Door Lock Repair in Port St. Lucie

Why Your Lock Isn't Working (And How We Fix It)

Your key's sticking. Again.

You have to jiggle it just right. Pull the door toward you. Turn the key halfway, then wiggle. Maybe curse a little. Then it works.

Until one day it doesn't. And you're locked out. Or locked in.

We've been fixing broken locks across Port St. Lucie since 2009. Tradition homes with brand-new Schlage deadbolts that never worked right. St. Lucie West condos with 20-year-old Kwiksets finally giving up. Rental properties in Rio where previous tenants broke something.

Here's what we've learned: most locks can be fixed. And it's usually cheaper than replacing them.

Common Lock Problems We Fix Every Week

The Key Won't Turn At All

It goes in. But it won't rotate. You force it. Nothing.

Usually this means one of three things:

Your key's worn out. Keys wear down over time. The teeth get rounded. They don't push the pins up properly anymore. We cut you a fresh key from your original. Problem solved.

Something's broken inside the cylinder. A pin broke. A spring gave out. The plug shifted. We pull the lock apart, replace the damaged part, put it back together.

You're using the wrong key. Happens more than you'd think. Your house key looks like your mom's house key. They're not the same. We can tell in two seconds.

The Lock Sticks or Feels Stiff

This is the most common problem we see in Port St. Lucie.

Florida humidity means moisture gets inside your lock. Dust sticks to that moisture. You get a gummy paste of crud inside the cylinder.

Or someone sprayed WD-40 in there. Don't do that. It attracts more dirt. Makes things worse.

We clean out all the gunk. Use proper graphite lubricant. Smooth as new.

If the pins are worn down from years of use? We replace those too. Costs way less than a new lock.

The Deadbolt Won't Lock or Unlock

You turn the thumb turn. It resists. You force it. Nothing happens. Or it goes halfway and stops.

Usually this is misalignment. Your door's sagging on its hinges. Or the house settled slightly. Or humidity made your wooden door swell.

Now the deadbolt's rubbing against the strike plate. It's fighting you.

We adjust the strike plate. Plane down the door edge if needed. Tighten the hinges. Get everything lined up again.

Sometimes the bolt itself is damaged. Bent from someone forcing it. We replace just the bolt mechanism. You keep the rest of the lock.

The Doorknob or Handle Is Loose

It wiggles. Or spins completely without doing anything.

The set screws came loose. Or the spindle (the rod connecting both handles) wore out. Or someone yanked on the handle too hard and broke something.

We tighten what's loose. Replace what's broken. Takes 15 minutes.

Your Key Broke Off Inside the Lock

You were turning it. It snapped. Now half the key's stuck in the lock.

Don't try to dig it out with tweezers. You'll push it deeper.

We've got extraction tools designed for this. We pull out the broken piece without damaging the lock. Then we check why it broke (worn key? Sticky lock?) and fix the underlying problem.

Florida-Specific Lock Problems

Living on the Treasure Coast means your locks face challenges that locks in Colorado don't.

Salt Air Corrosion

Even if you're not beachfront, Port St. Lucie gets salt air. It corrodes cheap locks fast.

We see it most on sliding door locks. Patio door hardware. Anything exposed to the elements.

Symptoms: crusty buildup around the keyhole, rough feeling when you turn the key, visible rust.

Fix: clean out all corrosion, lubricate with marine-grade lubricant, sometimes replace corroded springs or pins.

Prevention: upgrade to locks with better weather seals. Use finishes that resist salt air (like brushed nickel or stainless steel).

Door Swelling from Humidity

Your lock works fine in winter. Starts sticking in summer. By August it's a battle.

That's your wooden door expanding from humidity. It swells by 1/8" or more. Now your deadbolt doesn't line up with the strike hole.

We adjust the strike plate depth. Sometimes shave a tiny bit off the door edge. Make seasonal adjustments.

Or we recommend upgrading to a fiberglass door. Doesn't swell. Worth considering if this happens every summer.

UV Damage to Smart Locks

Smart locks have plastic components. Florida sun bakes them.

We see keypads fading. Batteries overheating. Motors failing prematurely.

If your smart lock's in direct sun, we recommend adding an overhang. Or upgrade to all-metal construction smart locks.

When to Repair vs. When to Replace

We're honest about this. Sometimes replacement makes more sense.

Repair Makes Sense When:

The lock is good quality. Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Baldwin. These are built to last and worth fixing.

It's less than 10 years old. Modern locks should last 15-20 years with minimal repairs.

Only one thing is broken. A worn key. A single broken pin. Misalignment. That's a repair.

You like your current lock. It matches your other hardware. It's a style you can't find anymore. Fix it.

Replacement Makes Sense When:

It's a cheap lock. No-name hardware store lock from 1995? Just replace it with something decent.

Multiple things are broken. If we're replacing the cylinder, the bolt, and the mechanism? That's 80% of a new lock. Buy a new one.

You want to upgrade security. Going from Grade 3 to Grade 1. Adding a smart lock. Getting a high-security cylinder.

It's been repaired before. If this is the third time we're fixing it, it's time for a new lock.

We'll tell you which makes sense. We make more money on new lock installation, but we'll still recommend repair if that's the right call.

Real Repairs We've Done

The Schlage That Wouldn't Lock

Brand new house in Tradition. Less than a year old. Front door deadbolt was fighting the owner every time.

Builder installed it wrong. The strike plate was 1/8" too high. Deadbolt was ramming into the edge of the hole.

We adjusted the strike plate. Problem solved in 10 minutes. No charge — should've been done right the first time.

The Smart Lock That Died

Woman in St. Lucie West. Her Kwikset smart lock stopped responding. Batteries were fresh. App said "lock not found."

Motor assembly failed. We had the replacement part in our van. Swapped it out. Reconnected to her app. Done.

Total cost: $150. New lock would've been $400.

The Sticky Lock That Wasn't Actually Sticky

Guy called us about his "broken" deadbolt. Said it was sticking badly.

We showed up. Lock worked fine. The problem? His door was an inch out of square. The whole frame was twisted.

Wasn't a lock problem. It was a foundation problem. We adjusted what we could, but recommended he call a foundation specialist.

We didn't charge him. Saved him from wasting money on lock repairs that wouldn't fix the real issue.

How Much Does Lock Repair Cost?

Honest prices. No surprises.

• Basic cleaning and lubrication: $65-$95
• Broken key extraction: $75-$125
• Deadbolt adjustment/alignment: $85-$150
• Cylinder repair (replace pins/springs): $100-$200
• Smart lock motor replacement: $125-$250
• Full mechanism rebuild: $150-$300

We diagnose the problem first. Tell you what it'll cost. You decide if you want us to fix it.

If you decide to replace instead of repair, we credit the service call toward the new lock installation.

Emergency Lock Repair

Locked out because your lock broke? Deadbolt jammed and you can't leave for work?

We do emergency repairs 24/7. Most Port St. Lucie calls, we arrive in 15-30 minutes.

We'll get you unstuck. Then fix the lock properly so it doesn't happen again.

How to Make Your Locks Last Longer

Simple maintenance prevents most repairs:

Clean your locks once a year. Blow out the keyhole with compressed air. Gets rid of dust and lint.

Lubricate with graphite powder. Not WD-40. Not oil. Graphite. Once a year. Squirt it in the keyhole, work your key in and out a few times.

Don't force it. If your key's not turning, something's wrong. Forcing it breaks things. Call us instead.

Check your door alignment. If your lock's getting harder to use, it might be your door sagging. Fix the door before it damages the lock.

Replace worn keys. When you notice your key getting rougher or harder to insert, get a new one cut. Worn keys wear out locks.

Service Areas

We repair locks throughout the Treasure Coast:

• Port St. Lucie
• Saint Lucie West
• Tradition
• Fort Pierce
• Jensen Beach
• Stuart
• Palm City
• Port Salerno
• Rio

Don't Replace When You Can Repair

Look, we do lock replacements too. We'll sell you a new lock if that's what you need.

But half the time? We can fix what you've got for a fraction of the cost.

Call us. We'll come out. We'll diagnose it honestly. And we'll do whatever makes the most sense for you.

Related Services

• Residential Locksmith Services - All home lock services
• Lock Installation - New lock installation and upgrades
• 24/7 Emergency Locksmith - Fast response when you're locked out
• Lock Rekeying Service - Change your locks without replacing them