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 Alameda
Rekeying a lock in Alameda typically runs $35 to $75 per cylinder for standard Schlage or Kwikset hardware, with most homes done in under an hour. That price covers the labor, new pins, and new keys. We quote it before our tech leaves the office, and it’s the same number on the invoice when the job’s finished at your door near Park Street or over on Bay Farm Island. If you’ve just moved into a place in Alameda, lost a key somewhere between Webster Street and the Posey Tube, or had a tenant move out of a rental on the East End, call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll get it sorted same day.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Alameda’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
We’ve been rekeying locks since 2008, and Alameda’s mix of 1920s bungalows, mid-century ranches near South Shore, and newer condos along the estuary keeps our techs sharp. Every job starts with a written price confirmed on the phone before dispatch, so you’re never standing at your Gold Coast front door wondering what the bill’s about to become.
Our techs are background-checked, uniformed, and you get a live trackable arrival time through The Relay Visibility Guarantee. Before-and-after photos of every cylinder we touch are part of the job. The 365-Day Done Right Promise means if the rekey isn’t done right, we come back and make it right. No charge, no argument.
Kevin Yoon leads the team here, and the standard is simple: price in writing first, identity verified at the door, work done clean. That’s what Alameda homeowners tell us they care about, and it’s what we deliver.
Lock Rekey in Alameda
Lock rekey is the job of swapping the internal pins inside a lock cylinder so the old key stops working and a new key takes over. In Alameda, that job shows up most often after a home sale closes, a roommate moves out, or a set of keys goes missing somewhere between the Crown Beach parking lot and a Bay Farm Island trailhead. You don’t replace the hardware. We take the cylinder apart, swap pins to match a new key, and reassemble it in place. It’s faster and cheaper than replacing the whole lockset.
What a Standard Rekey Covers
Most Alameda homes carry Schlage or Kwikset cylinders on front and back doors. We re-pin each cylinder, cut new keys, and confirm every old key is dead before we pack up. A typical two-door home takes 45 to 75 minutes on site.
When Rekeying Saves You a Full Replacement
If the lock body is still solid and just the key control is the problem, rekeying is the right call. It costs a fraction of new hardware, and it’s done while you wait. Older Alameda homes with original brass hardware often fall into this category.
Locksmith Rekey in Alameda
Locksmith rekey in Alameda means sending a trained, background-checked pro to handle the pins, not guessing at a big-box store kit. We run into a lot of original mortise lock bodies on the East End and Gold Coast, and those aren’t a beginner’s job. The cylinder comes out, gets new pins matched to a fresh key, and goes back into the antique faceplate without scratching the brass.
Rentals and Key Control
Landlords near the Webster Street corridor call us between tenants for one reason: key control. A rekey changes the pins so previous keys stop working. We also rekey keypad entries and smart locks so old codes die at the same time. One visit, everything keyed alike.
Mortise Locks on Older Homes
Alameda’s Victorians and pre-war homes often have mortise lock bodies that newer pin kits don’t fit off the shelf. Our techs carry pin kits for both modern cylinders and older mortise units. When a cylinder is too worn to rekey cleanly, we’ll tell you before we start and quote the replacement as a separate line item, in writing, so there’s no surprise added after the fact.
Trusted Brands We Service in Alameda
We’re trained on Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Yale hardware, from standard residential deadbolts to high-security commercial cylinders. Most Alameda homes we visit run Schlage or Kwikset, and we stock pins and common cylinder parts for both on the truck. Medeco and Yale high-security jobs usually need a specific pin kit, and we’ll confirm availability before dispatch so you’re not waiting on a second trip. The point is speed: when your lock needs rekeying on a Tuesday evening near Lincoln Park, we have the parts to do it right then.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Alameda Homes
- Antique mortise cylinders that won’t accept modern pins: The 1920s homes near the East End and Gold Coast often have original lock bodies. A generic rekey kit won’t fit, and forcing it damages the cylinder. We carry the right pin depths and know how to match them to the original faceplate.
- Bait pricing from phone quotes: You get a “$19 rekey” on the phone, then the tech arrives and suddenly the job is $200 because the lock is “special.” We quote the full price on the phone before dispatch to your Alameda address, and that’s the number on the invoice. No arrival surcharge, no mystery add-ons.
- Old keys that still work after a rekey: If a previous tech only rekeyed one cylinder, a spare key or a back door may still be live. We confirm every cylinder and every code in the home is changed during the same visit.
- Keypad and smart locks left on old codes: After a tenant or house sitter leaves, the mechanical lock gets rekeyed but the keypad still accepts the old code. We handle both together so there isn’t a back door left open digitally.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Alameda, CA
A standard rekey in Alameda runs $35 to $75 per cylinder for Schlage or Kwikset hardware. Most doors are one cylinder, so a front door rekey is typically $35 to $75 total. A full home with three doors usually lands between $105 and $225. Mortise locks on older Alameda homes can add $25 to $50 per cylinder because the pin work is more involved and the hardware needs careful handling. Medeco or high-security cylinders run $50 to $100 each depending on the keyway.
Every quote includes the labor, new pins, and new keys. The price is confirmed in writing on the phone before our tech heads your way. Call (409) 405-4485 and you’ll get the exact number for your lock setup, free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Alameda
Our crews handle Rekey Locks work across the East Bay. If you’re in Oakland near the Park Street Bridge, Piedmont, Emeryville, or Berkeley, we’ll get to you with the same written price and trackable arrival. Rekey Locks in Alameda is our home turf, but the standards don’t change across the bay.
Serving Alameda, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Alameda 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 Alameda
Almost always one visit. We quote on the phone, confirm cylinder type, and dispatch a tech who carries the right pin kits for Alameda’s mix of Schlage, Kwikset, and older mortise locks. A standard home takes under an hour. If you have a rare Medeco keyway or a commercial cylinder we need to order, we’ll tell you before dispatch, not after we arrive.
You tell us the door count and lock type, we send a written quote by text or email before the tech leaves. That’s the price you’ll see on the invoice. We don’t add a call-out fee when the tech arrives, and we don’t renegotiate once the cylinder is apart. Call (409) 405-4485 for an exact quote, free.
Every tech is background-checked and arrives in a Preston uniform. You’ll get a live trackable arrival time through The Relay Visibility Guarantee, so you see who’s coming before they knock. Before-and-after photos of the work are included on every job.
We rekey mortise locks all over the East End and Gold Coast. As long as the cylinder isn’t worn past tolerance, we can re-pin it to match a new key and keep the original brass faceplate. If the cylinder is too far gone, we’ll show you and quote a replacement as a separate line item, in writing, before any work starts.
Yes. We rekey the mechanical cylinder and reset the keypad or smart lock codes at the same time. Old keys and old codes die in the same visit. This matters for Alameda rentals near Webster Street, where previous tenants may still have codes programmed in.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Alameda since 2008.