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 Fontana
Locked out on Juniper Avenue at 9 p.m.? Need a deadbolt replaced before a tenant moves into a house near Southridge? A residential locksmith in Fontana should give you a live, trackable arrival time and a dollar figure in writing before anyone drives to you. That’s how Preston Locksmith & Security operates here. We’re dispatched from the Inland Empire office and serve Fontana locally, with background-checked, uniformed technicians who arrive when the tracking link says they will. Call (409) 405-4485 and a live person answers, day or night.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Fontana’s Preferred Residential Locksmith Company
Fontana homeowners have a specific problem with locksmiths they hired before us: the price on the phone was not the price at the door. We hear it constantly from people off Sierra Avenue, in the neighborhoods around Jurupa Hills, throughout the 92335 and 92336 zip codes. A $29 teaser becomes $289 after an “emergency surcharge” and a vague “higher security” upcharge. That is the failure mode this page exists to kill.
Here is what we do instead. Every job, including a Residential Locksmith call in Fontana, starts with a written price confirmed before tools leave the bag. You get a live trackable arrival time, the name and photo of the technician coming to your door, before-and-after photos of the work, and a digital invoice with a pay link. The written price is the invoice price. That promise is called The Relay Visibility Guarantee, and it is backed by a 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it is not done right, we make it right. Free second visit if the repair fails. No argument.
We also answer our own phone. Always. You will not reach a call center in another state or a voicemail tree at 2 a.m. on a Sunday. A live person picks up, asks the right questions, and starts the dispatch process while you are still on the line.
Apartment Locksmith in Fontana
Apartment locksmith work in Fontana usually means one of two situations: a tenant locked out of a unit near the 10 Freeway or a property owner who needs a lock changed between tenants in a building off Cherry Avenue. In rental properties, the job is almost always a rekey or a cylinder swap on a deadbolt, not a full hardware replacement. A standard apartment lock rekey in Fontana runs $65 to $110 per cylinder, including new keys, with the written price confirmed before we start.
Rekey Instead of Replace
Rekeying means swapping the internal pins inside the cylinder so the old tenant’s key no longer turns the plug. No new hardware, no changing the exterior trim, and the job takes about 20 minutes per lock. Most Fontana apartments use Schlage or Kwikset pin and tumbler cylinders, and we stock those pin kits locally, so there is no second trip for parts.
Deadbolt Replacement on Rental Units
If the deadbolt is worn, rusted, or was drilled by the previous tenant’s handyman, we replace it. A new Grade 1 Schlage or Kwikset deadbolt installed in a Fontana apartment typically runs $95 to $165 per door, hardware included. We can keep the master key system intact if your building uses one; tell us when you call and we will bring the right cylinder.
Lost Key Replacement in Fontana
Lost key replacement in Fontana means one of three things: cutting new keys from an existing spare, rekeying locks so the lost key stops working, or originating a new key when no spare exists at all. If you lost the only key to your house off Base Line Road, the honest fix is usually a rekey: new internal pins, new keys cut, and the lost key becomes dead metal. A standard rekey for a single-family Fontana home runs $65 to $120 per cylinder, and the written price comes before any work.
When There Is No Spare Key
No spare at all for a Schlage or Kwikset deadbolt? We can originate a key by reading the cylinder, usually without destruction. For common builders-grade locks on 1980s and 1990s Fontana tract homes, this is straightforward and typically runs $75 to $135 per lock including the service call, the new key, and time on site. For a Medeco or Mul-T-Lock cylinder, key origination requires a security card and authorized blanks; we can help you through that process and give you the exact cost before we start.
Lost Keys and Home Security
One thing we always flag to Fontana homeowners: if the lost key had no identification attached and you cannot be sure who holds it, a rekey is the only reliable fix. New copies are cheaper, but they do not stop the lost key from turning the lock. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every rekey: if the new key sticks, the cylinder binds, or something is off, we come back free.
Trusted Brands We Service in Fontana
Our Fontana techs carry pin kits, cylinders, and key blanks for Schlage and Kwikset as everyday stock, plus Medeco and Yale hardware for owners who want restricted keyways. That matters out here because so many homes were built with builders-grade Kwikset or Schlage deadbolts, and we can rekey onto a Schlage or Kwikset restricted keyway without changing the whole lock. For high-security Medeco work, we quote the cylinder and key cost upfront, in writing, before you commit. No surprise line items at the invoice.
Common Residential Locksmith Problems We See in Fontana Homes
- Builders-grade lockouts at night. Fontana’s 1980s to 2000s tract housing off Sierra Avenue and the Southridge area was largely built with Kwikset and Schlage pin and tumbler deadbolts still on original doors decades later. A non-destructive pick and tension wrench opens these in about 10 minutes on most calls, no drilling required, and we quote that method before starting.
- Rekeying onto a common factory keyway. We regularly see Fontana homeowners whose “new” keys still fit a neighbor’s old lock because a previous locksmith rekeyed onto the same common keyway. The fix is a restricted keyway, which controls blank duplication and means only we can copy your keys.
- Heat and sun damage on exterior locks. Inland Empire summers punish exterior hardware. Cylinders get gritty, deadbolts bind, and keyways wear faster than they would at the coast. We carry replacement tailpieces, springs, and cylinders so a gritty lock on a door facing the afternoon sun does not become a 9 p.m. lockout.
- Drilled locks from past “fast” jobs. We see this most often in rental turnover units: a previous tech drilled a Schlage cylinder instead of picking it, and now the landlord has a destroyed lock and a matching bill. If a lock is functional, non-destructive entry is usually possible; we will tell you straight before any drill touches your door.
Pricing for Residential Locksmith in Fontana, CA
Here is what residential locksmith work actually costs in Fontana, as of 2025. A standard house lockout, picked without drilling, runs $75 to $140. A rekey of a Kwikset or Schlage cylinder runs $65 to $110 per lock, including new keys. Deadbolt installation is $95 to $165 per door with hardware. Door reinforcement, including a strike plate and longer screws, adds $45 to $80. All of these are written, flat prices quoted before dispatch, and the invoice matches the quote. Call (409) 405-4485 for a free estimate on your specific lock. Kevin Yoon and the team will give you the full number while you are on the phone.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fontana
Beyond Fontana, our techs cover Bloomington, Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga, and Riverside with the same written-price, live-tracking standard. If you are just over the city line, you get the same Fontana service area pricing and response discipline. No separate rate card, no longer windows.
Serving Fontana, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fontana 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 Fontana
Every Preston technician is background-checked, uniformed, and dispatched under our name, never a subcontractor. Before the tech arrives, you receive their name, photo, and a live trackable arrival link. Match the person at the door to the photo on your screen. If it is not the same person, do not open the door and call us. That rule protects every Fontana homeowner we serve. Call (409) 405-4485 for any job.
Most Fontana lockouts do not require drilling. With standard Kwikset, Schlage, and Yale pin and tumbler cylinders common on local homes, non-destructive picking works in the large majority of cases. Drilling is only for cylinders that are genuinely seized, damaged, or high-security types where picking is not practical. We tell you which method applies before we begin, and the price you were quoted does not change based on the method. Call (409) 405-4485 and tell us the lock brand; we will tell you what to expect.
Yes. The building entry keypad is separate from your unit deadbolt, and you can rekey your own door cylinder without touching the building system. We handle unit-level rekeys in Fontana apartment complexes regularly, including properties off Cherry Avenue and near the 10 Freeway. The rekey runs $65 to $110 per cylinder, and we can cut new keys on site. Call (409) 405-4485 with your building name and we will confirm the process before dispatch.
Rekeying is cheaper in almost every case in Fontana. A standard Kwikset or Schlage cylinder rekey runs $65 to $110 and delivers the same security outcome as replacing the lock if the hardware itself is mechanically sound. Replacement only makes sense when the lock is worn out, rusted, or you want to upgrade to a restricted keyway. In those cases, a new Grade 1 deadbolt installed runs $95 to $165. We will give you the exact figures on the phone before sending anyone. Call (409) 405-4485.
It is not a problem, but it is more involved than a standard Kwikset rekey. Medeco and Mul-T-Lock cylinders use restricted keyways and security cards that control key duplication. If you have the security card, we can order and cut new keys; if not, the cylinder may need to be replaced or rekeyed to a new restricted keyway, which we can do on site. You will get the full written price before any work begins, including key blanks. Call (409) 405-4485 and we will walk you through exactly what your lock requires.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Fontana since 2008.