Homes · Kenner, LA
Residential Locksmith in Kenner
Lockouts, rekeying, deadbolts, repairs and smart locks — with the price published before you call.
A residential locksmith in Kenner costs $89 to $150 for a daytime house lockout, $195 to $295 to rekey a typical three-door home, and $195 to $395 to supply and install a deadbolt. We are licensed by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, we quote a total before dispatch, and we will tell you when a repair beats a replacement.
Prices
Residential prices in Kenner
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| House lockout (daytime) | $89–$150 |
| House lockout (after hours) | $125–$295 |
| Rekey, first door | $105–$155 |
| Rekey, each door after | $45–$65 |
| Typical three-door house | $195–$295 |
| Deadbolt supplied and installed | $195–$395 |
| Knob or lever set installed | $155–$285 |
| Smart lock installed | $195–$495 |
| Lock repair (no replacement) | $95–$185 |
| Strike plate realignment | $85–$145 |
| Door frame reinforcement fitted | $125–$225 |
| Broken key extraction | $85–$165 |
| Sliding or patio door lock | $115–$235 |
| Mortise lock service | $165–$395 |
| Mailbox lock replaced | $75–$145 |
The Kenner problem
Most “broken locks” in Kenner are not broken locks
If you are lifting the door by the handle to make it lock, the lock is almost certainly fine. The frame moved.
Most of Kenner sits at or below sea level on Mississippi River Delta soil. Subsidence across this metro runs 0.2 to over 0.8 inches a year and slabs do not settle evenly. One corner drops, the jamb racks, and the deadbolt starts catching the edge of the strike instead of sliding into it.
The honest fix is usually to relocate the strike and shim a hinge — $85 to $145, about half an hour, and the lock you already own goes back to working. If someone quotes you a full lockset for a door that sticks, get a second opinion.
The median Kenner home was built in 1978, so a good share of what we see is original Grade 3 hardware that has been in this humidity for forty-odd years. Some of it genuinely does need replacing. Most of it does not.
| Symptom | Usual cause | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Key sticks or turns hard | Corrosion and grit in the cylinder | Clean and lubricate — $95–$185 |
| Lifting the door to lock it | Frame racked by settlement | Relocate strike — $85–$145 |
| Deadbolt will not throw fully | Strike misalignment | Re-mortise the strike |
| Key snapped in the lock | Forced against a bound bolt | Extraction + fix the cause — $85–$165 |
| Handle wobbles | Worn Grade 3 hardware | Replace — this one really is the lock |
| Lock seized after flooding | Silt in the cylinder | Sometimes salvageable, often not |
Security
The $30 upgrade that beats a $400 lock
Kenner’s property crime rate runs about 61% above the national average — roughly a 1-in-35 chance for a given household in a year — while violent crime sits slightly below national. This is a property-crime city, and the entry points are consistent.
Nationally, 34% of burglars come in the front door, 22% the back and 9% the garage. About 55.7% force entry — and 37.8% force nothing at all, because a door was unlocked.
When a door is forced, the frame fails before the lock does. A standard residential door goes with 100 to 150 pounds of force, because the strike plate is held by two three-quarter-inch screws biting into soft jamb trim. The fix is 3-inch screws through the strike and hinges into the stud, plus a reinforcement plate — about $30 in parts and twenty minutes. Research on convicted burglars found roughly 60% move on when they see a house has been hardened.
Do it yourself if you like — here is exactly how. Or we fit it for $125 to $225 while we are there for something else.
Reviews
Reviews from Kenner customers
We do not write our own reviews. When Kenner Lock & Key was set up, we made a deliberate call not to publish testimonials until they came from real customers who had approved them. That has not changed. A wall of five-star reviews posted in the same week is one of the clearest warning signs in this trade, and we are not going to be another site that does it.
Reviews will appear here as customers leave them. In the meantime, three recent jobs from around Kenner are written up in full below — real problems, real numbers, real outcomes.
Had a job done? Leave us a review.
Google Business Profile is the one that matters most. It takes about a minute and it helps other Kenner residents find an honest locksmith rather than the $19 sites.
Something not right? Tell us first.
Complaints come straight to the owner rather than a ticket system. We would far rather fix it than read about it later.
Questions
Residential locksmith questions
How much does a residential locksmith cost in Kenner?
A house lockout is $89 to $150 daytime. Rekeying is $105 to $155 for the first door and $45 to $65 for each door after, so a typical three-door house is $195 to $295. A deadbolt supplied and installed is $195 to $395.
Should I rekey or replace my locks after moving in?
Rekey, in most cases. It costs roughly 30 to 40% of replacement and immediately invalidates every existing key — previous owner, contractors, cleaners, realtor. Replace only when the hardware itself is worn, corroded, damaged or Grade 3 and you want a genuine security upgrade.
Why do I have to lift my door to lock it?
The frame has moved. Subsidence across this metro runs 0.2 to over 0.8 inches a year, and uneven slab settlement stops the deadbolt meeting the strike. Realigning the strike is usually a 30-minute job at $85 to $145 — far less than the lockset replacement people are often quoted.
Why does my key stick or turn hard in summer?
Humidity condenses inside the cylinder and airborne salt corrodes the pins and springs. Doors and frames also swell, pushing the latch out of alignment. Cleaning and lubrication usually resolves it — the important part is doing it before the key snaps.
What lock should I buy for a Kenner front door?
A Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolt with a one-inch bolt throw, in solid brass, 316 stainless or a PVD finish. Hardware-store zinc and plated finishes corrode quickly in this climate. And spend the $30 on 3-inch screws and a reinforcement plate — the frame fails long before the lock does.
Can you make all my doors use the same key?
Yes — that is keyed-alike rekeying. $105 to $155 for the first door and $45 to $65 for each one after, provided the cylinders are compatible. Most standard residential hardware is.
Do you install smart locks?
Yes, $195 to $495 including installation. In Kenner the important consideration is weather sealing — humidity corrodes keypad contacts and drains batteries faster here than inland. Look for an IP-rated exterior unit and expect to change batteries more often than the box claims.
My key snapped off in the lock. Can you get it out?
Yes, $85 to $165 for extraction. Do not try pliers first — that usually pushes the fragment deeper. We also check why it snapped, because in Kenner it is frequently a bound bolt from a settled frame rather than a worn key.
How many people might have a key to my new house?
More than you would like. The previous owner, their family, contractors, cleaners, dog walkers, the realtor’s lockbox. Nobody can tell you the number, which is exactly why rekeying on move-in is standard advice.
Do you work on older Rivertown homes?
Yes. Rivertown has the oldest housing stock in the city and a lot of original mortise hardware. That is repaired and rebuilt rather than ripped out — mortise service runs $165 to $395 depending on condition.
Need a residential locksmith in Kenner?
Published prices, a licensed technician, and an honest answer about whether you need us.
Kenner Lock & Key · Louisiana State Fire Marshal licensed · Insured and bonded
Kenner 70062 · 70063 · 70064 · 70065