Rekeying & New Lock Installation

A lock that has never been rekeyed is a lock whose key history you do not know. Former tenants, previous owners, old roommates, maintenance workers who were never asked to return their copies — all of them may still have working keys to your home right now. Rekeying reconfigures the internal pin stack so that every previously cut key becomes useless, while your new key works perfectly. It is one of the most cost-effective security upgrades available, and our technicians can complete a full rekeying of a typical Chicago apartment in under an hour without damaging your existing hardware. When the lock itself is worn, outdated, or simply not up to the task — think hollow-core door knob locks on a street-level unit in Wicker Park — a full door lock installation is the smarter move. We carry mortise lock bodies, single- and double-cylinder deadbolts, and a curated selection of smart lock hardware so that the right solution is always on the van.

Lost keys trigger a different calculus. If your keys disappeared in a public place — a CTA platform, a restaurant on Milwaukee Avenue, a parking garage in the Loop — you have to assume they could be found by anyone. In that scenario, rekeying is the minimum response. If the lost set included a key fob, a building access card, or anything that identifies your address, a full lock installation service to replace cylinders and hardware is the more conservative and often wiser choice. Our team will walk you through the trade-offs honestly so you can make a decision that fits your actual risk level, not just the easiest upsell.

On the residential side, the mortise lock is the heart of security in thousands of older Chicago buildings. A true mortise lock installation — where the lock body is set into a routed pocket in the door edge rather than surface-mounted — provides far greater resistance to kick-in and manipulation than a standard bored deadbolt. Our technicians are specifically experienced with mortise lock work on the kind of thick, solid-wood doors found in Chicago's vintage two-flats and coach houses, where fit and finish require careful measurement and adjustment. We also handle door knob lock replacement, electronic keypad installation, and multi-point locking systems for patio and French doors. For commercial locksmith needs — office suites in River North, retail storefronts on Belmont, or restaurant back-of-house doors on Randolph Street's restaurant row — we install and rekey Grade 1 commercial deadbolts, commercial keypad door lock systems, and high-security cylinders built to withstand heavy daily use and unauthorized duplication attempts.

Smart lock installation is one of the fastest-growing requests we handle, and for good reason. A smart door lock installation lets building managers, property owners, and busy households manage access from a phone, set time-limited codes for housecleaners or contractors, and receive real-time alerts when a door is unlocked. We work with leading hardware platforms and can advise on which models are compatible with your existing door prep — many Chicago doors with older mortise cutouts require an adapter plate or a new door prep to accept a standard smart lock, and getting that detail wrong can leave gaps in the door frame. Whether you need smart lock installation near me as a one-off upgrade or a commercial lock installation across an entire office floor, our mobile team arrives with the tools and parts to finish the job the same day. Call (773) 289-0025 and we can usually have a technician on-site within the hour.

Chicago does not slow down at midnight, and neither do we. Our emergency locksmith service covers rekeying and lock installation at any hour — after a break-in on the Northwest Side, after discovering a roommate took the only key set, or after a property manager needs locks changed before a new tenant takes possession at 7 a.m. Being a 24/7 mobile operation means the same trained, insured technicians who handle daytime appointments are also the ones responding to 3 a.m. calls. There is no after-hours skeleton crew and no reduced service menu — the full range of hardware, from entry-level deadbolt lock installation to full mortise lock bodies, is available at any hour.

For commercial clients, the stakes during off-hours can be especially high. A restaurant on the West Loop that loses its key mid-shift, an office building near Michigan Avenue that needs locks rekeyed after an employee departure, a retail location on State Street that needs a commercial keypad door lock installation before opening the next morning — these are exactly the situations our commercial locksmith team is built for. We carry Grade 1 commercial hardware on every service vehicle and can source specialty cylinders for master-key systems on short notice. If you are facing a lock emergency right now, call (773) 289-0025 — we answer 24/7 and dispatch immediately.

One of the most common questions we hear — and one that deserves a straight answer — is how much does a locksmith cost in Chicago, or more pointedly, how much should locksmiths charge for a specific job? The honest answer is that several variables combine to produce the final number, and any quote given without knowing those variables is not a real quote. The factors that shape your price include the type and grade of lock involved (a basic door knob lock rekey costs less than a mortise lock installation with new hardware), the number of locks on the job, whether parts are needed and what those parts cost, the time of day the work is performed, and the travel distance to your location within the Chicago metro area. Emergency locksmith calls that come in during late-night hours or on holidays reflect the real cost of keeping trained technicians available around the clock — that is an honest trade-off, not an arbitrary surcharge.

What we never do is surprise you with a number after the work is done. Before any technician begins, we confirm a complete, itemized price and get your explicit agreement. There is no ambiguity about what is included. If the scope changes — for example, if a door frame issue discovered mid-job requires additional hardware — we stop, explain the situation, and get your approval before continuing. Homeowners and property managers throughout Chicago appreciate this approach because it removes the anxiety that often surrounds emergency service calls. We do not use bargain pricing as a hook; we use transparent, fair pricing as a standard.

Roy Chicago Locksmith provides a comprehensive menu of rekeying and lock installation services for residential, commercial, and automotive clients across Chicago. Our specific service offerings include: residential rekeying; mortise lock installation and repair; deadbolt lock installation; smart lock installation and programming; smart door lock installation with app setup; door lock installation on new and existing doors; door knob lock replacement; keypad lock installation; commercial lock installation for offices and retail; commercial keypad door lock installation; master key system setup and rekeying; high-security cylinder upgrades; grade 1 commercial deadbolt installation; lock installation service after break-ins; emergency locksmith response 24 hours a day; automotive lockout service; car key replacement and programming; transponder key cutting; ignition lock cylinder replacement; key duplication for restricted keyways; mailbox and cabinet lock rekeying; padlock rekeying and replacement; safe lock service and combination changes; access control hardware installation; and lock-and-door-frame assessment after forced entry. Each service is performed by trained, insured technicians arriving in a fully stocked mobile unit — no subcontractors, no surprises.