Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Locksmith Before & After in Ashburn, VA
We’ve been walking into Ashburn homes and businesses with broken, outdated, or compromised locks since 2002. These are the jobs that stuck with us - not because they were dramatic, but because the difference between “before” and “after” meant real security for real people. Here’s what that looks like on the ground.
Recent Transformations
Failed Kwikset SmartKey Deadbolt, Ashburn Farm Townhouse
The homeowner called after their key started catching, then stopped working entirely. Another locksmith had rekeyed the deadbolt six months prior. We found the SmartKey chamber out of alignment and three wafers sheared - a common result when the reset tool is inserted at the wrong angle. We replaced the cylinder with a Schlage B60N Grade 1 deadbolt, rekeyed it to the homeowner’s existing house key, and documented the internal damage with photos. Haven Standard Clause 1 applied: $189, quoted on the phone, matched the invoice. The new deadbolt operates with a smooth half-turn and carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Master Key System Overhaul, Loudoun County Medical Office
This four-provider practice had accumulated five different keys over ten years of lease changes and staff turnover. We audited 23 doors across the suite and found three different cylinder brands, two non-functional cores, and one storage closet that keyed to a former employee’s personal key. We designed a four-level master key system using Schlage Everest 29 SL cylinders - master for facilities, sub-master for each provider group, change keys for individual staff, and a single grand master for the practice administrator. Every cylinder was pinned in our shop, installed after hours, and tested against the key chart before we left. The written scope, key chart, and photo record went to the office manager that evening. Total project: $1,340, fixed price agreed in writing before we started.
Broken Key Extraction & High-Security Upgrade, Belmont Country Club Home
The key snapped in the front door deadbolt at 10 PM on a Saturday. Our technician extracted the brass fragment without damaging the plug, then discovered the existing deadbolt was a Grade 3 import with no anti-drill pins and a keyway that accepted standard blanks. The homeowner had recently had a break-in attempt at a neighbor’s house. We offered two paths: rekey the existing hardware for $89, or upgrade to a Mul-T-Lock Interactive+ cylinder with a restricted keyway (keys cannot be duplicated without authorization card and dealer verification). They chose the upgrade. We installed the Mul-T-Lock cylinder into a reinforced strike plate assembly, tested all three supplied keys, and registered the key code to the homeowner’s name. The photo record shows the extracted fragment, the old cylinder’s pin stack, and the new installation. Price on the phone: $387. Price on the invoice: $387.
Access Control Retrofit, Ashburn Village Retail Plaza
A six-unit retail plaza was burning through $200 monthly in rekeys due to employee turnover across three anchor tenants. The property manager wanted audit trail capability without running new conduit through 1980s block construction. We installed a stand-alone HID ProxPoint II system with battery-powered locks, wireless hub communication, and cloud-based scheduling. Each tenant received their own administrator login. The system logs every entry by credential and time stamp. We trained the property manager on credential enrollment and programmed automatic lock/unlock for business hours. The mechanical override cylinders were rekeyed to a single emergency key, stored in a tamper-evident bag with photo documentation. Project price: $4,200, including three-year warranty on all electrified components. No conduit. No downtime during business hours.
Safe Lock Failure, One Loudoun Apartment
The tenant’s S&G 6730 mechanical safe lock wouldn’t open after a “helpful” friend tried to “fix” the sticky dial with WD-40. The lubricant attracted dust, gummed the wheel pack, and the friend’s subsequent forcing triggered the internal relocker - a hardened pin that drops to block bolt retraction when tampering is detected. We drilled at a precise index point to defeat the relocker without damaging the bolt fence, cleaned and relubricated the wheel pack with Houdini Lock Lube, and installed a new dial ring with proper spline key alignment. The safe was back in service with the original combination. We provided a written service record and photos of the relocker trigger, drill point, and repaired mechanism. Cost: $265. The tenant now knows: safe locks get Houdini, not hardware-store spray.
Emergency Lockout & Security Audit, Ashburn Park Single-Family
Family of four, locked out at 7 AM on a school day. We opened the door non-destructively in four minutes using a bypass technique appropriate to the lock type - no drilling, no damage. Once inside, we documented what we found: the deadbolt was a Grade 3 builder-grade unit with 3/4-inch screws into door-facing trim, not structural framing. The strike plate was secured with half-inch brass screws into soft pine jamb. A shoulder strike would have opened it. We showed the homeowner the gap between strike and jamb, the screw length, and the lack of anti-saw pins. They approved a same-day upgrade: Schlage B660P commercial deadbolt with 3-inch structural screws into king stud framing, and a Box Strike with four 3-inch screws into reinforced jamb. We rekeyed it to their existing key. Total: $247 for the lockout and upgrade. The photo record shows the before screws, the after anchoring, and the Box Strike installation. Haven Standard Clause 4: documented photo record delivered before we leave.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a written price and ends with a photo record. No exceptions since 2002. Call (571) 410-8874 and we’ll quote your specific situation - residential rekey, commercial master key system, access control, or emergency lockout. If you have a competitor’s written estimate, we’ll review it free under our Second Opinion policy. Daniel Novak answers when he’s available; otherwise a live person picks up, 24 hours a day.
Written by Daniel Novak, Owner at Novak Lock & Security, serving Ashburn since 2002.