My window lock spins without locking — what is that?
The cam inside the latch has sheared. The latch unit gets replaced and the keeper re-aligned — $115 including the part.
$115, parts + labor
Window Won't Lock? Latch & Lock Replacement — $115
Sounds like: window won't lock or the latch spins loose · lock doesn't line up with the keeper anymore · handle broke off a vinyl window
Window locks and latches — spun, misaligned, or snapped — are replaced for $115 including the part. WowFix matches discontinued hardware by profile, so old windows lock like new ones.
Why It Fails
Window locks die three ways. Cast zinc latches on vinyl windows crystallize and snap — you're left holding the handle. Sashes settle over the years until the lock stops lining up with its keeper by a few millimeters, and no amount of pushing closes the gap. And on older aluminum sliders the latch spring simply wears out, so the window locks when it feels like it. All three read as «broken window» to a homeowner and as a $115 line item to us.
How the Repair Goes
We identify the hardware by profile — screw spacing, cam shape, handedness — swap the unit, and re-align the keeper so the lock pulls the sash tight against the weatherstrip. That last step matters: a properly tensioned lock is also a draft fix. Discontinued profiles get matched from repair catalogs; «they don't make this anymore» has not stopped a lock repair yet.
Brands
Builder-grade vinyl (Window World, Silver Line, Alside) snaps latches the most — soft cast metal. Andersen and Pella locks rarely break but often mis-align after the house settles; that's an adjustment plus keeper swap, same $115.
Repair vs. Replacement
A working lock for $115 versus a $1,000+ window: this is the cheapest security fix in the house.
Honest DIY note: Latches are brand- and era-specific; discontinued profiles are matched from repair catalogs, which is where DIY usually stalls.
FAQ
Can you match a lock on a 25-year-old window?
Yes. Hardware is matched by profile — screw spacing, cam shape, handedness — from repair catalogs that carry discontinued lines. The brand being long gone doesn't matter.
Is an unlocking window a security problem worth $115?
A ground-floor window that won't lock is the cheapest security hole in the house to close. It's also the repair insurance adjusters ask about after a break-in.
Window latch / lock repair near me? Serving Charlotte, Raleigh & Greensboro
Window latch / lock calls come in from all three of our metros — Charlotte, the Raleigh–Durham Triangle and the Greensboro–Winston-Salem Triad — plus the towns around them, from Huntersville and Matthews to Cary, Apex and Kernersville. The price doesn't change with the zip code: $115, parts + labor, any brand, written 5-year warranty.
Applies to: double-hung, single-hung, sliding, casement. Every repair carries a written 5-year warranty.