Locked out, broken lock, or rekeying after a break-in - post free on Project Genie. Genie 911 posting skips the bidding process and connects you directly with the next available local locksmith. Smart lock installation is posted under Security & Smart Home. The sections below also explain rekeying versus replacing locks, smart locks, and safe opening. After a break-in, rekeying is often faster than full replacement since it changes the lock mechanism so old keys stop working.
What Locksmith Jobs Typically Cover
Locksmith jobs posted through Project Genie span residential, commercial, and automotive needs: home lockouts, rekeying after a move or a lost key, full lock replacement or upgrades (including smart locks), commercial lock and access-control work for a small business, and car key replacement or lockout service. Each of these calls for a slightly different kind of Service Professional — a residential rekey job and a commercial master-key system are both "locksmith" work, but they draw on different specialties. Naming the specific situation in your job post, rather than just "need a locksmith," gets your job in front of the right bidders faster. Safe opening and combination changes (for a home or small-business safe, as distinct from a door lock) are also sometimes handled under this category — if that's your situation, say so explicitly, since it's a more specialized skill than standard door lock work and not every locksmith who bids on door jobs also handles safes.
Rekey vs. Replace
Rekeying means changing the internal pins of your existing lock hardware so a new key operates it, while the old key no longer works — it reuses the lock you already have and is the common choice after losing a key, ending a tenancy, or moving into a home where you don't know who might still hold a copy of the old key. Replacing the lock hardware itself is the right call when you want to upgrade to different hardware entirely — adding a smart lock, replacing a damaged or very old mechanism, or matching new hardware across multiple doors for a consistent look. If your only concern is who might have a key, rekeying is usually the simpler and faster fix; if you want new functionality (keypad entry, app control, a heavier-duty deadbolt), replacement is the right ask. Describing which of these two outcomes you actually want — not who has copies of your key vs. what the lock itself can do — helps a Service Professional quote the right job. If you're moving into a new home, it's worth rekeying or replacing every exterior door lock as a matter of course, not just the ones that seem old or unfamiliar — you have no way of knowing how many key copies exist from previous occupants, contractors, or a property manager, regardless of how the home looks or how new the hardware appears.
Getting an Accurate Bid
Note the lock brand and type if you know it (deadbolt, lever, smart lock), how many doors are involved, and whether this is a scheduled job or an active lockout situation. For a lockout specifically, mention whether you're locked out of a house, an apartment (where a property manager or landlord may also need to be involved), a car, or a commercial space, since access and liability considerations differ across all four. For a commercial job, note whether you need a simple lock swap or a more involved master-key or access-control system spanning multiple doors or employees — that distinction significantly changes the scope of work involved. For a car lockout or key replacement, note the vehicle's make, model, and roughly how old it is — modern vehicles with electronic key fobs or transponder chips often need specialized programming equipment that not every locksmith carries, while older vehicles with a simple mechanical key are a much faster, simpler job.
Verifying Your Locksmith Before a Lockout
Because a lockout situation puts a stranger in a position to access your home, it's worth taking a moment — even under time pressure — to confirm you're dealing with the actual Service Professional who bid on your job before letting them in: check that their vehicle, if marked, and any identification they carry are consistent with what you'd expect, and don't hesitate to ask directly. Project Genie matches you with Service Professionals who bid on your specific job, but it's still a good practice for any Customer to do this basic verification themselves before a lockout is resolved — it costs a few seconds and it's a reasonable habit for letting anyone into your home under any circumstance. If you're locked out and don't yet have a Service Professional's bid accepted, it's also worth confirming the scope and rough approach over a message before they arrive — a lockout resolved by non-destructive entry techniques is a different job (and outcome for your existing hardware) than one resolved by drilling out the lock, and it's better to know which to expect in advance.
Smart Locks and Access Control
Smart lock installation is its own small specialty within locksmith work — beyond fitting the physical hardware, a Service Professional installing a smart lock typically also needs to set up the connected app, add or manage user codes, and confirm the lock's connectivity (Wi-Fi or a smart-home hub, depending on the model) actually works before considering the job done. For a small business, access control can mean anything from a single keypad lock on one door to a networked system managing several doors and multiple employee credentials — mention roughly how many doors and users are involved so a bidding Service Professional can scope the job correctly. It's also worth asking directly whether a smart lock you're considering will keep working during a power or Wi-Fi outage — most battery-powered models do, but the app-control and remote-access features usually depend on your home network being up, which is worth knowing before you rely on it as your only entry method. Once you've got a few bids in, here's how to compare them beyond just the quoted price.