A locksmith's home security assessment is a walk-through of every way into your house, done with an eye for how doors, locks, frames and windows actually fail. Instead of selling you a single product, a good assessment tells you which openings are weakest, why, and which fixes matter most. Here is what is typically checked and what you should come away with.

Want to talk through your own home first? Call (613) 707-4884.

Before the Walk-Through

Expect a few questions up front: how long you have lived there, whether you know who holds keys, whether there has been a break-in or attempted entry, and what worries you most. It helps to gather every key you have, garage remotes and any keypad or smart lock codes, so the locksmith can see what is in circulation.

What a Locksmith Looks At

Exterior doors

  • Deadbolts: whether each exterior door has one, whether the bolt extends fully into the frame, and whether it turns smoothly or has to be forced.
  • Strike plates and screws: short screws that only hold the strike to the jamb are one of the most common weak points in a kicked door.
  • Door and frame condition: gaps between door and frame, split or soft wood, sagging hinges and hinge screws, and glass panels within reach of a thumb turn.
  • Lock cylinders: age, wear and how many keys might exist for them.

Secondary entrances

  • Back and side doors, which are often less sturdy than the front door.
  • The door between an attached garage and the house, which many owners never lock.
  • Sliding patio doors: latch condition, whether the panel can be lifted out of the track, and whether a bar or pin is used.

Windows

Ground-floor and basement windows get the most attention, especially those hidden from the street. The locksmith checks that latches close fully and whether secondary locks or stops would help.

Keys and access

An assessment also looks at the invisible side of security: spare keys hidden outside, keys held by past owners, tenants or contractors, shared keypad codes that never change, and garage remotes left in vehicles.

What You Should Get Afterwards

The useful outcome is a prioritized list, not a shopping cart. A sensible order usually looks like this:

  1. Anything that leaves a door effectively unsecured, such as a missing deadbolt or a bolt that does not reach the strike.
  2. Frame and strike reinforcement on exterior doors.
  3. Key control: rekeying if you cannot account for every key.
  4. Patio door, window and garage improvements.
  5. Optional upgrades, such as higher-grade or smart locks, once the basics are sound.

For each item, ask what the problem is, what the options are and what affects the cost, such as the number of doors, the type of hardware, and whether frames need repair. You can then do the work in stages.

Doing a Quick Self-Check

You can run a basic version yourself: lock each exterior door and push and pull on it, look at the strike screws, check every window latch, and list everyone who has a key. Our home security tips for Ottawa homeowners and new home security checklist cover the same ground. A professional visit adds an experienced eye for wear and installation faults that are easy to miss.

Next Step

To see the range of residential lock work that can follow an assessment, from rekeying to new deadbolts, visit our residential locksmith page, or call (613) 707-4884 to ask about your home.