Lock Replacement in Savannah, GA

Replacing locks on older Savannah doors

Savannah's housing is older than Georgia's as a whole. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put 36.8 percent of the city's homes in buildings from before 1960 and 13.6 percent from before 1940, while only 3.9 percent of homes statewide predate 1940.

Doors from those decades may hold mortise locks, whose body sits in a deep pocket cut into the door edge. Most modern deadbolts instead need a round bore through the door face. Swapping one type for the other can mean filling the old pocket, drilling new holes or choosing a mortise replacement that fits the existing cut. Before choosing hardware, measure the door's thickness and the backset, the distance from the door edge to the center of the lock's bore or spindle hole, and photograph the lock from both sides and along the door edge.

Historic districts and exterior changes

The City of Savannah Zoning Ordinance gives three local historic districts their own sections:

• Downtown, Section 7.8 (Savannah Downtown Historic Overlay District), dating from 1966.
• Victorian, Section 7.9 (Victorian Historic Overlay District), covering 45 city blocks.
• Streetcar, Section 7.11 (Streetcar Historic Overlay District), formerly the Mid-City Historic District and established in 2005.

In the Victorian and Streetcar districts, demolition, new construction and other major projects go to the Historic Preservation Commission, and preservation staff at the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) review all other exterior work. Before you order a new front door or make another exterior change in any of the three districts, ask MPC preservation staff whether it needs a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). Whether a new lock alone counts is a question for them, not for a locksmith. This is general information, not legal advice.

Repair, rekey or replace

If an original lock still works and only the keys are a concern, rekeying is enough. If it sticks or fails to latch, lock repair may keep it in service. Replacement makes sense when the lock is worn out, parts are no longer made, or you want a deadbolt added to a door that has only a latch.

When you ask about lock replacement in Savannah, send the photos and measurements, the door material, the district if you know it, and what the new lock should do.