So, it's New Year's Day, 1/1/11, 9:00 a.m. and I'm still half asleep because I rang in the new year with friends the night before, sans alcohol, if you can believe it, but just stayed up late. Aaaaanyway...I needed to get something from my car so I threw on a little fleece jacket, stepped into my slippers, went outside - mind you, it was 27 degrees that morning! - and closed the door behind me. I looked down and realized I didn't have my keys in my hand - darn! - so, I went to go back inside and yeah, you got it - locked out!! Long story...after knocking on a couple doors, I met the nicest, most generous neighbors, who took me in, helped me find phone numbers, make multiple calls to my leasing agents, other folks who might have lock-picking skills etc etc - all to no avail - after an hour and a half, we ended up calling Ballard Lock and Key. Well, Bob, who drew the short straw, imo, ending up on call on New Year's Day, literally answered his phone from the shower! Said he would be to my place in 30 minutes - and he was! Not only was he fresh from the shower :) he was kind, amiable, funny, had my door unlocked in under 10 seconds, and he gave me a bit of a discount for paying by check. You might think, oh gosh, what a way to start the new year, but really, it was pretty sweet: great neighbors, warm house, internet/phone access, offers of coffee and especially, finding a super friendly voice at the other end of the line, assuring me of swift reentry into my house - yay Bob! Many thanks. I wholeheartedly recommend BL&K! read more

Last winter I locked myself out my home while my sweetheart was away, and I chose Ballard Lock and Key based on all the good reviews. Good choice! Bob came all the way from Magnolia in bad traffic to help. When he arrived it took him less than two minutes to unlock my door, and he charged a lower price for cash payment. This winter, I locked myself out again when my sweetheart was away (aargh!) Before calling Ballard Lock and Key again, I called around some of the locksmiths in my neighborhood (Greenwood) to see if anyone closer could help out. None of them would quote me the price in advance. One told me that it didn't matter how long it took them to unlock the door - the cost depended on the type of lock I had. Screw that. I called Bob again, who again unlocked the door for a good price (I think I paid $60 in cash both times). He declined a cash tip. A few days later my condo had an issue with our garage door opener. Bob came out, helped us push open the door without the key, and did not charge us anything for the trip. Hopefully I won't need Ballard Lock and Key again because I'm investing in a keyless lock, but I recommend them to others as a courteous, professional, and quick. read more

Some of the best service I have received in a long time! After getting locked out of my room and unsuccessfully picking my lock for over an hour, I finally decided to call someone. Being a poor college student, I was trying to get the best price. After calling a few places, I finally called Ballard Lock and Key who then informed me of the Locksmith Scam taking place in the US! He was very informative and promised he was not trying to rip me off what so ever. I decided to go with them and boy was I happy. I ended up having to get a whole new lock because even he couldn't pick it and even with all the addition labor, he only charged me at the quoted price, unlike any other place who I'm sure would have scammed me good. In addition, he also made me 4 extra copies of the key just to make sure it wouldn't happen again. Ballard Lock and Key is such a great company who I would recommend to anyone! I forgot to mention that he also came out around 10:45pm so the 24 hour is a great bonus! Awesome company and awesome service! read more

Bob is fabulous! I needed the key to my building duplicated, and Home Depot didn't have any of that special key in stock. They said I needed to go to a locksmith. After reading the reviews for Ballard Lock & Key, I gave them a call. Bob answered and said he was leaving his shop but gave me directions to his house (his house!) to make me a key. We made plans to meet there in 15 minutes. I got a call a couple minutes later from him to say that he had gotten a call from someone that was locked out and asked if we could push back our appointment. He wanted to make sure he called me before I left my place (so nice!). Twenty minutes later he said he was done and I could meet him at his house. When I arrived he was courteous and duplicated my key in minutes. The key cost $5 since it wasn't a typical key. I only needed one copy but he gave me an extra one at no charge! I'll definitely use Ballard Lock & Key in the future for duplicating keys and if I ever get locked out of my place. What great customer service! read more

Ballard Lock & Key is *awesome*. I locked myself out of my office today and was ready to panic because not only was the key to the room locked in, but my purse, car and house keys, my laptop, money, etc. It's a Sunday so no one was around and I don't know anyone who has a key to that room - I would have had to wait until Tuesday to get in if Bob from Ballard Lock & Key had not answered the phone when I called. He was SO helpful, knew exactly what was needed for the type of lock I had, and was there within 30 minutes to open the door! The price was extremely reasonable and much less than I expected, and given how desperate I was he could have easily ripped me off. Instead he was really nice and helpful and even gave me a $5 discount. If this ever happened to me again I would definitely call Ballard Lock & Key, though I'm thinking of actually going over to their store to get some duplicates made so I can avoid this situation in the future ;) read more

Erik from Ballard Lock and Key is literally a hero. I locked my keys, phone, purse, and 21-month-old baby in my car on 56th Street. This super nice woman let me borrow her phone and I called the police, but it seemed like it was taking a long time for them to get there, and the dispatcher I talked to seemed unsure whether there was anything the patrol would even be able to do. She suggested trying to get a tow company out there. I was just starting to debate breaking the glass (I was panicky and it was in the mid-80s) and I said a little prayer. Bam, maybe 10 seconds later, Erik drove by in his van, pulled over, and asked if I was locked out. He pried the door open a little and fished my keys out in maybe a minute and a half. He called it his good deed for the day. I called it a miracle! (cue Kimmy Schmidt theme). But seriously, pay it forward for me people, please. This is obviously a solid company manned by solid people. read more

Wow and Yay for Ballard Lock & Key!! I called them at 9:00PM at night for their lockout service. They come right over and get back into my apartment, at 9:00pm! The price was really reasonable too! Definitely recommend these guys! Please be careful of the 1888 24 hours service number, who could not give me a price quote and a technician will call me in 10 minutes. After waiting for 30 minutes, I called Ballard Lock & Key for their service, assuming that the 1888 number will not give me a call back. Surprisingly, after waiting for another 10 minutes, a technician called me. To avoid confusion, I try to clarify with the technician to see if he is from Ballard Lock & Key and he said yes (I asked multiple times). Then people from Ballard Lock & Key and the technician arrived my place at the same time, and the technician was a scam from the 1888 number. Please only call this number for Ballard Lock & Key (206) 783-6360 read more

My wife and I are in Seattle for a pancreas/kidney transplant. the day after my wife was released from the hospital ,she wanted a familiar breakfast so i took her to IHOP. long story short we locked the keys on the passenger seat of my truck. Using the cell phone i Google'd lock smiths and found this company, i called and received a quote for his services.it was fair and i was from out of town so i asked him to help. he showed up in an extremely timely manner and was one of the most friendly people we've ever met. while he was working on unlocking my truck he took the time to engage us in friendly conversation. once the work was done he shook our hands and wished us all the best and left us with a great gift (the knowledge there are still great selfless people still in this world.) we are both grateful for his service and would highly recommend him to anyone in need!! read more

I am writing to express my great satisfaction and gratitude for Ballard Key & Lock. They were so professional, prompt and resolved my issue quickly as I was a bit panicked when my door handle completely broke off. I called them and within an hour they were at my home and could not of been more responsive and courteous. I had used them when I first bought my home seven years ago to rekey all my locks and recalled their outstanding service. They definitely were on task and exceeded my expectations again. It is assuring to know that in today's hectic world that service still exists without breaking the bank and being taking advantage of when in a compromising position. Very impressed with Ballard Lock & Key and their attention to detail, price and overall concern for the customer. I will use them again and strongly recommend you try them too. Thanks so much Bob! read more

I don't normally write reviews, but after using them twice, I am more than happy to write a deserving positive review for this great local business. I have used Ballard Lock & Key twice now, once when I was locked out of my car and once when I was locked out of my apartment. Both times Bob came to my rescue. He has always been extremely prompt in arriving,even though the second time was late at night. Both times he has opened the locks within about a minute. No muss, no fuss, just professionalism. I highly recommend this place for any type of lock out situation. I have been scammed before by other 24 hour "locksmiths" who tack on a ton of extra charges while also managing to damage the lock. Bob is always prepared with exactly the right tool for the job. He knows what he is doing, and his rates are great. FANTASTIC BUSINESS! read more

I locked myself out of my house recently and no one was home or going to be home to help me out. It was 10:30pm and I went to my neighbor to help me think this through. Long story short is that I called Ballard Lock and Key that night and made a plan to meet me in the morning after my surprise sleepover at my neighbors house (she's awesome too!). Robbie told me what it would cost before he arrived and he did excellent work!!! He is the real deal and runs his business with integrity, genuine concern for his customer and fair and honest pricing. He even cut a few spare keys for me! He's been in business for 20 years and I can see why. He's the one to call for your next oops or to have your home or business locks worked on. Don't be taken advantage of by the scammers out there. Ballard Lock and Key is the best!!! read more

Bob (the owner) is my now a personal hero. He turned what could have been a terrible situation into one where now, everyone is happy! I was locked out of an apartment (today) where I was petsitting (dog and kitty still inside and needed to get out!). I couldn't get ahold of my client, the super of the building, or anyone else. I had someone else on the way and they were going be an hr. I called Bob just to see and within 5 minutes he had left his dinner (literally) and was here to come help me get into the apartment. He was even super great with the reactive doggy on the other side, and made me a new key right there on the spot. He got the tough deadbolt unlocked in no time too. Confident, cool, calm, collected... when I wasn't. Thank you Bob. Thank you SO SO SO MUCH. The dog and kitty thank you so much too! read more

I called Ballard Lock and Key with a weird problem-- I had a locking file cabinet and the key but the thing wouldn't open. The locksmith took time with me to talk me through getting the thing open again. I had tried for over an hour on my own, but with his help and lots of wrestling I was able to get the thing to open. The locksmith also told me what to look at so I could get the lock out and then will be able to determine whether it's the lock or the rod that secures the drawers-- and whether it's worth having him come out to replace the lock or not! This is the level of expertise, care and time that I RARELY experience anywhere at any price. Bob, the locksmith is a gem of a man! I'm grateful and glad to have someone of this kind of integrity to work with me! 5 STARS! ~ M. Lewis read more

very disappointed. I spoke to Ballard lock and key and asked about a lock change. I emailed pictures and called and was told "I don't have access to that email". so I texted pictures. two days later I called. the pictures where there but no response. when I called this last time I was told they don't do that work. I asked for some help understanding and the response was highly condescending and rude. the whole thing could have been solved days ago had anyone taken the time to look at the pictures. I don't know why people have to be so rude and condescending. I would never work with somebody with such an unkind snotty tone. for absolutely no reason at all. next time just look at the email and text in a timely manner. read more

I called two other locksmiths before getting to Ballard Lock and Key; the first two were a little closer to me, but neither seemed interested in my business. My back door deadbolt's internal mechanism had broken, and the bolt was stuck inside the door jamb. BL&K happened to have a mobile unit nearby that was available, and Tyler arrived quickly. It was a bit of an unusual situation, but he was able to get the stuck bolt out with some effort. He had a replacement in his truck, keyed it to fit the old key, installed it quickly and was on his way. The price was very reasonable, much less than I was expecting. The service was super fast, and Tyler was very pleasant to deal with. I am very happy! read more

I recently had the unfortunate experience of being locked inside my place of employment by myself. I locked the door when my shift ended, tidied up, then when I tried to leave the building, the key would not turn despite my 20 minutes of trying. Bob of Ballard Lock & Key came to my rescue and arrived in the twenty minutes he outlined, picked the lock, pulled out the broken off key (that's what 20 minutes of trying to turn a key that wont budge will get you), created a new key based off the lock AND gave me a ride to meet my friends as I had long since missed my bus. Extraordinary service from start to finish, really above and beyond. Highly recommended! read more

Put them in your address book if you're ever stuck. Can't say enough good things here. They know what they're doing and are honest. My husband and I were returning from a trip (tired of course) when our front door key jammed in the lock. Hubby is good with metal and has taken stuck keys out of locks before. Didn't work. I called Ballard Lock and Key and the owner answered after working hours while he was driving home. He patiently walked us thru some options for getting the key out including WD40. When I was about to give up and have someone come out and tear the thing apart he was like, hey let's try one more thing. Key came out. No charge ! read more

She is an 86 year old artist with cancer and her husband has dementia. I called Bob, the owner of Ballard Lock and Key, last Saturday to come to their house in Magnolia after the husband had forgotten their only house key and they were locked out. Bob didn't leave until he provided, free of charge, three complete installed door locks and six keys. When he saw the crudely bored lock a previous locksmith had left, and heard our friends had been charged $200, he knew they had been scammed. As he got in his truck to leave after refusing to accept payment, he said simply, "We need to stick together". This is a trustworthy outfit. read more

John B. Professional in every way! Punctual in arriving. Expert knowledge and great analytical skills. Very precise in his problem solving - no wasted time. All needed tools and parts were either in his bag or in his truck! Positive attitude at all times and left the job site totally clean and fresh in appearance at the conclusion of the job. Doors, locks and keys are now all working efficiently and quietly. Price was fair and reasonable. My wife and I could not be more pleased. I will certainly use Ballard Lock & Key for any future lock issues. And I will recommend this excellent organization to my friends and neighbors read more