Deadbolt Installation
When a new home purchase closes on Laura Duncan Road or a rental property turns over near Apex's bustling Town Square, one of the smartest first calls a property owner can make is to schedule a professional deadbolt installation. A fresh deadbolt on every exterior door is one of the highest-impact security upgrades available — and it costs far less time and hassle when a skilled mobile locksmith handles it correctly the first time, with hardware that's properly aligned, torqued, and tested before we leave your doorstep.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured
Wake County Locksmith is a 24/7 mobile locksmith serving Apex, NC and the surrounding communities throughout Wake County. Our trained, insured technicians come directly to your home or business — no drop-off, no waiting, no guesswork. Whether you need a single deadbolt swapped on a side entry door or a full exterior security upgrade across multiple openings, we confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins so there are never surprises on the final invoice. Call (919) 341-2147 any time — day or night — and a real person will answer.
What we do
Available 24/7
Day, night, weekends and holidays — a real local locksmith answers and rolls a fully-stocked van.
Fast local response
Based in Apex, we reach Wake County and surrounding communities in well under an hour.
Insured & background-checked
Vetted technicians, up-front pricing, and no surprise add-ons when we arrive.
Damage-free entry
We pick and bypass locks the right way, so most lockouts are solved without drilling anything.
More about our work
Everything you need to know about how we help — at a glance.
Deadbolt Installation for Exterior Doors: What the Job Actually Involves
A proper deadbolt installation is more than dropping a new lock into an existing hole. Our technicians assess the door edge, the existing bore diameter, the strike-plate depth, and the door-frame condition before selecting or recommending hardware. Apex homes — especially the craftsman and transitional-style builds common in neighborhoods like Haddon Hall and Bella Casa — often combine solid-core wood doors with hollow aluminum frames, which requires careful strike-plate reinforcement to prevent kick-in regardless of how good the lock grade is. We carry a range of ANSI Grade 1 single-cylinder and double-cylinder deadbolts, including Schlage and Kwikset options, so we can match the right hardware to your specific door prep and security priorities.
For properties where the existing door knob lock and deadbolt don't align cleanly — a common issue on older doors that have been repainted or re-hung — we address the fit before installation rather than forcing hardware into a compromised opening. On commercial properties, we frequently recommend and install a mortise lock in place of a standard bored deadbolt, because a mortise lock integrates the latch, deadbolt, and strike into a single reinforced steel pocket within the door edge itself, providing significantly greater resistance to forced entry. If you're managing a retail space, office suite, or multi-tenant building anywhere in Wake County, ask us about mortise lock options when you call.
Jimmy Proof Deadbolt Installation, Mortise Locks, and Specialty Hardware Options
Not every door suits a standard cylindrical deadbolt. Surface-mounted jimmy proof deadbolt installation is a popular choice for apartment entry doors, screen doors, and secondary exterior doors where routing a full bore into the door or frame isn't practical. A jimmy proof deadbolt — also called an interlocking deadbolt — mounts on the door surface with interlocking vertical bolts that resist both prying and spreading of the door frame. Our technicians are experienced with these installations on both wood and steel doors, and we'll advise whether the door's current construction can support the mounting hardware correctly.
For higher-security commercial applications, a locksmith mortise lock installation remains the industry benchmark. The mortise pocket must be precisely routed into the door stile — a process that demands accurate measurement and the right tooling to avoid splitting or weakening the door. Our commercial locksmith team handles mortise lock work on storefront doors, office entries, and multi-family buildings across Apex and the broader Wake County area. We also install smart deadbolts with keypad or Z-Wave connectivity for clients who want keyless entry without compromising ANSI Grade 1 security ratings.
What Determines the Cost of Deadbolt Installation Near Me?
Pricing for deadbolt installation near me — or any locksmith service — depends on several concrete factors rather than a flat rate. The type of lock being installed matters: a standard single-cylinder deadbolt on an already-prepped door is a simpler job than a mortise lock installation on a commercial door that requires new pocket routing. The time of day is also a factor; emergency locksmith calls at 2 a.m. on a weekend involve different logistics than a scheduled afternoon appointment. Travel distance within Wake County, the number of doors being serviced in a single visit, and whether new hardware needs to be sourced or is supplied by the customer all affect the final figure.
There is no single answer to 'how much is a locksmith in NC' or 'how much does an emergency locksmith cost near me' because every job has a different scope — and anyone quoting a firm price without knowing the specifics isn't giving you a real number. What we do instead: when you call (919) 341-2147, we ask the right questions, give you a clear quote before our technician begins, and that number doesn't change unless the scope of work changes and you approve it first. We do not charge hidden fees. Apexans — yes, that's what locals here call themselves — deserve straight answers, and that's how we operate every single call, 24 hours a day.
Our Deadbolt Installation Services and Full Locksmith Service Menu — Apex and Wake County
Our mobile team handles a wide range of residential, commercial, and automotive locksmith needs throughout Wake County. Below is a representative list of what we do: new deadbolt installation on exterior doors, jimmy proof deadbolt installation on secondary and apartment doors, mortise lock installation and repair, door knob lock replacement and re-key, smart lock and keypad deadbolt installation, master lock deadbolt installation and setup, high-security lock upgrades (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Schlage B-series), lock re-keying after move-in or tenant turnover, broken key extraction from deadbolts and knob locks, door frame and strike plate reinforcement, sliding glass door lock installation, gate lock and padlock installation, commercial locksmith services for retail and office entries, emergency locksmith response for residential lockouts, commercial lockout service, car lockout and slim-jim-free vehicle entry, automotive key cutting and programming, transponder key replacement, push-to-start fob programming, ignition lock cylinder repair and replacement, master key system design for multi-unit properties, access control keypads for commercial doors, mailbox and interior door lock replacement, safe opening and combination change, and storage unit lock installation. If your specific need isn't listed here, call us — our technicians cover a broad range of lock and security hardware.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a locksmith cost per hour for a deadbolt installation?
Locksmith pricing is almost never structured as a simple hourly rate — most jobs are quoted as a flat service fee that reflects the type of work, hardware involved, time of day, and travel. For deadbolt installation specifically, the complexity of the door prep, whether a mortise lock pocket needs to be routed, and how many doors are being serviced in a single visit all influence the final number. We give you a firm, up-front quote before any work starts, so you know exactly what you're approving. Call (919) 341-2147 for a no-obligation quote.
How much is a locksmith in NC for an emergency call?
Emergency locksmith calls — meaning after-hours, early morning, or weekend service — do carry a different rate structure than scheduled daytime appointments because of the logistics involved. The exact amount depends on where in Wake County you're located, what service is needed, and what time you're calling. What stays consistent is our process: we quote the price before we begin, and that quote is the price you pay. There are no surprise charges added after the job is done.
What is a locksmith call-out fee, and do you charge one?
A call-out fee (sometimes called a trip fee or dispatch fee) is a charge some locksmiths apply just for traveling to your location, separate from the cost of the actual work. Our pricing structure is transparent — when you call us at (919) 341-2147, we'll explain exactly what your total quote includes and what it covers, so you're not left wondering whether additional line items will appear later. We serve all of Apex and Wake County as a mobile operation, meaning we come to you, and our quoting process accounts for travel from the start.
Is it cheaper to go to a locksmith or dealer for automotive key work?
For automotive key cutting and programming, a mobile locksmith typically offers a more convenient experience than a dealership — we come to you, which eliminates towing costs if you're locked out, and our technicians carry programming equipment for a wide range of makes and models. Whether the total cost is lower depends on the vehicle, the key type, and the specific situation. We don't make blanket cost comparisons, but we do give you an honest quote up front so you can make an informed decision. Call (919) 341-2147 and give us your vehicle's year, make, and model for an accurate number.
What are people from Apex, NC called, and do you really serve the whole area?
Locals here are called Apexans — a point of pride in a town that's grown from a quiet railroad stop into one of the most desirable communities in the Triangle. We're genuinely local to this area and serve neighborhoods throughout Apex including those near the historic downtown, the US-1 corridor, and developments bordering Cary and Holly Springs. We also cover the broader Wake County area, so whether you're near Raleigh, Fuquay-Varina, or Morrisville, our mobile technicians can reach you. Call us at (919) 341-2147 — we answer 24 hours a day, every day.
Can you install a deadbolt on my door without damaging the existing finish or frame?
Yes — damage-free installation is our standard approach, not an upsell. Our trained technicians use properly sized hole saws, chisels, and drill guides so that bore cuts are clean and correctly centered. On painted or stained doors, we take care around the work area to avoid unnecessary scuffing. For doors where the existing bore diameter doesn't match the new hardware, we can use a repair kit or template jig to enlarge the hole precisely rather than freehand. If we identify an issue during assessment — like a cracked door stile or a frame that won't support a standard strike plate — we tell you before we start, not after.