Lock Replacement in Austin, TX

When a replacement makes sense

Rekeying keeps the lock and changes the key. Replacement puts new hardware on the door. It fits when a cylinder is cracked or wobbles in the door, a latch no longer catches, or a door has only a knob lock and needs a deadbolt.

Older doors in Hyde Park

Hyde Park, established in 1891 as Austin's first suburb, began with many Queen Anne houses. Its largest wave of building, from 1924 to 1935, filled the streets with smaller frame houses and bungalows. Doors from those years may be bored for hardware sizes that differ from today's, so measure the bore hole, the backset and the door thickness before buying anything.

Historic district rules

Austin has eight local historic districts, among them Hyde Park, Castle Hill and Smoot/Terrace Park. The City says exterior changes to contributing properties go through the Historic Preservation Office or the Historic Landmark Commission, while routine maintenance and in-kind repairs are excluded. In the local Hyde Park district, 480 of 640 properties are contributing. A new entry door or new visible hardware on a house like that is worth raising with the Historic Preservation Office before you order anything.

Newer houses and rentals

Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put 49.8 percent of Austin homes in buildings from 2000 or later. Doors that new are usually bored for current deadbolt sizes, so a swap is often direct.

For rented homes, Texas Property Code section 92.153 requires a doorknob lock or keyed deadbolt, plus a keyless bolting device and a door viewer, on each exterior door. Under section 92.154, a required deadbolt installed on or after September 1, 1993 must sit 36 to 48 inches from the floor with a throw of at least one inch. This is general information, not legal advice.

Details that help with a replacement

• photos of both sides of the lock and of the door edge
• the door material and thickness, plus the bore and backset if you can measure them
• whether the house is in a local historic district
• whether you own or rent

The lock replacement page has the service itself. If the lock is sound and only the keys are the worry, lock rekeying is the smaller step, and Austin has the city overview.