Company Facts
Howard Safe & Lock at a Glance
The work
- Best for
- Walk-in key cutting, safes and access control in the Heights
- Primary service
- Locksmith
Where
- Headquarters
- Houston, TX
- Service area
- Houston
- Emergency service
- Yes, 24/7
Money and guarantees
- Free estimates
- Yes
- Financing
- Not advertised
- Workmanship warranty
- If a customer is unhappy for any reason, the company says it will return and remedy the issue for free.
Credentials
- Texas DPS Private Security Program locksmith company licence
- B04126601 (reported by the company, not verified)
Editorial Review
Our Take on Howard Safe & Lock
Howard Safe & Lock is the long-running counter in the Heights, with a Texas DPS licence on its contact page and a 4.9 rating from 939 reviews. It is a good first call for safes, access control and key work. Confirm night hours first, since Google and the site disagree.
Best forWalk-in key cutting, safes and access control in the Heights
What We Like
- Located in the Heights since 1946 and still a walk-in shop
- Texas DPS licence B04126601 shown on its contact page
- Offers a free-remedy warranty if a customer is unhappy with the work
- Safe selection, service and opening plus access control and camera installs
- 4.9 from 939 Google reviews, read October 29, 2026
Things to Consider
- Google lists 24-hour opening but the contact page gives store hours of 7 AM to 10 PM, so call before a late trip
- Owned by Vidal Safe & Lock, LLC since 2017 rather than the original Yetter family, though Roy Yetter remains qualified manager
- The site gives flat-rate quotes by phone but publishes no price list
Customer Ratings
Google Reviews for Howard Safe & Lock
Customer ratings shown here come from Google. They are separate from our editorial review above.
Rating Distribution
- 5 stars97%
- 4 stars1%
- 3 stars0%
- 1 star2%
iAbout this distribution
The distribution reflects the 939 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 Howard Safe & Lock Made Our Top 9
It took first place in 9 Best Locksmiths in Houston, TX (2026).
Areas Served
Based in Houston, 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 Howard Safe & Lock
Howard Safe & Lock is the oldest locksmith shop on this list. It works from a brick storefront at 826 E 14th St on the Heights side of town and has done so since 1946. The company's history page says Uncle Howard Yetter opened it as Howard's Key and Bicycle, nephew Roy Yetter started there repairing lawnmowers, and by the mid-1970s the business dropped the bikes and mowers to focus on locksmithing and safes. Roy bought the company from his uncle in the 1980s. Vidal Safe & Lock, LLC purchased the assets in July 2017, and Roy Yetter stays on as qualified manager.
The service list is wide. Howard Safe & Lock does lockouts, rekeying, lock installation and repair for homes, shops and cars, key duplication, safe selection, service and opening, and access control and camera systems for houses and businesses. The shop carries Schlage and Primus products. It says it is licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Program as a security contractor for alarm systems, electronic access control and locksmithing, and the contact page shows licence B04126601. The warranty promise is simple: if a customer is unhappy, the company says it will come back and fix the problem for free. Quotes are flat-rate by phone.
Howard Safe & Lock has 4.9 stars from 939 Google reviews, read October 29, 2026. The newest reviews we read were all five stars and name Aaron, Jesse and Felipe. One reviewer had a key fob fixed the same visit, another had a car unlocked in under 10 minutes. Another reviewer added that the work is not free, which is fair for a call-out business.
The shop suits Heights, Northside and inner-loop homeowners who want a counter they can visit, anyone shopping for a safe, and businesses that want access control from a long-running local company. It suits less well anyone who needs a published price list, since the site gives estimates by phone only. Google lists 24-hour opening while the contact page says 7 AM to 10 PM, so confirm hours before a night call. Before booking, ask for the total in writing, whether the lockout will be non-destructive, what the warranty covers, and check the licence number in the Texas DPS Private Security Program lookup.
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.
- Free estimates
- Yes
- Emergency callout
- Available 24/7
- Workmanship warranty
- If a customer is unhappy for any reason, the company says it will return and remedy the issue for free.
Gallery
Project Photos
Business-submitted, reviewed by our editors
Compare
Similar Locksmiths in Houston
Secure Locksmith
5.0(786 Google reviews)Owner-led service for home rekeys and office lock jobs · HoustonRanked #5View profileAirborne Locksmith
4.9(725 Google reviews)Rekeying, high-security locks and safes near the Galleria · HoustonRanked #4View profileGlorious Locksmith
4.9(379 Google reviews)Commercial lockouts, rekeying and smart lock rekeys south of the loop · HoustonRanked #6View profileHouston 247 Locksmiths
4.9(132 Google reviews)Posted prices, car keys and rekeys with a named local team · HoustonRanked #9View profileBH Locksmith
4.8(1652 Google reviews)Car key replacement, rekeying and automatic gate repair · HoustonRanked #2View profileScorpion Locksmith Houston
4.8(325 Google reviews)Weekday lockouts, car keys and access control in Montrose · HoustonRanked #8View profile
Howard Safe & Lock FAQs
Is Howard Safe & Lock licensed in Texas?
Howard Safe & Lock lists Texas DPS licence B04126601 on its contact page and says it is licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Program for locksmithing, alarm systems and electronic access control. You can confirm the number in the DPS Private Security Program lookup before you book. The company also says it is bonded and insured.
What are Howard Safe & Lock's hours?
Google lists Howard Safe & Lock as open 24 hours every day, while the company's contact page gives store hours of 7 AM to 10 PM, Monday through Sunday. The shop is at 826 E 14th St in the Heights. For a late-night lockout, call 713-869-0581 first and ask whether a technician can be dispatched.
Does Howard Safe & Lock offer a warranty and sell safes?
Yes to both. The company says it will return and fix any job for free if the customer is unhappy, and it offers safe selection, service and opening for homes and businesses. It also installs access control and camera systems and carries Schlage and Primus products. Ask what the warranty covers in writing before work begins.
Is Howard 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 Howard Safe & Lock serve?
Houston. 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 Howard 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?
If a customer is unhappy for any reason, the company says it will return and remedy the issue for free.. There are usually two warranties on a job: the manufacturer covers materials, the contractor covers workmanship. Get both in writing and check whether the workmanship coverage transfers if you sell.
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.
Suggest an UpdateOwn Howard Safe & Lock?
Claim your profile to verify and maintain your business information, services and service area.
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 DPS Private Security Program locksmith company licence (reported only), insurance
- Sponsorship status
- No commercial relationship