Locksmith FAQ
No call-center scripts and no guessing. Below is how we actually work: what a lockout costs you in time, which keys we can legally cut, when rekeying beats a new lock, and what happens when you walk through the door of one of our three Manhattan shops.
35+
Years cutting keys in Manhattan, since 1988.
3
Real storefronts: Union Square, Upper West Side, Midtown East.
24/7
Emergency lockout line, answered any hour.
Section one
The calls that come in at 2am, in the rain, with a sleeping toddler on the other side of the door.
01
Call 212-510-8320 and tell us the cross streets, the type of door, and whether you have ID showing the address. A licensed locksmith is dispatched from whichever of our three shops is closest to you. Stay by the door if you can, since we cannot open an apartment without the resident present.
02
It depends on the hour and on crosstown traffic, so we give you a real arrival window on the phone instead of a number we cannot keep. Downtown calls run out of Union Square, uptown calls out of the Upper West Side, and midtown calls out of 845 2nd Avenue.
03
Most apartment and office lockouts open without drilling, and that is always our first approach. If a cylinder is the type that has to be drilled, we tell you before we touch it and quote the replacement at the same time. Because we carry stock from the shop, the new cylinder usually goes in during the same visit.
04
All of Manhattan. The three shops spread us across the island, so downtown, the Upper West Side and Midtown East all have a nearby crew. See the full list on our locations page.
Section two
Everything cut and fitted at the counter, while you wait when the job allows.
05
Yes. We cut standard house keys, high-security keys and custom specialty blanks on the spot, including restricted systems such as Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and Abloy. Restricted keys are protected by the manufacturer, so bring your key card or written authorization from the building and we handle the rest. Details are on the high-security keys page.
06
If the hardware is in good shape and you simply want old keys to stop working, rekeying the cylinder is faster and costs less. Replace the lock when it is worn, when the door has been forced, or when you are moving up to a higher security grade. We look at the door first and tell you which one you need, not which one costs more.
07
Change the keys before your first night if you can. Most Manhattan apartment doors take a straightforward cylinder swap or rekey, and we do them daily across the island. See apartment rekeying for how the visit works and what to check with your landlord.
08
All types, from a basic deadbolt on a studio door to layered security hardware for a whole floor of offices. Homes, businesses and everything in between. The full range is listed under locksmith services.
Section three
The heavier work: vaults, master key charts, roll-down gates and commercial doors.
09
Yes. We handle all safe types, from a small residential fire safe to a commercial vault, including opening, combination changes, lock replacement and delivery or installation. Proof of ownership is required before we open anything. Start on the safe service page.
10
We design and cut master key systems so a super carries one key while every tenant keeps their own. We map the doors first, write the key chart with you, then pin the cylinders and label the keys. Supers and managing agents can read more under master key systems.
11
Roll-down gate locks, cylinder locks, panic bars and commercial entry doors are steady work for us along Broadway, University Place and 2nd Avenue. We can usually get a gate closing the same day so you are not leaving the store open overnight. See storefront and gate locks.
12
We consult on security systems and then implement what we recommend, so the hardware, the keying and the access plan match each other. It works the same for a brownstone as it does for a restaurant with three entrances. Call us and we will come look at the space.
Section four
We are a shop with an address, a counter and staff you can stand in front of.
13
Yes. Our locksmiths are licensed, certified and insured, and the techs who come to your door are our own trained staff, not a dispatch service selling your job to whoever answers. If you want to see credentials on site, ask.
14
Pricing is fair and transparent, with no hidden charges added once the work is done. For service calls we quote on the phone with the information you give us, then confirm the price at the door before anything starts. If the job turns out to be different from what was described, you hear the new number first.
15
Walk in for key cutting, duplicates and quick lock questions at any of the three shops: 121 University Place at Union Square, 2315 Broadway at 83rd Street, and 845 2nd Avenue in Midtown East. For safe work, master keying or a site visit, call ahead so the right tech and parts are ready. Hours and directions are on the locations page.
16
Because you can come back. Basics Plus has served Manhattan since 1988 from real shops, so the person who cut your key is there next week if something is off. That is what the sign means: not just a number, a shop you can trust.
Still wondering
Send the details of your door, lock or safe and we will answer with a straight recommendation. If you are locked out right now, call instead. The phone is faster.
