You got the keys. Congratulations. Now the uncomfortable question: who else has them?
Who might still have a key
Think about the life of a house. The previous owners, obviously. Their adult kids. A house sitter from three summers ago. A cleaner, a dog walker, a contractor who needed access during a remodel. The agent's lockbox during the sale. Most of those people are perfectly honest. You still have no way of knowing how many copies are out there, and you can't collect them.
What rekeying actually does
A standard pin-tumbler lock has a row of small pins inside the cylinder. The key's cuts push those pins to exactly the right heights so the cylinder can turn. Rekeying replaces those pins with a new set to match a new key. The lock body, the handle, the finish: all unchanged. Every old key stops working.
- It is quicker than replacing hardware.
- It costs less. Rekeying starts at $19.00 per lock on our price list, plus the $29 service call fee.
- You can have every exterior door keyed alike while you're at it.
Which locks to do
Every exterior entry. Front door, back door, the door from the garage into the house, patio or side doors, and any keyed side gate. Don't forget the garage side door. It's the one people miss.
When replacing makes more sense
If a lock is loose, damaged, sticking, or a light-duty model on a street-facing door, put the money into a new Grade 1 or Grade 2 deadbolt instead. A locksmith can tell you which locks are worth keeping on the same visit.
If you're renting
Ask your landlord first. Many rekey between tenants as a matter of course. If they haven't, ask for permission to do it and give them a copy of the new key.
Moving to Whittier? Our coupons include a move-in offer and a free fifth rekey when you rekey four. See also the 90603 page, where move-in calls are especially common.
