DC Locksmith Service
Call 202-753-3643
Index
Text usCallback

Washington, DC locksmith line

Why it is safer to call a locksmith during a business lockout

By DC Locksmith Service editors · · Updated · 6 min read

Opening time is close, and the only key is in a coat pocket at someone's home. The temptation is to pry, kick or improvise. Here is why that costs more.

Call 202-753-3643Request a callback
  • Price quoted before work starts
  • Written estimate on request
  • Ask the locksmith for ID at the door
Flat illustration of a storefront door with a push bar and a padlocked grille under a coffered vault

A storefront door on H Street or a suite door off K Street is not like a house door. Aluminum frames, narrow-stile locks, closers, exit devices and glass panels are all costly to replace and often have to be ordered. A pry bar that bends the frame can turn a morning's inconvenience into a week with a door that will not close properly.

02 Part 1

Commercial doors are expensive to damage

Exit devices are also safety equipment. Damaging one may leave the building with an exit that does not work, which is a fire-code problem as well as a security one.

03 Part 2

What a locksmith does differently

A commercial locksmith opens the door through the lock where possible, by picking or bypassing the cylinder. If the cylinder has to be drilled, it is replaced the same visit and new keys are cut. The door, the frame and the exit hardware are left intact. The commercial page lists the kinds of hardware involved.

Ask for an estimate on the phone and again at the door, and get an invoice in the business name for your records.

04 Part 3

Proving the business is yours

Expect to be asked for ID and something that ties you to the premises: a lease, a business license, a utility bill, or the property manager on the phone. In a leased building, the manager may need to authorize entry. Arrange that before you call if you can; it saves time at the door.

05 Part 4

How to prevent the next lockout

  1. Keep a spare key off-site, with an owner or manager who lives nearby.
  2. Keep a written list of who holds keys to which doors.
  3. Rekey when anyone with a key leaves, rather than hoping they return it.
  4. Consider a simple master key plan so a manager key opens every door.
  5. Check exit devices and closers twice a year; a sticking latch gets worse.

Small offices in converted rowhouses near Dupont and storefronts along the H Street corridor see the same patterns: too many keys, too few records. The Dupont hub and the H Street hub note the local building types.

06 Part 5

The bottom line

Damage is permanent; a lockout is temporary. A short wait and a professional visit almost always cost less than a bent frame. Call 202-753-3643, describe the door and the hardware, and ask for the starting price.

07 Questions

Questions readers ask

Can a locksmith open a door with a panic bar from outside?

Often, through the exterior cylinder or trim. It depends on the hardware; describe it when you call.

Should we change locks or rekey when a manager leaves?

Rekey, unless the hardware is worn. It is cheaper and the old keys stop working.

Can the work be done before we open?

Ask the dispatcher about timing. Planned commercial work is often arranged around business hours.

08 Related

Call nowText us