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 Moraga
Rekeying a lock in Moraga typically costs $25 – $40 per cylinder for standard Schlage or Kwikset hardware, and most jobs take under an hour on site. If you’ve just bought a home off Moraga Way, fired a house cleaner, or had a set of keys go missing between Rheem Boulevard and the Safeway parking lot, rekeying is the right call. It swaps the internal pins so your old keys stop working, without replacing the hardware itself. Our crews serve Moraga daily, and we’ll confirm the full price on the phone before anyone drives out. Call (409) 405-4485 for a free estimate.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Moraga’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
We’re not a call center that dispatches a stranger. Our locksmiths arrive in a marked vehicle, in uniform, with a background check already on file. In a low-density town like Moraga, where driveways slope down from Rheem Boulevard and neighbors notice an unmarked car parked out front, that matters. You know who’s coming, what they look like, and what the price is before they touch the lock.
Every rekey job in Moraga is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the rekey isn’t done right, we make it right, and if the repair fails within a year, the second visit is free. That’s written on every invoice, not something our tech mentions only if you ask.
Kevin Yoon, our lead, has spent years working on the specific lock hardware Moraga homes actually have: builder-grade Kwikset and Schlage deadbolts from the 1960s through the 1980s, plus a growing number of Baldwin handlesets and Medeco high-security cylinders on newer remodels. We’re also part of the Relay Home Co. family, with each location independently owned and operated.
Rekey Service in Moraga
Rekey Service in Moraga is the job we get called for most often, and it’s simpler than many homeowners expect. A rekey means we remove the cylinder, swap the internal pins to match a new key, and put it back together. No new hardware. The old keys stop working immediately. This is the right fix after a move-in on Corliss Drive, a breakup in Sanders Ranch, or whenever a key set has gone unaccounted for anywhere between Canyon Road and St. Mary’s College.
What It Involves
We remove the lock cylinder from the door, take it apart, and replace the pin configuration so only the new key operates it. For single-cylinder deadbolts and matching knob cylinders, we can usually rekey both to one key in the same visit. The lock stays on the door. The door stays intact.
When Moraga Homeowners Ask For It
Right after closing on a house, after a tenant moves out, or whenever a contractor, dog walker, or neighbor has had a key for long enough that you’d rather they didn’t. A standard Schlage or Kwikset cylinder rekeys in about 15 minutes per lock at the door. Most single-family homes in Moraga see the whole job finished in 45 – 75 minutes.
Keyed Alike in Moraga
Keyed Alike in Moraga means every lock you choose operates from a single key. For many of the 1960s and 1970s ranch homes around Rheem Boulevard and Camino Pablo, that’s a front deadbolt, a matching knob, a back door, and a garage entry, all running on one key. It’s not a new lock system. It’s us pinning each existing cylinder to the same key combination.
How It Works
We’ll test each lock first. If the cylinders are old but sound, we rekey them to match one key. If a cylinder is genuinely worn to the point where the key wobbles or the pins stick, we’ll tell you before any work starts and give you a written price to replace just that cylinder. You decide. The quote doesn’t change on the doorstep.
A Common Moraga Scenario
A homeowner on Corliss Drive in Moraga bought a 1970s ranch where the seller, a contractor, had left three different keys floating among neighbors and subcontractors. We rekeyed the front-door Schlage deadbolt and the matching knob cylinder to a single key, then keyed the back slider and garage entry alike so one key ran the whole house. No new hardware, done in under an hour on the porch. She kept the old keys in a drawer as spares, dead now that the pins had been changed.
Trusted Brands We Service in Moraga
We work on Kwikset, Schlage, Yale, Baldwin, Medeco, and Mul-T-Lock hardware, and we carry a stocked range of pin kits and fresh cylinders for the brands Moraga homes actually have. Whether you’ve got an original 1978 Kwikset deadbolt on a Camino Encinas rancher or a newer Baldwin handleset near Bollinger Canyon Road, we’ll rekey it on the spot. For homeowners ready to upgrade, we can also install a bump-resistant deadbolt or a smart lock while we’re already there, with a separate written price before the work starts.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Moraga Homes
- A phone quote that doesn’t survive the doorstep. The homeowner is quoted a low rekey number, then told on site that the old Kwikset cylinder is “worn out” and must be replaced. We quote the full price on the phone, and it’s the same number on the invoice. If a cylinder is genuinely shot, we show you before any extra work is agreed.
- Worn 30-to-50-year-old cylinders. The original builder-grade Kwikset and Schlage knob-and-deadbolt sets on Moraga’s 1960s – 1980s ranch and two-story homes have seen decades of use. Pins wear flat, keys get sloppy, and sometimes the cylinder won’t rekey cleanly. We’ll tell you honestly if the cylinder can be rekeyed or should be replaced.
- Single-keyed deadbolt plus knob on aging doors. Many Moraga doors still carry a deadbolt and knob that work on two different keys, or the knob was never keyed to begin with. We routinely rekey both to one key in the same visit, which also means fewer keys on your ring and a cleaner cylinder history.
- An unmarked car and no company ID. In a quiet town like Moraga, where nobody is watching the street, a tech who can’t show a business license or a company ID is a real risk. Our techs arrive in a marked vehicle, in uniform, with company ID and a written quote in hand before they walk up the drive.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Moraga, CA
Here’s what you should expect to pay for rekeying a standard lock in Moraga. A single Schlage or Kwikset cylinder rekeys for $25 – $40. Rekeying a deadbolt and matching knob to one key runs $45 – $70. Keying three or four doors alike, common on a ranch, typically lands between $90 and $160 depending on the cylinders. If a cylinder is too worn to rekey, a new standard Schlage or Kwikset deadbolt runs $45 – $85 installed, quoted before we do anything. No call-out surcharge is added when the tech arrives. The price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice, and we give you that number before anyone is dispatched.
We Also Serve Cities Near Moraga
We handle Rekey Locks work in Orinda, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Alamo as well. If you’re just over the Orinda border or down the hill toward Lafayette, the same written-price policy and the same background-checked techs apply. For full details on coverage around the Lamorinda area and beyond, see our Moraga page.
Serving Moraga, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Moraga 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 Moraga
The price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice. Before any tech is dispatched to Moraga, you’ll have a written number that covers the rekey, any replacement cylinders you’ve already approved, and the service call. There’s no call-out surcharge added on arrival. If the tech finds something unexpected, like a cylinder that genuinely can’t be rekeyed, we stop and give you a separate written price for the extra work. You approve it first, or we don’t do it. Call (409) 405-4485 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
Yes, and this is most of what we do in Moraga. The original builder-grade Kwikset and Schlage knob-and-deadbolt sets on 1960s and 1970s ranch homes rekey cleanly in most cases, provided the pins and springs are still in serviceable shape. We’ll test each cylinder on site. If the key wobbles or the cylinder binds, we’ll show you and give you a written price to replace just that cylinder. No upsell, no pressure.
It means every door you choose, front, back, garage, side gate, operates from a single key. We pin each existing cylinder to the same key combination, so one key turns every lock in the house. For a typical Moraga ranch with a front deadbolt, a matching knob, a back door, and a garage entry, that’s usually four cylinders rekeyed to one key in under an hour. The keys you had before stop working the moment the last pin is set.
We only drill a lock if every non-destructive option is exhausted and you’ve already approved the drilling and the replacement hardware in writing. Rekeying rarely involves drilling at all, because we work from the cylinder side with the door open. Drilling is a last resort for situations where the key is broken off inside, the cylinder has seized, or a previous rekey job left the pins jammed. You’ll know the cost before the drill comes out.
Yes. While we’re rekeying your existing Schlage or Kwikset hardware in Moraga, we can swap the deadbolt for a bump-resistant ANSI-rated unit or install a smart lock on the same door. We’ll give you a separate written price for the upgrade. The rekey price stays the same. If the existing door is hollow-core or the frame is aging, we’ll mention that too, because a better cylinder on a weak door only gets you so far. Call (409) 405-4485 for a free estimate.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Moraga since 2008.