A locksmith or installer quote often reads like a single line: install door lock, two units. That line hides most of what matters at dusk. Before anyone drills, ask for the quote to name each door, each device, and each job, so you can check it against the house you actually live in.

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Read the doors by name

Ask the quote to list every exterior door by location: front, back, the door from the garage, and any side gate that opens into the house. A quote that says only 'exterior doors' lets the installer decide which ones get work. Your list should match the list you made walking the house. If a door is missing, either it is not being touched or nobody has counted it yet. Either answer is worth knowing before the first bolt goes in.

Name the lock and the way it opens

For each door, the quote should say what kind of unit goes in and how it opens from each side. Some units need a key on the inside, some use a thumb turn, and some use a keypad or push button that releases without a key. Those differences change how easily someone leaving can get out, and they change what a person coming to the door can do. Ask the installer to write down which side opens without a key, then confirm that choice is the one you want rather than the default that came in the box.

Also check with your local fire or building office that the exit still meets their rules. An interior release can be treated differently from an exterior one, and a locksmith's quote does not settle that question for you. Ask the office directly, and keep a note of who you spoke with and when.

Find out who holds the keys and codes

Ask how many keys come with the work, who receives each one, and who gets the code for any keypad. Ask whether the installer will record the code and give it to you in writing, and whether the old keys are retired. A spare key left in a coat pocket is an exit nobody is watching. Write the list of key holders on the same page as the quote so the folder tells the full story later.

Ask what happens to the old hardware and the test

Ask whether the old lock is removed or left in place, and who takes it away. Ask for every door to be tested before the technician leaves, with each one closed, locked, and opened from both sides. You should see the test done, not just hear that it passed.

Check the warranty line before you sign

The quote and the warranty are separate papers, and the quote usually says nothing about what happens if a lock sticks on a weekday evening. Ask for the warranty in writing. Read who is covered, how long the coverage lasts, and which number to call after hours. If the only number opens during working hours, write that down too, because you will want to know it before the late-day hours arrive. The sources page lists the public pages we used for the basic safety points in this guide.

What to bring back to the table

Before you accept, you should be able to answer these from the paper alone: which doors are on the list, which side of each opens without a key, who holds each key and code, what gets removed, what gets tested, and who answers the phone at night. If any answer is missing, ask for it to be added before the work begins. A complete, plainly written quote is the most useful paper you will get for the doorway, and it is one you can check again whenever you need to.

The Quote Names Every Door: Get the Lock Work in Writing Before Anyone Drills