Quick Answer
To protect your home while away for the holidays, lock every exterior door and the garage-to-house door fully, and never hide a spare outside. Rekey if you are unsure who holds a key: a full-home rekey in Fort Collins is $100–$200 flat. Call 970 Locksmith at (970) 397-2002.
Key Takeaways
- Check every exterior door, the garage-to-house door and any sliding door before you leave.
- Rekey if you are unsure who has a key: $25–$35 per cylinder, $100–$200 for a full home of 5–7 cylinders.
- Do not hide a spare key outside. Leave one with someone you trust instead.
- Holiday calls cost the same as any Tuesday afternoon: no holiday, night or weekend surcharge.
What should you check on your locks before leaving town for the holidays?
Walk the house once, door by door, and make sure each lock does its job. It is one of the simplest security steps before a trip. Here is the order we suggest:
- Every exterior door. Turn the deadbolt all the way, not just the latch. A deadbolt that drags or only partly throws often needs a strike plate adjustment, not a new lock.
- The door from the garage into the house. People often leave it unlocked because it feels like an inside door. Treat it like your front door.
- Sliding glass doors. We install secondary locks on sliding glass doors for a second point of resistance.
- Strike plates and screws. If the door frame moves when you push on a locked door, the screws are too short or the strike plate is loose.
- Batteries in smart locks and fobs. Cold weather drains them faster. Swap them before you go, so you do not come home to a dead lock.
If anything on that list needs hardware, our residential locksmith service handles deadbolts, strike plates and secondary locks in one visit.
Should you rekey your locks before you travel?
Yes, if you are not sure who has a key. Rekeying changes the pins inside each lock cylinder so every old key stops working, and your existing locks keep working with new keys. A single cylinder is $25–$35, and a full home of 5–7 cylinders is $100–$200.
Think about everyone who has ever held a key: a cleaning service, a neighbor who watered the plants, a dog walker, a contractor, a former roommate. You cannot recall a copy once it is out. Rekeying is the clean way to end that question, and a single cylinder takes 10–15 minutes on site, while a full home of 5–7 cylinders takes 60–90 minutes. Our guide to rekeying a home after moving walks through when rekeying beats replacing.
What does it cost to lock down a Fort Collins home before a trip?
Most pre-trip fixes are small. Here are the figures we quote, all flat rate and confirmed by phone before we dispatch:
| Service | Typical range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Single cylinder rekey | $25–$35 | One lock, new key, old keys stop working |
| Full home rekey (5–7 cylinders) | $100–$200 | Every exterior lock on the same new key |
| Deadbolt installation | $100–$250 | A new deadbolt where a door has none |
| Reinforced strike plate and 3-inch screws | $5–$12 hardware, $15–$25 labor per door when bundled with other work | Stronger hold where the bolt meets the frame |
| Grade 1 deadbolt with reinforced strike, per door | $220–$340 | An upgrade from builder-grade hardware |
| Smart lock install, your lock (labor only) | $120–$180 | Mounting and setup of a lock you bought |
The full list is on our locksmith prices page. There is no surcharge for nights, weekends, holidays or bad weather, and no mileage fee inside our service area. The price we quote at 2 AM is the price at 2 PM.
A secondary lock for a sliding glass door is flat rate quoted upfront by phone, because the price depends on the door. Rekeying the garage entry door is one more cylinder at $25–$35. Call (970) 397-2002 and describe what you have.
Is it safe to hide a spare key outside?
No. A key under a mat, in a planter or on a ledge is easy for anyone to find, and it is also a key you cannot track. If someone else uses it, you will not know.
Do this instead. Leave one spare with a person you trust, such as a neighbor or a family member nearby. Fewer copies in circulation means fewer questions when you get back. If you are keeping a spare for yourself, a smart lock with its own keypad removes the need for a hidden key at all. See our smart lock comparison for the three locks it compares.
What else makes a house look lived in while you are away?
Lights on timers, a car in the driveway and a neighbor collecting mail make a house look lived in. These are the habits we point homeowners to:
- Put a few interior lights on timers so the house is not dark every night.
- Leave a car in the driveway, or ask a neighbor to park there.
- Ask a neighbor to pick up mail and packages so nothing piles up on the porch.
Locks are one layer, and these habits are another. For the wider picture on what makes a Fort Collins home harder to target, read our home security guide by neighborhood.
What if you come home from a trip and cannot get in?
Call us. We answer 24/7, every day of the year, and holidays are the same flat rate as any other day. A home lockout in Fort Collins is $75–$150, and our average response inside Fort Collins city limits is 22 minutes from the moment you call.
A lost key, a dead smart lock battery or a stuck door can all turn into a locked door at 11 PM. Our 24-hour locksmith service covers all of it.
We ask for a government-issued photo ID that matches the service address before we open a home. If we cannot verify that the home is yours, we refuse the job. That rule protects you when you are the one who is away.
When should you replace a lock instead of rekeying it?
Replace it when the hardware is builder-grade, damaged or worn. Rekeying only changes the keys, not the quality of the lock. If a lock is loose, sticks or shows damage, replacing it costs $100–$300 per lock and gives you stronger hardware.
If the lock is in good shape and your only concern is who has a key, rekey. It is faster and usually costs less. When you call, tell us how many exterior doors you have and the age of the locks, and we will confirm the flat rate before we dispatch.
Does 970 Locksmith work on holidays?
Yes. We are open 24/7 every day of the year, including major holidays, and the price stays the same. 970 Locksmith is locally owned and operated, with direct employees who are background-checked on hire and every year, and we are licensed, bonded and insured. Our team answers in English and Spanish across Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Timnath, Wellington and the rest of our service areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you key all my exterior doors to one key before I leave?
Yes. We rekey the exterior locks so one new key opens every door, which is called keyed alike. A full home of 5–7 cylinders is $100–$200 flat, and we confirm the price by phone before we dispatch. Tell us how many exterior doors you have when you call.
Can you rekey the door from my garage into the house?
Yes. Garage entry door rekeys are part of our residential work, and a single cylinder rekey is $25–$35, flat rate quoted by phone before we dispatch. Ask for keyed alike and we can match it to your other exterior doors.
Can you add a lock to a sliding glass door?
Yes. We install secondary locks on sliding glass doors. Because the right fix depends on your door, the price is a flat rate quoted upfront by phone. Describe the door when you call and we confirm the number before anyone is sent.
What do I need to have ready when you arrive?
A government-issued photo ID that matches the address of the home. We verify it before we open a home, and we refuse service if we cannot confirm the home is yours. Have your locks and door count in mind for the quote.
How far ahead of my trip should I call?
A single cylinder takes 10–15 minutes and a full home of 5–7 cylinders takes 60–90 minutes on site, so most homes are done in one visit. If you wait until the last day, we still answer 24/7, and the price does not change.