Lock Replacement in Dallas, TX

Older doors and modern hardware

In Dallas, 19.9 percent of homes predate 1960, according to 2024 Census Bureau estimates. An original door from that era may be drilled for older hardware sizes, so a new lock that looks right on the box can fail to fit.

Before ordering, measure three things:

1. The door's thickness.
2. The distance from the door edge to the center of the large hole, known as the backset.
3. The diameter of that large hole and of the smaller hole in the door edge.

A photo of both faces of the door and the edge helps whoever does the work.

Historic districts change the steps

Dallas has 21 Landmark Districts on the Office of Historic Preservation's list, including Swiss Avenue, Munger Place, Junius Heights, State Thomas, Tenth Street, Lake Cliff and Winnetka Heights. Before any work begins on a property in one of them, the city requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, so check with that office before replacing a door or its exterior hardware. This is general information, not legal advice.

Winnetka Heights, in Oak Cliff, holds more than 600 residential structures on 50 city blocks, which makes it the second-largest historic district in Dallas. In a district platted in 1908, houses may still have their original doors and frames. Tell whoever replaces the lock whether the door and frame are original.

When replacing makes sense

• The key turns hard even after the lock has been cleaned and lubricated.
• The deadbolt no longer throws all the way.
• The cylinder, latch or strike is bent, cracked or corroded.
• You are upgrading a door's hardware, such as fitting a keypad lock, and the old set will not match.

If the lock is sound and only the keys are the concern, lock rekeying leaves the existing lock in place.

Describing the door you have

Name the door or doors, say whether the house is in a Landmark District, and describe the existing lock: brand if visible, deadbolt or knob, and any damage. See lock replacement, lock repair for hardware worth saving, or Dallas.