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.
Fast, Reliable Residential Locksmith Across Arlington
Residential locksmith service in Arlington typically runs $95-$280 depending on the job, with most lockout calls resolved in under 30 minutes and rekey jobs completed same-day. We dispatch crews from our Dallas-Fort Worth office to Arlington neighborhoods daily, including the brick ranch corridors off Abram Street, the newer master-planned communities south toward Mansfield, and the acreage properties along the city’s northern edge where outbuildings and gates need matching keys.
We answer calls live, 24/7. No voicemail queue, no callback window. When you’re locked out of a house in Arlington with a workshop full of tools and a side gate that takes a separate key, you need one visit that handles everything - not three trips and three invoices. That’s the difference between a dispatcher who knows the city and one reading from a map. Call (817) 765-4998 for a firm, written price before we start.
Why Novak Lock & Security Fort Worth Is Arlington’s Preferred Residential Locksmith Company
We’ve completed over 60,000 lock, key, and security jobs since 2002. Every one started with a written price and ended with a documented photo record left with the customer. Haven Standard Clause 1 is absolute: the price quoted on the phone is the price on the invoice, and our technicians are contractually prohibited from changing it at the door.
Arlington’s housing stock splits cleanly in two. The 1960s-1980s brick ranch homes in central and north Arlington - think the neighborhoods between Pioneer Parkway and Randol Mill Road - still run original single-cylinder deadbolts with obsolete keyways that most box-store locksmiths don’t stock. The southern subdivisions toward Mansfield, built in the 2000s-2010s, came with builder-grade Kwikset hardware that owners are now upgrading to smart locks and keypad entry. We carry cylinders and pinning kits for both eras.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and work to The Haven Standard, the same documented quality framework applied across all ten Haven brands. Every visit includes a photo record, included as standard. Not an upgrade. Not a promise. A procedure.
Calls are answered by a live person around the clock. No automated system standing between a locked-out customer and a real answer.
Our Residential Locksmith Services in Arlington

Lock Rekey
Lock rekey in Arlington typically runs $18-$35 per cylinder, quoted in writing before we start. For the brick ranch homes off Abram Street and throughout north Arlington, this is usually the right call - the original 1970s deadbolts and knob locks are solid brass hardware, but the pin and tumbler stacks are worn or the previous owner’s keys are still floating around. We disassemble the cylinder, replace the pins to match a new house key, and test every throw. One visit. One key. One invoice.
Here’s where rekeying pays off for acreage properties: we key the front door, rear door, detached workshop, and side gate to the same key in a single trip. The callback we see most often in Arlington is the homeowner who had the house rekeyed but forgot the outbuilding until they needed a tool at 10 p.m. We don’t leave until every lock you want matched is matched.

Deadbolt Installation
New deadbolt installation in Arlington runs $125-$220 per door, including the hardware, depending on whether we’re boring fresh holes in a slab door or replacing existing hardware. On the brick ranch homes common in central Arlington, we often find single-cylinder deadbolts installed with shallow throws into soft wood frames - fine in 1975, inadequate now. We install grade 1 or grade 2 deadbolts with full 1-inch throws, reinforced strike plates with 3-inch screws, and test alignment after installation.
For workshop and outbuilding doors, we match the keyway to the house so you’re not carrying a separate ring for every structure on your property.

Lock Change
Full lock change in Arlington typically costs $145-$280 per door, hardware included. We recommend this when the existing lock is damaged, non-functional, or a security downgrade - we’ve seen original 1960s knob locks with worn cams that no longer retract, and cheap big-box deadbolts installed by previous owners that fail to throw fully in summer heat. We stock Kwikset, Schlage, Baldwin, and Medeco hardware, and we quote the exact model and finish before dispatch.
On properties with multiple buildings, we coordinate the change so every new lock works off your chosen key. No partial jobs. No second trips.

Residential Lockout
Residential lockout service in Arlington is typically $95-$145, firm price on the phone. Most openings take 10-20 minutes. We pick standard pin-tumbler locks without drilling whenever possible - drilling destroys the lock and turns a $120 call into a $280 replacement. Our techs carry picks, bypass tools, and scope cameras for stuck deadbolts where the key turns but won’t throw.
During Arlington’s summer heat waves, we see a spike in “lockout” calls that are actually misaligned deadbolts - the door frame has shifted, the throw won’t clear the strike, and the homeowner assumes they’re locked out. We diagnose before we drill.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Arlington
We stock and service Kwikset, Schlage, Baldwin, and Medeco hardware from our Dallas-Fort Worth parts inventory, with same-day availability for Arlington calls. For the builder-grade Kwikset SmartKey locks common in 2000s-2010s subdivisions south of Interstate 20, we carry replacement cylinders and rekey tools. For the high-security Medeco and Mul-T-Lock cylinders that some north Arlington owners have upgraded to, we’re factory-authorized and stock restricted keyway blanks that box stores don’t carry. We quote the exact brand, model, and finish in writing before we dispatch - no “equivalent substitute” swaps at the door.
Common Residential Locksmith Problems We See in Arlington Homes

- Outbuildings and gates left on separate keys after a house rekey. We get this callback from acreage owners in north Arlington regularly - the workshop, side gate, or detached garage was keyed to the old owner’s set, and the new homeowner doesn’t discover the mismatch until they need access. We key everything alike in one visit.
- Deadbolt binding in July and August heat. Arlington’s sustained 100°F+ temperatures expand door frames on brick ranch homes, throwing deadbolt throws out of alignment with strike plates. The cylinder is fine; the frame has shifted. We realign the strike and test the throw at multiple temperatures, not just swap the lock.
- Original 1960s-70s hardware with obsolete keyways. The single-cylinder deadbolts in central Arlington’s older neighborhoods often use keyways no longer manufactured. We rekey these with custom pin stacks rather than forcing a modern cylinder that won’t fit the mortise.
- Ice storm damage to exterior lock cylinders. The February 2021 freeze cracked exposed cylinders on north-facing doors across Arlington. We replaced dozens in the weeks after, and we now recommend weather-resistant covers for exposed hardware on homes without covered entries.
Pricing for Residential Locksmith in Arlington, TX
| Service | Typical Range in Arlington |
|---|---|
| Residential lockout | $95 - $145 |
| Lock rekey (per cylinder) | $18 - $35 |
| Deadbolt installation | $125 - $220 |
| Full lock change (hardware included) | $145 - $280 |
| Smart lock / keypad installation | $180 - $350 |
These are the ranges we quote on the phone, and they are the ranges on the invoice. Haven Standard Clause 1 prohibits our technicians from changing the price at the door. Factors that affect your specific quote: number of cylinders to rekey, whether the door needs fresh boring for a new deadbolt, smart lock features (WiFi, Z-Wave, biometric), and travel to outlying acreage properties with multiple buildings.
We offer free estimates - call (817) 765-4998 and we’ll quote your exact job before anyone is dispatched. Bring us a competitor’s written estimate and we’ll review it at no charge.
We Also Serve Cities Near Arlington

Our Residential Locksmith crews serve Arlington daily and regularly handle calls in Mansfield, Burleson, Grand Prairie, and Fort Worth. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Dallas-Fort Worth office, with local technicians positioned for response across the metro. Acreage properties with multiple buildings, outbuildings, and gates are our specialty - whether you’re in north Arlington off Abram Street or south toward the Mansfield line.
Serving Arlington, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Arlington area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Residential Locksmith in Arlington

Yes. We key houses, workshops, gates, and outbuildings to a single key in one trip, provided the hardware is compatible. Our tech carries pinning kits for multiple cylinder types and tests every lock before leaving. Call (817) 765-4998 for a written quote - we’ll ask about the number of locks, brands if known, and whether any are smart locks or high-security cylinders.
The door frame has expanded, not the lock. Arlington’s sustained 100°F+ heat swells the wood frames on brick ranch homes common north of Pioneer Parkway, throwing the deadbolt throw out of alignment with the strike plate. We realign the strike, test the throw, and only replace hardware if the cylinder itself is worn. The fix is usually $95-$145, not a full lock change.
No, in most cases we pick the lock without drilling. Drilling destroys the lock and adds replacement cost. We carry picks, bypass tools, and scope cameras for stuck mechanisms. If the lock is damaged or high-security (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock), we’ll explain why drilling is necessary and quote the replacement before starting. Call (817) 765-4998 - we’ll ask about the lock type and give you the exact scenario.
Usually yes. The original hardware on 1960s-70s brick ranches in central and north Arlington is often higher quality than modern box-store replacements. We disassemble the cylinder, replace the pin stack to match a new key, and reassemble. If the keyway is obsolete, we have pinning kits for legacy keyways. Replacement is only needed if the cam, bolt, or housing is cracked or worn beyond repair.
Yes, we install keypad and smart locks on outbuildings, gates, and workshops, with options for shared or separate codes. Not all smart locks are rated for exterior gate exposure - we’ll recommend hardware based on whether the gate is covered, the WiFi signal reaches, and whether you want remote access or local codes only. Pricing runs $180-$350 per lock, quoted in writing before dispatch.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Arlington since 2002.






