Lock Picking & Non-Destructive Entry
Picking is the reason a locksmith is worth calling instead of a crowbar. The door opens, the lock still works, and you are not buying replacement hardware on top of the callout.
Standard pin tumbler cylinders, the kind on almost every residential door in Texas, are picked or bumped open routinely. Wafer locks, lever locks and older mortise cylinders each have their own approach and all of them are non-destructive.
Some locks genuinely resist picking, and that is a feature you paid for. Security pins, anti-bump cylinders and patented high-security keyways sometimes have to be drilled and replaced. We say so before we start, price the replacement, and let you decide.
What the job involves
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Picking first, drilling last
The default is that your lock is still on the door when we leave.
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Every common cylinder type
Pin tumbler, wafer, lever, mortise and rim cylinders.
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Honest about the exceptions
If a lock has to be drilled, you hear it before we start, with the replacement cost.
Pick Locks: what it costs
Typical Austin-metro ranges. Your exact number is quoted on the phone.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| House or apartment lockoutNon-destructive entry, standard residential lock | $75 – $150 |
| Commercial door lockoutStorefront, office suite or back-of-house door | $95 – $195 |
| High-security cylinder openingMedeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy and similar | $150 – $300 |
| Drill & replace (last resort)Only with your say-so, includes a new cylinder | $120 – $250 |
| Service call / dispatchCharged once per visit, never per lock | $29 – $49 |
| Nights, Sundays & holidaysQuoted on the phone before a van is sent | +$25 – $65 |
These are the ranges most jobs in the Austin metro land between. The exact number is quoted on the phone before a technician is dispatched, and it is the number on the invoice. Parts are itemised separately and priced from a rate card, not invented at the door.
Common questions
Does picking damage the lock?
No. A picked lock works exactly as it did before. That is the whole point of the technique.
Why would a lock need drilling?
High-security cylinders, badly worn locks and some jammed mechanisms cannot be picked in a sensible time. Drilling is the honest answer then, and it comes with a new cylinder.
Can you teach me to pick my own locks?
No. We are licensed to open locks for the people who own them, not to run classes.
Part of our 24/7 Emergency Lockout Service work. Covering Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Lakeway, Kyle, Buda, Hutto, Manor and Dripping Springs.
What Austin says
about us
Reviews left by customers across Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park and Pflugerville.
Locked myself out at eleven at night with a toddler asleep upstairs. Quoted me on the phone, arrived in half an hour, had the door open in under five minutes without a scratch on it. Charged exactly what was quoted.
Marisol Trevino
Homeowner, Mueller
We turn over about forty units a year and they handle every rekey. Invoiced to the office, keying schedule emailed the same day, never had to chase them.
Dwayne Whitfield
Property manager, North Austin
Dealer wanted a tow plus two days for a lost Kia key. These guys did it in my driveway in about an hour for a lot less. Two keys, both tested before he left.
Priya Raghunathan
Driver, Cedar Park
Panic bar failed on a Friday during service. They came out after close, fixed it properly and talked me through what the inspector would be looking for.
Ben Ostrowski
Restaurant owner, East Sixth
Locked out? We answer the phone at 3 a.m.
One call gets a licensed, insured technician rolling to you anywhere in the Austin metro.
