Hear from Our Customers
Your door knob should turn smoothly every single time. No sticking. No wiggling the handle to get it to catch. No wondering if it’ll actually lock when you leave for work.
When we install or replace door hardware at your Twin Oaks home, you’re getting parts that fit correctly and work the way they’re supposed to. That means no gaps in the strike plate, no loose screws three weeks later, and no callbacks because something wasn’t aligned right the first time.
You also get the option to upgrade. A lot of homes in Twin Oaks were built in the 1950s and 60s, and those old knobs aren’t just worn out—they’re easier to bypass than modern locks. We can walk you through what makes sense for your doors without pushing you into smart locks or deadbolts you don’t need. But if you want keyless entry or something that integrates with your phone, we install those too, and we make sure they actually work when we leave.
McCausland Lock Service is a fourth-generation locksmith company. We’re not a franchise or a call center that dispatches whoever’s available. When you call us, you’re getting locksmiths who’ve been trained by family members who’ve been doing this for over 140 years.
We operate out of a storefront in Prospect Park and we’ve been serving Twin Oaks and the rest of Delaware County for nearly 60 years. That means we know the housing stock around here—the old colonials, the post-war ranches, the quirks that come with doors that have settled over decades.
We’re members of the American Locksmith Association of Pennsylvania. We give written estimates before we start. And we don’t show up in an unmarked van with a guy who learned locksmithing from YouTube last month.
You call or message us with what’s going on—broken knob, loose lever, lock that won’t turn, whatever it is. We’ll ask a few questions about the door and the hardware so we know what to bring.
We typically arrive within 20 to 30 minutes if it’s an emergency. For scheduled jobs, we show up when we say we will. Once we’re there, we assess the door, the frame, and the existing hardware. Sometimes the problem isn’t the knob—it’s the strike plate or the latch that’s worn down. We’ll tell you what we find.
If it’s a straightforward swap, we remove the old knob or lever and install the new one, making sure the latch aligns with the strike plate and the door closes flush. If you’re upgrading to a deadbolt or a smart lock, we’ll drill new holes if needed, reinforce the door jamb if it makes sense, and program any codes or apps before we leave. We test everything. You shouldn’t have to fiddle with it after we’re gone.
Most door knob installations take 30 minutes to an hour depending on how many doors and whether we’re rekeying locks at the same time. We clean up. We give you a receipt. And if something doesn’t feel right a week later, you call us back.
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We handle the full scope of door hardware work. That includes installing new knobs and levers, replacing broken or outdated locks, rekeying cylinders so old keys don’t work anymore, and repairing hardware that’s loose or misaligned.
For homes in Twin Oaks, that often means working with older doors that have settled or frames that aren’t perfectly square anymore. We adjust for that. We also carry parts from Kwikset, Schlage, and Medeco, so if you want to match existing hardware or upgrade to something more secure, we’ve got options in the van.
A lot of people don’t realize that door knobs wear out faster than deadbolts because they get used more. If your knob feels loose or the latch doesn’t catch every time, that’s a sign the internal mechanism is going. We can replace just the knob, or if the door needs it, we can add a deadbolt at the same time for about $80 to $200 depending on the lock.
We also install smart locks and electronic deadbolts. The smart lock market is growing fast because people want keyless entry and remote access, but those locks only work right if they’re installed correctly. We make sure the alignment is perfect, the batteries are seated right, and the app actually connects before we leave your house.
Most door knob installations run between $80 and $200 per door, depending on the hardware you choose and whether we’re just swapping a knob or adding a deadbolt too. If you’re rekeying locks at the same time, that adds about $20 to $30 per lock.
The price depends on what you’re starting with. If your door already has the right holes and the frame is in good shape, it’s a quick swap. If we need to drill new holes, reinforce the strike plate, or adjust the door because it’s sagging, that takes longer and costs a bit more.
We give written estimates before we start so you know what you’re paying. We don’t tack on fees after the fact, and we don’t upsell you on locks you don’t need. If a basic knob does the job, we’ll tell you. If your door would benefit from a deadbolt or a reinforced strike plate, we’ll explain why and let you decide.
Yes, most exterior doors can handle a smart lock as long as the door is solid and the frame is in decent shape. We install electronic locks and smart deadbolts from brands like Kwikset and Schlage that let you unlock your door with a code, an app, or even a fingerprint depending on the model.
The installation process is similar to a regular deadbolt, but we also set up the electronics—programming your entry codes, syncing the lock to your phone, and making sure the batteries are installed correctly. Some smart locks replace your existing deadbolt. Others work alongside it.
One thing to know: smart locks need proper alignment or they drain batteries fast and jam up. We make sure the bolt slides smoothly and the door closes without resistance. If your door sticks or doesn’t sit flush in the frame, we’ll adjust that first. Otherwise you’ll be changing batteries every few weeks and wondering why the lock keeps failing.
A straightforward door knob replacement usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes per door. If we’re doing multiple doors or rekeying locks at the same time, plan on about an hour for a typical job.
The timeline changes if there’s extra work. If the door has settled and the latch doesn’t line up with the strike plate anymore, we’ll need to adjust the hardware or reposition the plate. If you’re upgrading from a basic knob to a deadbolt and knob combo, we might need to drill additional holes, and that adds time.
We don’t rush. A door knob that’s installed wrong will feel loose, won’t latch properly, or will wear out faster. We’d rather take an extra ten minutes to get the alignment right than leave you with a knob that sticks every time you try to lock it.
It depends on whether the hardware still works. If your knobs and deadbolts are in good shape and you just want to make sure old keys don’t work anymore, rekeying is the cheaper option. We can rekey a lock in about ten minutes for $20 to $30 per cylinder.
If the knobs are loose, the finish is worn off, or the lock mechanism feels sticky, it’s usually better to replace them. You’re going to end up replacing them soon anyway, and you’ll get new keys with the new hardware.
A lot of people in Twin Oaks are living in homes that were built decades ago, and the original locks are still on the doors. Those locks have been turned thousands of times, and the pins inside wear down. At a certain point, rekeying doesn’t make sense because the lock itself is the problem. We’ll tell you which situation you’re in when we look at the door.
Yes. If you call in the morning or early afternoon, we can usually get to you the same day for door knob installation or repair. For emergency lockouts or broken locks that leave your door unsecured, we typically arrive within 20 to 30 minutes.
We keep a full inventory of door knobs, levers, deadbolts, and strike plates in the van, so we’re not making a second trip to pick up parts. That means we can handle most jobs start to finish in one visit—whether it’s a simple knob swap or a full lock upgrade with rekeying.
If you need a specific finish or a particular brand we don’t have in stock, we’ll let you know up front and schedule a follow-up. But for standard residential locksmith work in Twin Oaks, we’re usually in and out the same day you call.
A door knob is round and you twist it to open the door. A door lever has a handle you push down. Levers are easier to use if you’re carrying something or if you have arthritis or limited hand strength, which is why they’re required by code in commercial buildings and increasingly common in homes.
Functionally, they do the same thing—they retract the latch so the door opens. The difference is in how much force and grip strength you need. Knobs require you to grip and twist. Levers just need downward pressure.
From a security standpoint, they’re about the same as long as you’re using a quality lock. Some people worry that levers are easier to force open, but that’s more about the deadbolt and the strike plate than the lever itself. If you’re replacing hardware, we can walk you through the pros and cons of each and help you pick what makes sense for your doors and how you use them.
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