A $15 deadbolt and a $70 deadbolt look nearly identical on a shelf. The difference shows up later, usually at the worst possible time.
What You're Actually Paying For
- Solid brass or steel components instead of a thin plated alloy
- Tighter manufacturing tolerances, meaning less wobble and wear over time
- Anti-pick and anti-bump pin designs, see our lock bumping explainer
- A real warranty backing the hardware
The Hidden Costs of a Cheap Lock
Cheap locks wear out faster, meaning you're often replacing them again within a couple of years, effectively paying twice. They're also more vulnerable to bumping and picking, and many builder-grade locks fall short of the ANSI Grade 1 standard that some insurance carriers look for when offering security discounts, see our best deadbolts for California homes guide.
Where It's OK to Save
Low-traffic interior doors, closets, and secondary storage sheds are reasonable places to use budget hardware, the security stakes are lower.
Where It's Not
Primary entry doors, anywhere insurance or real security matters, is not the place to cut costs.
The Math
A cheap $15–$25 lock often needs replacing every two to three years as it wears and loosens. A quality Grade 1 lock at $50–$90 typically lasts a decade or more. Over that same decade, the cheap option frequently costs more in total, on top of leaving a real security gap the whole time.
Want your entry doors upgraded to hardware that actually holds up? Call 818-249-5128.