Licensed Locksmith in Madison, WI
A written quote before anything starts, a one-year guarantee on parts and labor, and the same three technicians who have been doing this here since 1999.
What We Do
The full range, done properly, quoted before we start.
Home Rekeying & Lock Changes
New house, lost key or a set you would rather not wonder about — every exterior door brought onto one new key, usually within the hour.
Emergency Lockouts
Homes, cars and businesses. We pick the lock wherever it can be picked, so you are not buying a replacement on top of the callout.
Business & Commercial Locks
Shopfronts, offices and back doors — master key systems, panic hardware, closers and the doors that take real daily punishment.
Car Keys & Fobs
Cut and programmed at the vehicle for most makes back to the late nineties, including when every key has been lost.
Safe Opening & Installation
Combinations recovered, safes opened without wrecking them where possible, and new units delivered and anchored properly.
Small On Purpose
Whitfield has never had more than three technicians, and that is a decision rather than a limitation. It means the person who quotes your job is the person who does it, that we remember your building the second time you call, and that nobody is working to a daily target that rewards finding extra problems. It also means we occasionally cannot come today, and we will say so rather than pretend.
Four Questions To Ask Before You Book Anyone
Is The Quote In Writing?
A number over the phone is easy to forget by the time the invoice is written. Ask for it in a message you can keep.
Who Actually Turns Up?
Many listings are dispatch services that sell the job on. Ask whether the person you are speaking to is the person who will arrive.
Will They Pick Or Drill?
Drilling is quicker for the locksmith and means you buy a new lock. Most locks can be picked. Ask which is planned.
What Is Guaranteed?
Parts and labor should both be covered. Ours are, for a year, and it is written on the invoice rather than promised at the door.
Homes, Cars And Businesses
Homeowners
Rekeys after a move, lockouts, deadbolt upgrades and doors that have stopped closing properly.
Drivers
Keys locked in, keys lost entirely, worn keys that no longer turn and fobs that stopped responding.
Businesses
Shops, offices and restaurants — master keys, staff changes and hardware that has to survive daily use.
Landlords
Turnover rekeys between tenants, with the old keys accounted for and the new ones handed over on a signature.
A Year On Parts And Labor, In Writing
Almost every locksmith says their work is guaranteed. Very few put a duration on it, and fewer still write it on the invoice. Ours is a year, it covers the labor as well as the part, and it is printed alongside our license number on every job we do. If something we fitted fails inside that year we come back and sort it at no cost, and we do not go looking for a reason it was your fault.
What Madison Says
I called three locksmiths and Whitfield was the only one who gave me a written number before turning up. It was also the only number that did not change when the work was done. That is the entire reason I have used them twice since.
Our back door lock had been sticking for a year and two people told us the whole door needed replacing. Whitfield adjusted the strike, replaced one part, and charged us under a hundred dollars. Honest to the point of costing themselves money.
Same technician came out for our house and later for the shop. He remembered which keys we had and which doors were awkward. After twenty-odd years in business they are still small enough that this happens.
Common Questions
Do you really quote in writing before starting?
Every time, including emergencies. It takes a minute to send and it removes the single biggest complaint people have about this trade — a number that grows between the phone call and the invoice.
Should I rekey or replace after moving in?
Rekey, in almost every case. It costs less, takes less time, and unless the hardware is worn or you want to upgrade it, a rekeyed lock is exactly as secure as a brand new one.
Will you damage the lock getting me in?
Usually not. Most locks can be picked and that is what we try first, because it leaves you with the lock you already own. If one genuinely cannot be picked we will tell you before we start.
Can you come today?
Often, but not always — there are three of us. We would rather tell you honestly that tomorrow morning is realistic than book you in today and turn up at nine at night.
What does the guarantee actually cover?
Parts and labor, for a year, on anything we fitted. If it fails in that window we come back and put it right at no charge, and there is no small print about wear and tear.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes — WI Lic #DC-11627, and we carry liability insurance. Both are on the invoice, and you are welcome to verify the license with the state before we come out.