Hear from Our Customers
You’re not jiggling the handle or shouldering the door open anymore. The latch catches cleanly. The lever sits level and doesn’t droop after a few weeks. The finish matches what you picked out, and the whole thing feels solid when you turn it.
That’s what happens when door knob installation gets done by someone who’s been doing this since before YouTube existed. You get hardware that fits your door’s thickness, your frame’s configuration, and your home’s age—whether that’s a 1930s colonial or a 2015 build.
The backset is measured correctly. The strike plate lines up. The screws go into wood, not drywall. And if your old hardware left oversized holes or chewed-up edges, we address those before the new stuff goes on. You’re not covering up problems—you’re fixing them so the next knob or lever actually lasts.
McCausland Lock Service has been handling residential locksmith work since the late 1800s. That’s 140+ years of the same family doing the same work in the same area. Fourth-generation locksmith Tom McCausland and his daughter Chrissy run the largest locksmith operation in the Delaware Valley today.
You’re not getting a subcontractor or a call center. You’re getting a trained technician who knows how Haverford homes are built—the mix of pre-war construction on tree-lined streets near Haverford College and the newer builds closer to the township’s commercial areas. We’ve worked on both, and we know what fits where.
That’s why neighbors keep recommending McCausland. Not because of marketing, but because we show up when we say we will, we explain what needs to happen before we touch anything, and the work holds up.
You call or message with what you need—new door knobs, lever installation, or replacing old hardware that’s worn out. We schedule a time that works for you, and a mobile technician arrives with the tools and parts needed to complete the job in one visit.
Before anything gets installed, we check your door’s thickness, measure the backset, and confirm the bore hole size. If you’re replacing existing hardware, we assess whether the old holes line up with the new product or if adjustments are needed. If you’re upgrading to a different style—like switching from a knob to a lever—we explain what’s involved and whether your door needs reinforcement or a new strike plate.
Then we install it. The latch is seated properly. The screws are tightened to the right tension so the hardware doesn’t loosen over time but also doesn’t crack the rosette. The strike plate is shimmed or repositioned if needed so the door closes without resistance. And if you’re adding a deadbolt or upgrading to a smart lock, that gets programmed and tested before we leave.
You’re not waiting on a second trip or a missing part. The job gets finished while we’re there, and you’re handed keys or codes that actually work.
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We handle the full scope of door knob and lever installation, not just the easy stuff. That includes removing old hardware without damaging your door or frame, installing new knobs or levers with the correct backset and bore size, and making sure the latch and strike plate align so your door closes smoothly every time.
If your door has oversized holes from previous hardware, we’ll use adapter plates or fill and re-drill as needed. If you’re upgrading to a passage set, privacy lock, or keyed entry, we’ll match the function to the room. And if you’re switching from a knob to a lever—common in Haverford homes where accessibility or style updates are a priority—we’ll handle the transition without leaving visible gaps or mismatched holes.
For homes built before the 1940s, which make up nearly a third of Haverford’s housing stock, door thickness and frame construction can vary. Our technicians know how to work with solid wood doors, unusual backsets, and older mortise locks that don’t fit modern hardware templates. We’re also equipped to install smart locks and electronic deadbolts, programming them on-site so you can unlock your door with a code, app, or biometric scan as soon as we leave.
You also get access to manufacturer-grade products from Kwikset, Schlage, and Medeco—not the plastic-part versions sold at big box stores. That means better finishes, longer-lasting mechanisms, and hardware that actually matches the quality of your home.
Most door knob or lever installations take 30 to 45 minutes per door, assuming the existing holes line up with the new hardware and there’s no frame damage to address. If you’re replacing a standard knob with another standard knob, it’s straightforward—remove the old one, confirm the backset and bore size, install the new one, and test the latch.
It takes longer if you’re switching from a knob to a lever, upgrading to a smart lock, or dealing with oversized holes from previous hardware. In those cases, the door may need reinforcement plates, new drilling, or strike plate adjustments to make sure everything aligns. We handle that during the same visit, so you’re not waiting on a follow-up appointment.
If you’re doing multiple doors—like refreshing all the hardware on your first floor—the job scales up, but the per-door time stays consistent. Most residential locksmith calls in Haverford are completed in under two hours, even when several doors are involved.
We can install hardware you’ve already purchased, but there’s a catch—if the product doesn’t fit your door or the quality is subpar, you’re still paying for the labor and the time spent troubleshooting. Big box store door knobs often have plastic internal parts, non-standard backsets, or finishes that wear off quickly, and those issues show up during installation.
If the hardware you bought works and fits, we’ll install it. But if it doesn’t, you’re better off swapping it for something from our inventory that’s actually designed to last. We carry Kwikset, Schlage, and Medeco—brands that use metal components, offer longer warranties, and match the quality of homes in Haverford where the median home value supports real investment in finishes and functionality.
The other advantage of using our products is that if something goes wrong six months later, we can service it. If you bring your own hardware and it fails, you’re on your own with the manufacturer’s customer service line. That’s not a dig—it’s just how it works.
A door knob requires you to grip and twist, which can be difficult if you’re carrying groceries, dealing with arthritis, or have limited hand strength. A lever requires a simple downward push, making it easier to operate in almost every situation. That’s why levers have become the default in newer construction and why a lot of Haverford homeowners are upgrading when they replace old hardware.
Functionally, both do the same job—they retract the latch so the door opens. But levers are more accessible, and they’re also more popular from a design standpoint right now. Matte black and aged brass levers are trending in 2024, and they pair well with both traditional and modern home styles common in Haverford’s mix of older colonials and updated builds.
The installation process is nearly identical, though switching from a knob to a lever sometimes requires a new strike plate or minor adjustments to the door frame if the old hardware left different-sized holes. We handle that during the same appointment, so you’re not dealing with a two-step process or a door that doesn’t close right while you wait for a callback.
Yes. We install and program smart locks, electronic deadbolts, and keyless entry systems. That includes brands like Kwikset Halo, Schlage Encode, and Yale Assure, which let you unlock your door with a code, smartphone app, or biometric scan instead of fumbling for keys.
The installation process is more involved than a standard door knob because the lock needs to be aligned correctly for the motor to work, and the system has to be programmed and tested before we leave. If your door frame isn’t plumb or the strike plate isn’t positioned right, the electronic mechanism won’t engage smoothly, and you’ll end up with a $300 lock that jams or drains batteries in two weeks.
We install smart locks correctly the first time, which means checking alignment, programming user codes, connecting the lock to your phone or smart home system, and walking you through how to add or delete access for family members or service providers. If the lock needs Wi-Fi or Bluetooth pairing, that gets handled on-site. You’re not reading a manual and troubleshooting on your own after we leave.
Oversized holes happen when previous hardware used a larger bore size or when someone forced out a stuck knob and damaged the wood. The fix depends on how much bigger the old holes are and whether they’re visible once the new hardware is in place.
For minor gaps, we use adapter plates or oversized rosettes that cover the old holes without requiring any woodwork. For larger gaps—especially if the door is solid wood or stained instead of painted—we may need to fill the old holes, let the filler cure, and re-drill to the correct size. That adds time to the job, but it’s the only way to make sure the new hardware sits flush and doesn’t wobble.
If your door has been drilled incorrectly multiple times or the wood around the bore is split or rotted, we’ll tell you upfront whether it’s worth repairing or if you’re better off replacing the door. Most doors in Haverford—especially in older homes—are solid wood and worth saving, so repair is usually the right call. But if the door’s structural integrity is compromised, no amount of hardware is going to make it secure.
The cost depends on what you’re installing, how many doors are involved, and whether your existing setup needs adjustments before the new hardware goes on. A straightforward door knob replacement on a standard door with no complications typically runs $75 to $150 per door for labor, not including the cost of the hardware itself.
If you’re upgrading to a lever, adding a deadbolt, or installing a smart lock, the price goes up because the job takes longer and requires more precise alignment and programming. If your door has oversized holes, a damaged frame, or non-standard dimensions—common in Haverford’s older homes—that adds to the labor cost because we have to address those issues before the new hardware can be installed correctly.
We provide upfront pricing before we start work, so you know exactly what you’re paying and why. You’re not getting a surprise bill because the job took longer than expected or because we had to make an extra trip for parts. The price you’re quoted is the price you pay, and the work is done in one visit whenever possible.
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