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 Kentfield
Rekeying a lock in Kentfield means changing the internal pins inside the existing cylinder so the old key stops working and a new one starts. For most Kentfield homes, this costs between $75 and $120 per lock cylinder, and we do the work on site, same day, usually within an hour of arrival. If you just bought a house off College Avenue, finished a remodel, or had a contractor or caregiver with a key, rekeying is the fastest way to retake control of your doors without replacing hardware that still works fine. Call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll confirm the exact scope and price before anyone rolls toward Kentfield.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Kentfield’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
We’ve handled enough Kentfield door locks to know what this town throws at them. The shade along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, the fog that settles in the redwoods, the older hardware on homes built decades ago – it all shows up in the cylinder. Kentfield homeowners call us because we tell them on the phone what the rekey will cost, whether it’s a standard Kwikset deadbolt or a mortise lock that needs a different set of pins and a little more bench time. Our Rekey Locks team comes background-checked and in uniform, and you get a live arrival time you can track before we knock.
Kevin Yoon, who leads our operation, set a simple rule from day one: the price quoted on the phone is the price on the invoice. No dispatch fee added when the van pulls up, no “this lock needs more work than we thought” inflation. That matters in Kentfield, where homeowners have long memories and word travels fast between neighbors. Every job also carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if something isn’t right, we come back and fix it, no charge, no argument. That’s a written guarantee, stamped on every rekey we do in Kentfield.
Rekey Door Lock in Kentfield
A Rekey Door Lock job in Kentfield means pulling the cylinder from the door, swapping the internal pins to match a brand-new key, and reinstalling the cylinder with fresh lubricant. The common reason a Kentfield homeowner calls is simple: someone who used to have a key should no longer have one. A tenant moved out of a rental near College of Marin’s Kentfield campus. A housekeeper was let go. A contractor finished a kitchen job and you never got the spare back. Rekeying costs less than replacing the lock, keeps the existing finish and hardware, and is finished in about 20 to 30 minutes per cylinder.
Pin and Tumbler Cylinder Work
Most Kentfield homes run Schlage or Kwikset pin and tumbler cylinders. We disassemble the cylinder, replace the pins to match a fresh key cut on site, and test the key five or six times before the lock goes back in the door. You keep the same deadbolt, same handle, same strike plate.
Mortise Lock Rekeying
Older Kentfield houses, especially the ones up in the hills with original hardware, sometimes have mortise locks. These take longer because the cylinder threads out of the mortise body rather than popping free with a clip. We rekey them on site, but the price runs higher due to the extra disassembly and function-testing.
Rekey Service in Kentfield
A Rekey Service call in Kentfield covers more than one door. When someone closes on a house and wants every exterior lock on one key, we walk the property with you, identify what’s there, and rekey each cylinder so a single key works everything. That could mean a front door, a side door, a garage entry door, and a back patio slider. We quote a per-cylinder price in writing before the first screw comes out, so you know the total for all five locks before work begins.
Whole-Home Keying
We key every exterior lock to the same new key and test each one in front of you. Most Kentfield homes with three or four exterior doors finish the job in under two hours. You get all new keys cut at the same time.
Post-Remodel and Tenant Turnover
After a remodel, a tenant move-out, or a break with a roommate, rekeying is the only way to guarantee old keys stop working. Changing codes on a smart lock doesn’t help if someone still has a mechanical override key. We rekey the cylinder so the physical key is also dead.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kentfield
We work on the hardware Kentfield homes actually have: Schlage deadbolts on front doors, Kwikset knobs and levers on interior and exterior doors, Yale hardware on some of the newer builds near Kent Woodlands, and Medeco high-security cylinders when a homeowner wants more than a standard keyway. Our vans carry key blanks for all of these, plus the pin kits and lubricants needed to rekey them properly. If your Kentfield home has a Baldwin mortise lock or a Sargent commercial-grade cylinder on a detached studio, we’re equipped for that too. No sending parts away, no second visit because we didn’t have the right blank.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Kentfield Homes
- Damp cylinders with corroded pins. The mature oak and redwood canopy along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard keeps a lot of Kentfield doors in shade or fog for much of the year. Exterior lock cylinders hold moisture, and the pins inside corrode. A rekey that skips cleaning and lubricating the cylinder leaves you with a fresh key that still sticks.
- Cross-keyed homes from multiple vendors. Kentfield homes that were rekeyed by whoever was cheapest over the years often have mismatched keyways: a Schlage keyway on the front door, Kwikset on the side door, something else on the garage. We can key most of these to a single key, but it starts with looking at what is actually in each door, not guessing over the phone.
- Mortise locks mistaken for standard cylinders. A phone quote given before anyone confirms whether the door has a standard pin and tumbler cylinder or a mortise lock cannot hold. We ask the right questions before we dispatch, and we confirm on site before any work starts.
- Smart lock override cylinders left untouched. A lot of Kentfield homeowners added smart locks but never rekeyed the mechanical override cylinder underneath. Changing the app code doesn’t stop someone with the physical key. We rekey that override cylinder so the old mechanical key is dead too.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Kentfield, CA
Here’s what rekeying actually costs in Kentfield. A standard pin and tumbler cylinder (most Schlage and Kwikset deadbolts) runs $75 to $120 per cylinder. A mortise lock rekey runs $110 to $160 because of the extra disassembly and reassembly. A whole-home rekey with three to five doors usually lands between $240 and $550, depending on cylinder type and how many locks share one keyway. We do not advertise a teaser price. The price you get on the phone covers the labor, the new pins, the new keys, and the service call. That is the full price on your invoice. Call (409) 405-4485 for a firm written quote, free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kentfield
Our Rekey Locks in Kentfield service area also reaches Larkspur, San Anselmo, San Rafael, and Corte Madera. If you’re just over the line in any of those towns, the same written-price-before-dispatch rule applies. Call and we’ll give you a live arrival window and a firm price.
Serving Kentfield, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kentfield 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 Kentfield
We come to you. Every rekey we do in Kentfield happens on site at your door. Our technicians carry pin kits, key blanks, and the tools to rekey Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Baldwin, Medeco, and most other cylinders without removing anything more than the cylinder itself. You don’t bring us a lock and you don’t wait days for a shop to turn it around. The job is done while you watch, usually in 20 to 30 minutes per cylinder. Call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll give you an arrival window and a written price before dispatch.
Yes, a mortise lock can be rekeyed, and in Kentfield we do it on site. The cylinder unscrews from the mortise lock body, we replace the pins inside, and the lock body itself stays in the door. Mortise rekeying costs more than a standard cylinder because the work is more involved and the parts are more particular. Replacing a mortise lock is rarely necessary just because you want new keys. If the lock body itself is worn or the bolt no longer throws smoothly, we’ll tell you, but rekeying is the first move, not replacement. Call (409) 405-4485 for a quote on your specific door.
Every Preston Locksmith & Security technician wears a uniform with company identification and arrives in a marked vehicle. Before anyone is dispatched to Kentfield, you receive the technician’s name and a live arrival time you can track on your phone. When the van pulls up, you already know who is coming and what they look like. Every job also generates before-and-after photos so you can see exactly what was done. If someone shows up claiming to be from us without those things, tell them to wait and call (409) 405-4485 to verify.
A single cylinder rekey in Kentfield takes about 20 to 30 minutes once we’re at the door. A whole-home rekey with three to five locks takes one to two hours. And yes, you get the full price before dispatch, in writing. That price covers labor, pins, new keys, and the trip. No dispatch fee tacked on when the van arrives, no upcharge if the job takes slightly longer than expected. The price on the phone is the price on your invoice. Call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll quote it before anyone leaves the shop.
Rekey. Unless the hardware is damaged or you want a different finish or a smart lock, rekeying handles the security problem completely: the old key stops working, a new key works, and the hardware stays in place. You don’t need new deadbolts just because a roommate moved out or a contractor finished a job. Rekeying is faster and costs less than replacing. If the lock itself is worn or the bolt doesn’t throw cleanly, then replacement makes sense, and we’ll tell you that honestly. Call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll walk through what your doors actually have.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security.