Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - Replacing a Deadbolt

We just bought a home and I bought new door locks and new deadbolts to replace on each door. I didn't have much of a problem replacing most of them, however, on one of them, the deadbolt was a little tougher.

I was inserting the deadbolt itself (not the round part that goes on either side of the door) and it appears that the previous owner cut the hole a little to close to the edge of the door. The deadbolt is about 1/4 of an inch short. If the hole for the deadbolt was about a 1/4 inch over it would be fine, however, the deadbolt piece doesn't fit in all the way.

So my dilemma is this, can I just make a slight cut on the inside of the hole to allow the deadbolt piece to fit, without taking anything away from the strength of the deadbolt?

Sorry this is hard to describe without pictures...I may be best off to hire a locksmith to come finish the job.

Any minor whittling or carving that you do is not likely to significantly reduce the effectiveness of the lock. Most crooks are more likely to go through a window or other entry point and anybody wanting to get through a dead-bolted door is likely to use a crowbar or something similar which would likely defeat any locking mechanisms on the door anyway, regardless of how well they are anchored . The amateur crook would probably be put off just by the appearance of the dead-bolt on the door.

You confuse me a bit when you say the deadbolt is too short and then mention the edge. It is normal to have to widen the hole on the edge of the door. Some manufacturers use a 7/8 and others will use an inch. Those with the smaller size will usually include an adapter to fit the larger hole.
You may also have to bore a little deeper into the door but in this case the deadbolt would be too long and protrude from the door.

There is also the question of backset. The standards are 2 3/8 and 2 3/4. (measured from the edge of the door to the center of the lock hole) Are you trying to install a smaller backset lock into a 2 3/4 prepped door? Many manufacturers make adjustable bolts. Some do not and you should obtain the right size.

If the door was prepped improperly, you could have a backset in between the standards. In this case, if your lock will cover the hole, remove the material where needed to align it properly as tow guy recommended.

Sorry about that, I realized after re-reading it that it was a little confusing.

When I insert the new deadbolt mechanism, it hits the back of the hole before getting flush with the edge of the door. So, should I take a drill and carve out a little bit on the inside of the hole so that the deadbolt mechanism can fit? I can't really recut the hole, I have to use what is there. The deadbolt is what it is, and my only choices seem to be to carve out a little niche so that the mechanism can fit, or put back in the old deadbolt.

The old deadbolt (kwikset) was slightly shorter than the new one that I bought (schlage)...

Yes, carve enough out for the new one to fit and operate freely. That is a perfectly normal modification due to size and design differences of the bolts; and one of the easiest as it is hidden and appearance is not critical.