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 Alamo
Locked out on Stone Valley Road at 9pm? Need a deadbolt replaced on a custom door off Danville Boulevard before the weekend? A residential locksmith in Alamo should give you a firm price on the phone, a live arrival time you can track, and a technician in uniform who does not drill your original hardware. That is how we work. Preston Locksmith & Security serves all of Alamo with background-checked techs and written pricing before any work starts. Call (409) 405-4485 and a live person answers – no voicemail tree, no callback queue.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Alamo’s Preferred Residential Locksmith Company
Alamo homes are different from what you find ten minutes west. Large custom builds, gated driveways, mortise locks from Baldwin and Schlage that were spec’d when the house was designed – not whatever was on sale at the hardware store. Our techs have worked on enough Alamo doors to know that a rushed drill job on a custom entry set can cost more than the service call itself. That is why every Residential Locksmith job starts with a written price, confirmed before we dispatch. The number you agree to is the number on the invoice. No gate fee added in the driveway. No guest-house surcharge mentioned for the first time on site.
We are part of the Relay Home Co. family, founded in 2008, and each location is independently owned and operated. Our Alamo customers get before-and-after photos of every job, a live trackable arrival window, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it is not done right, we make it right. That promise is stamped in writing on every repair. Kevin Yoon leads our team, and every technician carries ID, wears a uniform, and arrives in a marked vehicle.
House Lockout in Alamo
House Lockout in Alamo frequently starts somewhere other than the front door. On gated properties, we often begin at the driveway gate, then work the side entry, a guest-house door, or the mudroom lock. A standard residential lockout in Alamo runs $95 to $190, with the written price agreed before dispatch. If the lock is a high-security or imported model, we tell you the exact range on the phone – not after we arrive.
Non-Destructive Entry, Always the First Move
We pick and bypass locks before we even discuss drilling. On Alamo homes with original Baldwin mortise bodies, Kwikset smart locks, or Schlage deadbolts, non-destructive entry is usually straightforward for a tech who carries the right tools. Drilling is a last resort, and you approve it before it happens.
After the Lockout: Rekey, Don’t Replace
If keys went missing or a contractor, cleaner, or housesitter may have a copy, rekeying – swapping the internal pins so old keys stop working without replacing the hardware – usually runs $25 to $40 per cylinder in Alamo. That keeps your original hardware intact, which matters when the finish and style match doors throughout the house.
Deadbolt Installation in Alamo
Deadbolt Installation in Alamo means matching the existing hardware finish and door prep on homes where a lot of the door hardware is original, imported, or both. A standard single-cylinder deadbolt install runs $120 to $220 in Alamo, including the lock. A high-security deadbolt – think Medeco or Mul-T-Lock – typically runs $260 to $400 installed, with the exact price in writing before we start.
High-Security Deadbolts for Gated Alamo Lots
Because Alamo homes sit on larger lots with entry points a neighbor cannot see, we often recommend bump-resistant, pick-resistant deadbolts from Medeco or Schlage. These have restricted keyways, which means keys cannot be duplicated at a big-box kiosk. Homeowners like that.
Reinforcing the Door, Not Just the Lock
A deadbolt is only as strong as the strike plate and the door frame behind it. When we install a deadbolt in Alamo, we check the frame for split wood, install a hardened strike plate with 3-inch screws where needed, and confirm the door closes tight with no play. That is part of the install, not an add-on.
Trusted Brands We Service in Alamo
We service and install Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Abloy hardware – and we stock common cylinders, tailpieces, and strike plates for these brands on our service vehicles. That means most Alamo jobs are completed in one visit. If your house came with Baldwin mortise locks or a Mul-T-Lock high-security system, we are trained on those too, and we can often rekey them without replacing original trim plates.
Common Residential Locksmith Problems We See in Alamo Homes
- Contractor keys still floating around. Alamo sees a lot of remodels and landscape projects. If a general contractor, pool company, or handyman had a key, assume copies exist. A full rekey – every exterior cylinder repinned – runs $120 to $250 total depending on lock count.
- Imported or custom hardware with no local parts. Original doors from the 1970s and 1980s often have mortise locks from European brands. A tech who only carries Kwikset parts will push a replace. We repair what we can, source the part, and only replace when it genuinely cannot be fixed.
- Driveway gate access conflicts. The same key that opens the house often does not open the gate box. When a lockout starts at the gate, we can often open the gate, the house, or both without drilling, as long as the lock is serviceable.
- Summer heat and wood movement. Alamo’s warm, dry summers shrink wood doors and frames. A deadbolt aligned in March can bind by August. We check alignment on any install or repair, and a simple latch adjustment is often all that is needed.
Pricing for Residential Locksmith in Alamo, CA
Honest numbers for Alamo, so you know what to expect before you call. A house lockout runs $95 to $190. Rekeying runs $25 to $40 per cylinder. Deadbolt installation runs $120 to $220 for standard hardware, $260 to $400 for high-security. Door reinforcement work – strike plates, frame repair, hinge screws – typically adds $40 to $90 to an install. The exact price is quoted on the phone, in writing, before anyone is dispatched. There is no call-out surcharge added on arrival, and no number changes between the estimate and the invoice. Call (409) 405-4485 for a free estimate on any residential locksmith work in Alamo.
We Also Serve Cities Near Alamo
Our Residential Locksmith in Alamo service area extends to nearby communities across the 94507 and surrounding zip codes, including Walnut Creek, Moraga, Lafayette, and Danville. If you are just outside Alamo proper, call us – we likely cover your street too, and the same written pricing rules apply.
Serving Alamo, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Alamo 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 About Residential Locksmith in Alamo
Yes, in almost every case. We use non-destructive picking and bypass techniques before any drilling is even mentioned. Drilling is a last resort, and you approve it before we do it. Most Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin residential locks on Alamo homes open non-destructively in under twenty minutes. Call (409) 405-4485 for a quote.
No, you usually do not need to replace the locks. Rekeying replaces the internal pins so all existing keys stop working, while the original hardware stays in place. In Alamo, rekeying runs $25 to $40 per cylinder, so a house with three exterior doors is typically under $150 total. The hardware reference guide is included in the written estimate.
Three things: a pick-resistant deadbolt, a hardened strike plate anchored with 3-inch screws into the framing, and a door that closes tight without play. We install all three as one service. A full door reinforcement and deadbolt upgrade in Alamo runs $160 to $310 depending on hardware grade. Call (409) 405-4485 and we will quote the exact number before dispatch.
Yes, and that is the only way we work. We price the job on the phone, in writing, before anyone is dispatched. The number you agree to is the number on the invoice. No gate fee. No guest-house surcharge. No “it was more complicated than expected” line. If we find something unexpected on site, we stop and give you a new written number before any additional work.
You get a photo and name of the technician before they arrive, along with a live trackable arrival window. They drive a marked vehicle, wear a uniform, and carry ID. On a gated Alamo property, you can confirm all of that before you open the gate. That is the Relay Visibility Guarantee, and it is included on every job we do.
Written by Kevin Yoon, owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Alamo and the San Francisco Bay Area since 2008.






