Residential locks
Lockouts, rekeying after a move, new deadbolts, sticky mortise locks in older rowhouses and English-basement doors.
Residential fileWashington, DC locksmith
A locksmith for the District, quoted before the work starts
Rowhouse deadbolts on Capitol Hill, fob doors in Navy Yard towers, a key snapped in a car door on Georgia Avenue. One number, 202-753-3883, puts the job in front of an independent locksmith. You hear the price first. Then you decide.
- Price quoted before work begins
- Ask for ID and a written estimate
- Hours: Monday through Sunday, All day
01 Services
Four kinds of lock trouble, one number to call
Most calls fall into one of four files. Pick the one that fits and read what usually happens next, or skip the reading and phone.
Commercial locks
Storefront cylinders, office suites, master-key plans, panic bars and keyless entry for small businesses.
Commercial file
Automotive keys
Car lockouts, broken key extraction, new keys, transponder programming and ignition work for most vehicles.
Automotive file
Urgent calls
Locked out at night, a key broken in the lock, a door left damaged after a break-in. Call and check current availability.
Urgent-call file02 Procedure
How a call is handled, start to finish
You call or send the form
Give the address, what is locked or broken, and a number that will be answered.
The call is referred
This is a referral service. Your request goes to an independent locksmith contractor who works the area.
You hear the price
The locksmith confirms the cost on site before starting. Ask for a written estimate and the locksmith's ID.
You pay the contractor
The contractor who does the job invoices you, takes payment and stands behind the work.
03 Coupons
Five coupons under wax seal
Mention the coupon when you call and show it to the locksmith before work begins. One coupon per job unless the locksmith says otherwise.
Special Offer
10% OFF
First Time Customer
On Any Locksmith Services
Coupon must be presented to the technician
Mention this coupon when you call 202-753-3883.
Special Offer
15% OFF
Senior Citizen
For All Services by Displaying Senior Citizen Certificate
Coupon must be presented to the technician
Mention this coupon when you call 202-753-3883.
Special Offer
15% OFF
Key Extraction
On Any Car Locksmith Services
Coupon must be presented to the technician
Mention this coupon when you call 202-753-3883.
Special Offer
15% OFF
Move-in Special
Moved into a New House?
Changing Your Locks is a Priority
Coupon must be presented to the technician
Mention this coupon when you call 202-753-3883.
Special Offer
20% OFF
On Any Locksmith Service
On Residential, Commercial and Automotive Locksmith
Our Locksmith will help you to lower the cost of locksmith services.
Some restrictions may apply
Coupon must be presented to the technician
Mention this coupon when you call 202-753-3883.
04 Fees
Starting prices, written down where you can read them
The price list sets out a fixed trip charge and the minimum figure for each common job. Minimums are where a quote starts, not where it has to end: the lock's security level, the labor involved and, for car keys, cutting and programming all move the final figure.
So ask for the total. Before anything is drilled, picked or programmed, the locksmith should tell you the complete price and you should agree to it.
05 Neighbourhoods
Fifteen neighbourhood files instead of 280 copies
The old site had a near-identical page for every ZIP code in the District, including ZIPs that belong to a single federal building or a block of post office boxes. They are now grouped into fifteen neighbourhood pages. Each one lists every ZIP it covers and says something real about the streets and the locks you find there.
- 20001Shaw & Bloomingdale
- 20002Capitol Hill NE, H Street & NoMa
- 20003Capitol Hill SE, Navy Yard & Southwest
- 20004Penn Quarter & Federal Triangle
- 20005Downtown, K Street & Logan Circle
- 20009Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle & U Street
- 20037Foggy Bottom & West End
- 20007Georgetown, Burleith & Glover Park
- 20008Cleveland Park, Woodley Park & Tenleytown
- 20010Columbia Heights & Mount Pleasant
- 20011Petworth & Brightwood
- 20012Takoma, Shepherd Park & Chevy Chase DC
- 20017Brookland, Woodridge & Michigan Park
- 20020Anacostia, Hillcrest & Deanwood
- 20032Congress Heights & Bellevue
06 Questions
Questions people ask before they call
Who actually comes out?
An independent locksmith contractor. Washington DC Locksmith Store takes the call and refers it; the contractor quotes, does the work and invoices you. The terms and conditions spell this out.
How much will it cost?
The price list shows a fixed trip charge and starting prices. The full price depends on the lock and the labor, and it is agreed before work begins.
What hours do you take calls?
The listed hours are Monday through Sunday, All day. Availability of a locksmith at a given moment varies, so call to check.
Can I use more than one coupon?
Plan on one coupon per job. Mention it when you call and show it before the work starts; the contractor decides how it applies.
07 Callback
Prefer a call back? Leave the details
08 Journal
From the journal
Why rekey the locks when you move into a new place
Who may still hold a key to your new home, how rekeying differs from replacing locks, and what renters should clear first.
Read the article
Four lock emergencies, and what to do first in each
What to do first after a break-in, a smart-lock failure, a lost key ring or a locked safe, and what to ask the locksmith.
Read the article
Ignore the "best locksmith" slogan. Check these things instead
Why locksmith slogans mean little, five things worth checking before work starts, and the warning signs that should make you pause.
Read the article