Rekey Your Locks in Sacramento and Cancel Every Old Key

A lock is only as private as the list of people who hold its key, and most of us do not know how long that list really is. Rekeying is how you reset it. As a mobile Sacramento locksmith, we do this at your door, and we think it is worth understanding what it does before you pay for it.

Rekeying is simple to describe and easy to oversell, so we keep it plain. This page explains how a rekey works, when it is the right move, when it is not, and what the visit looks like.

What Is Happening Inside the Lock

Most residential locks are pin-tumbler cylinders. When you slide a key in, its ridges push a stack of small pins to exactly the height that lets the cylinder rotate. A wrong key leaves the pins misaligned and the lock stays shut.

To rekey, the tech removes the cylinder, takes out those pins, and installs a new set cut to fit a different key. After reassembly:

• The old keys do not turn the lock.
• The new key does.
• The knob, deadbolt, or handle on your door looks and feels the same.

You change who has access, but not the hardware you already paid for.

“Change my locks” can mean two jobs

Callers often ask to have their locks changed when what they want is for the old keys to stop working. Those are separate jobs. One puts new hardware on the door. The other keeps the hardware and changes the key. We ask what you are trying to fix and then tell you which job gets you there. If rekeying handles it, that is what we recommend.

Rekey or Replace

The right choice depends on your problem. A few questions on the phone usually settle it.

Rekey when

This is the common case for homeowners who are happy with their doors and just want control over the keys.

• The locks work smoothly and you like them.
• Your worry is who holds a key rather than how strong the lock is.
• You want multiple doors on one key.
• You would rather not buy hardware you do not need.

Replace when

Some situations call for new hardware, and rekeying would only hide the real issue.

• The lock is damaged, worn, or no longer catches properly.
• You want something different, such as a deadbolt where none exists or a smart lock.
• You want a door that resists force better, which means stronger hardware and a strike secured into the frame stud.

Also keep in mind that a deadbolt that only catches when you lean on the door may not need a new lock at all. Misaligned hinges or a shifted frame cause this more often than a bad lock, and our lock installation and repair work starts with an honest look at the door.

Moments When People Call for a Rekey

The reasons vary, but they share one thing: someone you cannot account for may be holding a key. These are the situations we hear about most.

You bought a house

At closing you get a few keys. You have no idea how many more are out there: past owners, relatives, contractors, an agent, the neighbor who fed the cat. Rekeying before you unpack gives you a clean start.

A tenant moved out

For landlords, turnover is the natural moment. A tenant on their way out could have duplicated a key or lent one to a friend, and there is no way to track down copies you never knew existed.

A relationship ended

After a breakup, a divorce, or a roommate leaving, rekeying quietly makes sure your home opens only for the people you choose.

Keys were lost or stolen

If keys vanished with a wallet or bag that shows your address, rekey. If someone has already forced the door, though, rekeying is not enough. A pried, kicked, or drilled lock should be replaced, and the frame may need work too. We tell you which case you are in. And if lost keys also stranded you outside, our house lockout service can get you in, then rekey the locks on the same visit.

One Key for the Whole House

There is a practical side to this beyond tidiness. When every door shares a key, a house sitter, a relative, or a dog walker needs only one copy. When you take back that key, there is only one thing to cancel.

It is common to find a front deadbolt, a back-door knob, and a garage-entry lock, each wanting its own key. A ring like that is annoying to carry and hard to copy for family.

We can set every lock in a house to one key during a single visit, provided the locks accept a compatible key. If one will not match the rest, the tech says so before starting, and you can choose to replace it or leave it on its own key.

How Pricing Works

People often assume rekeying has one standard price. It does not, because the work scales with the number of cylinders and the kind of lock in each door.

There is a $29 trip fee on every visit, and it applies whether or not you go ahead with the job. Rekeying cost depends on the number of locks, their type, and whether they are going onto one key. Once the tech has seen the work, they tell you the price before starting. A condo with one lock and a house with four doors are not the same amount of work, so a single advertised rekey number would not fit both.

Before the tech begins, expect to hear:

• If a particular lock is better swapped out than rekeyed.
• Whether all the locks can share one key.
• The price for the whole job.

Buildings With Lots of Keys

One property can have front doors, side gates, storage rooms, and shared entries, all with different people needing different access. Rekeying every lock separately works, but it gets messy quickly.

Managing several units, or an office where people need access to different doors, can turn rekeying into a puzzle. A master key system is built for that case. Each person’s key opens only their doors, while a manager’s key opens all of them. For a single rental house, rekeying between tenants usually covers it. For an apartment building or office, ask about both on the same call.

Rekeying Around Sacramento

People move all over this region, and moving is the biggest reason for a rekey. If you just bought in Folsom, doing it before you unpack closes out the builder’s crew and everyone from the previous household. In Elk Grove, we rekey for new owners, landlords between tenants, and families who want one key for everything. We work in Citrus Heights and Roseville too, where a house may have passed through several hands and no one knows how many keys exist.

You can see the full list of places we cover on our service areas page. Give us a call, say how many locks there are and what kinds, and we will head to your door. If you are not sure what kind you have, describe the door and the tech can work it out on site, or tell us the make, model, and year of any smart lock.