Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Locksmith Before & After in Fort Worth, TX
We’ve been documenting every job in Fort Worth since 2002, not for marketing, but because a photo record is part of our standard procedure. These are real conditions we found, real hardware we installed, and real outcomes we guaranteed under our 365-Day Done Right Promise. The images below show what we encountered, what we replaced it with, and why it mattered for the customer’s security.
Recent Transformations
Commercial Master Rekey After Employee Turnover in Downtown Fort Worth
The customer had a 14-year-old master key system in a three-story office building on Houston Street. Three employees had left in six months, and nobody could confirm how many copies of their keys existed. We found the original cylinders were standard Schlage C-keyway, widely available at any hardware store, with no key control records past 2019. We rekeyed the entire building to a restricted Primus XP system, issued serialized keys with signed receipts, and programmed the new master hierarchy so the property manager could track which key opened which suite. Price quoted in writing before we started: $1,840 for 23 cylinders. Haven Standard Clause 1 applied, the price on the phone was the price on the invoice.
Residential Deadbolt Upgrade in Arlington Heights
A homeowner on Merrick Street called after their neighbor’s house was broken into through a kicked-in door. We inspected their existing deadbolt and found a Grade 3 residential unit with a half-inch throw bolt and a strike plate held by three-quarter-inch screws into door casing, not framing. We installed a Grade 1 Baldwin deadbolt with a 1-inch hardened steel throw, a four-screw reinforced strike anchored into the 2×4 framing, and a wrap-around door reinforcer. The hardware gap was clear: the old deadbolt met builder code but not actual forced-entry resistance. Written price before dispatch: $340 for hardware and installation.
Access Control Retrofit in the Near Southside
A property management company on Magnolia Avenue managed four duplexes with mechanical deadbolts and no way to track who entered when. Previous tenants had returned keys, but copies were unaccounted for. We retrofitted all eight units with Schlage Control S-Series locks connected to a cloud-based credential system. Each tenant now gets a unique PIN and optional mobile credential, automatically deactivated at lease end. The property manager can pull entry logs by unit, time, and credential. We quoted $2,950 in writing for the full installation, including training and 90 days of platform access. The photo record shows every door’s pre-existing condition, bore hole alignment, and finished installation.
Emergency Lockout with Damaged Cylinder in Ridglea
A customer on Winthrop Avenue was locked out at 11 p.m. after their key broke off in a Kwikset SmartKey cylinder that had already been drilled once during a prior break-in attempt. The cylinder was non-functional and the door could not be opened by standard bypass. We drilled the damaged cylinder under controlled conditions, opened the door without frame damage, and replaced the compromised hardware with a Medeco Maxum deadbolt. The new cylinder uses a sidebar mechanism and angled key cuts that resist picking, bumping, and unauthorized duplication. Emergency call answered by a live person at 11:03 p.m., technician arrived in 34 minutes, total price quoted on the phone before dispatch: $485 including after-hours response, hardware, and installation.
Retail Rekey After Key Loss in the Stockyards
A retail shop on East Exchange Avenue had accumulated mismatched hardware over fifteen years, five doors with three different keyways, and a key ring that weighed half a pound. The owner lost the ring during the Fort Worth Stock Show and needed immediate rekeying before the next business day. We found two Kwikset residential-grade knobs on back doors that should have been commercial, a Schlage D-series with a worn cam on the office, and a Baldwin with no available key blanks in Fort Worth. We rekeyed all five doors to Schlage ND-Series commercial cylindrical locks, keyed alike under a single code, with two manager keys and four employee keys issued with signed control receipts. Written price before work: $620. The photo record documents the mismatched hardware we removed and the standardized installation we completed by 7 a.m.
High-Security Installation for Medical Records Office in Cultural District
A medical records office on Montgomery Street needed to secure a storage room containing patient files under HIPAA access-control requirements. The existing lock was a standard commercial deadbolt with no audit capability and keys that could be copied at any kiosk. We installed a Mul-T-Lock MT5+ deadbolt with the interactive element, a telescopic pin system that prevents picking and bumping, and a patented key profile that can only be duplicated by authorized dealers with the registered owner’s signature. We provided two keys with laser-etched control cards and documented the installation with before, during, and after photos left with the office manager. Written price: $595. The lock grade and key control documentation support their compliance audit trail.
Want Results Like These?
Every job you see above followed the same procedure: a live person answered the call, a written price was quoted before anyone was dispatched, and a documented photo record was delivered at completion. If you’re in Fort Worth, Arlington Heights, the Near Southside, Ridglea, the Stockyards, the Cultural District, or anywhere in Tarrant County, call (817) 765-4998. We’ll ask what you’re working with, what you need it to do, and quote a firm price you can hold us to. Haven Standard Clause 1: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice. No exceptions since 2002.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Fort Worth since 2002.