Replace Bedroom Door Locks — Privacy Lock Installation, Whole House
Brass knobs from three different decades, a bathroom door that does not lock, a bedroom door that locks from the wrong side. One visit, one finish, and every door in the house works.
JMB Builders will replace bedroom door locks and every other interior knob in the house in one visit, across the Twin Cities metro. Privacy lock installation on bedrooms and bathrooms, passage sets on hallways and closets, dummy knobs on the doors that do not latch, all in one finish. We fit the latch to the existing bore and set the strike so each door latches. Priced per door, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per door; whole house in a visit
- Privacy, passage and dummy sets, one finish
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Interior door hardware comes in three kinds. A privacy set locks from inside with a push button or turn, and can be opened from outside with a pin or a small tool in an emergency; it goes on bedrooms and bathrooms. A passage set turns but does not lock; it goes on hallways, closets and pantries. A dummy set is a fixed knob or lever for a door that does not latch, like a closet pair with a ball catch. Most houses have all three mixed up: a bedroom with a passage set, a bathroom that has never locked, and knobs that do not match room to room.
Swapping them is straightforward when the bores are standard, and most doors from the last several decades are. The old knob and latch come out, the new latch goes into the same bore with a matching faceplate, the knob or lever mounts through it, and the strike gets checked. That last part is what separates a knob swap from a hardware install: a door that did not latch before still will not latch with a new knob unless the strike is moved or the door is adjusted. We do that on every door as we go.
JMB Builders replaces interior door hardware through the whole house across the Twin Cities metro. You pick the finish and style, buy the sets or have us supply them, and we tell you which doors get privacy, passage or dummy. Deadbolts and exterior locks are a separate page.
What you supply
- A door count: bedrooms and bathrooms (privacy), hallway and closet doors (passage), closet pairs that do not latch (dummy)
- The hardware if you are buying it: same brand and finish across the house; send us the count first and we confirm the mix
- A photo of one existing knob and the latch faceplate, so we know the bore and backset are standard
- Which bedroom doors should lock; a nursery or a child's room is often better with a passage set
What JMB supplies
- Privacy, passage and dummy sets in one finish when you want us to supply them, with matching hinges available
- Old hardware removed, new latches fitted to the existing bores, faceplates mortised where the new plate is a different size
- Strike plates set so every door latches, with the strike moved when the old one was off
- Doors that rub or do not latch adjusted while we are at them: hinge screws into the stud, a shim, a light plane on the edge
- Bores enlarged for a lever set on an older door with a small bore, or a filler plate where the old bore is larger
- Old hardware bagged for you or hauled away
- Photos of the finished doors in your job folder
How it is priced: per door
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Knobs vs. levers; levers on an older door sometimes need the bore enlarged
- Standard bore and backset vs. old mortise locks or odd bores that need a filler plate or a new bore
- Whether the hinges are being swapped to match the new finish at the same time
- How many doors were not latching before and need the strike moved or the door adjusted
- You supply the hardware vs. we supply it
- Number of doors; a whole house is priced per door but well below the single-door rate
Send the door count by type and a photo of one existing knob with the latch plate visible. We confirm what to buy and quote it firm.
How long it takes
One door: under an hour including the strike. A whole house of a dozen doors: half a day to a day, depending on how many need the door adjusted to latch.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Whole-house knob or lever swap
Every interior door in one finish: privacy on bedrooms and baths, passage on halls and closets, dummies on closet pairs. Hinges swapped to match if you want. One visit.
Passage to privacy on specific doors
A bathroom or bedroom that never locked gets a privacy set in the same finish as the rest of the house. Same bore, new latch and knob, strike checked. Often a handful of doors rather than the whole house.
Levers for easier use
Levers replace knobs door for door and are easier for kids, anyone with hand trouble, and anyone carrying laundry. The lever set has to match the door's bore; older doors sometimes need the bore opened up, which we do on site.
Old mortise locks
Pre-war houses have mortise locksets in a pocket cut into the door edge, not a bore. Those are rebuilt or replaced with a new mortise set that fits the pocket, or the pocket is filled and the door bored for a modern set. Priced per door after we see one.
Replace Bedroom Door Locks — Privacy Lock Installation, Whole House: questions, answered
Can you change a passage door knob to a privacy lock?
Yes, and it is the same job as replacing the knob. A privacy set uses the same bore and latch size as a passage set, so the old knob comes out, the new latch goes in and the privacy knob mounts through it. The lock button ends up on the room side. We check the strike so the door actually latches, because a lock on a door that does not latch is not a lock.
Which doors should have privacy locks and which passage?
Privacy sets on bathrooms and adult bedrooms. Passage sets on hallway doors, closets, pantries, laundry rooms and the basement door. Dummy sets on doors that do not latch, like a closet pair held by a ball catch. Many parents put a passage set on a young child's room so it cannot be locked from inside. Every privacy set has an emergency release on the outside, opened with a pin or a small flat tool.
Will new knobs fit my existing doors?
On most doors, yes. Interior doors made in the last several decades have a standard bore and backset that any knob or lever from a hardware store fits. The latch faceplate may be a different shape than the old one, which we mortise for. Older doors with a small bore or a mortise lock in the door edge need more work, and we tell you that from a photo of one door before you buy.
Does replacing the door knob fix a door that does not latch?
Usually not by itself. A door that does not latch has a strike out of line with the latch, or the door has sagged and moved the latch. New hardware lands in the same place as the old. When we swap the hardware we check every door, move the strike where it is off, and tighten or shim the hinges where the door has dropped, so it latches when we leave.
Should I get knobs or levers for the whole house?
Levers are easier for children, older hands and anyone with full arms, and they are the choice for aging in place. Knobs are cheaper, come in more finishes, and do not catch on pockets and sleeves. Either works on standard bores. Pick one and use it on every door so the house reads as one set; mixing them on the same floor looks like a patch.
How long does it take to replace every door knob in a house?
Under an hour per door including the strike, so a dozen doors is a half day to a day. The doors that were not latching before are what add time, because each one gets its strike moved or its hinges adjusted. Send the count and a photo of one knob and we quote the whole house as one line.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All doors pages
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Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: