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.
Trusted Door Lock Repair Nationwide
A door lock that sticks, jams, or won’t turn is more than a daily annoyance. It’s the first line of defense for your home or business, and when it fails, every minute counts. Preston Locksmith & Security offers our Door Lock Repair in Los Angeles and across the United States since 2008, with background-checked, uniformed technicians who arrive with a written price already locked in. We service Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, Yale, Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, Sargent, and Abloy hardware, and every repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. Call (409) 405-4485 and a live person answers right now, any hour, any day.
Broken Key Extractor
A Broken Key Extractor is a thin, hooked tool used to pull a snapped key fragment out of a lock cylinder without damaging the pins, plug, or faceplate. You need this service the moment a key breaks off in the door: turning the lock with the fragment still inside usually wedges it deeper, scores the cylinder, and turns a five-minute fix into a full lock replacement. Preston Locksmith & Security technicians carry a range of extractors for residential and commercial cylinders, and most extractions run $75 – $150 depending on how deeply the fragment is seated and whether the lock needs lubrication or pin work afterward. Our techs photograph the extracted fragment and the cleared keyway before and after, so you see exactly what was removed and that the lock turns cleanly before we leave.
When the Key Snaps at the Shoulder
A break right at the bow, the part you grip, is the easiest extraction. The fragment usually sits at the very front of the keyway and comes out cleanly with a spiral extractor in under ten minutes. Expect the low end of the price range and no need for cylinder disassembly.
When the Fragment Is Deep in the Cylinder
Keys that snap past the first or second cut leave a fragment behind the pin stacks, which requires hook extractors and sometimes partial disassembly. This takes longer and costs more, but our techs still finish most deep extractions the same visit without replacing the lock.
Sliding Door Lock Repair
Sliding Door Lock Repair covers the latch, hook lock, foot bolt, and handle sets on glass patio and balcony doors that fail to catch, won’t lock from the outside, or jam in the track. These locks fail for predictable reasons: the strike plate drifts as the door settles, the hook no longer aligns with the keeper, or the internal spring in the lock body corrodes and refuses to return. Preston Locksmith & Security repairs sliding door locks for $110 – $260 depending on whether the fix requires realigning the strike, replacing the lock body, or installing a secondary foot bolt for better security. The price is written before we start, and the written guarantee travels with the invoice.
Realigning a Misaligned Strike Plate
When the door closes but the lock won’t throw, the strike plate has usually shifted. We adjust and reseat the plate and, where needed, shim or re-tap the frame so the hook engages fully with room to spare. It’s a mechanical fix, not a replacement, and it’s the most common sliding door repair we do.
Replacing a Worn Sliding Door Lock Body
If the lock cylinder turns but nothing moves inside, the lock body has failed. We stock replacement bodies for common patio door brands and can swap most on the first visit. Before-and-after photos show the old hardware and the new lock in place, and every replacement carries the full 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Deadbolt Repair
Deadbolt Repair fixes single-cylinder and double-cylinder bolts that bind against the strike, refuse to throw fully, or spin loosely when the key turns. A deadbolt that won’t seat leaves your door protected by nothing more than a spring latch, which a pry bar defeats in seconds. Preston Locksmith & Security repairs deadbolts for $90 – $190, covering strike plate adjustments, cylinder lubrication and cleaning, tailpiece replacement, and bolt alignment. If the bolt itself is bent or the cylinder is scored beyond repair, we’ll tell you the replacement price in writing before any work begins, and you decide.
Binding Bolts and Misaligned Strikes
When the bolt scrapes the strike plate or won’t extend, we realign the strike or deepen the pocket in the door frame so the bolt seats with a quarter-inch of throw. This restores the full lock without replacing the deadbolt, and it’s usually done in under an hour.
Loose Cylinders and Spinning Tailpieces
A key that turns but no longer moves the bolt means the tailpiece has sheared or slipped out of the cylinder. We replace the tailpiece, repin if the cylinder is worn, and torque everything back to spec. The repair comes with before-and-after photos and a written guarantee.
Patio Door Lock Repair
Patio Door Lock Repair addresses the thin-profile locks found on hinged patio doors: the surface-mount slide bolts, mortise-style latch sets, and keyed handle locks that seize after years of weather exposure. These locks sit in the most humid part of the house and corrode faster than any other hardware in the building. Preston Locksmith & Security repairs patio door locks for $95 – $200, depending on whether the lock can be cleaned, lubed, and adjusted or needs a new mortise body or handle set. We carry replacements for most patio door hardware, and we’ll quote the written price before the first tool comes out.
Corroded Mortise Locks
Patio door mortise locks trap moisture and grit, and the internal springs eventually fail. We disassemble, clean, lubricate, and replace the worn springs where possible, or swap in a new mortise body when the original is too far gone. Most repairs are completed same-day.
Loose or Wobbling Handle Sets
When the handle droops or the thumb latch doesn’t retract the bolt, the return spring or the spindle has worn. We tighten, replace small internal parts, and restore the handle so it feels firm and the latch snaps back on release. You’ll see the before-and-after photos before we pack up.
Door Lock Latch Repair
Door Lock Latch Repair fixes the spring-loaded latch mechanism inside the door edge that retracts when you turn the knob or lever and extends when you release it. When the latch is dead, the door either won’t stay closed at all or won’t open from one side. Preston Locksmith & Security repairs door lock latches for $75 – $160, which covers latch replacement, strike plate adjustment, and lubrication of the full lock assembly. The written price you approve on the phone is the price on the invoice, with no dispatch fee and no surprise upcharge on arrival.
Latch Won’t Retract
If the knob turns but the latch doesn’t pull back, the latch body has failed or the spindle is slipping. We replace the latch, verify the backset measurement to fit your existing bore holes, and test the door from both sides before we leave.
Door Won’t Stay Latched
When the door drifts open on its own, the latch isn’t engaging the strike plate. We adjust the strike, shim the hinges, or reposition the latch so the door closes with a solid click and stays closed without being deadbolted.
Door Knob Lock Repair
Door Knob Lock Repair covers keyed entry knobs, privacy knobs, and passage knobs that stick, rattle, lose their key function, or spin without turning the latch. These are the most-used locks in any building, and they wear out faster than deadbolts simply from repetition. Preston Locksmith & Security repairs door knob locks for $70 – $150, depending on whether the fix is a simple internal cleaning, a cylinder repin, or a full knob replacement. Every repair includes a written quote before work starts and a written guarantee after the job is done.
Sticking or Grinding Knobs
A knob that grinds or binds usually has a worn spindle or a bent latch tail. We disassemble, clean, replace the worn part, and relubricate the mechanism so the knob turns smoothly and the latch retracts without force.
Key Won’t Turn or Knob Won’t Lock
When the key hesitates or the push-button lock no longer engages, the cylinder pins or the locking mechanism have failed. We repin the cylinder or replace the knob body, and we test the key in both directions before we hand it back to you.
Brands We Service
Our technicians train on Medeco hardware specifically because it’s unforgiving to sloppy work. Medeco cylinders use angled cuts and sidebar pins that require exact repinning tolerances, and we stock OEM Medeco pins and replacement parts for full cylinder rebuilds. When a Medeco lock fails, the fix is almost never a generic part, and our techs know the difference.
Yale and Baldwin locks combine decorative finishes with serious mechanical internals, and we service both without scratching the trim. Our techs carry non-marring tools and finish-matched replacement screws for Baldwin’s higher-end handle sets, and we service Yale commercial mortise locks down to the internal springs. Mul-T-Lock’s telescoping pin systems get the same careful treatment. Whether you have one of these brands or any other make, we can help.
Signs You Need a Pro Right Now
- Your key turns but the bolt doesn’t move. That’s a sheared tailpiece or a stripped cylinder, and forcing the key further will finish the job. Every extra turn scores the cylinder and inflates the repair cost.
- The deadbolt scrapes the strike plate and needs a shoulder bump to seat. The door or frame has shifted, and the lock is only half-engaged. A single good kick defeats a half-thrown deadbolt.
- You have to jiggle the key or lift the handle to get the lock to turn. Worn pins or a sagging door are in play. The jiggle-and-pray routine works until the day it doesn’t, and that day is usually when you’re standing in the rain.
- The latch sticks in the retracted position or the door won’t stay closed. A failed latch leaves your door swinging open, which is both a security hole and a fire-safety problem in a commercial space.
- The knob or handle is loose enough to wiggle a full quarter-inch. Loose hardware stresses the internal mechanism and the mounting screws, and it’s a sign the lock is one hard pull from failing completely.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
You call, a live person answers. No voicemail tree. We ask what the lock is doing, what brand it is if you know, and whether it’s a residential or commercial door. You’ll get a written price range before anyone is dispatched.
- 2
You get a live arrival time you can track. The Relay Visibility Guarantee means you see when your technician is on the way and where they are, in real time. No anonymous four-hour windows.
- 3
Your technician diagnoses the lock on-site. We inspect the cylinder, latch, strike plate, and mounting hardware, and we show you exactly what is worn, broken, or misaligned. Then we hand you the written price before any work starts.
- 4
We complete the repair and photograph everything. Before-and-after photos document the old parts and the new or repaired hardware, so you see exactly what changed and how it works now. You approve the work before we consider the job complete.
- 5
You pay the exact quoted price and get your written guarantee. The invoice arrives digitally with a pay link, and your 365-Day Done Right Promise is printed on it. If the repair fails within a year, the second visit is free.
How Much Does Door Lock Repair Cost?
For more context, see The Complete Door Lock Repair Guide for Los Angeles Homeowners. Door lock repair across the United States typically runs $70 – $260 depending on the type of lock and what has failed. A simple latch replacement or knob cleaning starts around $70 – $90. Deadbolt realignment and cylinder work runs $90 – $190. Sliding and patio door locks cost more, usually $95 – $260, because the hardware is specialized and often corroded. Broken key extraction falls between $75 and $150. These are honest national ranges, not teaser rates. What moves the price is the lock type, the brand of hardware, whether parts are in stock or need ordering, and how badly the mechanism is worn before we open it up.
To avoid overpaying, ask for the written price before the technician starts, and confirm there is no dispatch fee or call-out surcharge. Preston Locksmith & Security never charges a fee just to show up, and the price we quote on the phone is the price on your invoice. Every estimate is free, every repair includes a written guarantee, and every second visit under that guarantee is free if the repair fails. You’ll know the number before a single tool leaves the bag.
Where We Work
Preston Locksmith & Security serves homeowners and businesses across the United States through local independently owned and operated crews. Each location staffs its own background-checked, uniformed technicians and answers its own phones with a live person, 24/7. Because we’re part of the Relay Home Co. family, the Relay Visibility Guarantee applies to every job we run, no matter which crew arrives. There’s a Preston technician close enough to help, and the same written price, tracking, and guarantee standard covers every visit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Door Lock Repair
Door lock repair is the process of diagnosing and fixing a lock that sticks, jams, fails to latch, or won’t turn with the key, without always replacing the entire lock. Most repairs involve cleaning, lubrication, strike plate adjustment, small part replacement, or cylinder repinning. Not sure whether to tackle it yourself? Read DIY vs Professional Door Lock Repair: What’s Safe to Do Yourself. Preston Locksmith & Security has repaired door locks since 2008, and every repair includes a written price before work begins and a written guarantee after it’s done.
Most door lock repairs are completed in 30 to 90 minutes on-site. Broken key extraction is usually under 15 minutes, while deadbolt realignment or patio door lock repair can push toward the 90-minute mark. Our technicians arrive with common parts stocked on the truck, so most jobs finish on the same visit without a follow-up appointment.
Door lock repair typically costs $70 to $260 depending on the lock type and the failure. Entry knobs and latches run $70 – $150, deadbolts run $90 – $190, and sliding or patio door locks run $95 – $260. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, with no dispatch fee and no upcharge on arrival. Call (409) 405-4485 for an exact quote, and the estimate is free.
Yes, we service Schlage and Kwikset hardware every day, along with Medeco, Yale, Baldwin, Mul-T-Lock, Sargent, and Abloy. Our technicians stock common Schlage and Kwikset replacement parts on the truck, so most repairs finish same-day. We’re trained on both standard residential cylinders and high-security commercial hardware.
Yes. Phones at Preston Locksmith & Security are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Emergency lock repair for homes and businesses is available around the clock, and you’ll get a live arrival time you can track before the technician shows up. Call (409) 405-4485 any time.
Every door lock repair includes the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right. The guarantee is written on your invoice, and it covers a free second visit if the repair fails within a year. No charge, no argument, no fine print to navigate afterward.
Have the key for the problem lock ready, and if possible note the lock brand before the technician arrives. Clear a small working space around the door so the technician can access both sides. You don’t need to remove any hardware yourself, and you won’t be charged extra for the technician to evaluate the lock. The diagnostic is part of the free estimate.
Schedule Your Door Lock Repair Service Today
Call (409) 405-4485 now and a live person will answer, day or night. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, a live arrival time you can track, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise on every repair. No dispatch fees, no changed invoices, no phone tag. If your lock is failing, the fix is one call away.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving customers nationwide since 2008.