Lock Planning During a Renovation

Why a renovation changes your security

A renovation changes who is in the house, when they come and go, and how secure the building is overnight. A kitchen remodel can leave a back wall open to plastic sheeting. A new window order can leave a gap in the frame for days. A roof job can bring dozens of people past the entry. None of this is unusual, but it does mean the home is more exposed than usual while the work runs.

Keys are the other piece. Contractors need access, often before the owner arrives in the morning. Someone has to unlock the door, and that someone needs a key, a PIN or a lockbox. Over the length of a project, the number of copies in circulation tends to grow, and the owner may lose track of who holds what.

In Boca Raton and nearby areas, many renovation projects involve homes that are partly or fully vacant, such as seasonal residences, investment properties and estate purchases. An owner who is out of state needs a clear plan, because they cannot walk over and check the door. A locksmith can help create that plan before the work begins.

Setting up contractor access without handing out your keys

The simplest rule is not to give out your only set of keys. Make a separate set for the project, and treat it as temporary. A lockbox is another good choice, since it lets several trades enter without anyone carrying a key, and the access credential can be changed when the project moves into a new phase.

A keypad deadbolt is a third option. It allows a unique PIN for each person or crew, so you can remove one person's access without affecting anyone else. This is attractive for long projects with many trades. It does need to be installed well and kept in working order, and a physical key should remain available as a fallback.

Whichever method you choose, decide it with your general contractor at the start. Ask who will hold access, who is responsible for locking up, and how the contractor handles subcontractors. A general contractor who runs a tidy site will usually welcome a clear plan. If the contractor insists on holding the only keys with no log, treat that as a warning sign and discuss it before work begins.

• Make a separate project key set and keep your own set apart.
• Use a lockbox or keypad lock for crews that change often.
• Write down who has access and when it ends.
• Agree on who locks up each day and who checks the doors.
• Change any PIN or box credential at a project milestone.

New doors and the hardware that goes with them

Door replacement is a common part of a renovation, and it is where lock questions arrive all at once. A new entry door may come pre-drilled for a standard deadbolt and handle set, or it may come with a lock already installed that you did not choose. A new slider or French door needs its own latch and often its own key arrangement.

The first decision is whether the new locks should work with your existing keys. If you want one key for the front door, the back door and the garage entry, the new hardware needs to be keyed to match, or the existing locks need to be rekeyed to match the new ones. A locksmith can do either, and it is easier to plan before the door arrives than after it is hung.

The second decision is the type of hardware. A standard deadbolt, a smart lock and a high-security cylinder all have different fit requirements and different costs. Because quotes are given by phone, describe the door and the style you want, and the technician can talk through what suits it. If you are replacing impact doors, see the page on impact door hardware. For handles and levers, see lever handle replacement.

Protecting the home when walls and windows are open

During demolition and rebuilding, ordinary protection can be compromised. A temporary door may not have a real lock. A window removed for replacement leaves an opening. A garage door under repair may not close completely. You will want a plan for each opening, even if it only lasts a day or two.

A locksmith can help with temporary securing. For an exterior door whose lock is being replaced, they can fit a working lock so the door is secure overnight. For a door that is damaged during work, they can fit a temporary solution until the permanent one arrives. These are practical fixes, and they often make the difference between an uneventful project and a loss.

Pay attention to the less obvious entries. Sliding glass doors with worn locks, side gates that no longer latch, a garage entry door with a loose strike plate, and a laundry room door that no one remembers all matter more during a project. The pages on sliding glass door locks and strike plate reinforcement explain common weak points.

Valuables, tools and materials on site

Renovations bring tools and materials that thieves know are valuable. Copper pipe, cabinetry, appliances and power tools are all common targets. Contractors usually take responsibility for their own tools, but delivered materials and installed fixtures often belong to the owner.

Think about where these items will sit. A locked garage or a locked room inside the house is better than an open driveway. If you have a room with a door that has a lock, consider using it for the duration, and make sure you control the key. If the room has no lock, a locksmith can often install one quickly.

Also think about your own belongings. If the house is occupied during the work, move jewelry, documents and electronics to a room that is not part of the construction zone, and lock it. A simple keyed lock on an interior door can be enough. For documents and small valuables, a safe is another route, and the pages on safe opening and safe combination changes cover related service.

Condos and associations during a renovation

Condo owners face extra rules. Many associations require notice before a renovation begins, limit working hours, and require contractors to register with the front desk. Some insist that the unit door lock remain compatible with a master arrangement for emergencies.

If you are planning to replace the entry door or its hardware as part of the work, check with your association before you order. Some associations specify the lock brand or require that any change be approved. A locksmith can often rekey within the association's rules, which avoids a visible change to the door.

For more on how associations handle keys, read about condo association key control. If your building has a doorman or a concierge, ask how they handle contractor access, because you may need to give them a list of approved names rather than a key.

Rekeying when the work is finished

The single most useful lock step at the end of a renovation is a rekey. Over the months of the project, many people have held keys or PINs. Even if you trust every one of them, copies may have been made, keys may have been left in trucks, and some people may have moved on to other jobs. A rekey makes all of that irrelevant in one visit.

Rekeying changes the internal pins of each lock so that the old keys stop working. The hardware stays in place, and you receive new keys. It is usually quicker and simpler than replacing the locks, and it works well when the hardware is in good shape. If any lock is worn or damaged, the locksmith may recommend replacing it instead, and will explain why.

Schedule the rekey after the last trade has left and before you return to normal life. If you installed a keypad lock, change every PIN at the same time. To understand the process, read the guide on how rekeying works, and for the choice between rekeying and replacing, the guide on rekey versus replace.

A sample plan for a mid-size remodel

Consider a kitchen and bath renovation in a single-story home near Boca Raton. The project runs for about a season, with a general contractor, a cabinet crew, a tile setter, an electrician and a plumber. The owner lives in the house part of the year and is away at other times.

Before the work begins, the owner asks a locksmith to fit a keypad deadbolt on the garage entry door and to rekey the front door. The contractor uses the keypad with a PIN, and the owner keeps the physical key. A second PIN goes to the cabinet crew for the few days they are on site. The front door stays locked and unused.

Midway through, the owner replaces the back slider. The locksmith checks the new slider's latch and confirms it works with the same security approach as the other doors. At the end, the owner has the keypad PINs deleted, the garage entry rekeyed, and a new key set made. Nobody from the project holds working access any longer, and the owner has a written list of the keys in circulation.

This is only one pattern. Your project may need less or more. The point is to decide early, to keep a log, and to finish with a rekey so the home returns to private use.

Storm season and an unfinished house

Renovating in South Florida means working around hurricane season. A house with a half-finished envelope is more vulnerable to wind and water than a finished one, and doors that are not fully installed may not hold under pressure. If a storm is forecast, the contractor should secure openings, and you should know where every key and lockbox credential is, in case someone must enter in a hurry.

After a storm, the first check is safety. Do not enter a damaged building if you suspect structural problems, flooding with live electrical equipment, or a gas smell. In those cases, call the proper emergency service first. Once the building is safe, check every door and lock, since swelling, debris and shifted frames can make latches stick or fail to engage. The guide on checking locks after a hurricane lists what to look at.

If you plan to install impact doors or hardware as part of the renovation, tell the contractor early, because lead times for these products can be long. A new door that arrives late leaves a temporary door in place for longer, and that temporary door needs a working lock.

Questions to ask your contractor about keys

A good contractor will not mind questions about access. Asking them shows that you take security seriously, and it helps both sides avoid misunderstandings. The answers also tell you how well the site is run.

Ask how many people will need to enter and whether subcontractors receive their own access or go through the contractor. Ask how keys or PINs are tracked and what happens when a crew member leaves the project. Ask who locks up at the end of the day and whether the door is checked afterward. Ask what happens if a key is lost, and whether the contractor will notify you at once.

Also ask about deliveries. Materials often arrive when nobody is on site, and the delivery person needs a safe place to leave them. A locked garage or a lockbox with a limited credential can solve this without opening the whole house. If the answer to any of these is vague, put your own plan in writing and ask the contractor to follow it.

A final question is about your own belongings. Ask what the contractor expects you to remove, what they will cover, and where the work zone ends. A clear boundary, marked by a lockable interior door where possible, keeps the project area separate from the rest of the home.

What to have ready when you call

A short description helps the technician advise you well. Say what the renovation involves, which doors are being replaced or kept, how many people will need access, and when the work ends. Mention whether the home is occupied and whether an association is involved.

Photos of the doors and existing locks speed up the conversation. If you already have new doors on order, share the door brand and the hardware that comes with them. Quotes are given only by phone, and a larger job may need an on-site visit before a price can be set. A service call charge applies for a visit, and it is explained on the phone before dispatch.

If you want to plan access before the first day of work, or you are near the end and want a clean set of keys, call and describe the project. A short conversation up front often saves a lot of trouble later.

Questions people ask

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