The work
What lock installation actually involves
Grades, deadbolts, and the screws that hold the strike plate
Locks are graded, and the grade describes how much force and how many cycles they are built for. The grade appropriate for an exterior door on a house is higher than most hardware sold in general retailers.
The lock is rarely the weak point of a domestic door. Forced entry usually splits the frame around the strike plate, which is held by short screws into soft trim rather than into the structural framing behind it.
Replacing the strike plate with a reinforced one and using three inch screws that reach the framing is the cheapest meaningful security improvement available to a homeowner, and it takes ten minutes.
Where doors fail
The frame gives way before the lock does
Spending on a high-grade deadbolt while leaving the strike plate fixed with short screws into the door casing puts a strong lock in a weak hole.
A kick concentrates its force on the strike, and the trim it is usually screwed to is a thin piece of timber nailed to the frame. Long screws into the stud behind change the failure point entirely.
The same applies to the hinges on an outward opening door, and to the glass next to a door with a thumb turn on the inside, both of which are usually cheaper to address than a lock upgrade.
Failure points
Two things that go wrong
Grade not specified
“What grade are these locks, and is that appropriate for an exterior door?”
Hardware that looks identical can be two grades apart, and the difference is in the internal components rather than the finish. If a quote does not name a grade, it is not specifying the thing that matters about the product.
Egress and fire requirements
“Is a key-operated inside cylinder permitted here, and is it the right choice on this door?”
Double cylinder deadbolts, which need a key on the inside as well, stop somebody reaching through broken glass and also stop you leaving in a fire without finding a key. They are restricted or prohibited in many places for exactly that reason.
Before you book lock installation
How we rank →Six checks, in the order they save you the most. None of them takes longer than a phone call, and the first one is the reason two quotes for the same job can be a thousand apart.
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Dana Whitfield · September 2026
Common questions about lock installation
Who handles lock installation?
Lock installation is handled by locksmiths. Not every company in the trade takes this work on, so each ranking lists the services a company genuinely performs rather than everything it advertises.
What should I ask before booking lock installation?
Ask what the quote includes and excludes, who is doing the work, whether a permit is needed and who is pulling it, and what the workmanship warranty covers. Get the answers in writing before anyone starts.
How do I compare quotes for this?
Put them on one sheet line by line. Differences in price almost always turn out to be differences in scope, material grade or warranty length rather than margin.
Is lock installation priced separately from the rest of the job?
Usually it is a line inside a larger quote rather than its own invoice, which is exactly why the exclusions matter. Ask for it itemised so you can compare that line between companies instead of comparing two totals.
For locksmith
Do you offer lock installation?
Claim your profile so the services you actually perform are the ones recorded here, alongside your licence, hours and coverage. Neither claiming nor advertising buys a ranked position.