swap uses the existing holes and takes well under an hour. Fitting a deadbolt to a door that never had one means cutting the door and frame to suit, which takes longer and depends on whether it’s a timber, aluminium or security screen door. We carry the common Lockwood and Gainsborough profiles, so the new lock can be keyed alike with the rest of the house. See lock installation and repair.
What affects the cost
We don’t publish a price list because no two doors are the same, but these are the things that move the number, so you know what you’re being quoted for:
Whether it’s a repair or a supply-and-fit. The grade of lock you choose. Whether the door already has a deadbolt cut-out. How many doors you’re doing at once (several on one visit costs less per door than several visits). Timber door versus metal or security screen. And whether it’s daytime or an after-hours call. We tell you the price before we start.
Common questions
Can a deadbolt be rekeyed instead of replaced?
Yes, if it’s in good condition. Rekeying changes the pins inside so old keys stop working, and it’s the right fix if the lock is fine and you just want new keys.
My deadbolt key turns but the bolt won’t go in. What’s wrong?
Nearly always the door has dropped or the frame has moved, so the bolt hits the edge of the strike plate. That’s an adjustment, not a new lock.
Can you fit a deadbolt to a security screen door?
Screen doors use their own lock types (triple locks and single-point locks) rather than a standard deadbolt. We repair and replace those too. See security screen door locks.
Do I have to be home?
Someone with ID and something showing the address needs to let us in and agree the work. It doesn’t have to be you.
Deadbolt playing up?
Call 0427 580 823Send an enquiry
Everything we do for homes is on the residential locksmith page. Around the northern suburbs, see Warwick.