Long Overdue. That marvelous gentleman Scott I'm sure is sure that I forgot but I have not. A yellow sticky sticking here implores.... Demands it! loud and clear, Pen an ode! let it be knowed that all the world may hear. Anyway, The hatchback on the old flowery Subaru, Miss Daisy, was stuck tight and had been for way too long, drastically reducing her efficiency at hauling straw, chicken feed, and recyclables. I had already gone through all the normal pounding, prying, kicking, cussing, to no avail. On the recommendation of Andy, (Andy's Auto Service, 950 Rives St., 295-0717, Highly recommended!) I found my way to Albemarle Lock and Safe. (513 Stewart St., Charlottesville VA 22905, 434-977-5397, albemarlelock.com. Stewart is that short, triangulating street between Meade and E. High.) So there was Scott with a smile on his face, a quick assessment of the problem, a pocket full of can-do and a spray can of Houdini. He pounced right on it, repeated the pounding, prying but he also sprayed the Houdini and wiggled the key a lot. And then he did it again and again and again and POP! There it was. Wide Open! After fully lubricating and working the mechanism, he stepped back and we both smiled Big. "What do I owe you sir?" "Nothing," he says, "Just a mention on the web" Long Overdue. If you ever have any business having to do with locks or safes, contact or take it to ALBEMARLE LOCK AND SAFE. Let them make your day. They certainly made mine! read more

I came to these folks with two unusual requests; first, I wanted them to make a metal key for my "new" Kia, so I could lock/unlock the vehicle without using the electronic remote fob. I HATE those electronic fobs and had locked and set off the alarm on my new vehicle many times in the week I'd had it, since my keys always live in my pocket. After doing research, I knew this to be a common issue for many people. My solution, make a single key and use it to lock/unlock the car, as well as start it. The Kia dealer charges $83 for just the metal key part. These guys made me exactly the key I wanted for $50, with a nice handle on the end. You know, a regular car key. Then, I wanted to remove the metal start key from the electronic fob, so I could use the electronic fob to shut off the alarm, should it ever go off, thus making it into what's called a "button" these days, I guess. No problemo! They figured out how to do that while leaving my electronic fob in fine condition, and wouldn't even charge me for this. Now I can leave the fob in my vehicle (in a Farraday case) in the event that the alarm goes off, without having to worry about there being a key that will start the vehicle. I am over the moon. I hate smart things, and it's getting harder and harder to find dumb vehicles, TVs, appliances, etc. They helped me stay on the dumb side of life here. These people are fantastic and I will always return to them for any lock issues. read more

Tim Holt from Albermarle Lock and Safe did a great job replacing one cylinder and re-keying two existing locks on a house I just bought in town and wanted to "refresh" the hardware "devices" ( AKA Dead-Bolts etc.) before moving myself, my family and our belongings into. He was super fast (this is the take-away folks, he did everything way quicker that it would have taken me to buy new locks at a box store. I'm not even factoring in me attempting to install them in doors already drilled and routed) and seriously, this was very, VERY reasonable. Cheap enough that I will not hesitate to call these folks for any lock-type issues in the future. The shop is professional and they set me up with an appointment ASAP and Tony was there twenty minutes early. Plus he was super pleasant and organized. And me smiled alot. Hey, here you go, here's your locksmith right here. Do what I did, get on your bicycle and ride down there and set up a thing to get what you need done. read more

My daughter's car was trapped in a parking lot. Her car key was stolen. It was a real problem for us. I hadn't been faced with this situation before ... I googled and found Albemarle Lock & Safe. What was more wonderful was that Aaron answered the phone. He made the whole process so easy; from his calming voice, to his willingness to work with our unique set of complications. I didn't want it towed away while my daughter was in the hospital, unable to manage the interactions herself. But Aaron allowed me to present the necessary ownership photos via text messaging, then he went to the vehicle and made a new key. I easily picked it up the next day. I am so grateful for his professionalism and true care with our special circumstances. It is often so hard to find genuine people who actually care when a crisis happens these days. Thank you again Aaron! read more

HIDDEN GEM! HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!! Visited this homey place to buy another automatic key made for my truck. Cost was a QUARTER of what you would pay at a dealer, and LESS THAN HALF of what you would pay to purchase a key online and have it programmed and cut locally. Wow. Moreover, they were kind to my kids, who are curious about everything and touched every safe and display deadbolt at least twice, stopping only to (successfully!) brake into the candy vending machine. Keep Charlottesville awesome by supporting this local business! This is the first review I've ever left on Yelp. I am beyond grateful. read more

We recently purchased a home in Charlottesville and needed all locks re-keyed or replaced. We contacted three companies and chose Albemarle Lock & Safe. We were fortunate that Jen Shepherd was assigned to us. She was punctual, very professional and hard working. Jen re-keyed two locks and replaced three. During the visit she made recommendations, but left the decision making up to us which was appreciated. As Jen represented this company extremely well, if any further lock services are required in the future, Albemarle Lock & Safe will be the company of choice. Thank you. Karen and John N. Ewald III read more

I highly recommend albemarle lock and safe. I especially recommend Tim Holt that has over 20 years experience in the business and he's absolutely fantastic !!! I don't have enough superlatives to describe his professionalism, courtesy and tenacity when he needs to find a solution and fix it. He will do anything in his power using his experience and wisdom to find the right solution . He won't quit until he does . If I had the option to give him more than 5 stars I would ! He deserves it . I cannot recommend him enough ! Thank you so much Tim ! Andrea read more

I just bought a house and needed all my locks changed(6), I needed one lock removed and then I needed an adjustment with one of the deadbolts that wasn't aligned properly. Tim Holt serviced the job. He was extremely professional, very likable guy. He was able to do the job relatively quickly. Everything works perfect, I got no complaints. I did some price shopping before hand and the price was reasonable. Requesting a quote was very easy and accurate to the job. They asked all the right questions. read more

Tim has been to Palmyra United Methodist Church twice within the last week repairing 4 locks on the Fellowship Hall doors. He also rekeyed the locks and provided the church with sufficient keys for the staff. The push bar doors had to be disassembled and adjusted. No problem. All the doors close correctly and every key works perfectly. Tim did a fantastic job. If the church has any more lock related problems, Tim at Albemarle Lock and Safe will be the person we will call. Larry Wolfe read more

I definitely recommend Albemarle lock and safe: Jen did an installation and rekey of four doors at our home. She was kind and professional with excellent communication skills. She made sure to make our safety (and peace of mind) her priority. We had bought some equipment at Lowes and online and she was able to make it all work together. Her tech skills were required because I couldn't set my electronic lock. The doors look beautiful with the new locks and I feel safe. read more

Tim Holt replaced the doorknobs and deadbolts on my three doors and did an excellent job. He told me that he "loves his job" and it shows in his attention to detail and customer service. He even had to use a saw so that the latch fit into the opening correctly and was tight and snug, holding the door closed even without using the deadbolt. In addition, he gave me a break on the charges because he had to leave the first day for an emergency and returned the next day. read more

We had Tim Holt from Albemarle Lock & Safe come out to our house today, and I will absolutely be using them again in the future! They offered to call me an hour in advance of the appointment, which he did, but they he offered to adjust his arrival to better meet my schedule. His work was incredibly quick (re-keying 5 locks), he offered options that best met our needs, and the price was definitely affordable compared to what I was quoted else where. A great choice!! read more

We are always so grateful for the prompt service and excellent problem-solving! Tim Holt is great about finding just the right solution for us - without going for unnecessary upgrades. He explains the problem, offers several options when possible, and guides us about the most effective, but least expensive choice to serve us for the long run. He really seems to tailor his approaches to each home/business and their specific needs - and we really appreciate that! read more

Had to re-key the locks on my business. Jen did a fantastic job! She is so talented and personable! One of the doors is a push bar door and it had to be somewhat disassembled to be re-keyed, NO PROBLEM, done and done well. Front door re-keyed, smooth as silk! I had to have 12 keys and every single one worked perfectly! So happy with how quickly, fairly priced and well done they did the job for me!!! Highly recommend! And Jen is the BOMB!!!!!! read more

I contacted Albemarle Lock & Safe after several failed attempts with other shops that advertised auto smart key programing... Aaron was outstanding - very professional on the phone, checked my vehicle info, completed the task in a few minutes when I drove over. He did not try to upsell me on one of his blanks as I already had a new OEM blank to use. They were so good, I ordered a second set while there! Highly Recommend this great shop! GSW read more

I'm very impressed with this company. We lost our only car key (it's a keyless push start car). The dealer told us we had to tow the car to them, and then it would take them several days and would be extremely expensive to replace the key. I called Albemarle Lock & Safe, and they came out to the car within 2 hours and the cost was far less than the dealer wanted to charge us. They were courteous and professional. I highly recommend! read more

We moved to a new house and needed lots of doors re-keyed. So glad we found Albemarle Lock & Safe on Yelp! Tim Holt called to let us know he was on his way. Very considerate. He has a great personality and really knows what he's doing. In a short while, Tim was able to re-key our locks and make extra keys for us. We are very happy customers and will definitely spread the word about this great company and their fantastic employee! read more

Tim Holt helped me with a replacement glass door lock assembly and was able to tell what size and brand it was just from a picture . He also was able to cut me extra keys while I waited and they all worked fine . Tim took several lock handle assemblies and is making 2 good ones . Tim also repaired a bathroom handle while he was on site. His van was organized which says allot about his attention to detail. Thanks for the great service. read more

We have used Albemarle Lock for many years and they never fail to come through for us. Likewise for friends and neighbors to whom we have recommended them. They respond promptly, solve the most challenging lock problems, and do so at a reasonable price. Their locksmiths are highly skilled and very creative in their problem-solving. Highly recommended as the best locksmiths in Charlottesville and surrounding area. read more