By Gene and Katie Hamilton

Do you forget your keys and have to hunt for the extra set you hid away? If that’s the case, consider replacing a traditional keyed door lock with a new key-free access lock pad that offers the security of a keyed lock with the convenience of using a digital code to open the door. These remote locks operate on batteries and require no wiring, so replacing the existing door hardware is not difficult. To install a new remote lock, a locksmith will charge $194, which includes the lock and labor, or you can buy one for $105 and replace it yourself and pocket a 45 percent saving. These locks are available in brass, Venetian bronze and satin nickel finishes, and are sold at specialty hardware retailers and home centers. Since the keyless lock fits into existing 2 1/8-in. deadbolt holes, replacing an old lock with a new one is relatively straightforward.

The lock can be programmed to accept two security codes, and it sounds an alert when the batteries get low so you can replace them. If someone enters the incorrect code three consecutive times, an alarm goes off, and the keypad is temporarily disabled. To learn more about these locks go to www.kwikset.com.

Sound too complicated and time consuming? Here's a link to Home Advisor, a free referral service that matches homeowners with local contractors.

The average price to install a keyless door lock noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself. Tweak the data by adding your ZIP Code to find a local cost.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors' experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.