Measure the backset and door thickness first
The backset is the distance from the door edge to the center of the bore hole. Residential hardware comes in 2 3/8-inch and 2 3/4-inch backsets, and most modern locksets ship with an adjustable latch that handles both. Older and commercial doors sometimes use other dimensions entirely.
Door thickness matters too. Standard interior doors are 1 3/8 inches and exterior doors are 1 3/4. Hardware sized for one will not properly fit the other — the spindle will be too short or too long and the lock will feel loose or refuse to assemble.
Measuring these before buying avoids a return trip, which on a service call is time you are paying for.
Grade ratings and what security actually comes from
Locks carry ANSI/BHMA grades. Grade 1 is commercial-duty, Grade 2 is heavy residential, and Grade 3 is basic residential. For an exterior door, Grade 2 is a sensible minimum and Grade 1 is worth it on a main entry.
But the lock is rarely the weak point. Most forced entries defeat the door frame, not the lock — the strike plate is held by three-quarter-inch screws into soft jamb material, and a solid kick splits it out.
The genuinely valuable upgrade costs almost nothing: a reinforced strike plate secured with 3-inch screws that reach past the jamb into the framing behind it. Doing that on every exterior door improves real-world security more than upgrading the lock itself.
Smart locks and what they need
Smart deadbolts install into the same bores as conventional ones, so a swap is mechanically straightforward. What varies is what they need to work: some are Bluetooth-only and pair directly with a phone, some need a Wi-Fi bridge, and some join a hub-based system.
Two practical notes. First, check the door thickness and backset against the model's specification — smart locks have less tolerance than mechanical ones because of the motor assembly. Second, a smart lock will not overcome a misaligned strike. If the deadbolt requires any lifting or pulling of the door to throw, the motor will strain and the battery life will be terrible. Fix the alignment first.
Signs you need this work
- A key that sticks, requires jiggling, or has broken off in the cylinder
- A deadbolt that will not throw fully without pulling the door
- A lock that turns but does not retract the latch
- Moving into a home where previous occupants may still have keys
- A tenant change where the locks were never rekeyed
- An exterior door with a knob lock but no deadbolt
- Visible damage to the strike plate or jamb from a forced entry attempt
Cost by property type
| Property | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment / condo | $65 – $550 | Many buildings require keyed-alike master systems and prohibit tenant lock changes. Check before touching the entry door. |
| Small home (under 1,500 sq ft) | $70 – $580 | Standard 2 3/8-inch backset residential hardware, low end of the range. |
| Midsize home (1,500–2,500 sq ft) | $70 – $600 | The baseline for this estimate — one exterior lockset and deadbolt replaced. |
| Large home (2,500+ sq ft) | $80 – $680 | More exterior doors means more locks; keying them alike is a valuable add-on and cheap when done all at once. |
| Older home (pre-1978) | $80 – $700 | Non-standard backsets, mortise locksets rather than cylindrical, and thicker or thinner doors than modern hardware expects are all common and may require a specialty lock or a locksmith. |
| Rental / turnover unit | $60 – $520 | Rekeying rather than replacing is usually the economical choice between tenants, and many modern locksets are homeowner-rekeyable in minutes. |
| Small commercial / office | $85 – $720 | Commercial hardware involves grade ratings, panic hardware, and life-safety code — a locksmith or door contractor rather than a handyman. |
Ranges assume national-average handyman labor rates ($60–$100/hr) and mid-grade materials.
Cost by state
| State | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $70 – $560 | |
| Alaska | $80 – $640 | |
| Arizona | $70 – $590 | |
| Arkansas | $65 – $550 | |
| California | $80 – $660 | |
| Colorado | $70 – $610 | |
| Connecticut | $75 – $625 | |
| Delaware | $70 – $590 | |
| Florida | $70 – $600 | |
| Georgia | $70 – $575 | |
| Hawaii | $80 – $660 | |
| Idaho | $70 – $575 | |
| Illinois | $70 – $610 | |
| Indiana | $70 – $560 | |
| Iowa | $65 – $560 | |
| Kansas | $65 – $560 | |
| Kentucky | $65 – $560 | |
| Louisiana | $70 – $575 | |
| Maine | $70 – $590 | |
| Maryland | $75 – $625 | |
| Massachusetts | $80 – $650 | |
| Michigan | $70 – $590 | Find a handyman in Michigan |
| Minnesota | $70 – $600 | |
| Mississippi | $65 – $550 | |
| Missouri | $70 – $560 | |
| Montana | $70 – $575 | |
| Nebraska | $65 – $560 | |
| Nevada | $70 – $610 | |
| New Hampshire | $70 – $600 | |
| New Jersey | $80 – $640 | |
| New Mexico | $70 – $575 | |
| New York | $80 – $650 | |
| North Carolina | $70 – $590 | |
| North Dakota | $70 – $560 | |
| Ohio | $70 – $575 | Find a handyman in Ohio |
| Oklahoma | $65 – $560 | |
| Oregon | $70 – $610 | |
| Pennsylvania | $70 – $600 | |
| Rhode Island | $70 – $610 | |
| South Carolina | $70 – $575 | |
| South Dakota | $65 – $560 | |
| Tennessee | $70 – $575 | |
| Texas | $70 – $600 | |
| Utah | $70 – $590 | |
| Vermont | $70 – $590 | |
| Virginia | $70 – $600 | |
| Washington | $75 – $640 | |
| Washington DC | $80 – $660 | |
| West Virginia | $65 – $550 | |
| Wisconsin | $70 – $590 | |
| Wyoming | $70 – $560 |
State ranges reflect typical independent handyman labor rates for a midsize home.
Common questions
How much does it cost to install a deadbolt?
A like-for-like swap into existing bores typically runs $100 to $200 in labor. Installing a deadbolt where none exists — boring the door and mortising the jamb — runs $175 to $350 plus hardware.
Should I rekey or replace my locks?
Rekeying is cheaper and keeps hardware you already like. Replace when the hardware is worn, the grade is inadequate, or you want to consolidate several different keys onto one.
Do I need a locksmith or can a handyman do this?
A handyman handles standard residential lockset and deadbolt installation routinely. A locksmith is the right call for rekeying to an existing key, mortise locksets, master key systems, and anything commercial.
What is the single best security upgrade for an exterior door?
A reinforced strike plate installed with 3-inch screws that reach the wall framing. It costs under twenty dollars and addresses the way most doors actually fail — the jamb splitting, not the lock breaking.
Related project cost guides
Sources and further reading
Primary sources behind this page. Federal safety, emissions and consumer-protection references — worth reading before you authorize any repair.
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission Recall lookups and safety guidance for fixtures, furniture anchoring, and fall hazards.
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