Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Locksmith Before & After in Manhattan, NY
Photos don’t pad estimates or make excuses. They show what a trained technician actually did with a specific lock, door, or access system on a specific day in Manhattan. Below are recent jobs we’ve completed, each with a documented photo record left with the customer, per Haven Standard Clause 4.
Recent Transformations
Pre-War Apartment: Failed Mortise Lock Rebuild, Upper West Side
The superintendent called us to a 1920s co-op on West 85th Street where the original mortise lock had stopped latching. The previous handyman had packed the mechanism with graphite and forced the thumb turn until the cam sheared. We disassembled the lock body, found the original Baldwin stamp inside the faceplate, and sourced replacement cams and springs rather than selling a full replacement. The building’s architectural review board required keeping the original escutcheon and doorknob. We rebuilt the lock to factory spec, tested it through 500 cycles, and left the documented photo record with the super. Total time on site: 2 hours. Written price quoted to the superintendent before we left the shop: $340.
Retail Storefront: Overnight Break-In Repair, SoHo
A clothing boutique on Spring Street took a pry-bar attack at 3 a.m. The thief bent the Adams Rite deadlatch faceplate and cracked the aluminum door stile but didn’t gain entry. The owner called at 6:15 a.m.; our technician was on site by 8 a.m. We found the existing lock was a Grade 2 commercial deadlatch installed without security pins or a reinforced strike box. We replaced it with an Adams Rite MS1850S Series deadlock, added a steel strike reinforcement with 3-inch screws into the door frame, and installed anti-drill pins. The owner had the written quote before we dispatched: $620 for parts and labor. She reopened at 11 a.m. Photo record included the damaged frame, the reinforcement install, and the final test.
High-Security Cylinder Upgrade, Financial District Co-Op
The board at a Pine Street co-op had three break-in attempts in six months, all involving bump keys on standard Schlage hardware. We surveyed all 47 units plus common areas and found every cylinder was off-the-shelf SC1 keyway, easily sourced and duplicated at any hardware store. We proposed a phased Medeco M3 upgrade: restricted keyway (keys cannot be duplicated without authorization card), UL 437 pick and drill resistance, and sidebar mechanism that prevents bumping. Phase one covered the lobby, mail room, and basement storage. Per Haven Standard Clause 1, the board received a written per-door price before work started: $285 per cylinder, $45 per duplicate key with authorization tracking. The photo record shows each old cylinder’s serial number, the new Medeco installation, and the key control log we left with the property manager.
Access Control Retrofit: Keyed to Keyless, Midtown Office
A 12-person law firm on West 44th Street had rekeyed three times in two years due to staff turnover and lost keys. Each rekey cost $180 and left them with no record of who entered when. We found their glass aluminum entry system had been pieced together by three different vendors, with mismatched strikes and a rim cylinder on the panic hardware that violated fire code. We removed all keyed access from the main entry, installed HID ProxPoint Plus readers on the exterior and interior of the vestibule, electrified the existing Schlage strikes with fire-rated relays, and set up cloud-based credential management. The managing partner can now add or revoke access from his phone, and the system logs every entry with timestamp. Written scope and flat price before dispatch: $4,200 including 20 credentials, training, and one year of cloud hosting. Photo record includes the old keyed hardware, the reader mounting and cable runs, and the final programming screen.
Emergency Lockout: Frozen Smart Lock, East Village Walk-Up
A tenant on Avenue B bought a $180 smart lock online and installed it himself with the wrong screws for a 1-3/4 inch solid core door. Six months later the motor failed, the app wouldn’t connect, and he was locked out at 10 p.m. We found the mounting screws had stripped out of the door face, the bolt was misaligned with the strike by 3/8 inch, and the motor had burned out from repeated over-torque. We removed the damaged lock, filled and re-drilled the door face with proper backset alignment, and installed a Yale Assure Lock SL with Z-Wave module, properly shimmed for door thickness and tested for strike alignment. The tenant had the written price before we dispatched: $420 including the lock, installation, and re-keying to match his building’s master key system. Photo record shows the stripped holes, the rebuilt door face, and the final install with proper gap measurements.
Master Key System: Small Hotel Conversion, Chelsea
A 23-room boutique hotel on West 23rd Street was converting from long-term SRO to short-term rental. The previous owners had changed hands three times with no key control; the new owner found 47 keys floating around and couldn’t guarantee guest security. We surveyed every door and found seven different lock brands, three different keyways, and two rooms where the deadbolt and entry lock operated on different keys. We proposed a Schlage Primus XP high-security master key system: one grand master for the owner, sub-masters for housekeeping and maintenance, and individual guest keys that cannot be duplicated without our shop’s signature card. We replaced all 23 entry sets, added deadbolts where missing, and keyed the basement storage and roof access into the hierarchy. Written flat price before survey completion: $6,800 including all hardware, keying, installation, and the bitting list sealed in the owner’s safe deposit box. Photo record shows each old lock’s condition, the new Primus cylinders with level stamps, and the key control log.
Want Results Like These?
Every job above started with a written price before anyone was dispatched, per Haven Standard Clause 1. No call-out surcharge gets added on arrival. No technician can change the quoted price at your door. Call (862) 319-3759 and we’ll name a range for your specific situation, whether it’s a single rekey or a building-wide access system. Estimates are free. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to everything we install.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security Manhattan, serving Manhattan since 2002.