Everything Tampa customers ask before calling a locksmith — answered honestly.
Our Tampa Bay average ETA is 30 minutes. Most calls between 7am and 10pm reach you in 20–35 minutes depending on traffic and where you are. After-hours and storm conditions can add 10–15 minutes. We give you a real ETA the moment we dispatch — never a vague "soon".
Yes. Apex Lock & Security is licensed by the state of Florida as a locksmith and carries $1M general liability insurance plus workers' compensation. All locksmiths are fingerprinted and background-checked annually. You're protected on every job we do — and we can show you the license on request.
We give you an exact price before we start — not an hourly estimate, but a fixed number. After-hours surcharges are disclosed upfront, never added at the end. The only exception is if the job changes scope (e.g., we discover a broken cylinder while picking the lock), and we'll discuss any add-ons with you before doing the extra work.
Almost never. 95%+ of residential and commercial locks are picked open without any damage. Drilling is a last-resort option for high-security cylinders or rare emergencies — and we always discuss it with you before doing it. If we drill, replacement hardware is quoted before we proceed.
We serve all of Tampa Bay including South Tampa, Westchase, Carrollwood, New Tampa, Seminole Heights, Hyde Park, Brandon, Riverview, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O' Lakes, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, and Safety Harbor. If you're not sure, just call — we'll tell you if we cover your area.
Rekeying changes the pins inside your existing lock so old keys no longer work — usually $25 per lock. It's much cheaper than replacement and just as secure. Replace locks only when the existing hardware is worn, damaged, or you want to upgrade to higher security. Just bought a house? Always rekey — you don't know who has copies of those keys.
Yes. We can decode most residential and commercial locks on-site and cut a working key from scratch. For cars, we cut new keys from the VIN and program them to the immobilizer right at your driveway. No towing to the dealership.
Yes. We have a tech on-call 24/7 for emergency lockouts. Scheduled work happens Monday–Saturday 7am–6pm. Sundays and holidays are reserved for emergencies but we'll do our best to accommodate. After-hours surcharge is $45 — disclosed upfront, never sprung on you when you're already in trouble.
The good ones are at least as secure as a quality deadbolt — and far more convenient. Brands like Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, and August have ANSI Grade 1 ratings on the physical lock plus encryption on the wireless side. Cheap no-name keypad locks can be vulnerable. We recommend specific brands based on your door and how you'll use it.
We stand behind everything we do with a workmanship guarantee. If you're not satisfied with the result for any reason, call us and we'll come back and make it right at no charge. We've never had to use this guarantee twice with the same customer, because we don't leave until the job is right. Your satisfaction is the only thing that matters to us.