Mobile Locksmith · Phoenix & the Valley
Commercial Door Lock Replacement in Phoenix
Commercial door lock replacement starts with one question: what is actually wrong. If the lock works but too many people hold keys, rekey it. If a part is worn or the door has shifted, repair it. If the lock is worn out, damaged, the wrong function or too light for the traffic, replace it. We tell you which applies before any work starts, including when the smaller fix is the right one.
We replace commercial door locks in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and Paradise Valley. Replacement goes best when we know the door before we arrive, which is why we ask for photos and a few details first.
Rekey, repair or replace
A new lock will not cure a door that has sagged, a strike that has drifted or a closer that slams. Those are the first things we look at, because a latch that misses the strike looks like a bad lock and is not.
Not sure which one you have? Send photos. Rekeying is covered on our commercial rekey page, and for the key side of a building see master key systems.
How we identify what is on the door
Before choosing a replacement we pin down nine things. Photos and a few measurements usually cover them.
Three of these do most of the work in choosing a replacement. The grade is a durability rating from lab testing, not a break-in rating: Allegion’s guide lists 1,000,000 cycles for Grade 1 bored locks against 200,000 for Grade 3. The function decides who can lock and unlock the door, and from which side (our guide to lever lock functions explains each one). The keyway decides whether the new lock works with the keys you already have, and key control matters most where the building uses interchangeable cores. Handing, backset and cylinder type make sure it physically fits.
What replacement involves by lock type
- Bored lever. Usually the simplest swap, because the prep is shared. We match thickness, backset and function, and check the strike.
- Mortise. The new body has to match the existing pocket, faceplate and strike, and trim does not cross brands, so the lever and rose often change with the lock. See mortise locks.
- Storefront and aluminum doors. We match stile width, backset, faceplate shape, bolt type, handing, and the cylinder and cam. The narrow stile limits what fits. See storefront door locks.
- Exit devices. Repaired or replaced as a device, with the trim and strike matched to the door. See panic bars and exit devices.
Match what is there or upgrade
Matching means the same line, finish and lever style, so the door looks the same and the existing prep is reused. It is the better path when the hardware is sound but the lock is worn. A swap between bored locks usually needs no new holes when thickness and backset match, and a mortise lock replaces another mortise lock when the pocket and faceplate match. A mortise lock and a bored lock are not interchangeable without reworking the door.
Upgrading is worth it when the door’s job has changed: a Grade 2 lock on a door that now sees all-day traffic, a classroom door that needs a lock that can be secured from inside, or a door getting a keypad, a card reader or an electrified lever. For the last of those, see electric strikes and electrified locks.
Accessibility is the other common reason. Rules call for hardware you can work with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting, 34 to 48 in. above the floor, which is why levers replace knobs. Your building department or fire marshal, the authority having jurisdiction, decides what applies to a given door.
Why we avoid drilling a bigger hole in a rated door
A fire-rated door carries a label, and the hardware on it has to be listed for that use. Cutting a larger hole, adding a new prep or changing from a bored lock to a mortise lock can compromise the rating. So on a rated door the starting point is the existing prep, with hardware that fits it and carries a fire listing. Many commercial lock lines are listed for 3-hour doors on their standard prep, which is why a like-for-like swap is often possible.
If a door cannot take the new lock without bigger holes, we say so, and the decision goes to the fire marshal or building inspector, who have the final word. A rated door also has to close and latch on its own, so a closer should never be weakened to make the door easier to open. If a door will not latch, tell us. Our door closer work covers that side.
Keys after a replacement
A replacement is a good moment to settle the key plan. We will look at what you have and tell you whether the new lock can follow your current keys, be rekeyed to a new key, or be set up within a master key system so each key still opens what it should. Tell us up front if your keys are stamped Do Not Duplicate or use a restricted keyway, because that affects what can be matched, and tell us whether former staff or tenants still hold keys.
What a visit looks like
- Call, with photos.Tell us about the doors and what is wrong. A simple swap is priced on the phone. For several doors or a bigger project, we look at the doors first and agree on the price before any work starts.
- Check the door.On site we confirm the lock type, grade, function, hand, backset, cylinder and any label, and we look at the door, frame, strike and closer, because a lock that fails is sometimes a door that has moved.
- Replace and fit.We remove the old lock, fit the new one, align the strike and key it to the plan we agreed.
- Test and hand over.We check the function from both sides, that the door closes and latches, and that every key works. We tell you which key does what.
We work Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. If you are locked out of your business after hours, call anyway: if we’re free, we’ll come. See commercial lockout.
- The address and the number of doors
- Photos of each door: both faces, the edge showing the latch, the strike, and any label or lettering
- What the door does and what is going wrong
- Door material and thickness, if you know them
- Keys: how many, whether there is a master key system or interchangeable cores, and who needs keys
- Whether the door is fire-rated or on an exit route
- Who approves the work: owner, manager or landlord
- Any deadline, or whether the door cannot be secured right now
When you are ready for a price on several doors, send a quote request.
More on the hardware itself
The rest of our commercial work is at the commercial locksmith hub, and our general door hardware page covers residential and commercial hardware together.
Frequently asked questions
Should I rekey or replace my commercial door lock?
Rekey when the lock works well and the problem is who holds keys, such as after staff leave or keys go missing. Replace when the lock is worn out, damaged, the wrong function for the door or too light for the traffic. A part can often be repaired instead. Send us photos and we will say which applies before any work starts.
Can you replace the lock on a fire-rated door?
Often yes, when the new lock fits the existing prep and is listed for rated doors. We do not enlarge holes or change the prep on a rated door without asking first, because that can compromise the rating. If the door cannot take the new lock as it is, we tell you, and the building official has the final word.
What do you need to know to replace my lock?
The lock type, the grade, what each side of the lock does, the hand of the door, the backset, the cylinder type, any fire-rating label, the keyway and whether keys follow a master system. Photos of both sides of the door, the edge and the strike cover most of it. Measurements help if you have them.
Will the new lock work with my existing keys?
It can, depending on the lock and the keyway. We look at what you have and tell you whether the new lock can take your current keys or needs to be rekeyed. If the building uses a master key system or interchangeable cores, the replacement has to fit it, so tell us at the start. If you want a clean break from old keys, a rekey is the alternative.
Can you replace door knobs with levers?
Usually yes on bored locks, since the door prep is shared, as long as thickness and backset match. Accessibility rules call for hardware that works without tight grasping or twisting, which is why levers replace knobs. Your building department or fire marshal decides what applies to a particular door, and we check the door before we quote.
How do you price commercial lock replacement?
A simple swap, such as replacing one lock, is priced on the phone before we come out. For several doors or a bigger project, we look at the doors first and agree on the price before any work starts. We do not give a number before we know what is on the door.
Do you replace storefront and glass door locks?
We handle locks on storefront and aluminum doors, and our storefront door locks page explains the options. Frameless glass doors use patch fittings and glass-specific locks, so send a photo and we will tell you what is involved. Glass cutting, glazing and frame work belong to a glass company. Send photos of the lock, the cylinder and the door stile.
Related commercial services
Talk to the locksmith who does the work.
Call (602) 301-5243, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. For bigger projects we look at the doors first and agree on the price before any work starts.
When you need a real locksmith in Phoenix, AZ or the surrounding cities you can count on Desert Locksmith every time.
We’ll come to you when you need us!
Our locksmith service is available in the following areas:
Phoenix | Tempe | Paradise Valley | Scottsdale | Glendale | Mesa | Chandler | Peoria