Coral Springs wasn’t built like other Broward cities. It didn’t grow outward from an old downtown or sprawl from a coastal settlement. It was master-planned from scratch — 20,000 acres of bean fields and cattle pasture turned into a city, starting in 1963.
That matters for your locks. Because Coral Springs was built in waves, the hardware on your front door depends almost entirely on which wave your neighborhood went up in. A 1970s ranch in Maplewood has different locks than a 1990s Mediterranean in North Springs. The pins wear differently. The deadbolts age differently. The service you need depends on the decade.
This page covers the three building waves of Coral Springs, the neighborhoods in each, what locks you’re likely to have, and the residential locksmith services we provide: lock changes, rekeys, home lockouts, deadbolt installation, sliding door and patio door locks, and mailbox locks.
How Coral Springs Was Built
Coral Ridge Properties bought 3,860 acres of former farmland from the Lyons family on December 14, 1961, for $1 million. The city was chartered on July 10, 1963. A master plan was developed in 1964 projecting 50,000 residents. The first lots sold at auction in July 1964, netting $1.6 million in a reported seven minutes.
Westinghouse acquired Coral Ridge Properties in 1966 and turned Coral Springs into what it called an “urban laboratory” — testing central air conditioning, fully electric kitchens, motion detectors, and intercom systems in the new homes.
The city was fully built out by 2003. Today it has roughly 134,000 residents. City housing data shows that 28% of occupied housing units were built before 1980, while only 9% of owner-occupied units were built after 2000. That breaks the city into three clear building waves.
Wave 1: 1960s-1970s — The Original Buildout
The first homes in Coral Springs were built starting in 1965, near NW 31st Court and NW 99th Avenue. These are ranch-style and minimal-traditional homes — straightforward rooflines, practical layouts, classic suburban feel. The Westinghouse-era homes (1966 onward) came equipped with cutting-edge features for the time: central air, intercoms, motion detectors.
Neighborhoods in This Wave
Maplewood — One of Coral Springs’ oldest sections, dating to 1976. Canal-surrounded subdivision with only two roads in, giving it an island shape. Homes are mostly single-family ranch style, 3-4 bedrooms. Most of Maplewood has no HOA. The gated Maplewood Isle enclave within the neighborhood holds larger homes — 4,000 to 6,000 square feet.
Coral Square and Brookside — Early subdivisions near the city center. Ranch homes on standard lots, built in the late 1960s and 1970s.
The Hills (Running Brook Hills, Coral Springs Hills) — Older neighborhoods with larger lots, some one to three acres. The covered wooden bridge at one of the city entrances, built in 1964, stands as a community symbol for this area.
Locks you’ll find in Wave 1 homes: Schlage and Kwikset cylindrical locks — the standard residential hardware of the era. Kwikset had been mass-producing residential knob locks since 1947, and Schlage’s cylindrical locks dominated the post-war housing market.
Deadbolts were not universally code-required in the 1960s and early 1970s. Many of these homes were built with knob locks only — the deadbolt was added later, or never. If your Wave 1 home has its original knob lock and no deadbolt, adding one is the single most cost-effective security upgrade you can make. A deadbolt extends at least one inch into the door frame — far harder to force than a spring-latch knob lock.
If the hardware hasn’t been replaced since the 1970s, the pin tumblers are 40-50 years old. Worn pins mean keys stick, locks feel loose, and the cylinder may bind. Rekeying replaces the pins. If the bolt mechanism itself is sloppy — the deadbolt wiggles in the locked position — the lock body is worn out and replacement is the better call.
Wave 2: 1980s — Suburban Expansion
The 1980s were Coral Springs’ biggest growth period. The population went from 37,349 in 1980 to 79,343 by 1990. This era added larger homes, more suburban variety, and a visual shift toward stucco exteriors and Mediterranean-inspired details.
Neighborhoods in This Wave
Forest Hills — Median year built: 1982. Larger suburban homes with a mix of ranch and Mediterranean details.
Country Club Coral Springs — Median year built: 1981. Established suburban profile, fitting the 1980s expansion era.
Eagle Trace — A golf-course community developed in the 1980s. Larger homes, gated entries, clubhouse amenities.
Locks you’ll find in Wave 2 homes: Schlage and Kwikset cylindrical locks with deadbolts — deadbolts became standard in this era as building codes caught up with security requirements. The hardware is now 35-45 years old. If the locks feel loose or the key sticks, the pin tumblers are worn. Rekeying replaces the pins; if the bolt mechanism is sloppy, replacement is the better option.
Schlage introduced its Primus high-security lock in the 1980s — a restricted-key system designed for commercial buildings and upscale residential applications. You may find Primus cylinders on higher-end Wave 2 homes. Primus keys cannot be copied at a hardware store — they require authorization from the original installer. If you’re rekeying a Primus system, the locksmith needs to be able to source the correct restricted key blanks.
Wave 3: 1990s-2000s — Gated Communities and Mediterranean Style
The final wave. Larger homes with stronger Spanish Revival and Mediterranean styling — stucco, clay roof tiles, arches. Gated subdivisions became common. These neighborhoods were built after Hurricane Andrew’s 1992 building code changes, meaning impact-rated doors, modern hardware, and stricter construction standards.
Neighborhoods in This Wave
North Springs — Median year built: 1992. Spanish Revivals with stucco, clay roof tiles, and arches.
Coral Creek — Median year built: 1998. Mediterranean-style single-family homes in gated subdivisions. Average home size: 2,318 square feet.
Turtle Run, Whispering Woods, The Isles — Late-wave communities with modern layouts, community pools, and HOA amenities.
Locks you’ll find in Wave 3 homes: Modern Schlage, Kwikset, or equivalent Grade 2 or Grade 3 residential hardware. Deadbolts are standard — required by post-Andrew building codes. Impact-rated doors on many homes, which means multi-point locking systems on some entries. These homes need less hardware replacement and more rekeying — especially after a sale or a tenant change.
The most common service request in Wave 3 neighborhoods is rekeying after a home purchase. If you just closed on a Coral Springs home, rekey the locks before you move in. You don’t know how many copies of the key are out there — the previous owner, the listing agent, the showing agents, the contractor who did the pre-listing repairs. A rekey changes the internal pins so old keys stop working. The lock stays on the door. Only the combination changes.
Services We Provide in Coral Springs
- House rekey — First lock includes the service call. Additional locks on the same visit cost less. Cheaper than replacing locks if your hardware is in good condition.
- Lock change / lock replacement — When the hardware is worn out, damaged, or you want to upgrade. Standard residential, Grade 2 deadbolts, high-security options.
- Home lockout — Locked out of your house? We get you back in without damaging the lock. Flat rate quoted before we dispatch.
- Deadbolt installation — If your home has a knob lock but no deadbolt, adding one is the most cost-effective security upgrade available.
- Sliding door and patio door locks — Coral Springs homes from the 1970s and 1980s often have original sliding door hardware. The latches fail over time. Auxiliary locks and security bars are available.
- Mailbox lock replacement — Cluster mailbox units in HOA communities jam frequently. Individual curbside mailbox locks also fail and need replacement.
Coral Springs Quick Reference
| Building wave | Era | Typical neighborhoods | Typical locks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave 1 | 1960s-1970s | Maplewood, Coral Square, The Hills | Schlage/Kwikset cylindrical, deadbolts often added later |
| Wave 2 | 1980s | Forest Hills, Country Club, Eagle Trace | Schlage/Kwikset with deadbolts, Primus on upscale homes |
| Wave 3 | 1990s-2000s | North Springs, Coral Creek, Turtle Run | Modern Grade 2/3 hardware, deadbolts standard, multi-point on impact doors |
Need a Locksmith in Coral Springs?
Licensed and insured. Flat-rate pricing quoted before we dispatch.
Call (954) 888-8800 or fill out the form below. We serve all Coral Springs ZIP codes: 33065, 33071, 33075, 33076, 33077.
Whether you’re in a 1970s ranch in Maplewood or a 1990s Mediterranean in North Springs, we know what locks are on your door and what they need.
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