"Locked myself out of my Riverside house at 11 PM after coming back from dinner in San Marco. Called and they had someone at my door in about 20 minutes. Used a pick, no marks on the lock or door frame at all, verified my ID first, checked the lock worked properly before leaving. Everything I'd hope for from that kind of call."
Sarah M., Jacksonville
Residential Locksmith in North Florida — Home Security
From emergency lockouts to full home security upgrades, our residential locksmiths bring hands-on expertise directly to your door — with honest pricing, no pressure, and zero damage to your home.
Call Now — (904) 668-0776Home Locksmith Available 24/7
Home Security Starts at the Door — And We Know These Homes
Residential locksmith work in North Florida isn't one-size-fits-all. A 1920s craftsman bungalow in Jacksonville's Riverside neighborhood has completely different lock hardware than a new construction home in Yulee's Wildlight development or a beachfront property in Ponte Vedra Beach. A historic home in St. Augustine's Old Town district may have mortise locks that haven't been made in decades. A coastal property in Fernandina Beach is dealing with salt air that slowly destroys standard lock hardware from the inside out.
We've worked on all of it. Our technicians know this region — the neighborhoods, the architecture, the climate challenges — and that knowledge shapes every recommendation we make.
24/7 Emergency Residential Locksmith Services
Home lockouts don't schedule themselves around your availability. We respond to residential emergencies across all of North Florida around the clock — evenings, weekends, and holidays included.
What Counts as a Residential Emergency
Any situation that prevents you from getting into your home safely is an emergency:
- Locked out — keys inside, keys lost, or keys stolen
- Broken key stuck inside a deadbolt, knob lock, or padlock
- Lock jammed, seized, or malfunctioning and won't turn
- Lock damaged during a break-in attempt or forced entry
- Smart lock battery dead or keypad frozen with no override access
- Key lost after a security concern — theft, end of a relationship, contractor access
How Quickly We Respond
For most of Jacksonville and Duval County, our technicians are typically on-site within 15 to 30 minutes. Orange Park and Ponte Vedra Beach generally fall in that same window. St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, and Yulee typically run 30 to 45 minutes depending on where our nearest unit is positioned. We give you a real estimate when you call — not an optimistic number to keep you on the line.
What Our Emergency Process Looks Like
When you call our 24/7 line, a live dispatcher takes your location and situation, identifies the nearest available technician, and gives you an ETA. When our tech arrives, they'll introduce themselves, ask to see your ID, and explain exactly what they're going to do and what it will cost before starting. We verify ownership on every residential job — a government-issued ID with your address, or a utility bill or lease agreement if your ID shows a different address. This protects you as much as it protects us.
We use non-destructive entry methods on every residential lockout where the lock permits it — picking, shimming, or bypass tools that leave no marks on your door frame or lock hardware. Drilling is a genuine last resort used only when the lock is already damaged or no other method is viable.
While you wait: Stay in a well-lit area, have your ID ready, and if there are children or pets inside, call them away from the entry point so they're clear of the door when we work.
📞 Emergency lockout?
Call (904) 668-0776Lock Installation & Replacement
Whether you're moving into a new home and want to start fresh, replacing worn-out hardware that's been sticking for years, or upgrading to a higher security grade after a neighborhood incident, we install and replace residential locks across the full range of grades and styles.
What We Install
Standard deadbolts and knob sets — We work with all major residential brands including Schlage, Kwikset, and Defiant. Even within the "standard" category, there's a meaningful difference between a Grade 3 builder-installed lock and a Grade 1 deadbolt. We'll explain what you actually have and what the upgrade path looks like.
High-security lock cylinders — Brands like Schlage B60N, Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and ASSA Abloy produce cylinders with hardened steel inserts, anti-drill pins, and patented keyways that resist picking, drilling, and bump key attacks far better than standard hardware. The key control aspect — meaning only authorized locksmiths can duplicate the keys — is a significant advantage for homeowners who want to control access long-term.
Smart locks and keypad entry systems — We install and program smart deadbolts from Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, August, and other manufacturers. These aren't just a novelty — for homeowners managing rental access, caregiver schedules, or frequent guests, the ability to create and delete access codes remotely without cutting physical keys has real practical value. We'll assess your door prep and existing hardware before recommending a model so you're not buying something that won't fit.
Coastal and weather-resistant hardware — For properties in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, and the Jacksonville Beaches communities, standard interior-grade lock hardware can corrode significantly faster than the manufacturer's ratings suggest. Salt air works on the internal spring mechanisms and pin stacks in ways you won't see until the lock starts to stick or fail. We recommend and install stainless steel or solid brass hardware with corrosion-resistant finishes for coastal applications, and we stock options rated for marine environments when necessary.
Historic and period-appropriate hardware — Homes in St. Augustine's historic district, Jacksonville's Riverside and Springfield neighborhoods, and Fernandina Beach's Victorian-era housing stock often have mortise locks, skeleton key hardware, and door prep dimensions that don't match modern standard lock sets. We work with period-appropriate hardware and retrofit solutions that preserve the look of historic doors while delivering secure, functional locking mechanisms.
Sliding Door & Secondary Entry Point Hardware
A good front door deadbolt means very little if your sliding glass door can be lifted off its track or your rear knob lock uses the same pin configuration as a hardware store key. We assess and address secondary entry points — sliding door locks, pinning solutions, window locks, and garage door hardware — as part of any comprehensive installation job.
Lock Rekeying Services
Rekeying is one of the most practical and affordable services a locksmith performs — and one of the most frequently misunderstood. When we rekey a lock, we disassemble the cylinder and replace the driver and key pins inside with a new configuration that matches a different key. Your lock hardware stays exactly the same. Only the key that operates it changes.
When Rekeying Is the Right Call
After moving into any home — This is the single most important locksmith service for new homeowners and one that's easy to delay until something goes wrong. You have no way of knowing how many keys to your home are out there. Previous owners, their family members, contractors, house cleaners, dog walkers, real estate agents — any of them might have a copy. Rekeying the locks on your move-in day costs a fraction of what a break-in would.
After giving a key to a contractor, service worker, or house sitter — Standard practice in most industries is for contractors to copy keys without telling clients. Rekeying after any access period is a straightforward precaution.
After a tenant moves out of a rental property — Every unit should be rekeyed between tenants as a baseline. It's a cost-effective way to protect new tenants, limit your liability as a landlord, and document a responsible security practice.
After a relationship change — Moving in together or ending a relationship are both moments that should prompt a rekey of any locks a former partner had a key to.
After a key goes missing — If you can't account for a key, treat it as a security concern and rekey.
Rekeying vs. Replacing — How to Tell Which You Need
If your lock hardware is in good physical condition — the cylinder turns smoothly, the bolt extends and retracts cleanly, and the door aligns properly with the strike plate — rekeying is almost always the right choice. It's faster, more affordable, and preserves hardware that may be of better quality than what you'd get in a budget replacement.
If the lock is stiff, sticky, corroded, or showing physical damage, replacing makes more sense. Same answer if you want to upgrade to a higher security grade or add smart lock functionality that requires different door prep.
We'll tell you honestly which one you actually need when we assess the hardware — not the option that generates a higher ticket.
Master Key Systems for Homes
Homeowners with multiple buildings, in-law suites, guest houses, or rental units on the same property sometimes benefit from a master key system — a configuration where individual keys open specific locks while a single master key opens all of them. We design and install residential master key hierarchies that give you the right level of control without unnecessary complexity.
Home Security Upgrades
A security assessment isn't about selling you things you don't need. It's about identifying the actual weak points in your home's entry hardware and giving you clear options for addressing them.
What a Home Security Assessment Covers
When one of our technicians evaluates a home, they look at the full picture of how your doors and locks actually function under stress — not just whether the key turns:
Door frame and strike plate integrity — The most common residential entry method isn't picking a lock, it's kicking a door. A standard residential strike plate held in place with 3/4-inch screws provides almost no resistance to a kick. A reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws into the door frame's structural framing changes the equation significantly. This is a $40–$60 hardware change that most homes don't have and most burglars know to look for.
Deadbolt throw length and bolt material — A Grade 1 deadbolt with a full 1-inch throw made from hardened steel bolt material is categorically different from the Grade 3 hardware that ships in most new construction homes. The difference in cost is modest. The difference in resistance to forced entry is substantial.
Secondary and alternate entry points — Sliding glass doors, garage entry doors, basement windows, and side gates are commonly overlooked. We evaluate all of them and flag the ones that warrant attention.
Smart lock compatibility and recommendations — If you're considering a smart lock upgrade, we'll tell you which models are compatible with your existing door prep, which work with your preferred home automation system (Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit), and which ones have a track record of durability in Florida's humidity and heat conditions.
High-Security Lock Upgrades
For homeowners who want the highest level of mechanical security their budget allows, high-security lock systems from Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and ASSA Abloy offer features that standard residential hardware simply can't match:
- Anti-pick pins — angled or serrated driver pins that defeat standard picking techniques
- Anti-drill protection — hardened steel inserts in the cylinder body that stop drill attacks
- Anti-bump design — cylinder geometry that resists bump key attacks
- Patented key control — keys that can only be duplicated by an authorized locksmith with your written authorization — not at a hardware store kiosk
These locks cost more upfront and are worth the investment for homeowners who have high-value contents, have experienced a prior security incident, or simply want the peace of mind that comes with knowing their hardware is genuinely difficult to defeat.
Residential Locksmith Services Across North Florida
Jacksonville
We cover all of Jacksonville's neighborhoods — Riverside and Avondale's historic craftsman stock, San Marco's mix of old and new, the suburban layouts of Mandarin and Southside, the waterfront properties in Ortega, the dense residential blocks of Arlington and Springfield, and all of the Beaches communities from Jacksonville Beach through Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach to Mayport. Each of these areas has its own typical lock hardware profile and security considerations, and our technicians are familiar with all of them.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine presents a unique set of residential locksmith challenges. The Historic District and adjacent neighborhoods contain some of the oldest continuously occupied residential structures in the United States. Many of these homes still have their original mortise locks — cast iron or early steel mechanisms that predate modern pin tumbler technology. We work with this hardware rather than forcing modern replacements where they don't belong, and we know how to source period-compatible parts and make sensitive hardware decisions in the context of historic preservation guidelines.
Short-term rental properties in St. Augustine — and there are thousands of them — have their own distinct security needs around tenant turnover, smart access management, and audit trails for guest entries.
Orange Park & Clay County
Orange Park, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Oakleaf Plantation, and the rest of Clay County represent a dense suburban residential market with a mix of 1970s–1990s tract housing stock and newer developments. Older homes in this area frequently have original builder-grade hardware that's now 30 to 50 years old and overdue for replacement. We do a lot of whole-home rekey and deadbolt upgrade work in this area.
Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach is a premium residential market with a significant concentration of luxury homes, gated communities, and properties with sophisticated home automation systems. Smart lock integration, high-security cylinder upgrades, and multi-point locking systems for upscale door hardware are common requests here. The proximity to the ocean also means coastal hardware considerations — stainless steel and marine-grade finishes are the right choice for exterior hardware on most properties in this area.
Fernandina Beach & Amelia Island
Fernandina Beach's Victorian-era housing stock in and around the historic Centre Street district shares some of the same period-hardware challenges as St. Augustine. The island's significant short-term rental market also drives consistent demand for smart lock installations and keypad systems that property owners can manage remotely.
Yulee
Yulee's rapid growth — particularly in the Wildlight master-planned community and surrounding new construction corridors — creates a specific and common residential locksmith need: builder-grade lock upgrades. New construction homes typically ship with the lowest-grade hardware that meets code. We do a significant amount of work rekeying and upgrading these locks for buyers who are moving in for the first time and want their security sorted out properly before they settle in.
What North Florida Homeowners Are Saying
"After someone tried to break into our back door in Ponte Vedra Beach, I called first thing in the morning. Same-day service, replaced the compromised deadbolt with a Schlage high-security cylinder, reinforced the strike plate, and did a quick walk-through to check the other entry points. The technician explained everything clearly and didn't try to upsell things we didn't need."
Thomas R., Ponte Vedra Beach
"We own a vacation rental in St. Augustine and the key exchange process was becoming a nightmare. Had smart locks installed with individual access codes for each booking — the technician handled the whole setup including the app integration and walked us through managing guest codes remotely. Night-and-day difference in how we manage the property."
Karen W., St. Augustine
Frequently Asked Questions — Residential Locksmith Services
How quickly can you respond to a home lockout in North Florida?
Most of Jacksonville and the immediate metro: 15 to 30 minutes. Orange Park and Ponte Vedra Beach fall in a similar range. St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, and Yulee are typically 30 to 45 minutes. We'll give you a real estimate based on where our nearest technician is when you call — not the best-case number.
Should I rekey or replace my locks when moving into a new home?
Rekey if the existing hardware is in good condition — it's faster, more affordable, and accomplishes the core goal of making sure old keys no longer work. Replace if the hardware is worn, damaged, low-grade builder stock, or if you want to add smart lock functionality that requires different door prep. When you call, describe what you have and we'll give you an honest recommendation.
What types of residential locks do you work with?
All of them — standard pin tumbler deadbolts and knob sets, Grade 1 and Grade 2 commercial-grade cylinders, high-security locks from Medeco and Mul-T-Lock, mortise locks in older historic homes, smart locks and electronic keypad systems, keyless entry hardware, sliding door locks, and specialty applications. If you have something unusual, describe it when you call and we'll confirm whether we've worked with it.
Can you match hardware to the style of my historic St. Augustine or Fernandina Beach home?
Yes. We work with period-appropriate hardware for historic properties and understand that a modern Grade 1 deadbolt doesn't always belong on an 1890s Victorian door. We source compatible hardware and retrofit solutions that respect the door's original design while delivering reliable modern function, and we're familiar with the kinds of historic-preservation considerations that come with properties in designated districts.
What lock hardware do you recommend for coastal properties?
For exterior hardware on properties in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fernandina Beach, the Jacksonville Beaches, and similar coastal locations, we recommend stainless steel or solid brass hardware with corrosion-resistant finishes — marine-grade when the exposure is direct ocean-facing. Standard zinc alloy or pot metal hardware corrodes significantly faster in salt air environments and often fails from the inside out, so the lock may look fine externally while the internal pin stacks and springs are already deteriorating. We keep appropriate options in stock specifically for this application.
How much does residential locksmith service cost in North Florida?
For a standard home lockout, most jobs run $75–$125 during business hours and $100–$150 for after-hours and weekend calls. Rekeying a single lock typically runs $25–$40 per cylinder when done alongside other work; whole-home rekey packages are more economical per lock than individual cylinders. Deadbolt installation ranges from $75–$150 depending on the hardware you select. Smart lock installation starts around $100 for labor plus the cost of the hardware. We quote every job before starting — call us with your situation and we'll give you a realistic number.
Do you install smart locks, and which brands do you recommend?
Yes. We install and program smart locks from Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, August, Ultraloq, and other manufacturers. The right brand depends on your door prep, whether you want Wi-Fi built in or Z-Wave/Zigbee for a home automation hub, and your budget. For short-term rental properties, we generally recommend locks with robust guest code management and audit trail features. For integration with Alexa or Google Home, compatibility varies by model and we'll confirm it before recommending. We walk you through the full app setup before we leave the job.
Contact Our Residential Locksmith Team
Scheduled appointments: Monday–Friday 8am–6pm | Saturday 9am–3pm Emergency service: Available at any hour, including holidays
Service areas: Jacksonville and all Duval County neighborhoods · St. Augustine and St. Johns County · Orange Park, Fleming Island, and Clay County · Ponte Vedra Beach and Nocatee · Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island · Yulee and Nassau County
Call Now — (904) 668-0776Your North Florida Home Locksmith, Available Now