Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Fast, Reliable Rekey Locks Across Atherton
Rekeying a lock in Atherton typically costs $25 – $45 per cylinder for standard Schlage or Kwikset hardware, and $55 – $95 per cylinder for Baldwin, Medeco, or mortise-style locks common on older estates. The full price is confirmed on the phone before anyone is dispatched, and that is the number on your invoice. We serve every part of Atherton, from the tree-lined streets off El Camino Real to the gated properties along Atherton Avenue. Call (409) 405-4485 and you will speak to a live person, not a voicemail tree.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Atherton’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
Atherton homes are not cookie-cutter. Many were built decades ago, with door hardware that was high-end for its time and is now hard to match. Our techs arrive in uniform, background-checked, and already knowing the cylinder count, brands, and door setup because we confirm those details before dispatch. That matters when a property sits behind a gate on Walsh Road or a long driveway off Stockbridge Avenue. Kevin Yoon, who leads our team, built our process around one rule: no technician rolls until the price is in writing and the customer knows exactly who is coming and when. Founded in 2008, we are part of the Relay Home Co. family, independently owned and operated, and every job is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If it is not done right, we make it right. Free second visit if the repair fails.
Our Rekey Locks team has handled everything from single deadbolts on Selby Lane condominiums to full-house rekeys on multi-acre estates. The Relay Visibility Guarantee is standard on every Atherton job: a live trackable arrival time, before-and-after photos, a written price before work starts, and a written guarantee on every repair. The phone price and the invoice price are the same number. Always.
Locksmith Rekey in Atherton
Locksmith Rekey work in Atherton usually means one thing: new keys, same locks. A homeowner has closed on a house, dismissed a contractor or caregiver, lost a key, or simply does not know how many copies of the old key are floating around. Rekeying solves that without replacing hardware. We remove each cylinder, swap the internal pins to a new configuration, and cut keys that match the new pinning. Old keys stop working immediately. For a standard Kwikset or Schlage entry set, expect $25 – $45 per cylinder. Baldwin and mortise cylinders run $55 – $95 because the pins, springs, and tolerances are different and the work takes longer.
What Gets Rekeyed
Every keyed opening on the property: front door, side doors, back doors, garage walk doors, gates, and sometimes detached studio or pool-house doors. We do not assume a door count from a photo. We ask, confirm the brand on each cylinder, and quote the total before dispatch.
When to Rekey After Closing
Atherton real estate moves fast, and sellers hand over keys that may have been copied by contractors, agents, housekeepers, or extended family. Rekeying on closing day or the day after is the only way to know exactly who holds a working key. Most Atherton buyers we serve book the rekey for the same afternoon they get the keys.
Rekey Door Lock in Atherton
Rekey Door Lock service in Atherton often gets complicated by age and hardware mix. A 1970s ranch off Valparaiso Avenue might have Schlage on the front, Kwikset on the back, and a Baldwin mortise lock on a side door. Rekeying a door lock correctly means re-pinning each cylinder individually, then cutting keys that operate all of them if you want a single-key setup. We also match finishes: an older Baldwin in oil-rubbed bronze should stay oil-rubbed bronze, not get swapped for a shiny new brass knob that looks wrong against the door. Standard rekey runs $25 – $45 per cylinder; Baldwin, Medeco, and mortise work runs $55 – $95. The quote you get on the phone is the price you pay.
Single-Key Convenience
We re-pin cylinders so one key turns every door. That often means re-tumbling a mix of brands to the same keyway. Not every old cylinder can do this, and we will tell you honestly if one lock needs replacing instead.
Existing Hardware, Preserved
If the door hardware is original to a mid-century Atherton home, we lean toward rekeying it rather than replacing it. The patina, the weight, the original finish are part of the house. Rekeying keeps that character while making old keys dead.
Trusted Brands We Service in Atherton
We rekey and service Kwikset, Medeco, Yale, and Baldwin hardware, along with Schlage, Mul-T-Lock, Sargent, and Abloy. For Atherton customers, we stock common Baldwin mortise cylinders, Medeco high-security pins, and Kwikset rekey kits on our service vehicles. That means less waiting for parts when a job needs more than a standard pin swap. If your Atherton home has a Baldwin front lock and a Medeco side gate, we do both on the same visit, with one written price covering everything.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Atherton Homes
- Mismatched hardware on the same house. Schlage on the front, Kwikset on the back, Baldwin on the side. A flat per-lock quote can balloon if the tech has to run back for different pins. We count cylinders and confirm brands before dispatch, so the first price is the real price.
- Worn pins from a previous rekey by an unknown provider. Keys stick, turn hard, or only work one way. A proper rekey includes inspecting cylinder condition, not just swapping pins. We check for wear and tell you if a cylinder is too far gone to rekey reliably.
- Long private drives and gated entries. Some locksmiths quote a low phone price, then add a trip fee or difficulty surcharge once they reach the gate. We agree on the total before dispatch, and there is no call-out surcharge added on arrival. The number we quote over the phone is the number on the invoice.
- Older mortise locks that no one wants to touch. Baldwin and other mortise cylinders on 1940s and 1950s Atherton homes are repairable and rekeyable in most cases. We do not push a replacement just because the cylinder is old. We inspect it, quote the rekey, and do the work on site.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Atherton, CA
A standard rekey of a Kwikset or Schlage cylinder in Atherton runs $25 – $45 per cylinder. Baldwin, Medeco, and mortise cylinders run $55 – $95 per cylinder. If your home has four exterior doors mixing those brands, a realistic all-in range is $140 – $320, depending on cylinder types and whether you want one key for everything. The full price is confirmed on the phone before we send anyone, and there is no trip charge layered on when the tech arrives. Call (409) 405-4485 for a free estimate. The quote is the price.
We Also Serve Cities Near Atherton
Preston Locksmith & Security serves Atherton and the surrounding Peninsula communities including Menlo Park, Redwood City, Palo Alto, and Stanford. Scheduling and dispatch are coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, with technicians serving Atherton locally. Same process, same written-price rule, same 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving Atherton, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Atherton area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Rekey Locks in Atherton
No. We confirm the exact address, gate access, door count, and hardware brands on the phone, then give you a written price that includes everything. The price is the price. No trip fee, no difficulty surcharge, no surprise line items when the invoice arrives.
Yes, in most cases. Baldwin mortise cylinders are designed to be re-pinned, and we stock the pins and springs to do it. We inspect the cylinder first. If it is damaged beyond safe rekeying, we will tell you and quote a replacement before any work starts. Call (409) 405-4485 for an exact quote.
Usually 45 to 90 minutes on site. The work itself is straightforward: pull each cylinder, re-pin it, reinstall, test, cut keys. Older mortise locks add time. We confirm the scope on the phone so the tech shows up with the right pin kits and the job moves fast.
You get a live trackable arrival time through The Relay Visibility Guarantee, and the tech arrives in uniform with a company ID. You see a name, a photo, and an arrival window before anyone knocks. Before-and-after photos of the work are part of every Atherton job. The person at your door is the person we told you we were sending.
No. Rekeying changes the pin configuration so old keys stop working. It does not change the lock’s physical security rating or make it bump-resistant. If you want bump-resistant or ANSI Grade 1 hardware, we can quote that as a separate upgrade. For now, a rekey makes every old key useless, and that is usually the first step. Call (409) 405-4485 and we will walk through your options.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Atherton and the Peninsula since 2008.






