Company Facts
Cothron's Safe & Lock at a Glance
The work
- Best for
- Safes, key fobs and commercial door hardware from Austin's oldest locksmith
- Primary service
- Locksmith
Where
- Headquarters
- Austin, TX
- Service area
- Austin
- Emergency service
- Yes, 24/7
Money and guarantees
- Free estimates
- Not advertised
- Financing
- Not advertised
Credentials
- Texas locksmith company licence
- B10744 (reported by the company, not verified)
Editorial Review
Our Take on Cothron's Safe & Lock
Cothron's Safe & Lock has been in Austin since 1948 and still runs stores with counters, a showroom and a marked fleet. Its 4.6 rating is a little lower than the small shops on this list, but the licence number, the history and the safe and commercial range are hard to match.
Best forSafes, key fobs and commercial door hardware from Austin's oldest locksmith
What We Like
- In Austin since 1948 and still family owned, by its own account
- South Austin store at 1315 W Ben White Blvd open six days a week
- Texas licence number B10744 shown on its website
- 24 hour mobile service from a fleet of marked vehicles, per the company
- Safes, door hardware, access control and locksmith work under one roof
Things to Consider
- Closed on Sundays at the Ben White store
- A reviewer says the shop is hard to find, so drive past the Firestone lot
- 4.6 from 129 reviews is below the 4.9 and 5.0 scores of smaller shops here
Customer Ratings
Google Reviews for Cothron's Safe & Lock
Customer ratings shown here come from Google. They are separate from our editorial review above.
Rating Distribution
- 5 stars80%
- 4 stars10%
- 3 stars3%
- 2 stars1%
- 1 star6%
iAbout this distribution
The distribution reflects the 129 Google reviews available when this profile's review data was last refreshed on October 29, 2026. Ratings and counts change continuously on Google, so figures here may lag the live profile slightly. We publish only the values returned by the source, never estimates for missing bands.
Recent Google Reviews
Editorial Ranking
Why Cothron's Safe & Lock Made Our Top 5
It holds position 3 in 5 Best Locksmiths in Austin, TX (2026).
Areas Served
Based in Austin, TX.
iAbout service coverage
Coverage is as the business describes it, cross-checked against where its recent documented work is. A company will often travel beyond the areas listed here for a large job and decline a small one at the same distance, so confirm your address before scheduling.
Company Background
About Cothron's Safe & Lock
Cothron's Safe & Lock is the oldest name on this list. Olen Cothron started the business as a small kiosk on Congress Avenue in 1948, and the company says it is still family owned and operated. The South Austin store sits at 1315 W Ben White Blvd, and the company runs three more locations in North Austin, Round Rock and Cedar Park plus a corporate office on Exchange Drive.
This review covers the Ben White store. It is open 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday and 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, and closed Sunday. For emergencies the company says it offers 24 hour mobile service across Austin, and its site says technicians wear approved uniforms, drive logo vehicles, pass background checks and drug tests and are licensed through the State of Texas. The footer shows licence number B10744.
The range is wider than most locksmiths. Cothron's lists residential and commercial lockouts, rekeying, master key systems, door and frame work, exit devices, door closers, access control, alarm and camera systems, and safe sales and repairs. That makes it a good fit for property managers and businesses as well as homeowners.
Security systems are a full division at Cothron's, with their own pages under Electronic Security. The company installs intrusion alarms with wired and wireless sensors, video surveillance cameras with remote viewing, keyless entry and cloud or on premise access control, and it is an authorized Alarm.com partner that can set up monitoring. It says it has been recommending and installing these systems around Austin for over 30 years. Its alarm pages are written mostly for businesses, so a homeowner should ask which panels and monitoring plans it offers for houses and what the monthly cost is.
Google shows 4.6 stars from 129 reviews for the Ben White store, read October 29, 2026. A customer of more than 40 years says Michael programmed several key fobs with fast, friendly service. Another says Jason cut keys for a house in Dripping Springs at a fair price. One reviewer drilled out a lost-key lock on a tow hitch after calling around to national chains, and one calls the shop hard to find, advising drivers to go past the Firestone parking lot. The Burnet Road store is listed separately on Google with a lower score, which is why the rating here is the Ben White figure only.
Cothron's suits people who like to walk into a long-running store, buy a safe or ask about commercial hardware, and homeowners who want locks, cameras and an alarm from one company. It suits you less well on a Sunday afternoon, or if you want a one-person operation. Before booking, ask for a quote or service-call fee in advance, ask whether the lockout is non-destructive, ask about warranty on parts and labour, and ask to see the technician's ID. Texas locksmith and alarm companies are licensed through the Department of Public Safety Private Security Program, so confirm B10744 there.
iWhere this information comes from
Company history, ownership and capability details on this page are provided by the business and reviewed by our editors for plausibility and consistency. They are not the same as the credentials block, where each item carries its own verification status and source.
Other Sources
Reputation by Source
We show each source separately rather than blending them into a single score, because they measure different things.
Pricing
Company Pricing & Estimates
What this company publishes about its own pricing.
- Emergency callout
- Available 24/7
Gallery
Project Photos
Business-submitted, reviewed by our editors
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Cothron's Safe & Lock FAQs
Is Cothron's Safe & Lock licensed?
Its website shows Texas licence number B10744 and says technicians are background checked and licensed through the State of Texas. Texas locksmith companies are licensed through the Department of Public Safety Private Security Program, so confirm the number there.
How much does a locksmith cost at Cothron's?
Cothron's does not post prices on its website. Ask for a quote or service-call fee when you phone, and expect higher rates for after-hours mobile calls than for key work at the counter. A reviewer reported a fair price on a drilled-out lock and several key jobs.
Where is Cothron's South Austin store and when is it open?
The store is at 1315 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, with phone 512-447-1883. Hours are 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday and 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Saturday. A reviewer says it is a little hard to spot, so drive past the Firestone parking lot.
Does Cothron's install home alarm and security camera systems?
Yes, Cothron's runs an electronic security division that installs intrusion alarms, video surveillance cameras, keyless entry and access control, and it is an authorized Alarm.com partner. Its alarm pages focus on businesses, so ask which residential panels and monitoring plans it offers.
Is Cothron's Safe & Lock licensed and insured?
We checked 0 of 1 credentials against the issuing authority. Verified items carry the date we checked; reported items are what the business told us and we could not independently confirm.
What areas does Cothron's Safe & Lock serve?
Austin. Coverage is as the business describes it, cross-checked against where its recent documented work is. Confirm your address before scheduling, particularly at the edge of a service area.
Does Cothron's Safe & Lock offer emergency service?
Yes, the company lists emergency availability. Response time depends on demand, and after a storm every company in the market is stretched.
What warranty do they offer?
Warranty terms are not on file. Ask for them in writing before work starts.
How was this profile built?
Credentials come from issuing authorities, ratings from the company's Google Business Profile with the date we read them, and the editorial take from our own review of estimates, warranty documents and public feedback. Anything the business told us is labelled as reported.
Can a business pay to improve its profile?
A business can subscribe to manage its own listing details, and it can buy a labelled sponsored placement. Neither changes a ranking position or the editorial assessment on this page.
Is Something Incorrect?
Business information changes. Tell us about an address, phone, website, service area, credential or ownership change, or let us know if this company has closed.
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iWhat claiming does
Claiming lets you correct and maintain the factual information on this profile. Claiming or upgrading a profile does not guarantee inclusion in a TenBestFind ranking and never affects ranking position, which is decided editorially.
About This Business Profile
- Last reviewed
- October 2026
- Profile last updated
- November 11, 2026
- Google review data updated
- October 29, 2026
- Sources checked
- Issuing authorities, Google Business Profile, Company website
- Could not verify
- Texas locksmith company licence (reported only), insurance
- Sponsorship status
- No commercial relationship