If you lose the keys to your home door locks, your car locks, or the locks that keep your business safe, you have two alternatives: either rekey locks or new lock installation.
Rekeying? What Does That Mean?
When you call a professional locksmith, rekeying locks means you can keep your existing hardware instead of having a lock replacement. And when you don’t have to change locks, that can save money. Of course, it may be time for smart locks, or maybe you do need to replace existing locks with high-security locks, and professional locksmith services install locks, too.
Rekeying is a common service many locksmiths in Plano, TX, offer. Instead of replacing locks, a professional locksmith can adjust the lock cylinder of the locking mechanisms to fit a brand-new key. And if you break your key off in the lock, your professional locksmith can do a key extraction as well.
So when should you rekey locks?
For any number of reasons: if a key has been lost or stolen, you’ve recently moved into a new home or office, if employees have been let go, or if a member of your household (including roommates) has moved out, you can’t get into your car and need roadside assistance, these and many others are reasons to call your local locksmith. How is a lock rekeyed, and what are the locksmith prices to rekey them by a local locksmith?
What Does it Mean to Rekey Locks?
To rekey locks, a locksmith rearranges the pins inside your current lock cylinder, altering the locking mechanism so that the missing keys will no longer operate it. This is the way to go if you like your current hardware and want a solution that’s less expensive than new locks, knobs, and handles.
Purchasing a new lock is more expensive than the cost to rekey locks. But what’s the process?
- The lock is removed from the door
- The locksmith gains access to the lock cylinder and key pins. This means you have to have the original key available. If you don’t, the cost to rekey will go up because the locksmith will have to pick the lock.
- The key pins are rearranged at a certain depth using a key decoder to gauge the depth, pin size, and key to be used.
In general, why should you rekey your locks?
- An increase in your sense of security
- It’s cost-effective
- It’s fast and easy when done by a professional locksmith.
Rekeying Locksmith Services for Car Locks
First, let’s look at the circumstances when you might need to rekey your door and ignition switch. These include lost, stolen, or damaged keys.
When should I have my car door rekeyed?
You might have lost your keys, they were stolen, or maybe you bought a used car and would just feel better with a new key for that car door lock.
A transponder key is a different story
Locksmith services can rekey your car door lock. However, if you lose a transponder key, there’s no way to rekey the lock, so you will have to get a new one from your dealership.
Rekeying traditional door locks
When it comes to traditional car keys, they are designed to open a certain car, so you can’t just order another key if you lose or damage it or replace it by visiting your local hardware store. You might be able to get one from the dealership, but the key replacement cost is high, so take advantage of this service locksmiths offer and save money.
The meaning to rekey a Car door lock?
Rekeying car door locks means changing the wafers, disks, and sliders, which are all part of the lock’s inside components. These are all repositioned to work with a new key. Rekeying is much less expensive than a complete replacement of your car locks and means any older key will be useless. After your car lock has been changed, you’ll get a new set of keys.
When rekeying doesn’t work
However, rekeying isn’t possible when the lock is damaged, such as when the key breaks off in the lock you’ll need to replace the lock.
Lost keys
Rekeying your car is the only way you can still use it if you lose all the key you normally use and your spare key as well.
Stolen keys
You can get extra security by rekeying your car. When you can’t find your car keys, you don’t know if they have been lost or stolen. That means that someone aside from you might be able to get into your car. Car rekeying by an auto locksmith makes your old keys useless.
If you have an older, used car, it’s a good idea to have it rekeyed–there could be a spare key going around that you don’t know about. If you think someone stole your keys, call an emergency locksmith service as soon as possible to prevent thieves from stealing your car and anything in it.
Damaged keys
Sometimes keys become bent or even break off in the lock. When a key is damaged, it’s a good time to rekey your car, and only professional locksmiths can do key extraction. You might be tempted to try to fix the key yourself, but you can cause even more damage that can mean an expensive proposition–changing locks.
Damaged locks can’t be fixed by rekeying, so the best and least expensive choice is just to leave that key alone and, if necessary, call for roadside assistance and lockout service. Most locksmiths will offer roadside assistance because you never know when a key might get damaged.
The cost of rekeying your car
The price of professional locksmith services to rekey your car depends on location, the locksmith services you hire, and the rekeying you need.
The types of locks that need rekeying
You have both ignition and door locks, and chances are they don’t use the same key. That means both the ignition and door locks will have to be rekeyed. Many cars today have a transponder key that unlocks the electronic locks on your car with the use of a button. These can’t be rekeyed but can be made by a locksmith, which is much less expensive than buying them from a dealership.
For older cars that can’t be unlocked by pressing a button, the locks can also be rekeyed to allow access into the vehicle. The cost depends on the type of rekeying– ignition rekeying is the more expensive.
Rekeying the ignition
Your ignition key lets you start and stop your car with a different key than you use in the door locks. This is important if your ignition key has been stolen, lost, or damaged. Ignition cylinders are expensive, costing up to $800, which makes them a more expensive proposition to rekey.
Basically, ignition cylinders are a type of lock, and that means they can be altered by a locksmith service. Many professional locksmiths can take apart the cylinder to reconfigure internal components. Locksmith cost to rekey your ignition will range from $275 and $525.
Rekeying the door locks
Rekeying the door locks on your car is less expensive than rekeying the ignition. Check locksmith prices, but locksmiths usually charge a minimum service fee of about $120 to $300 and a charge for every door lock. This additional fee can be between $55 to $95 per lock, which means rekeying all the doors on your car can cost you from $175 to $395.
What affects the cost to rekey?
The cost to rekey relies on a number of factors that include
- The model, make, and age of your vehicle.
- What equipment the mobile locksmith will need.
- If your current key is a transponder key.
Rekeying the locks on a car is a smart choice
The auto locksmith price of having your car rekeyed is quite reasonable when you think of the danger that can come when your key is lost or stolen and all of the issues you can have with a damaged key.
Rekeying Services for House Locks
Home security is vitally important. And what keeps your home secure? Locks. Lock integrity is important but many homeowners replace their locks for no reason. All of the doors of your home can be rekeyed–the internal working of your locks is adjusted so they work with a different key.
Why should you rekey locks? The biggest reason, of course, is home security. You want to keep that sense of being secure at home, so you should call a professional locksmith service to rekey right away.
Why rekey your house locks instead of replacing them? There are a lot of good reasons:
However, door locks don’t last forever
Even the best locks typically must be replaced at some point, and if your house key lock is in bad shape, a local locksmith may advise you to replace locks. Sometimes locks go bad with no notice, so if that happens to you, call for lockout service immediately.
The big difference between replacing a lock and rekeying is that you are going to be using an entirely different lock. Unless your locksmith advises you to replace your locks or you want to upgrade to smart locks of some kind, rekeying is your best bet.
You’ve bought a previously-owned home
When you purchase a home, you want to make sure to rekey locks. After all, who has keys to your home that you don’t know about? When you’ve owned a home for many years, you might want to call a local locksmith to rekey your door lock every five to 10 years, so you don’t have to worry about who you have handed out those deadbolt locks keys to.
You’ve purchased a brand-new home
Just think about how many people have been in and out of your new construction. Who has keys? And even if they returned them, they could have been copied. Rekeying your locks is just a smart thing to do for your security. If you are unsure about the quality of the locks installed by the builder, your local locksmith can install high security locks instead of rekeying the existing locks.
You’ve lost your keys
The cost to rekey locks is less than to change locks. A reputable locksmith can move around pieces in your lock cylinder, so you don’t have to replace door locks; a simple emergency locksmith service call will take care of it.
Your keys get stolen
Whether they drop from a hole in a pocket or a purse is stolen, you’re putting your home at risk without doing something about your lock system if you’re house key is stolen. You can change locks, but changing locks is an expensive proposition, much more than the cost to rekey. If you do nothing, you’re leaving your home vulnerable to thieves, and you need more than a replacement key.
When a roommate moves
This doesn’t just apply to roommates. You could be going through a divorce, or you have a kid that left for college. You want to be safe rather than sorry, and if something should happen, you don’t want to point fingers at friends and family because they have a copy of your house key.
A friend/relative is having integrity issues
Stuff happens. People have addiction issues, gambling problems, or just associate with the wrong people. When you consider everything that can occur, the cost to rekey and the locksmith cost pales in comparison. Whatever your reasons, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Don’t forget your garage door lock
If you have an attached garage and someone has your keys, they can easily access your home. Even if your garage isn’t attached, you don’t want it accessible by thieves.
And what about your mailbox key?
If you have a locking mailbox at the foot of your driveway or live in a condominium complex, if your set of keys got stolen, that person will have access to your mailbox as well.
So, why rekey instead of replace?
It’s quick. Rekeying a lock takes less time to replace a lock. And a locksmith can rekey your home right away – there’s no waiting on hardware. Waiting to get the parts you need compromises your home security.
It’s cheaper. Rekeying your home is more affordable than replacing handles and lock hardware. This is especially true if you chose high-end options. Those designer handles and locks can be incredibly expensive, and rekeying instead of replacing them can save you a lot of money.
You can keep your old hardware. If you live in an old home, replacing any hardware can be impossible. Rekeying means you don’t have to launch an extensive search to match that 1895 lockset.
You won’t need to modify any doors. Some replacement hardware means modifying the door for different size installation holes and other issues. Rekeying means you won’t have these issues.
You can use the same key for every lock. If you’re tired of carrying around multiple house keys and remembering which door they open, rekeying is the answer. No more fumbling in the dark to find the right keys.
So how much does it cost?
When you call professional locksmiths to replace door locks, you’ll pay a minimum service fee, but other costs vary, determined by three key (no pun intended!) factors:
Lock quantity
How many locks do you have? You should have all of your house locks rekeyed, including those for the garage doors. There are few parts involved, so most of the costs for rekeying a lock are labor costs, which is a definite saving over changing locks.
The complexity of the locks
Some locks have standard components that make it relatively easy for professional locksmiths to rekey. But some locks have complicated mechanisms that can take longer to rekey, which can increase not only the locksmith cost but the key replacement cost as well.
Lock variations
This relates a bit to lock complexity. The different doors of your home have different types of locks. You will have simple interior locks for bedrooms and bathrooms and then more complex locks for external access. A large amount of variation among lock types can increase locksmith prices.
Can you rekey a lock yourself?
Some take the do-it-yourself route in an attempt to save money. But while locksmith work looks quick and easy when done by a professional, it can take a lot of your valuable time. A locksmith knows exactly how to do the job both properly and quickly, but you’ll have a learning curve.
- Different locks look different inside.
- While it may look simple, getting to the cylinder and adjusting the pins is not.
- If not done correctly, the lock will be compromised, and you’ll be worse off than when you started.
What does it cost to rekey house locks?
The costs of rekeying all of the locks in your home vary, but a general rule of thumb is $35 to $65 per lock, depending on complexity. Emergency locksmith prices are higher, however. Compare this to $300 and up to replace your entry door locks, depending on the type of lock you choose. New lock installation can be an expensive proposition.
Rekeying Commercial Door Locks
Rekeying commercial locks doesn’t require a specialized locksmith. On a service call, the locksmith company performs the same rekeying process as they do for home and auto rekeying. When you have an office or run an office building, there are locks for doors, file cabinets, mailbox keys, and more. And all of these locks are opened with keys, and these keys are probably used by many employees and even vendors every day.
New lock installation whenever an employee leaves or keys are lost or stolen is incredibly expensive–most offices have a complicated lock system. Rekeying locks for your business is a great option when your locks are in great shape but you need to change access. Maybe you’re moving into a new space, and you don’t know who has copies of the keys. Rekeying, when done at regular intervals, is also an inexpensive way to boost security.
You don’t have to change locks
Changing locks is expensive. However, it is a good idea to rekey your locks out of caution, and you should really do it regularly as well. Even if you have a small business with low turnover, unless you have high-security keys, they are easy to copy, which makes your business vulnerable. It might be wise to rekey your locks somewhere between every six months and two years.
Get your locks rekeyed immediately if…
- Someone who shouldn’t has access to your keys
- An employee who left the company is a security risk
- Your property has already been burgled
- You have reason to believe that there’s a risk to any of your locks
Rekeying commercial locks is not a DIY job
Rekeying commercial door locks takes specialty tools and parts, like a plug follower and replacement tumblers. It also requires training to perform the process without harming the lock. It’s best to leave rekeying to a professional locksmith, but here’s how the pros perform commercial lock rekeying services.
- Remove the lock from the door
- Open the lock
- Disassemble the lock. The entire cylinder has to be removed for most business locks.
- Pop off the retention clip.
- Remove the plug by rotating the key. Push the plug follower into the housing until the plug slides out.
- Swap out components using the key decoder.
- And finally, reassembly and reinstallation.
What does it cost for commercial lock rekeying?
The locksmith cost to rekey commercial locks is around $65 to $220 per door, but that number can rise depending on the type of lock, and if you are rekeying a master system, there will be a surcharge.
Compare this to the cost to change locks. Aside from the cost of the lock, you’re looking at $150 to $450 for labor per door. The cost also depends on some other factors:
- Is it a standard door lock? These are normal locks without high-security features.
- You don’t have a key. You can still get the lock rekeyed, but there will be an additional charge to pick the lock.
- If you have a high-security lockset, the parts to rekey are more expensive and take longer, so you will pay more for the rekey.
- Is it an interchangeable core cylinder? These are the keyholes that look like a figure eight, and require a control key to remove the cylinder. If you don’t have the control key, it will have to be drilled out.
- Do you have exit bars? If so, these doors will likely have to be at least partially disassembled, and getting to the cylinder is much more complicated. This means there will be a surcharge to rekey these locks.
For Lock Rekeying, Meyer’s Local Locksmith is the Best Choice
Whether you need to rekey locks for your car, home, or business, you can rely on Meyer’s. We’re local locksmiths, family owned and operated, and we’re committed to providing the locksmith assistance that ensures the safety of our community.
We’re fully licensed and insured, and our professional team is ready when you need us. We offer reasonable pricing and excellent locksmith service in McKinney, Melissa, Anna, Allen, Fairview, Frisco, Plano, and Richardson. Give us a call any time at (469) 922-9966.
