A typical deadbolt visit usually covers:

• Checking the door, frame, and existing hardware before anything comes off
• Removing the old deadbolt, knob, or handleset
• Boring or adjusting the door for the new hardware where the footprint doesn't match
• Installing the new deadbolt with proper backset and clean alignment
• Repositioning or replacing the strike plate so the bolt seats fully
• Adding longer screws into the frame stud where the door needs the extra hold
• Patching small gaps or voids left behind by mismatched hardware
• Testing the lock repeatedly with the door fully closed, not just standing open
• Final check for smooth operation with no friction and no lifting

✔️ Homeowner-supplied hardware is completely fine — most people already have something picked out. If you haven't bought yet, send a photo and we'll tell you what to look for so you don't end up with the wrong backset.

This is ideal for:

• New homeowners changing every lock after closing
• Landlords and homeowners between tenants who need the keys reset
• Doors where the bolt only throws if you pull or lift the door
• Worn-out knobs and handlesets that stick, sag, or rattle
• Adding a deadbolt to a door that only has a knob lock
• Full front door hardware replacements — deadbolt and handleset together
• Anyone with several doors to do in one visit

This may NOT be the right fit for:

• Rekeying an existing lock to a new key — that's locksmith work, and we'll point you to one
• Lockouts, broken keys, or extracting a key snapped off in the cylinder
• High-security or restricted keyway systems that require a licensed dealer
• Master key systems across multiple properties
• Commercial panic hardware, exit devices, and access control systems
• Full door slab or frame replacement

If it's outside handyman scope, we'll tell you straight and point you in the right direction. If it's something else we handle — a smart lock, a door that won't latch, a whole list of items around the house — just say so when you text and we'll fold it into the same visit.

Some of our favorite calls take us up into the neighborhoods overlooking the San Diego airport. The drive is worth the trip on its own, and the views up there don't get old even after years of working all over this county.

A homeowner in one of those houses called about her front door. She wanted the full hardware replaced — the deadbolt and the handleset both, one of the decorative sets with a thumb lever. The old hardware had worn out over time, and once we looked at how the door was closing, the reason was clear. The strike plate wasn't lining up, likely from the door settling over the years, so every single close and latch had been dragging metal across metal. Years of that friction had worn the hardware out from the inside.

She'd already bought the replacement, a Kwikset set close to what was there. Close, but not identical — the footprint was slightly different. And when the old hardware came off, the door told the rest of the story. Whoever installed it before had done a hack job, and it had been hidden under the escutcheon the whole time.

So the door got fixed before the new hardware went on. We bored the hole out properly to accept the new set, then patched a small void where the new footprint didn't cover what the old one had. From there we set the strike plates to line up with the new hardware, so the latch and the deadbolt both seat clean with zero friction on the way in. That's the part that matters on a front door — the bolt going all the way home every time, without anybody having to lean on the door to make it happen.

And like most of our service calls go, she had one more thing. A decorative ceiling fan waiting to go up in her daughter's bedroom. We handled that before we left.

We take pride in making everybody in the house happy.

We don't quote deadbolt work off a price list, because two doors that look identical from the driveway can be very different jobs once the old hardware comes off.

What drives the cost:

• How many doors. Several doors in one visit costs less per door than one door on its own. Almost everyone does more than one.
• Whether the new hardware matches the old footprint. A clean swap is quick. Different backset, different bore size, or a handleset replacing a knob means the door has to be modified first.
• What's underneath. Previous bad installs are common. Oversized holes, chewed-up edges, and voids from mismatched hardware all have to be corrected before the new lock goes on.
• Door material. Solid wood, hollow core, metal, and fiberglass all behave differently under a bit.
• Frame condition. Soft or split wood where the strike plate mounts needs to be reinforced, or the new lock is only as strong as the wood holding it.
• Whether the strike plate needs to move. On a settled door, it usually does.
• Bundled work. If we're already at the house, adding other items to the visit is the cheapest way to get them done.

The fastest way to a real number is a photo. Text a picture of the door, the current hardware, and the replacement if you've already bought it to 619-815-7588, and we'll tell you what we're looking at.

Call sooner rather than later if any of this sounds like your door:

You just got the keys. Previous owners, their family, a contractor, an old roommate, the neighbor who watered the plants — you have no idea how many copies are out there. Changing the locks is usually the first thing worth doing in a new place, and it's a one-visit job.

The bolt doesn't throw all the way. If you can turn the key but feel it stop short, the bolt isn't seated. That door is unlocked in every way that matters.

You've been lifting the door for months. People adapt to a bad lock without realizing it. If there's a move you have to make before the key turns, the alignment is off.

The hardware is visibly worn. Loose thumb levers, sagging handles, and knobs that spin a little before they catch are all telling you the internals are going. When the front door hardware is worn, most people replace the deadbolt and the handleset together so the finish matches and both are new.

The door itself is fighting you. If it sticks, drags, or won't latch without a shove, the lock isn't the root problem — the door is. We handle that too under our Door Not Closing Properly Repair service, and we can look at the door and the lock in the same visit.

You've got a list. Most homeowners aren't calling about one lock. They're calling about a lock, a ceiling fan, and a shelf that's been leaning in the garage since March. That's a single visit — see our Household Installations page for how we handle a whole list at once.

We're a family-run, owner-operated handyman service based in Eastlake, and we work across South Bay, East County, and Central San Diego. Over 500 Google reviews at 4.9 stars, and we'd like to keep it that way, so we don't rush a door to get to the next call.

What that means on a lock job: we test it closed, not open. Anyone can hang a deadbolt that turns freely with the door swung wide. The only test that counts is the one you'll do every night — door shut, key turned, bolt seated all the way with no shoulder into it.

We also tell you what we find. If the frame is soft, if the last install was a hack job, if the hardware you bought isn't going to fit the door you have — you hear it from us before we start, not after.

And we treat customers like neighbors, because most of the time that's exactly what they are.

Do I need to buy the deadbolt, or do you supply it?

Either works. Most people already have something picked out, and homeowner-supplied hardware is completely fine. If you haven't bought yet, text us a photo of the door and current lock and we'll tell you what backset and style to look for so you don't end up returning it.

Will a new deadbolt fit the holes that are already there?

Usually, but not always. Standard residential doors use common bore sizes, so a straight swap often drops right in. Where it gets involved is when the new hardware has a different footprint than the old, or when a previous install was done sloppy. Then the door needs to be bored or patched first. A photo tells us a lot before we ever show up.

Can you change all the locks in the house so they use one key?

We can install matching hardware across your doors so one key runs the house, as long as the sets are keyed alike from the box or bought as a set. Rekeying the cylinders in your existing locks is locksmith work — different trade, different tools — and we'll point you to someone good.

Why does my key stick even though the lock is new?

Nine times out of ten it's alignment, not the lock. If the bolt has to scrape into the strike plate to reach the hole, the key will feel tight and the hardware will wear out early. Moving the strike plate to where the bolt actually lands fixes it.

Can you do a few other things while you're here?

Yes, and most customers do. Ceiling fans, light fixtures, shelves, curtain rods, TV mounts — one visit beats calling three different people. Tell us the whole list when you text and we'll plan the visit around it.

Can you install a smart lock instead of a standard deadbolt?

Yes. Smart locks are their own install — keypad or app setup, and the door alignment has to be right or the motorized bolt will struggle. We cover that on our Smart Lock Installations page. If you're deciding between the two, text us and we'll talk it through.

My door sticks and won't latch right. Can you fix that too?

Yes. A door that drags or won't latch is usually hinges, swelling, or a settled frame rather than the lock itself. That's our Door Not Closing Properly Repair service, and we can handle the door and the new hardware in one visit so you're not booking twice.

If you just moved in and don't know who has a key, or you've been lifting the door to get the bolt to catch, that's a short visit and a solved problem.

Text a photo of the door and the hardware to 619-815-7588 — including the replacement if you've already bought it — and we'll tell you what it needs. If you've got other items on the list, send those too. One visit is easier for everybody.