We hear the same questions from Coquitlam residents and business owners every week — about lockouts, response times, strata rules in Evergreen Line condos, smart locks for Burke Mountain new builds, car keys, and how to spot a bait-and-switch operator. Here they are, answered plainly. If yours isn't here, call us: 604-259-6771.
Covering lockouts, pricing, Evergreen Line condos, Burke Mountain builds, car keys, smart locks, and how we work across Coquitlam.
Our average arrival across Coquitlam is around 20 minutes. Areas near Coquitlam Centre, Burquitlam, and Austin Heights are typically fastest. If you're further out — Westwood Plateau, Burke Mountain, or River Springs — add a few minutes depending on traffic and time of day. We give you a real ETA when you call, not a vague window that leaves you standing outside for an hour.
Yes. We operate 24/7, seven days a week, including holidays. If you call 604-259-6771 at 2 am locked out of your Burquitlam condo after a late Evergreen Line trip, a person answers and we dispatch. Lockouts don't follow business hours.
Stay somewhere safe and visible — a building lobby, a nearby café, or inside a parkade stairwell with good sight lines. If you're outside on a Burke Mountain or Westwood Plateau street late at night, stay in a lit area or sit in a neighbour's porch. Don't try to force the lock; you'll damage the cylinder and increase the job cost. Have your ID ready — we verify you're the resident or owner before we open anything.
Almost never. For most residential lockouts — standard deadbolts, lever sets, strata-approved cylinders — a licensed technician picks or bypasses the lock without destroying it. Drilling is a last resort, used only when a lock is already damaged, seized beyond picking, or when there's no other safe entry method. We'll tell you upfront if drilling looks necessary and what it costs before we start.
In most Coquitlam strata buildings — including the newer Evergreen Line-adjacent towers in Burquitlam and around Lincoln Station — yes, you can rekey the suite-side of your unit lock. Some buildings require strata-approved lock brands or cylinders to preserve a building master key system for the property manager. We can check what's installed, advise on what your strata bylaws permit, and rekey accordingly. If your building has a master key system, we handle the rekey without affecting the building master — something we do regularly in Coquitlam strata towers.
Rekeying means we change the internal pins of your existing lock so old keys no longer work — only the new key does. The hardware stays. It's faster and cheaper than a full lock change, and it's the right call after a move, a lost key, or a tenancy change when the lock itself is in good shape.
A lock change means we remove the old hardware entirely and install a new lock. You'd choose this when the existing lock is worn, low-grade, or you want to upgrade to a higher-security deadbolt or a smart lock. Both jobs are same-day in Coquitlam.
The most common first call from new Burke Mountain homeowners is a full rekey — changing the locks so builder keys, subtrade keys, and any other keys issued during construction no longer work. We rekey all entry points to a single new key. If your builder installed high-security cylinders, we can often rekey those too. Many new Burke Mountain builds have pre-drilled doors that also accept smart lock upgrades without modification — worth asking about if you want keypad or app-based entry.
Yes, most new Burke Mountain townhomes and Coquitlam condos have standard bore patterns (Schlage or Kwikset prep) that accept most smart lock brands without drilling or modification. We work with Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, August, Kwikset Halo, and Ultraloq — and carry a selection on the truck. Let us know when you book if you have a specific model in mind and we'll confirm it's in stock. For more, see our smart lock installation page.
A standard residential lockout runs somewhere in the range of $80–$150 depending on the lock type, time of day, and your location within Coquitlam. After-hours calls (nights, weekends, holidays) carry a service premium, which we quote on the phone before dispatch. There are no hidden fees — the number we say on the call is the number on the invoice. Car lockouts and high-security lock work may run higher.
We quote a single all-in price on the phone. That covers arrival, labour, and standard parts for the job described. If the job turns out to be more complex once the tech is on-site — a seized lock that needs drilling, or a vehicle that needs a secondary bypass — we'll tell you before continuing. You're never surprised at the end.
We accept credit and debit cards, cash, and e-transfer. Payment is collected on completion of the job. We don't require a deposit for standard service calls. Large commercial or multi-door projects may require a partial deposit agreed in writing beforehand.
For most makes and models, yes. We carry cutting and programming equipment for common domestic and import vehicles. Transponder keys (chip-in-the-key) and key fobs need programming to your car's ECU — we handle that on-site in Coquitlam driveways, parkades, and on the street. Newer vehicles with advanced proximity keys (some European makes, newer North American trucks) may require a dealer step; we'll tell you honestly on the phone if that's your situation before we roll out.
Often, yes. Mobile automotive locksmiths typically come in well below dealer pricing for key cutting and programming. The exception is some late-model vehicles with manufacturer-locked programming that requires dealer equipment — but that's a minority of the fleet. Call us with your year, make, model, and VIN and we'll quote you a firm number on the spot. See our car key replacement page for more detail.
Yes. All our technicians hold valid BC Security Services Act licences for locksmithing. We carry liability insurance covering every job. If you want proof before we arrive — some commercial property managers and strata operators in Coquitlam ask — we can send documentation by email. Call 604-259-6771 and ask dispatch.
A scam locksmith (sometimes called a "bait and switch" operator) quotes $15–$35 on the phone, shows up, claims the job is "high-security" or "complex," and presents a bill for $300–$600 before leaving. Red flags: no physical business presence, no licence number they'll share, price doubles after arrival, they can't show ID.
Our practice: we quote a firm price on the phone for the job described, we show ID on arrival, and we carry a BC Security licence. The number we quote is the number you pay — if anything changes on-site, we tell you before we continue. You can always call 604-259-6771 to verify a quote before committing.
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