Lock Rekey

What "Rekey" Actually Means

Inside every pin tumbler lock are small spring-loaded pins that have to line up perfectly with a key's cuts to turn. When we rekey a lock, we take the cylinder out, swap the pins for a different combination, and re-insert it. Same lock on the door, but now only your new key works. The old keys won't.

When Rekeying Makes Sense

• You just bought or moved into a home. You don't know who has copies — agents, contractors, the previous owner's family.
• A roommate moved out. Cheaper than replacing all your locks.
• You lost a labeled key. Especially one with your address attached.
• Tenant turnover for landlords. Standard practice between leases.
• You want all exterior doors on one key. If your front, back, and side door currently use three different keys, we can rekey them all to one.
• Master key setup. Rekey is the foundation of any master key system.

When Replacement Is Better

• The lock is sticking, worn, or damaged.
• It's a cheap builder-grade lock and you want a real one.
• You want a smart lock or upgraded security feature.
• The lock is the wrong type for the door (e.g. wrong backset, wrong handle direction).

We'll tell you which makes more sense once we see your hardware. We don't push replacement when rekey is the right call.

What's Included

• Disassembly and rekey of each cylinder.
• Two new keys per lock (more available on request).
• Quick lubrication and operation check.
• Strike plate alignment if it's an easy fix.

Brands We Rekey

Schlage, Kwikset, Defiant, Yale, Baldwin, Weiser, and most other common pin-tumbler residential locks. Some smart locks have rekey-able cylinders — bring it up on the call. Restricted-keyway locks (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock) require special pinning kits and authorization, which we have.

How Long It Takes

About 5–10 minutes per cylinder once we're at the door. A typical 3-door house is done in well under an hour, including paperwork and key handoff.