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 Lawndale
Rekeying a lock in Lawndale typically runs $85 – $160 for the first cylinder and $25 – $40 for each additional cylinder when you’re already having a technician out, and most jobs are done in under an hour. That price is written down before anyone is dispatched, and it’s the same price on the invoice. If you’ve just bought a 1950s tract home off Hawthorne Boulevard, changed tenants in a duplex near 162nd Street, or lost a key somewhere between the 405 and Marine Avenue, call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll walk you through exactly what it costs before we send a truck.
We’re Rekey Locks specialists serving Lawndale and the surrounding South Bay grid. The job itself is straightforward: we swap the internal pins inside your existing knob or deadbolt so old keys stop turning. No new hardware needed unless the cylinder is worn out. The hard part is showing up when we say we will and charging what we said we’d charge. That’s the part we built the company around.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Lawndale’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
Preston Locksmith & Security was founded in 2008 and is part of the Relay Home Co. family, with each location independently owned and operated. That means every Lawndale job gets the full weight of a company that’s been doing this work for over fifteen years, but with a local crew that actually knows the streets. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Los Angeles office; crews serve Lawndale locally and typically reach addresses near Inglewood Avenue, Prairie Avenue, and Rosecrans Avenue within 45 to 60 minutes of your call.
Kevin Yoon leads our team, and the standard he sets is simple: a background-checked, uniformed technician arrives with a written price already locked in. No anonymous contractor in an unmarked van. No hourly rate that creeps up while you watch. Every Lawndale customer gets The Relay Visibility Guarantee, which means a live trackable arrival time, before-and-after photos of your lock work, and a written guarantee on every repair. If something isn’t done right, it’s our job to make it right under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. That includes a free second visit if a repair fails.
Our reputation in Lawndale comes from doing exactly what we say. When you call (409) 405-4485, a live person answers. Not a voicemail tree, not a call-back queue. You get the price, you get the arrival window, and you get a tech who introduces himself and gets to work.
Rekey House in Lawndale
A Rekey House job in Lawndale means re-pinning every lock cylinder on the home so one new key operates all of them, and old keys stop working everywhere. Most Lawndale homes were built in the 1950s and 60s, and their original builder-grade Kwikset and Schlage knobs and deadbolts are still perfectly serviceable. Re-pinning those cylinders costs $85 – $160 for the first lock and $25 – $40 per additional lock, including the labor and new keys. You don’t need to replace hardware that still works.
When a full-house rekey makes sense
You closed on a house and don’t know who the previous owner gave keys to. You had a falling out with a roommate. Your teenager lost a key somewhere in Lawndale and you can’t rule out that someone found it. In all three cases, rekeying every exterior door on the same afternoon means the problem is solved before dinner. We key all cylinders alike, cut you a fresh set of keys, and you’re done.
What the tech actually does
We disassemble each knob or deadbolt on site, replace the internal pins with a new configuration, and reassemble. Nothing is drilled. No hardware goes in the trash. Your existing keys are useless once the cylinder is re-pinned, and the new keys we cut are the only ones that work. If we find a cylinder that’s too worn to rekey safely, we’ll show you before recommending a replacement.
Lock Rekey in Lawndale
A Lock Rekey in Lawndale is a single-cylinder job, which is what most people need when the problem is isolated to one door. Maybe you only want the front deadbolt changed, or a landlord needs one unit’s locks rekeyed between tenants on a duplex off Inglewood Avenue. The price runs $85 – $160 for that first cylinder, with additional cylinders at $25 – $40 each on the same visit. The written quote comes before dispatch, and the invoice matches it.
Rental turnover locks
Landlords across Lawndale’s duplex and small apartment stock call us between tenants. The previous tenant’s keys should never still open a door after they’ve moved out. We re-pin the tenant-side cylinders and rekey them to a new key, while keeping the owner’s master key working if a master system exists. It’s faster than replacing locks and far less wasteful on hardware that’s still in good shape.
One door, five minutes of work, no upsell
We’ve had Lawndale homeowners ask if they’re better off replacing a knob instead of rekeying. The honest answer depends on the hardware. A Schlage or Kwikset cylinder from the 60s that turns smoothly is a candidate for rekeying. A Baldwin or Yale lock with a failing latch or a worn plug is a replacement. We’ll tell you which one applies to your door and put the price in writing either way, before any work begins.
Trusted Brands We Service in Lawndale
Our technicians train on Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Baldwin, and Sargent hardware, and those credentials matter when a Lawndale business or condo association wants high-security cylinders rekeyed. But most residential work in this city involves Kwikset and Schlage, and we carry the pins, springs, and key blanks to service those brands same-day. We stock what our Lawndale customers actually have on their doors, which is why a rekey on a 1960s tract home doesn’t turn into a week-long wait for parts.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Lawndale Homes
- Builder-grade Kwikset and Schlage cylinders from original construction. Lawndale’s housing stock dates heavily to the 1950s and 60s, and many doors still have their original pin-and-tumbler locks. These cylinders are usually fine to rekey, but they’re often worn enough that a tech should inspect the plug before re-pinning.
- Previous keys still in circulation on rental turnovers. Duplexes and small apartment buildings around Lawndale turn over tenants frequently. We regularly see cases where only one door was rekeyed and a former tenant’s copy still opens the back entrance.
- Phone quotes with no way to verify the price at the door. The South Bay is full of locksmith listings that quote one number by phone and a different number on the invoice. Our price is written before dispatch and matched on the invoice, every time.
- Master key systems knocked out by a partial rekey. On multi-unit properties between Hawthorne and Gardena, a handyman rekey sometimes breaks the owner’s master key. We re-pin tenant cylinders while preserving the master system, so the owner still has one key that opens everything.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Lawndale, CA
Rekeying a standard lock in Lawndale runs $85 – $160 for the first cylinder and $25 – $40 for each additional cylinder on the same visit. A typical single-family home with two or three exterior doors lands in the $135 – $240 range. A duplex or triplex tenant turnover that requires re-pinning four to six cylinders typically runs $200 – $325. These are the honest numbers we quote on the phone, write on the work order before dispatch, and match on the final invoice. There’s no call-out surcharge added when the tech arrives. If you need a master key system maintained across multiple units, we’ll scope the job during the call and give you a flat per-lock price. Call (409) 405-4485 for a free estimate and a written quote before anyone is dispatched.
We Also Serve Cities Near Lawndale
Our crews serve all of Lawndale and the neighboring South Bay cities, including Hawthorne, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Gardena. If your property sits right on the Lawndale-Gardena border or you manage units in both cities, one phone call covers it. We quote by the lock, not by the city limits.
Serving Lawndale, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lawndale 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 Lawndale
Every Preston technician is background-checked, uniformed, and dispatched with a live trackable arrival time you can follow on your phone. Before the tech arrives, you know what they look like, what the job costs, and when they’ll be there. The work order has the written price on it, and you’ll receive before-and-after photos of your lock work. Call (409) 405-4485 if you ever have any doubt about who’s at your door.
A rekey changes the internal pins inside the existing lock cylinder, which means the old keys stop working and a new key operates the same hardware. You do not need new locks unless the cylinder is worn out or damaged. On most Lawndale rental properties with 1950s-era Kwikset or Schlage hardware, rekeying is the faster and less expensive fix. We can also preserve a master key system while rekeying individual tenant cylinders so your owner key still works on every door.
A standard residential rekey on two or three doors takes 30 to 60 minutes once the technician arrives. Single-cylinder jobs take even less. We typically reach Lawndale addresses within 45 to 60 minutes of your call, and we give you a live arrival time so you’re not stuck waiting in a four-hour window. Call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll tell you our current availability.
Yes. If you’re locked out in Lawndale, our non-destructive entry lets you back in without drilling or damaging the lock. Once you’re inside, we can rekey the same cylinder on the spot so the old keys no longer work. You’ll get a combined price in writing before work begins. Call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll walk you through the total cost for the entry and the rekey together.
Yes. We rekey tenant-side cylinders while keeping your existing master key operational, so each unit gets its own key and you keep one key that opens common areas and all unit doors. We work with Kwikset, Schlage, Medeco, and Baldwin master systems. We’ll scope the property during your call and give you a flat per-lock price plus a written work order before dispatch.
Get a Written Price Before Any Work Starts
If you need a rekey in Lawndale, call (409) 405-4485. We’ll ask you how many doors you want rekeyed, what kind of locks you have, and whether you need a master key preserved. Then we’ll give you a written price, a live trackable arrival time, and the name of the tech coming to your door. No phone tag, no vague hourly rates, no invoice that changes when the tech arrives. That’s the Relay standard, and it’s how Kevin Yoon runs every job we take in Lawndale.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Lawndale since 2008.