Pennsylvania Locksmith Services

Homes and doors across Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's housing is old by national standards. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put 24.8 percent of the state's homes in buildings from 1939 or earlier, against 11.5 percent nationally. The share climbs to 40 percent in Philadelphia, 43 percent in Erie and nearly 47 percent in Pittsburgh.

The other standout is the attached house. Almost one in five Pennsylvania homes is a single-family attached unit, about triple the national share of 6.3 percent. In Philadelphia the figure is 54 percent, and in Allentown 39 percent.

What that means at the door:

• Original doors and hardware. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission's rowhouse manual advises reusing old doors rather than replacing them when possible, and notes that new hardware is made to match older styles. On an older door, lock repair or a matched replacement can keep the original door in service.
• Two doors at the entry. The same manual lists an entry vestibule as a defining feature of the 19th-century workingman's rowhouse and urges owners not to remove it. A two-door entry can mean two locks to manage, and both can be keyed alike when you rekey.
• Gates and bars. The manual says any bars or gates on doors and windows must be able to open from inside without a key in case of fire, and that release mechanisms can be installed without compromising safety. Plan for that before adding a keyed gate.
• Detached homes in Erie and Pittsburgh. Detached houses make up 59 percent of homes in Erie and 43 percent in Pittsburgh, against under 9 percent in Philadelphia. Side and basement doors add to the locks to keep on one key.

How Pennsylvania's climate affects locks and keys

PennDOT's average snowfall figures run from 83 inches in its northwest district, which includes Erie County, to 43 inches in the Allegheny County district, 30 inches in the district covering Berks and Lehigh, 23 inches in the district covering Dauphin and 14 inches in the Philadelphia district. NOAA's state climate summary adds that lake-effect snow can bring the northwest more than 100 inches a year.

Salt use is heavy too: PennDOT reports an average of 598,094 tons of salt a winter over the last five winters.

Practical upkeep:

• With that much salt on the roads, rinse car door handles, trunk locks and key blades when you wash the car.
• If a lock is frozen, use a lock de-icer and do not force the key. A key forced in a frozen cylinder can snap and need a broken key extraction.
• NOAA names extreme heat and humidity as a particular concern in Philadelphia. If a deadbolt drags only in the humid months, check how the door fits its frame before replacing the lock.
• NOAA reports that extreme precipitation events have become more frequent, and lists catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 and the remnants of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. Have locks that sat in floodwater checked for corrosion.

Renting in Pennsylvania: locks, keys and rekeying

About 31 percent of occupied homes in Pennsylvania are rented, rising to 48 percent in Philadelphia, 52 percent in Pittsburgh and 56 percent in Allentown. Before you change or rekey a lock in a rental, read your lease and talk to your landlord. Our article on Pennsylvania landlord–tenant lock changes covers landlord lockouts, lock changes between tenants and whether a tenant can change the locks.

Where we take requests in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania runs from the Philadelphia region in the southeast, through the Lehigh Valley, Berks County and the capital region around Harrisburg, to Allegheny County in the west and Erie on the lakeshore. Pennsylvania Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Pennsylvania. For individual cities and towns, see Pennsylvania service areas.

Before you book a locksmith in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's general consumer protection statute is the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (Act 387 of 1968). Section 3 declares unlawful the unfair or deceptive practices in trade or commerce listed in section 2. Section 9.2 lets a person who buys goods or services mainly for personal, family or household purposes, and loses money or property because of such a practice, bring a private action. This is general information, not legal advice.

Complaints go to the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection, online or by a mailed form available in several languages. The office asks for your contract, proof of payment and any relevant emails or screenshots of text messages. If a complaint is suitable for mediation, an agent contacts both you and the business to try to resolve it.

That points to a few sensible checks:

1. Get the total in writing, by text or email, before work begins, and pay in a way that leaves a record. That is what the complaint form asks for.
2. In a rowhouse or apartment building, say which door is the problem (street, vestibule or unit door) and confirm who controls it before work starts.