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.
Before
AfterLocksmith Before & After in Katy, TX
We’re not big on talk. Every job we finish in Katy leaves behind a documented photo record, a written warranty, and hardware that works the way it’s supposed to. These are real scenarios we’ve handled, start to finish, with prices quoted in writing before we touched a single cylinder.
Recent Transformations
Failed Master Key System, Cinco Ranch Office Park
The property manager called us after three tenants had keys that opened doors they weren’t supposed to. We found a master key system that had been expanded three times by three different vendors, with no bitting chart and cross-keying errors in seven cylinders. We decoded the existing hardware, rebuilt the master key hierarchy from scratch, and installed new Schlage Primus high-security cores with a documented, serialized key chart. Haven Standard Clause 4: every key stamped, every cylinder photographed, the full scope in writing before we started. The system now operates on a three-level master with no ghost keys. Master key rebuilds in Katy’s commercial market typically run $1,800-$3,400 depending on cylinder count, quoted flat before we dispatch.
Burglary Damage, Lockwood Glen Residence
A homeowner in Lockwood Glen called the morning after a break-in. The entry door had a Grade 3 deadbolt, the kind you’d find at a big-box store, installed with half-inch screws into soft pine. The jamb was splintered and the strike plate was on the floor. We replaced the deadbolt with a Medeco Maxum Grade 1 high-security cylinder, installed a reinforced strike plate with 3-inch screws into the framing stud, and repaired the jamb with a steel wrap. We also keyed the new deadbolt to match their existing Schlage entry set so they didn’t carry two keys. The photo record shows the framing stud behind the jamb, the screw penetration depth, and the finished hardware. Residential security upgrades of this scope in Katy typically run $340-$580, with the Medeco cylinder priced separately.
Access Control Retrofit, Mason Road Retail Strip
The landlord at a Mason Road retail strip was rekeying four suites every time a tenant turned over, which happened twice in one year. There was no way to know who entered when, and one former tenant still had a key that worked for six weeks after move-out. We surveyed the existing hollow metal doors and frames, found they would accept electrified strikes without modification, and installed an HID prox access control system with a cloud-based management portal. Each suite got its own reader and schedule. The landlord now deactivates credentials remotely, pulls entry logs by suite, and hasn’t rekeyed a cylinder in fourteen months. Access control retrofits for small commercial in Katy typically start at $2,400 per door for reader, strike, credential programming, and portal setup, with a written scope before any hardware is ordered.
Emergency Lockout, Kelliwood Lakes at 11 PM
A Kelliwood Lakes homeowner called at 10:47 PM. She’d stepped outside to grab a package, the door latched behind her, and her phone was inside. We arrived in twenty-three minutes, verified ownership through ID and a utility bill visible through the window, and picked the Kwikset deadbolt without drilling. Once inside, we inspected the lock and found the cylinder was loose in the housing, which is why it had been sticking for weeks. We rekeyed it on-site with her original key still working, tightened the cylinder retention, and left her with a photo record of the work and a written warranty. Emergency lockout service in Katy runs $85-$140 during evening hours, with the exact price stated on the phone before we dispatch. Haven Standard Clause 1: the price on the phone is the price on the invoice.
Rekey After Closing, Grand Lakes Home Sale
A family closing on a Grand Lakes home called us from the title company parking lot. The seller had handed over five keys of varying ages, plus mentioned that the neighbor had one for emergencies, the pool guy had one from 2019, and the previous previous owner might still have a copy from 2016. We rekeyed four cylinders, two deadbolts and two entry sets, to a single new key. We cut two copies on-site and provided a written key control log showing cylinder locations, key numbers, and the count in circulation. The old keys now turn freely in the keyway but won’t operate the lock. Rekeying in Katy typically runs $19-$34 per cylinder with a minimum service call, and we quote the full total before we start.
Safe Deposit Transfer, Commercial Vault, Katy Mills Area
A Katy Mills area retailer had a floor safe that hadn’t been opened in four years. The manager who knew the combination had left, and a previous vendor had already damaged the dial trying to manipulate it open. We drilled the safe at a precise index point to preserve the locking mechanism, replaced the damaged Sargent & Greenleaf 6730 lock with a new factory unit, and set a combination with the owner present. We photographed the empty interior, the drill point repair, and the new lock installation for the photo record. Safe opening and lock replacement in Katy typically runs $280-$520 depending on safe type and damage, with the full scope and price in writing before we begin.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a written price and ends with a documented photo record. Call (832) 402-8386 and we’ll quote your specific job before anyone is dispatched. No callback window, no automated system, no price changed at the door. Haven Standard Clause 1, in effect since 2002.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Katy since 2002.