How much does it cost to change locks?
What You Should Know About Lock Changing and Rekeying
Security is always a top concern for anyone who owns a property, and large-scale home or office improvement projects always include security upgrades in their plans. Here are things to remember about your property\’s locks and changing them.
When do you change your locks?
Get the locks rekeyed or changed every time your safety and security are at risk. Have a lock replacement when you buy a new home, experience a break-in, or if someone or something had damaged the lock.
Change the locks as well if you\’re renting out the house and the tenant moves away, when the key goes missing, or when you terminate a disgruntled employee. If you\’re dealing with a messy divorce or if no one has changed the lock in years, you should also consider a change.
How much does it cost to change locks?
Various factors affect the cost of new locks. For one, the property owner will have to consider the price of the hardware as well as the locksmith services\’ labour costs. The number of locks involved in the project and the number of key duplicates are also factors.
For homes, these last two are not too large of an expense; for offices, though, you need to account for the number of workers who need access to that part of the building. Lock complexity also matters; there are many options to choose from on the market. Three of the most common are mortise locks, interchangeable core cylinders, and high-security locks.
What else affects the cost of changing?
If you need to modify the door or frame, you would have to include the costs for those in your computations. Your locksmith might need to do a lot of work to accommodate the new lock, but you\’ll surely get professional installation and lock replacement.
Consider additional charges as well. Lock technicians have an additional fee for on-site calls after business hours, during holidays, or on weekends. If you have an urgent or rush job, you could call an emergency locksmith, someone who\’s ready to respond 24/7.
Have you considered rekeying the locks instead?
Offices, apartment complexes, rentals, and other types of commercial properties might find rekeying to be a better option. Instead of replacing the hardware and switching out the lock for another one, your locksmith can change only the manual locking mechanism. Doing this prevents the old keys from working on the door. Afterwards, he resets the lock, so it works only with new keys. This solution is cost-effective, especially for properties that need multiple lock modifications.
The rekeying cost will vary depending on the complexity of the lock, hardware involved, the number of locks, and the number of key copies. Also, you could consider asking your locksmith to set up a master key system. Doing so would make the building manager or landlord more efficient, and it would let them open any door in the system quickly.
Conclusion
Your home or office\’s security is one of the most important things to look out for, and having good locks should be one of the priorities for a property owner. Keep your valuables secure and give your tenants or family members peace of mind knowing that the locks at their doors will keep danger away.
For locksmith services in London, get in touch with us today. Our lock technicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they can handle all types of locks with all kinds of warranties. Get in touch with us today for more information.