Keypad or Key
A keypad lock takes the key out of the daily routine without giving up the security of a mechanical lock underneath.
Codes are handed out and taken back in seconds, which is why rentals, offices and households with teenagers end up with one on the door. Nothing about that removes the lock itself: there is still a bolt, still a lock cylinder, and still a key override for the morning the batteries are flat. What changes is that nobody has to carry anything, and nobody has to chase a key that was lent out, never came back, and is still a security problem.
Types of Keypad Lock
Three shapes, and the door and the traffic through it decide which level of security belongs on it.
Mechanical Pushbutton
No batteries and no electronics. One code, set by hand inside the lock. The choice for a gate or a store room that never changes hands.
Electronic Keypad
Codes per user, a year of battery life, and a mechanical key override. The standard fit on a house or an office door.
Commercial Access Control
Codes, fobs and an audit trail on a bigger site. A different security class of lock with its own wiring and its own hardware.
Your Fort Collins Lock Specialist
Licensed and insured locksmith work, covering keypad lock fitting for homes and commercial premises. Hardware goes on in a safe, non-destructive way, the factory code is changed, the security of the lock is checked against the door it sits in, and the override key is cut and tested before we leave.
Who Calls Us for a Keypad Lock
Three situations account for most of the keypad work we do in a week.
Rentals and Turnovers
A code per tenant or per guest, changed the day they leave, so the unit is secure between lettings. No key to hand over and none to get copied on the way.
Households With Teenagers
Nobody carries a key, nobody loses one, and a lock that logs entries answers the question without anyone having to ask it.
Businesses
Staff codes on a commercial premises instead of keys that walk out and stay a security risk. Our commercial locksmith work covers access control too.
What Happens on a Keypad Lock Visit
Fit, align, then set the codes. The mechanical half is done before the electronics are touched.
The door is measured
Backset, thickness and the existing bore, read before the lock leaves the van. Most doors take a keypad lock with no drilling and no patching.
The lock goes on and is aligned
Bolt travel checked into the frame and the strike opened out where the lock needs room, because a bolt that drags eats batteries and a flat lock is a safe bet for nobody.
Codes are set and the key is cut
Your codes, set in front of you, the factory master code changed, and the override key cut and tried before we leave.
What Goes Wrong
Six failures we get called out to put right, and every one of them is avoidable.
- Factory master code left set — a security upgrade that ships with its code in the manual
- No override key cut — flat batteries and a lock nobody in the house can open
- One code for everyone — the whole point is a code per person, revoked one at a time
- Worn keys on the buttons — four shiny digits narrow a code to a handful of guesses and the door is no longer secure
- Fitted to a dragging bolt — the motor works twice as hard and the batteries last weeks
- Old codes never cleared — a tenant from two years ago whose code still opens a door you thought was secure
Before You Call
Three things make the visit shorter and the quote firm.
Metal or wood
And whether it is an entry door or an interior one. It decides the lock body, and it is the safe way to avoid a second trip.
A photo of the door edge
It reads the backset and the existing bore at a glance, which between them decide most of the price.
How many codes you need
Four for a household, twenty for a small office. The user count changes which lock we bring, and it is the safe thing to settle before ordering.
What Changes the Price of a Keypad Lock
Six things move a keypad lock quote, and you can ask about all six on the phone.
- Mechanical or electronic — a pushbutton lock and a coded deadbolt are different money
- Existing bore — most doors take a keypad lock in the old lock hole with no drilling
- Door material — a metal door or an aluminium stile needs a different lock body
- Keyed alike — running the override key on the same key as the back door adds nothing
- Number of users — a lock with twenty codes and a log costs more than one with four
- Number of doors — the first lock carries the call-out, every one after it is cheaper
When It Takes Longer
Most keypad fits are an hour. Three things are not.
An aluminium storefront stile needs a narrow lock body and sometimes machining, so it is quoted after a look rather than over the phone. A door with a non-standard bore has to be adapted, and on a metal door that is slow work. And where a door has settled far enough to fight the frame, the swing is corrected before any lock with a motor in it goes on, because a bolt that has to be forced is a flat battery and a house nobody can get into, and the safe order is alignment first.
The lock fits the existing bore on most doors, so there is usually no drilling. Codes are set per user, and better models log each entry, so you can see that the cleaner came at ten and left at eleven. Codes and cylinders are both handled by the same Fort Collins locksmith.
Battery life runs a year or more on a door that is properly aligned, and a fraction of that on one that is not, so alignment is a security question as much as a convenience one. Commercial premises are covered on the same call-out, and a master key system can be built alongside the codes so staff keys open what they should and nothing more. A safe or strongbox can be opened and re-set while we are there, and every lock is quoted per door before anything is fitted, so the number on the phone is the number on the invoice for the service.
Call a Fort Collins Locksmith
A locksmith answers this phone around the clock, and the response is fast when your security cannot wait.
Frequently Asked Locksmith Questions
The questions Fort Collins residents ask a locksmith most, on locks, keys and getting back inside.
Can you get in without damaging my lock?
Almost always, on a standard residential lock. Non-destructive entry is what a locksmith aims for, and the lock keeps working, so there is nothing to replace. Exceptions are a high security cylinder built to resist this, and one already damaged or drilled by someone else. If a lock must come out you hear that price first, never after, and the security of the property is restored on that Fort Collins visit.
We just moved in. Rekey or replace?
Rekey, in almost every case. If the lock works there is no reason to buy new, and changing the pins retires every key the last owner handed out for a fraction of the price. Replace only when a lock is worn out, is the wrong grade for the door, or you want a keypad instead. A Fort Collins locksmith pushing hardware on a working lock is selling, not advising, and the security gain is nil.
The door sticks. Is that the lock?
Usually not the lock. If it works with the door open and fails shut, the frame has moved and no new lock will fix it. A Fort Collins locksmith resets the strike or corrects the swing first. A worn residential cylinder differs: it fails whatever the door does, and that is an emergency waiting.
How fast can you get here?
In Fort Collins itself, quickly. The outer towns are an honest drive and the locksmith quotes that, not an optimistic figure. Snow stretches every run and fills the service diary at once. An emergency call runs around the clock, and an honest price is agreed on the phone before the van leaves.
What if I find a cheaper quote?
Compare the whole number. A professional locksmith quotes the lock, labour and call-out together, so nothing new appears on the step. A very low phone price that becomes three hundred dollars at the car is the oldest trick in this trade. We also cut car keys in Fort Collins and cover commercial premises, so one service visit takes care of the house, the car and the security of both.
Professional Locksmith Service Pricing
Locksmith service pricing in Fort Collins is quoted against the specific job before anyone starts.
Residential Locksmith Pricing
| Service | What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| House Lockout | Non-destructive entry | $55 – $145 |
| Rekeying | Per cylinder, less per unit on multiples | $25 – $45 each |
| Cylinder Change | Standard deadbolts and knob sets | $60 – $245 |
| Door Repair | Alignment, strike plates, worn cylinders | $55 – $195 |
| Deadbolt Installation | Door with no existing bore | $125 – $245 |
| Smart Entry Installation | Keypad and app-controlled hardware | $145 – $395 |
| Duplication | Standard house keys | $5 – $25 |
| Mailbox Cylinder | Swapped and keyed | $65 – $145 |
Service charge ranges vary with location, time of day and what the locksmith finds on site. Lock and security upgrades are quoted separately. Late nights, holidays and the longer runs out of Fort Collins can cost more.
Get a quote for the service you need today, call (970) 803-1100