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.
Locksmith Before & After in Chicago, IL
We’ve documented every job we’ve finished since 2002. Photo records are standard, not optional. This page shows what we found, what we installed, and what the customer walked away with. No stock images. No staging. Just the actual hardware we touched, the actual problems we solved, and the actual documentation we left behind.
Recent Transformations
Failed Kwikset SmartKey in Logan Square - Full Cylinder Replacement
The customer in Logan Square couldn’t turn their key past 10 o’clock. We found a Kwikset SmartKey cylinder with a sheared sidebar, the internal wafers jammed with brass shavings from two years of forced rotation. The door had sagged in its frame, common in Chicago’s 1920s brick two-flats, and every turn stressed the mechanism further. We replaced the cylinder with a Schlage B660P commercial-grade deadbolt, re-hung the door to eliminate binding, and installed a reinforced strike with 3-inch screws into the actual framing member, not the jamb. The written scope specified the part number, labor, and the door adjustment as a separate line item. Photo record delivered at completion. Haven Standard Clause 1 applied: the price quoted was the price invoiced.
Master Key System Overhaul - Ravenswood Commercial Building
A six-unit commercial building in Ravenswood had accumulated cylinders from four different manufacturers over fifteen years. The property manager carried 23 keys and the handwritten chart had more cross-outs than legible entries. We audited every door, found two cylinders that accepted the same key by accident, and one that had been re-pinned so many times the plug was loose in the bible. We installed a Medeco KeyMark restricted-keyway system with a four-level master key hierarchy: building master, floor masters, suite keys, and utility keys. Each cylinder is serialized and the key blanks are registered to Daniel Novak as the authorized signatory. The customer received a printed hierarchy chart, the pinning records, and a photo record of every cylinder installed. Per Haven Standard, the full scope and flat per-lock price were in writing before we cut the first key.
Access Control Retrofit - West Loop Retail Corridor
A West Loop retail tenant had standalone pushbutton locks on three doors. The code was the last four digits of the store phone number, shared among twelve employees, including three who no longer worked there. No way to know who entered when, and no way to remove access without changing the code for everyone. We removed the mechanical pushbuttons and installed Schlage Control S-240 series locks with Bluetooth credentials managed through a cloud portal. Each employee gets a unique credential that works only during scheduled hours. The manager can see entry logs by door and by user, and revoke access instantly. We trained the manager on the portal, left printed credential assignment records, and documented the installation with the standard photo record. The written scope included hardware, labor, software configuration, and the training session as separate line items.
Emergency Lockout - Lakeview High-Rise, Frozen Multi-Point Lock
A Lakeview high-rise resident called at 11 PM on a February night when their multi-point lock wouldn’t retract. We found ice in the gearbox, bent lift levers from repeated forcing, and a door that had shifted in its frame after the building settled. The lock was a European-style multi-point with a concealed gearbox, common in Chicago’s newer condo construction but unfamiliar to most general locksmiths. We disassembled the mechanism on-site, identified the failed components, and rebuilt it with a weather-sealed replacement gearbox and new lift levers. We lubricated the keeps, adjusted the door alignment to reduce preload on the mechanism, and tested the full throw of every locking point. The resident received the photo record showing the ice damage, the rebuilt components, and the final alignment. Price was quoted in full before we touched the door, per Clause 1. The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies to the rebuild and the adjustment both.
High-Security Upgrade - Hyde Park Brownstone, Bumped Entry Attempt
A Hyde Park brownstone owner found their front door unlocked one morning with no sign of forced entry. We examined the existing deadbolt, a standard pin-tumbler with no security pins, and found fresh bump tool marks on the keyway lip. The lock had been opened with a bump key, a common attack that leaves minimal evidence. We replaced the cylinder with a Mul-T-Lock Interactive+, which uses a telescoping pin system and a drill-resistant hardened steel insert. The keyway is designed to resist picking, bumping, and impressioning. The interactive element in the key and cylinder prevents unauthorized duplication, even by locksmiths without the registered key card. We registered the key card to the owner, provided two keys with the Mul-T-Lock card, and documented the installation with the standard photo record. The written scope specified the cylinder model, the key registration process, and the warranty terms.
Rekey After Tenant Turnover - Pilsen Six-Flat, Unknown Key Distribution
A Pilsen landlord had rekeyed between tenants for years but never tracked how many keys were cut or who held them. We found cylinders from three manufacturers, some with worn pinning that accepted near-miss keys, and no record of the keying for any unit. We rekeyed all six units to a single Schlage keyway with a master key system, cut exactly two keys per unit plus one master, and registered the key numbers to the landlord. Each key is stamped with its serial and unit assignment. Duplication requires the registration card, which we hold on file. The landlord received a key control log, the pinning records for every cylinder, and the standard photo record showing each lock before and after rekeying. Lock rekey typically runs $18-$32 per cylinder, quoted in writing before we start. The full building scope was priced as a flat per-lock rate with no call-out surcharge added on arrival.
Want Results Like These?
Every job we document starts with a written price and ends with a photo record. Call (331) 202-1318 and a live person will answer, 24 hours a day. We’ll quote your specific job in full before we dispatch anyone, and the technician is not permitted to change that price on your doorstep. Haven Standard Clause 1, in force since 2002.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Chicago since 2002.