Mobile Locksmith · Phoenix & the Valley
Locked Out of Your Business? Commercial Lockout Service
If you are locked out of your business, first look for another way in and call whoever holds a key, such as a manager or the property manager. If that fails, call us. We will ask a few questions about the space and your connection to it, and open the door with the least damage the lock and door allow.
We are a mobile commercial lockout locksmith serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and Paradise Valley. We work Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. If you are locked out after hours, call anyway. If we are free, we will come. We cannot promise that, and we do not quote a response time.
What to do first
- Check every other entrance. Try the back, side and loading doors. Do not force anything.
- Call a key holder. A manager, a co-owner or the employee who opened up may be nearby with a key.
- Call the property manager or landlord. In leased space they often hold a spare or master key, and they may need to know before anyone opens or changes a lock.
- Leave the door and frame alone. Prying a frame or breaking glass often costs more than the lockout itself, and in leased space it may become your landlord’s concern.
- Call us. The list further down shows what to have ready.
If anyone is inside and needs help, or you think there is an emergency, call 911 first.
How we confirm you can have the door opened
Before we open a business door, we will ask a few questions about the space and your connection to it. It protects the business: we would be opening your building, and we want to be sure we are not opening it for the wrong person. We try to be reasonable about it.
What fits depends on your situation. An owner, a tenant, a manager, an employee and a property manager each connect to the space differently, so we tell you on the phone what we need to see. If you are an employee rather than the owner, say so up front, because that can change what we need.
If something does not add up, we will tell you what we need to know before we go further.
How we open the door
We start with the least damaging approach the lock and door allow. The method depends on the lock, and we do not describe methods here. A storefront deadlatch in good condition is a different job from a lock whose bolt is jammed in a bent frame.
When damage is unavoidable
Sometimes the lock has to give way. The usual reasons are a lock that is already broken inside, a key snapped off in the cylinder, a door or frame that has shifted so the bolt is jammed, or a lock built to resist non-destructive opening. When that is the situation we tell you before we go ahead. The aim is to lose the lock, not the door or frame, and the lock or cylinder is then replaced so the door secures again.
Common ways people get locked out
Hours and after hours
Our regular hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. Outside those hours, which includes evenings and weekends, call anyway. If we are free, we will come. It is not a promise, and we do not give a response time. If we cannot make it, we say so on the call, so you can look for other help or plan for the next morning.
Locks and doors we handle
If the problem is a safe rather than a door, see our safe locksmith page.
Limits we state plainly
- High-security doors and cylinders. These are built to resist non-destructive opening. The job may take longer and may end with the cylinder replaced instead of opened.
- Fire-rated doors. They carry labels and must close and latch afterward, so any work has to leave the door able to do that. The fire marshal or building inspector, the authority having jurisdiction, has the final word on what is acceptable.
- Electrified doors. A door held by an electric strike, a magnetic lock or a card reader may be controlled by power or software as well as a key. We may need the system administrator or installer, and if the system itself has failed, the fix may belong to whoever maintains it. See access control systems.
- Alarmed doors. An alarm may sound when the door opens. Have the code or the alarm company’s number ready.
- Your business name and the full address, including the suite
- Which door is locked and what it looks like: glass storefront, metal door, panic bar or something else
- Whether it locks with a key, a keypad, a card reader or another way
- What happened: lost key, key snapped off, keys inside, lock will not turn, or the door shut and locked behind you
- Who you are (owner, tenant, manager or employee) and your connection to the space
- Whether the door is alarmed, fire-rated or electrified
- A phone number where we can reach you, and photos of the door and lock if you have them
After the lockout
- Rekey if a key was lost or stolen. Rekeying makes the old keys stop working without replacing the locks. It matters most if a key left with someone who no longer works for you. See commercial rekey. If the keys were only locked inside, you do not need a rekey.
- Keep a record of who holds keys. For several doors, a master key system can make that easier to manage.
- Ask about the cause. If staff keep getting locked out because the door latches behind them, the hardware may be changeable. On many storefront deadlatches, a turn of the key holds the latch back during business hours. See storefront door locks.
- Tell the landlord. If a lock was replaced, check what your lease says about giving the property manager a key.
- Consider keyless entry. A mechanical pushbutton or keypad lock leaves no key to lose, though codes then need managing. See Simplex lock repair and smart lock installation.
- Test everything. Make sure the door closes, latches and locks, and that every new key works.
We agree on the price with you before work starts. A simple lock swap is priced on the phone, and for bigger jobs we look at the doors first. For several doors or an ongoing plan, start at commercial quote. Property managers can read about how we work with managers and HOAs, and shops and restaurants can see restaurants and retail.
Call (602) 301-5243. You reach the owner, who does the work.
Frequently asked questions
How do you confirm I can have the door opened?
We will ask a few questions about the space and your connection to it. What fits depends on your situation, whether you are the owner, a tenant, a manager or an employee, and we tell you on the phone what we need to know. We try to be reasonable, and if something does not add up we will say so before we go further.
Will opening the door damage it?
We start with the least damaging approach the lock and door allow. Sometimes that is not possible, for example when the lock is broken inside, a key has snapped off, the bolt is jammed in a shifted frame, or the lock is built to resist non-destructive opening. We tell you before we go ahead, and the aim is to lose the lock or cylinder, not the door.
Do you come after hours or on weekends?
Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. If you are locked out of your business after hours, call anyway. If we are free, we will come. We cannot promise it and we do not quote a response time, so if we cannot make it we say so on the call and you can look for other help.
I rent my space. Do I need my landlord’s permission?
If the landlord owns the building or controls the locks, we may need to hear from them before we open or change anything. A copy of your lease helps, because it shows who is responsible for the locks. If the lease puts the locks in your hands, that may settle it. We tell you on the phone what we need.
Do I need my locks rekeyed after a lockout?
Only if a key was lost or stolen. If your keys were simply locked inside, no rekey is needed. If a key is missing, especially one that left with a former employee, rekeying the cylinders makes the old keys stop working without replacing the locks. See our commercial rekey page for how that works.
Can you open a door with a keypad, card reader or electric lock?
It depends on the system, and it can take longer. The door may be held by power or software as well as a key, so we may need the system administrator, the installer or a key override. If the system itself has failed, the fix may belong to whoever maintains it. Tell us what kind of reader or lock it is when you call and we will say whether it is a job we can do.
Can you open a fire-rated door or a door with a panic bar?
It depends on the door, and we say so on the call. On a panic bar door, the outside trim or cylinder is what holds the door locked from outside, so that is usually where the work is. Fire-rated doors carry labels and must close and latch afterward, and the fire marshal or building inspector has the final word on what is acceptable. Describe the door when you call and we will tell you what is involved.
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