Locksmith services in Atlanta

Choosing the right service

If you already know what you need, the pages above go straight to it. If you are not sure, the distinction that matters most is between repair, rekeying and replacement. A lock that has become hard to operate usually needs repair or, if it is worn out, replacement. A lock that works but is opened by a key you no longer control needs rekeying. A door with no deadbolt, or a lock you want to upgrade, needs installation. When you describe the problem on the phone, the likely category is usually clear, and it is confirmed once the technician sees the hardware.

Homes

Residential work covers lockouts, rekeying after a move or a lost key, repair of sticking and misaligned locks, and installation of new deadbolts and entry hardware. Because a front door is a system, the technician checks the hinges, the frame and the strike, not only the cylinder. Full detail is on the residential locksmith page.

Businesses

Commercial work covers rekeying after staff changes, repair and replacement of closers, panic hardware and mortise and storefront locks, and organising keys with a simple master system and a written schedule. Fire-rated and accessible openings are handled with hardware that keeps the rating. See the commercial locksmith page.

Vehicles

Automotive work covers lockouts, replacement keys and fobs, broken-key extraction, transponder programming and ignition assessment. What is possible depends on the year, make and model, which is confirmed on the call. Proof of ownership is required. See the car locksmith page.

Outside normal hours

For lockouts, broken keys and doors that will not secure outside business hours, the after-hours locksmith page explains what to expect. The client's phone line is listed as open 24 hours, and any pricing is explained on the call.

Repair, rekey or replace: the distinction that matters

Almost every locksmith request is really one of three things. Repair corrects a fault in hardware that is otherwise sound, such as a misaligned deadbolt, a loose handle or a gritty cylinder. Rekeying changes which key operates a working lock, which is what you want after a move, a lost key or a staff change. Replacement removes the old hardware and fits new, which makes sense when a lock is worn, damaged, weak, or missing where you want one. Asking for the wrong one is common, and part of the job is pointing that out before any work.

How a job is priced

A firm price depends on inspecting the work, so it is given after the technician sees the hardware rather than over the phone. The factors that move it are how many locks or doors are involved, the type and condition of the hardware, whether parts are needed, and the access at the site. Any pricing is described in general terms on the call and confirmed before work begins.

What to expect on the visit

The technician inspects the hardware and the whole opening, explains the options and the cost, and confirms the work with you before starting. Non-destructive methods are used wherever the lock allows. If an unexpected condition turns up once a lock is apart, it is explained before any additional work goes ahead. Most standard work is completed on the first visit; anything needing a special-order part is scheduled.

Hardware terms in plain language

A few words come up on almost every call. The cylinder or plug is the part the key goes into and turns; it holds the pins that are changed during a rekey. The bolt is what actually crosses into the frame: a spring latch on a knob or lever retracts when you turn the handle, while a deadbolt only moves when the key or thumbturn is turned. The strike is the metal plate on the frame that the bolt enters. The backset is the distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the bore, and the throw is how far the bolt travels. A mortise lock sits in a pocket cut into the edge of the door, common on older and commercial doors, while a bored or cylindrical lock fits into round holes drilled through the face.

Requests that are often confused

People frequently ask to "change the locks" when they mean rekey, and to "rekey" when a lock is actually worn out and needs replacing. Others ask for a "new key" after a loss when what protects them is a rekey, since the lost key still works. And a request to "fix the deadbolt" is often really a request to realign the door. None of this is a problem; part of the job on the phone and on site is matching the request to what the situation actually needs, and explaining why.

If more than one service applies

Many visits touch two or three of these at once: a move-in rekey that turns up one worn lock to replace and a door to realign; a lockout that ends with a recommendation to rekey; an installation that needs repair work on the frame first. The technician handles what can be done in the visit, explains anything that needs a return trip for a part, and prices the combined work before starting.

How the visit is structured

Every job runs the same way regardless of which service it is. The technician listens to the problem and looks at the whole opening, not just the part you noticed. The options, repair, rekey or replace, are laid out with the reasoning and the cost. You agree the work before it starts. Non-destructive methods are used wherever the lock allows. If something unexpected turns up once a lock is apart, it is explained before any additional work. Standard work is finished on the first visit; anything needing a special-order part is scheduled, with a temporary measure in place if the opening cannot be left unsecured.

One consistent piece of advice

Across every one of these services, the same two measures come up. First, key your exterior doors alike so a single reliable key runs the property, which makes it realistic to lock every door and to keep track of how many copies exist. Second, make sure each exterior deadbolt throws its full length into a strike held by three-inch screws that reach the framing, because that is where most doors are weakest and it is the least expensive meaningful upgrade. Whatever you are calling about, it is worth asking the technician to check both while they are there.

Working with a mobile locksmith

Fast Locksmith Service travels to the customer and does not run a public walk-in shop, so the first contact is a phone call or the contact form rather than a counter visit. On the call you describe the lock, the door, the key or the vehicle and what changed; coverage is confirmed against your street or nearest intersection; and the likely category of work and the factors affecting its cost are discussed. A firm recommendation and a firm price still depend on the technician seeing the hardware, because the same symptom often has more than one cause.

Authorization is checked every time

Every access job requires proof that you own, occupy or are authorized to control the property or vehicle. For a home that is usually identification matching the address; for a rental, a lease or a manager's confirmation; for a business, an authorized contact; for a vehicle, ownership documentation. This is routine, it protects everyone, and a locksmith who is willing to skip it is one to be cautious about.

Non-destructive methods first

Wherever the lock allows, it is opened or serviced without damage: picking, bypass tools, and decoding leave the hardware usable afterwards. Drilling is a last resort for a seized or hardened lock, or one that is already broken, and the technician explains that it is next and that the lock will be replaced before doing it.

Before and after the visit

For planned work, a few photographs of the whole door and both faces of the hardware help the technician arrive prepared, and clearing the space around each door speeds the job. Afterwards, the technician checks that bolts throw fully with the door open and closed, that keys turn without effort, and that strike screws are tight in solid material, and explains anything that may need a further small adjustment as an older door continues to move with the seasons. The client's phone line is listed as open 24 hours, and any pricing is confirmed before work begins.