After two decades of opening doors across South Florida, some things become obvious to us that almost no homeowner knows. None of these are trade secrets in any real sense — they are just the gap between what we see every day and what people assume.
1. Rekeying Is Usually Cheaper Than Replacing
Most people call to have locks changed when what they actually want is for the old keys to stop working. That is a rekey: we swap the internal pins so a new key operates the existing hardware. It starts around $39 per lock instead of $65 and up for replacement, and it takes minutes. Unless the lock is damaged or you are upgrading its security grade, replacement is money spent on nothing.
2. Your Deadbolt Is Probably Fine. Your Strike Plate Isn't.
The most common weakness we see is not the lock — it is the strike plate held to the door frame by two half-inch screws that reach only the trim. A determined kick pulls the whole plate out of soft pine. Three-inch screws that reach the structural stud behind the frame cost a few dollars and change the entire equation. This is the highest-value home security upgrade in existence and almost nobody does it.
3. The $19 Service Call Is Never $19
That number exists to get a technician to your door while you are stressed and out of options. The real number appears after the lock is open. Legitimate shops quote a total range on the phone. If someone will not give you one, you already have your answer.
4. Locks Are Rated, and the Rating Is on the Box
ANSI Grade 1 is commercial-strength, Grade 2 is mid-range, Grade 3 is the builder-grade hardware on most Florida tract homes. The difference in a kick or drill test is substantial and the price difference at retail is often under thirty dollars. Almost no homeowner checks.
5. That Second Lock on Your Door May Be Doing Nothing
Knob locks are not security devices. The button in the handle stops a door from swinging open; it does not resist force. If a door has a knob lock and a deadbolt, the deadbolt is the lock. If it has only a knob lock, it is effectively unlocked against anyone willing to push.
The one that surprises people most
A hidden key under a mat, a rock or a planter is found within minutes by anyone actually looking. Those are the first three places checked. If you want a spare outside, use a lockbox mounted to something solid, or leave it with a neighbor.
6. Most Lockouts Do Not Require Drilling
Picking and bypass open the large majority of residential locks with no damage. If a technician reaches for a drill immediately on a standard deadbolt, it usually means they lack the skill for the alternative — and you end up buying hardware you did not need.
7. Car Keys Do Not Require the Dealership
A mobile locksmith can pull your key code from the VIN, cut a key and program the transponder to your car's immobilizer in your driveway. It is normally faster and cheaper than towing to a dealer, and it works for the large majority of makes and model years.
8. Salt Air Eats Locks in South Florida
Within a few hundred feet of open water, standard cylinders corrode from the inside and start binding within four or five years — a lock that would last fifteen years inland. If your key has started turning hard near the coast, that is corrosion, not dirt, and a dry lubricant plus marine-grade replacement solves it.
9. One Key for the Whole House Is Standard, Not a Luxury
Homeowners routinely carry four keys for four exterior doors because that is how the house came. Any locksmith can key them alike in a single visit for the price of a rekey per lock. Most people simply do not know it is an option.
10. Ask for the License Number Before Dispatch
Florida regulates this trade. A legitimate shop gives the number over the phone without hesitation, and it appears on the van and the invoice. It takes ten seconds and screens out most of what goes wrong in this industry. Ours is #00443LK.
Bottom Line
The two highest-value things on this list cost almost nothing: three-inch screws in your strike plate, and asking for a license number and total price before anyone is dispatched. The rest is worth knowing next time you are deciding between a rekey and a replacement. US Locksmith is available 24/7 across South Florida at 1-866-776-6062.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in most cases. Rekeying swaps the internal pins so a new key works the existing hardware, starting around $39 per lock, while replacement typically starts around $65 plus the cost of new hardware. Replacement only makes sense when the lock is damaged or you are upgrading its security grade.
Replace the short screws in your strike plate with three-inch screws that reach the structural stud behind the door frame. Most strike plates are held by half-inch screws that only reach the trim, which is the single most common weak point we see. The parts cost a few dollars.
No. A knob lock stops a door from swinging open but offers almost no resistance to force. If your door has both a knob lock and a deadbolt, the deadbolt is doing the security work. A door with only a knob lock is effectively unlocked against anyone willing to push.
Usually not. A mobile automotive locksmith can pull the key code from your VIN, cut a new key and program the transponder to your vehicle's immobilizer at your location. This is generally faster and less expensive than towing to a dealership.
Salt aerosol corrodes the pins and springs inside the cylinder. Within a few hundred feet of open water, a standard cylinder commonly starts binding within four to five years compared with twelve to fifteen inland. A dry lubricant service and marine-grade hardware solve it.
Need a Locksmith in South Florida?
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Call 1-866-776-6062Learn more about professional standards from the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA).