Lockout, residential
$45 call-out + $40–$85
Most doors open non-destructively. We do not drill first.
Mon–Sat 7am–7pm · after-hours dispatch until 11pm · call-out $45 flat, waived if we do the work Call us out
Locksmith · Spokane, WA · ALOA-certified · WA endorsement LOC-4471
We can sell you a better lock. Usually the frame is what failed.
An ALOA-certified locksmith in Spokane. This page grades your existing hardware against the five ways doors actually get opened — and is honest that on four out of five of them, the lock is not what failed.
Hardware against attack
Read a row across. Then read the last column down.
A row tells you how one lock behaves. A column tells you how your whole house behaves. The two readings do not agree, and the disagreement is the point.
| Hardware | Picking | Bumping | Drilling | Snapping | Kick / spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 deadbolt ANSI/BHMA Grade 3 · 2 strikes · 100,000 cycles | Weak | Weak | Weak | n/a | Weak |
| Grade 2 deadbolt ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 · 5 strikes · 150,000 cycles | Fair | Weak | Fair | n/a | Weak |
| Grade 1 deadbolt ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 · 10 strikes · 250,000 cycles | Fair | Fair | Strong | n/a | Weak |
| High-security cylinder Restricted keyway · security pins · hardened inserts | Strong | Strong | Strong | n/a | Weak |
| Euro cylinder Common on patio and uPVC doors | Fair | Fair | Fair | Weak | Weak |
| Smart lock Motorised deadbolt · keypad or app | Fair | Fair | Fair | n/a | Weak |
| Reinforced strike + 3in screws Box strike anchored to the framing stud | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Strong |
Six of the seven rows read “weak” under Kick / spread, and the row that does not is not a lock. That column is a frame problem, and no cylinder you buy will move it.
- Picking
- Slow, quiet, and rare. Television has this badly out of proportion.
- Bumping
- A cut key struck to jump the pins. Seconds, if the cylinder allows it.
- Drilling
- Loud and fast. Beaten by hardened inserts, not by grade.
- Snapping
- The euro-cylinder failure. Mostly a UK problem — named here because UK advice circulates widely.
- Kick / spread
- What actually happens. Read this column down before you read any row across.
6 of the 7 rows above are weak against a kick, and the one that is not is a strike plate rather than a lock.
The part nobody upsells
The eleven-dollar fix we would rather sell you than a cylinder.
The strike plate that came with your door is fastened with three-quarter-inch screws. Those bite the door casing — a thin trim board — and nothing behind it. A box strike with three-inch screws reaches past the casing into the framing stud, which is the first structural member in the wall.
-
$8–$14
Box strike plate
Wraps the bolt cavity instead of sitting flat on the jamb.
-
under $2
3in wood screws, four
Long enough to reach the stud behind the casing.
-
under $3
Hinge screws, six
The hinge side fails second. Same screws, same reason.
We do it for $45 on a call we are already making. It takes about twenty minutes.
This will not help a door with a rotted jamb, a glass sidelight within arm’s reach of the thumbturn, or an out-swinging door with exposed hinge pins. We will tell you if you have one of those instead of fitting a strike and taking the money.
Rekey or replace
Often the cheaper answer is the correct one.
If the hardware is sound and you simply need the old keys to stop working, rekeying is the right answer and it is the cheaper one.
| Situation | Answer | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| New tenant, hardware in good order | Rekey | $22 per cylinder + call-out |
| Lost one key, no idea where | Rekey | $22 per cylinder + call-out |
| Bolt is stiff or the cylinder is worn | Replace | $95–$180 fitted |
| Grade 3 on an exterior door | Replace | $110–$210 fitted |
| You want keys that cannot be copied | Replace | $180–$260 fitted |
Before you call anyone
Why the first quote you get is often not the price.
Locksmith bait-and-switch is documented enough that the FTC has published consumer guidance on it: a search ad quotes nineteen dollars, an unlicensed subcontractor arrives in an unmarked car, and the invoice at the door is three hundred and fifty. It is common enough that we lose calls to it.
- Ask for the licence number before the van leaves. Ours is LOC-4471.
- Ask what the call-out fee is and whether it is waived. Ours is $45, waived if we do the work.
- Ask whether the person arriving is an employee. Ours are.
- If the answer is “the technician will price it on site”, that is the scam.
What we do
And what it costs.
Rekey
$22 per cylinder
Same key across the house if you want it.
Deadbolt supply + fit
$95–$260
Grade 2 minimum on exterior doors.
Frame reinforcement
$45
Box strike, 3in screws, hinge screws.
Safe opening
Quoted on inspection
We need the make and the model before we quote.
Commercial master key
Quoted per schedule
Restricted keyway, documented key control.
Where we go
Spokane and the valley.
Central
Downtown, Browne’s Addition, Riverside, Peaceful Valley
North
Garland, Shadle, Five Mile Prairie, Hillyard
South Hill
Manito, Comstock, Rockwood, Lincoln Heights
Valley
Spokane Valley, Millwood, Liberty Lake, Otis Orchards
Clients
What Spokane says.
“I called about upgrading three deadbolts. She fitted one and reinforced all three frames instead, and the bill was smaller than the quote I had in hand.”
“Locked out at nine at night. Open in under ten minutes with a pick, not a drill, and the lock still works.”
“Rekeyed six units between tenants. Priced per cylinder as quoted, no surprise at the end, invoice matched the phone call.”
“She talked me out of a smart lock. Told me the bolt underneath was the same Grade 3 I already had. That is the first honest thing anyone said to me about it.”
Common questions
Before you call.
Is a Grade 1 deadbolt worth the money?
For the cylinder, yes — it resists drilling and survives far more cycles. For forced entry through the frame, it changes nothing. Fit the strike first, then buy the grade.
Are smart locks less secure?
Not usually less, but rarely more. The motorised bolt underneath is typically Grade 2 or 3. A smart lock changes who can open your door and when — a useful thing — but it does not change how hard the door is to force.
Should I worry about lock bumping?
Less than the internet suggests. It is real and it is fast, but it needs the right key blank and it leaves the lock working, so it is under-reported rather than common. Security pins defeat it, and any high-security cylinder has them.
Can you open my door without drilling it?
Almost always. Non-destructive entry is the default and it is what the call-out fee covers. If a lock genuinely has to be drilled we tell you before we start and the replacement is quoted first.
Do you charge more at night?
After 7pm the call-out is $70 instead of $45. The labour rate does not change. That is the whole difference and it is on this page so you do not hear it at the door.
How do I check a locksmith is licensed in Washington?
Ask for the endorsement number and the business name, then check it against the Department of Licensing record. Ours is LOC-4471, Redoubt Lock & Key. A firm that will not give you a number over the phone is telling you something.
Call us out
What is the door doing?
If you are locked out right now, phone instead — this form is not monitored after hours. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.