Residential Locksmith Services

Most homeowners need a locksmith a handful of times: after buying a house, when a key goes missing, when the front door lock finally gives up, or when they decide it’s time for a keypad. As a residential locksmith in Kitchener, we have been handling those moments for homes across the Tri-City since 1976. Cote Lock is family owned and operated, now in its third generation, and our store on Manitou Drive is open to walk-ins.

What we do for homes

• Rekeying:** new keys for the locks you already have, so old keys stop working.
• Key cutting:** house, padlock, mailbox and cabinet keys cut at the counter while you wait.
• Deadbolts and door hardware:** deadbolts, handlesets, gripsets, knobs and levers from Taymor, Emtek and Alfred, plus hinges and closers.
• Keypad and smart locks:** keyless locks with codes you can give out and take back.
• Car keys and fobs:** factory original keys and fobs, cut and programmed or cloned, plus fob batteries.
• House lockouts:** help getting back in when the keys are on the wrong side of the door.
• High-security locks:** Mul-T-Lock deadbolts with keys nobody can copy without your say-so.
• Safes:** new and used home safes, fire-rated to burglary-rated.

Just moved in?

When you buy a house, you have no idea how many keys are out there. Previous owners, their kids, a dog walker, a cleaner, the contractor who did the basement: any of them might still have one. Rekeying every exterior lock is an inexpensive way to start fresh, and while we’re there, we can key the front, back and garage doors alike so one key does the lot. The guide on rekeying versus replacing locks explains when each makes sense.

Visit the store

A lot of home lock work starts at the counter. Bring in a key to copy, a lock that has stopped working, or a photo of your door, and we’ll help you sort out what you need. Hardware is on display, so you can see finishes and feel how a lever or handleset works before buying. The store is at 300 Manitou Drive, Unit D, Kitchener, and it’s open Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.

When we come to your home

Some work has to be done at the door. We come to homes for rekeying, door hardware installation, closers, hinge replacement and hardware repairs, and for door operators where someone in the house needs a powered door. Tell us the job, the number of doors and the brand of the current locks if you know it, and we’ll book a visit.

Upgrading security at home

If you want better locks, the biggest gains usually come from the basics. A solid deadbolt with a reinforced strike, secured with long screws into the framing, matters more than any feature on the outside of the lock. For homes where keys have been handed out freely, such as rentals, shared houses or homes with frequent trades, restricted Mul-T-Lock keys put control back with you. A keypad deadbolt removes the hidden spare key from under the mat altogether.

Making doors easier to use

As people get older, or after an injury, small things at the door start to matter: a round knob that’s hard to grip, a key that’s fiddly in the dark, a heavy door. Levers instead of knobs, a keypad deadbolt instead of a key, a closer that shuts the door gently, and in some homes a powered door operator can make the house easier to live in for years longer.

Landlords and rentals

For rental houses and basement units, the job between tenants is usually a rekey, so the last tenant’s keys stop working. Keying the shared doors and each unit separately keeps every tenant’s space private while you keep access to all of it.

After hours

Our regular hours are weekdays. After-hours emergency service may be available: call the shop at 519-894-7055 and we’ll tell you what we can do.

Where we work

We serve homeowners in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and Brantford, along with Elmira, Ayr, Fergus, New Hamburg and Wellington County. For larger jobs, request a quote, or learn more about our family.