A deadbolt is not one product. San Diego doors carry single-cylinder bolts, double-cylinder bolts, vertical jimmy-proof locks, and the occasional interconnected set. Our types of door locks page is the full hardware menu. This page is only the deadbolt family: which cylinder you have, what Grade 1 actually names, and what a locksmith needs before they quote a swap. Swift Key San Diego is a referral service. We match you with licensed independent locksmiths. We do not install hardware.
Single-cylinder, double-cylinder, and vertical
A single-cylinder deadbolt takes a key outside and a thumbturn inside. That is the common front-door setup in North Park bungalows and newer Carmel Valley tract homes. You can leave without a key. A burglar who breaks nearby glass can also reach the thumbturn. That is the tradeoff.
A double-cylinder deadbolt takes a key on both sides. It helps on a door with glass next to the lock. It also traps people in a fire if the interior key is not in the lock. Confirm the occupancy and the local fire inspector before anyone converts a single to a double. Swift Key San Diego does not publish fire-code section numbers from memory.
A vertical deadbolt, often called jimmy-proof, mounts on the door face and hooks over a strike on the frame. Older San Diego apartments and some storefront vestibules still use them. They are not a drop-in for a 2-3/8 inch bored cylindrical deadbolt. The door prep is different. Name the lock you can photograph, not the name you remember from a catalog.
Interconnected locksets tie the deadbolt to the handle so a single interior motion retracts both. They show up on some multifamily entries. They are a different bore pattern than a separate knob plus deadbolt. Do not order a Grade 1 cylindrical bolt for that door until the matched locksmith measures the prep.
Cylinder shape is the other split. A standard US deadbolt uses a cylindrical housing through a bored hole. A mortise deadbolt lives in a pocket in the door edge, common on older craftsman doors. That pocket is the sister job on mortise lock repair. Mixing those two in one quote is how a visit turns into a second trip.
Grade labels, finish, and what a locksmith measures
ANSI/BHMA grades name a test class on the box. Grade 1 is the strongest residential class you will see on a deadbolt. Grade 2 is the common builder grade. Grade 3 is lighter. The sibling page what ANSI Grade 1 actually means is the name on the box. How to choose a Grade 1 deadbolt is the buy list. This page is which body is on the door.
Coastal salt in Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and Imperial Beach eats cheap finishes. Inland heat in El Cajon and Escondido cooks the same cheap plating. Ask the locksmith which finish they will put on this opening. Do not treat a box photo as a coastal rating.
Measure before anyone orders. Backset is the distance from the door edge to the center of the cylinder, commonly 2-3/8 or 2-3/4 inches. Door thickness matters. The strike needs long screws into the framing, not half-inch screws into the jamb only. Those measurements belong on the quote for deadbolt installation.
Price talk belongs in a written quote from the person doing the work. Swift Key San Diego does not set prices, waive fees, or publish a deadbolt menu. Ask the locksmith to line-item the lock, the strike, and labor.
California Business and Professions Code section 6980 treats installing and repairing locks as locksmith work when someone does it for pay. Check the company on the state’s license search. The matched pro invoices you directly. Swift Key San Diego does not collect that payment and does not hold a locksmith license.
What to photograph before you call
Photograph both sides of the lock, the edge of the door, and the strike on the frame. Note whether you see a thumbturn, a second keyway, or a vertical hook. Note glass next to the lock. That photo is how the pro knows single versus double versus vertical.
If you are adding a deadbolt to a door that only has a knob, say that. Boring a new hole is a different visit from swapping a worn bolt in an existing hole. See add a deadbolt to a front door.
Stay until the new bolt throws fully into the strike with the door closed, and until the interior motion you were promised actually retracts it.
When to call us
Call when you need a licensed locksmith to identify the deadbolt type on a San Diego door and quote a replacement that fits that prep. Swift Key San Diego matches you with licensed independent locksmiths who do that work. Call us at (858) 400-4082 and we’ll connect you with a licensed local locksmith.