Do I need new locks, or will a rekey do?

If the hardware is sound and you only want old keys to stop working, a rekey is often enough. If the lock is corroded, worn or there is no deadbolt at all, new hardware makes more sense. The locksmith can tell you which after looking at the door, and you get the price before anything starts.

Will salt air ruin a new lock in Fort Lauderdale?

Salt air off the Atlantic and the canals is hard on exterior metal, and waterfront homes in particular see lock cylinders and other hardware corrode faster than inland. Tell the locksmith how exposed the door is so suitable exterior hardware can be chosen.

Can all my new locks take the same key?

Usually yes, if the locks are compatible. Say so at the start so the hardware is chosen and set up that way rather than changed afterwards.

Are locksmiths licensed in Florida?

Florida does not issue a statewide locksmith license and has no state locksmith board. The trade is regulated locally instead, and Broward County has historically been among the jurisdictions requiring local registration, permits or background checks. Rules change, so verify current requirements with the county or city licensing or consumer protection office.

What is One Call Locksmiths?

We are a referral and scheduling service that arranges locksmith work with independent locksmiths across all fifty states. We are not the locksmith and we do not perform the work ourselves. We take your details and arrange for a locksmith to come out to you.

New locks and deadbolts fitted in Fort Lauderdale, FL

You want new locks on the door, and probably a deadbolt that actually holds. Maybe you just took the keys to a place in Fort Lauderdale and don't know who else has a copy. Maybe the old hardware is tired, the key fights you, or there is a handle on the door and nothing else. Whatever brought you here, the job is the same: the right lock, fitted properly, into a door and frame that can take it.

Call now · (866) 690-5848

Phones answered around the clock · free estimate

Hardware ages fast in Fort Lauderdale. Salt air off the Atlantic and the canals corrodes exterior locks, hinges and deadbolts, and waterfront homes see cylinders give up years before the manufacturer's average. Heat and humidity swell wood doors and frames, so a bolt that once slid home starts binding against the strike plate. Blown sand near the beach and fine grit after storms work into keyways. So a lock change here is rarely just a lock change — it is worth looking at the whole door.

While you wait — please don't

Don't buy the hardware first. Door thickness, material, backset and the existing holes decide what will physically fit, and a box bought on a guess usually goes back.
Don't rely on the short screws in the box. A strong lock in a weak frame gives way at the frame, so the strike plate and long screws into the stud matter as much as the deadbolt itself.
Don't ignore glass beside the door. Sidelights and glass panels next to a door change what sort of lock makes sense, so that should be part of the conversation before anything is chosen.
Don't change a shared entry without checking. Condo buildings and gated, HOA-governed communities in Fort Lauderdale often control access to shared doors, so check with management before anything on a common entrance is touched.

What the technician does

Identification is checked firstThe locksmith will ask for identification and proof that you are entitled to the property before working on it. That is normal practice in Florida — photo ID plus something tying you to the address, such as a lease, deed or utility bill, or confirmation from a property manager.
The door and frame are assessedBefore anything is chosen, the locksmith looks at the door material, how it is built, the frame and the jamb. On many Fort Lauderdale homes that assessment decides the whole job.
You get the price before work startsThe locksmith gives you the price up front and you approve it first. Nothing begins until you have said yes.
The deadbolt goes in properlyA deadbolt is fitted with a reinforced strike plate and long screws running into the stud, not just the thin jamb trim. That is the part that decides how much force the door will take.
The handle set is matched and the door reinforcedThe handle set is matched to the new deadbolt so the door looks and works as one unit, and the door or jamb is reinforced where that is the weak point.
Smart and keypad locks set up where you want themIf you would rather have a keypad or smart lock, it can be fitted and set up on the day. If you prefer plain keys, you get plain keys.

Why this happens in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Fort Lauderdale's single-family housing leans heavily mid-century — 1950s to 1970s concrete block and stucco homes on slab, many with attached garages, some with carports or converted garages. Doors and frames from that era vary a lot, and much of that stock predates modern building codes. The construction era and the door material decide what can realistically be fitted, which is why the door gets looked at before a lock is picked rather than after.

The other half of the picture is the beachfront and Intracoastal condo buildings and the gated communities spread across the city, from Victoria Park and Rio Vista to Coral Ridge and Galt Ocean Mile. Those bring shared entrances and management-controlled access into the job. Demand also moves with the calendar here: ahead of and through hurricane season from June 1 to November 30 people tighten up doors and gate hardware, and again from November to April as seasonal residents return and open houses that have sat closed. If a home has been shut up through a humid summer, expect the bolt and strike to need attention along with the lock.

Questions people ask

Do I need new locks, or will a rekey do?: If the hardware is sound and you only want old keys to stop working, a rekey is often enough. If the lock is corroded, worn or there is no deadbolt at all, new hardware makes more sense. The locksmith can tell you which after looking at the door, and you get the price before anything starts.
Will salt air ruin a new lock in Fort Lauderdale?: Salt air off the Atlantic and the canals is hard on exterior metal, and waterfront homes in particular see lock cylinders and other hardware corrode faster than inland. Tell the locksmith how exposed the door is so suitable exterior hardware can be chosen.
Can all my new locks take the same key?: Usually yes, if the locks are compatible. Say so at the start so the hardware is chosen and set up that way rather than changed afterwards.
Are locksmiths licensed in Florida?: Florida does not issue a statewide locksmith license and has no state locksmith board. The trade is regulated locally instead, and Broward County has historically been among the jurisdictions requiring local registration, permits or background checks. Rules change, so verify current requirements with the county or city licensing or consumer protection office.
What is One Call Locksmiths?: We are a referral and scheduling service that arranges locksmith work with independent locksmiths across all fifty states. We are not the locksmith and we do not perform the work ourselves. We take your details and arrange for a locksmith to come out to you.

One call

One call to (866) 690-5848 and we will arrange a locksmith to look at your door in Fort Lauderdale, with a free estimate on every job. The price comes before any work starts, and nothing happens until you approve it.

Call now · (866) 690-5848

Same problem in nearby cities

Every city we cover in Florida

Something else in this area

One Call Locksmiths arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.