Replace a tired Defiant with a Schlage B60. Add a deadbolt to a door that doesn't have one. Upgrade the front door to Grade 1 commercial hardware. Done same-day, Grade 1 / Grade 2 hardware in stock on the van.
Deadbolt installation in Port St. Lucie — Grade 1 (commercial), Grade 2 (heavy residential), and Grade 3 (builder) hardware in stock. Schlage B60 / B660 Primus, Kwikset Signature Series, Yale, Medeco 3, Mul-T-Lock MT5+.
Replacement of existing deadbolt: 15-30 min per door. Drilling a new bore on a door without a deadbolt cut: 30-50 min including strike-plate alignment.
Hardware at MSRP — no markup. Most homeowners go with Grade 2 mid-grade for the sweet spot of cost + security.
ANSI/BHMA grades are the most objective measure of lock security. Cycle counts, kick resistance, and pick resistance are standardized:
Grade 1 (commercial): 1,000,000 cycles, 10 strikes at 75 lbs, 5-pin minimum. Schlage B660 / B660 Primus, Medeco 3, Mul-T-Lock. Front-door defensive priority. $80-180 hardware.
Grade 2 (heavy residential): 400,000 cycles, 5 strikes at 75 lbs. Schlage B60, Kwikset Signature Series. Right for 80% of PSL homes. $40-80 hardware.
Grade 3 (residential builder-grade): 200,000 cycles, 2 strikes at 75 lbs. Defiant, Brinks, Master, low-end Kwikset. What new construction installs. $15-40 hardware.
Honest take: if the goal is security against a determined intruder, Grade 1 with a reinforced strike plate (3" screws into the studs, not into the door frame jamb). If the goal is keeping out kids and casual entry, Grade 2 is plenty. Grade 3 is for storage sheds and interior doors.
The strongest deadbolt fails on a kick-in if the strike plate is screwed into thin pine framing with the 3/4" screws that come in the box. We've watched Grade 1 Medeco-equipped doors get kicked in because the strike was on a soft jamb.
Standard upgrade: 3" wood screws driving the strike plate through the door frame and into the wall studs behind. Adds maybe 10 minutes per door, doubles the effective kick resistance, and is included free with any deadbolt install we do.
For higher-security installs we also use reinforced strike plates (Mag Plate, Don-Jo box strike) that wrap around the door edge and tie into the framing. $20-40 per strike, recommended on front doors in homes with valuables.
| Service | Typical Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deadbolt install (existing bore, Grade 2) | $120 - $180 | Plus hardware ($40-80). |
| Deadbolt install (new bore drilled) | $160 - $260 | Plus hardware. |
| Deadbolt install (Grade 1 commercial) | $180 - $280 | Plus Grade 1 hardware ($80-180). |
| Deadbolt install (high-security Medeco 3 / Mul-T-Lock) | $200 - $320 | Plus high-security hardware ($120-280). |
| Reinforced strike plate upgrade | $25 - $40 | When done with a deadbolt install. |
| Double-cylinder deadbolt install | $140 - $220 | Plus hardware. Code-restricted on egress doors. |
| Smart-lock deadbolt install (Schlage Encode etc.) | $160 - $260 | Plus hardware ($180-280). |
| Decision | Doctor Lockout | Home Depot install | DIY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same-day install | Yes | 3-5 day schedule | Yes if you have tools |
| Grade 1 hardware in stock on truck | Yes | Usually only Grade 2/3 | What you bought |
| Drilling a new bore | Yes - same visit | Sometimes - quoted separately | Risky for inexperienced |
| Reinforced strike plate as default | Yes - free | Sometimes - upcharge | Optional |
| Door alignment check | Yes | Sometimes | Usually skipped |
Real person on the phone in under 2 rings. Locksmith on-site in 15-30 minutes. Honest price before any tools come out.
Call (772) 284-5142Replacement in an existing bore with Grade 2 hardware: $120-180 install plus $40-80 hardware = $160-260 total. Drilling a new bore on a door that doesn't have a deadbolt cut: $160-260 install plus hardware. High-security (Medeco 3 / Mul-T-Lock): $200-320 install plus $120-280 hardware.
Most exterior doors yes — wood, fiberglass, steel, hurricane-impact composite. Some interior hollow-core doors are too thin to accept a standard deadbolt without compromising the door — for those we recommend a knob-only lock or upgrading to a solid-core door. Multi-point lock systems (some Tradition / PGA Verano front doors with Ferco / Roto / Hoppe gears) require specific replacement hardware that we order in if needed.
Cycle life and kick resistance, primarily. Grade 1 is rated for 1,000,000 lock cycles and 10 strikes at 75 lbs of force; Grade 2 is 400,000 cycles and 5 strikes. Grade 1 also typically has a hardened steel bolt and anti-pick / anti-bump features built in. For a Florida home with above-average security needs, Grade 1 on the front door + Grade 2 on side / back doors is the standard upgrade path.
Yes — we install customer-supplied deadbolts at the same labor rate. If the hardware turns out to be wrong-size or broken, we'll tell you on-site. Bring the box, all the screws, the strike plate, and the key set so we have everything needed.
Yes for interior / side doors, but Florida fire code (NFPA 101) restricts double-cylinder deadbolts on primary egress doors in occupied dwellings — the requirement is single-action egress on at least one door per residence. For homes with all single-cylinder deadbolts, adding a double-cylinder on a side or back door is fine. We talk through code implications before installing.
15-30 minutes per door for existing-bore installs. 30-50 minutes for drilling a new bore from scratch. Most homeowners replacing 2-3 deadbolts in a visit see us in and out in under 90 minutes total.
Deadbolt installs happen across PSL — most frequent in newer construction (Tradition, Telaro, Veranda Bay) for builder-grade upgrades, in older Bayshore for full replacements, and in commercial / mixed-use along the US-1 corridor and PSL Boulevard.
Last updated: 2026-05-17