Lock Replacement in Madison, WI

When replacement makes sense

Replacement is for hardware near the end of its life: a cylinder that wobbles in the door, a deadbolt that no longer throws all the way, a knob with a broken spring, a finish worn through to bare metal. If the only concern is who holds keys, lock rekeying keeps the hardware and changes the key instead.

Doors in University Heights

University Heights, an early suburb platted in 1893, has Queen Anne, Prairie and Period Revival houses, among them work by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is one of Madison's five local historic districts, where exterior changes go before the Madison Landmarks Commission.

Houses of that age may still carry a mortise lock, with the lock body set into a pocket cut in the door edge. A new mortise lock can often go into the same pocket, which keeps the original door intact. Converting to a modern bored deadbolt means new holes bored through old wood. Check with the city's Planning Division before replacing an exterior door, and ask whether a hardware change that shows from the street counts as an exterior change.

Rental unit doors

For rented dwelling units, Madison General Ordinances section 27.05(2)(h) sets lock standards that new hardware should still meet, including:

• a keyed deadbolt on each unit door that throws at least 1 inch, with a strike plate held by 2.5-inch screws
• a door viewer in the main entrance door of each unit

A landlord swapping a unit's lock between tenants can check the door against that list at the same visit: a short throw or a strike plate on short screws is worth correcting while the door is being worked on. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to send

• the address, and the historic district if the house is in one
• photos of the door edge and both sides of the current lock
• whether the door is original
• whether you want the new locks keyed alike

All five historic districts are named on the Madison page, and the service is described at lock replacement.