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 Lemon Grove
A rekey in Lemon Grove typically runs $95 to $160 for the first cylinder and $25 to $40 for each additional one, and we finish most single-family homes in under an hour. That price is in writing before our tech leaves the shop, and it’s the same number on the invoice. If you live in Lemon Grove and just moved in, lost a key, or fired a contractor who still has a copy, call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll walk through exactly what the job costs before anyone heads your way.
We’re a local Rekey Locks team that knows Lemon Grove’s mid-century housing stock better than most. The original Kwikset and Schlage cylinders on those 1950s and 60s tract homes don’t always take a quick pin swap. Some need a full rebuild. We’ll tell you which one you’re looking at before we quote, not after we show up.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Lemon Grove’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
Lemon Grove homeowners call us because our price is locked before the work starts. The Relay Visibility Guarantee means every job includes a written estimate, a live arrival time you can track on your phone, before-and-after photos of the lock, and a written guarantee stamped on the repair. No other locksmith serving Lemon Grove does all four.
Our technicians are background-checked and arrive in uniform, so the person at your door on Broadway or Massachusetts Avenue is the same person whose name and photo you already saw. Kevin Yoon, who leads our team, holds every tech to the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the rekey isn’t right, we return free and fix it. No charge, no argument.
Response time to Lemon Grove from our San Diego dispatch office is fast enough that most customers book same-day or next-morning. Phones are answered by a live person 24/7, not a voicemail tree.
Keyed Alike in Lemon Grove
Keyed alike means rekeying multiple locks in your Lemon Grove home so one key opens the front door, back door, garage entry, and anything else with a door on it. Most mid-century ranchers here have three to four locking doors, and keying them alike usually runs $25 to $40 per cylinder after the first one at $95 to $160. If you’re tired of carrying a keyring with four different keys for one 1,100-square-foot house, this is the fix, and it takes under an hour and a half on most Lemon Grove homes.
Front and back door matching
The most common request we get in Lemon Grove is matching a front deadbolt to a back door knob. The front lock is often a newer Kwikset from a past homeowner’s upgrade, while the back door still has the original 1960s Schlage. We re-key both to the same bitting and hand you two copies of the new key.
Keyed alike for rental turnovers
Landlords around Broadway Heights and Monterey Heights use this service every time a tenant moves out. We re-key every exterior lock to a fresh key, key them alike, and confirm the new bitting in writing. The whole job is done between showings, and the invoice has a pay link so you never touch a check.
Rekey Deadbolt in Lemon Grove
A rekey deadbolt in Lemon Grove means swapping the internal pins inside the cylinder so the old key no longer turns, without replacing the visible hardware. Standard single-cylinder deadbolts run $95 to $160 for the first one and $25 to $40 for each additional, and the job takes about 20 to 30 minutes per lock. This is the right move after a property transfer, a break-in attempt, or any time you can’t account for a key.
Single-cylinder deadbolts
The most common deadbolt on Lemon Grove homes is a single-cylinder Kwikset or Schlage with a thumb-turn inside. These re-key fast. If the lock is original to a 1950s or 60s build, we’ll check the springs and pins for wear, because just re-pinning a galled cylinder leaves you with a lock that still binds.
High-security deadbolts
If your Lemon Grove house has a Medeco or Mul-T-Lock deadbolt, the rekey uses proprietary pins and takes a little longer, usually $40 to $60 per cylinder. We’re equipped for those brands and we’ll quote the exact cost before dispatch, not after the tech reads the faceplate.
Trusted Brands We Service in Lemon Grove
We rekey and rebuild Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale hardware every week in Lemon Grove, and we also handle Medeco and Mul-T-Lock when a home has high-security cylinders. Because so many Lemon Grove houses still run original Schlage and Kwikset from the 1950s and 60s, our techs carry rebuild kits and pin sets for those brands on the truck, not just a spare pinning chart. That means when the cylinder is worn past a simple re-key, we fix it on the spot instead of scheduling a second visit.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Lemon Grove Homes
- Original 1960s cylinders that bind. Homes in Broadway Heights and Monterey Heights often have the original Schlage or Kwikset locks from when the house was built. Springs weaken, pins gall, and old keys turn a few degrees before catching. A flat rekey price hides that; a good tech checks before quoting.
- Mixed hardware from DIY upgrades. It’s common in Lemon Grove to see a newer deadbolt on the front door and the original mortise or knob lock on the back. A quote that assumes all-standard cylinders falls apart when the tech finds one proprietary pin type. We ask about the home’s age on the phone so the quote matches reality.
- Corroded cylinders from coastal air. Lemon Grove sits inland from San Diego, but decades of morning marine layer still work on brass and steel. Cylinders that haven’t been served in twenty years often need a rebuild, not just new pins, and we’ll tell you that before the truck moves.
- Multiple past rekeys that wore the lock out. Some Lemon Grove homes have been re-keyed four or five times over sixty years. Each rekey removes a tiny amount of material from the pin chambers. Eventually the lock needs springs and top pins replaced along with the bottom pins, and that’s a rebuild, not a standard rekey.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Lemon Grove, CA
We Also Serve Cities Near Lemon Grove
Beyond Lemon Grove, our Rekey Locks in Lemon Grove team works in Spring Valley, La Mesa, Bonita, and National City. Same written pricing, same live arrival tracking, same 365-Day Done Right Promise. If you’re just over the Lemon Grove line, call and we’ll confirm which crew serves your block.
Serving Lemon Grove, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lemon Grove 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 Lemon Grove
The locks on my Lemon Grove house are the original ones from when it was built in the 1960s – can they still be rekeyed, or do I need new hardware?
Yes, most original 1960s locks in Lemon Grove can be rekeyed, but about a third of what we see from that era needs a pin-and-tumbler rebuild first, not just a rekey. The springs and top pins wear out, and fresh bottom pins alone won’t fix a cylinder that binds. We’ll check the lock’s condition before quoting, so your price covers the rebuild if it’s needed. Call (409) 405-4485 and describe your locks; we’ll tell you what you’re likely looking at.
How long does a rekey actually take on a typical Lemon Grove home with a front door and back door?
A standard rekey on two doors in Lemon Grove takes 30 to 60 minutes of on-site work. If one lock is an original 1960s cylinder that needs a rebuild, add 15 to 20 minutes. We quote the time and the price before dispatch so you can plan around it.
Can you rekey a Schlage deadbolt and a Kwikset knob so they both work with one key in my Lemon Grove house?
Yes. Schlage and Kwikset use different keyways, but we can key them alike by matching the bitting across both brands. This is common in Lemon Grove, where the front deadbolt is often one brand and the back knob another from a past upgrade. The cost is the standard per-cylinder rate: $25 to $40 per additional lock after the first.
What should I ask a Lemon Grove locksmith before they come out, so I’m not surprised by the price?
Ask for the total price in writing before they dispatch, and ask whether the price covers worn cylinders, not just a simple rekey. Ask if there’s a trip charge or separate dispatch fee. And ask if the person who shows up will be wearing a company uniform and carrying ID. If the answers are vague, go another route. Our quotes come in writing before the truck leaves the shop, and the price is the price. Call (409) 405-4485 for that.
How do I know the locksmith at my door in Lemon Grove is actually from the company I called?
With Preston Locksmith & Security, you’ll see a photo and the tech’s name before they arrive, and the live arrival time updates as they get closer to your Lemon Grove address. The person at the door will be in a Preston uniform with company ID. No subcontracted stranger, no unmarked van. That’s part of The Relay Visibility Guarantee, and it’s in writing on every job.
Call Preston Locksmith & Security for Rekey Locks in Lemon Grove
If you need a rekey in Lemon Grove, call (409) 405-4485 and we’ll give you a written price before anything is scheduled. You’ll get a live arrival time you can track, before-and-after photos of the work, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not right, we make it right, free of charge. That’s the whole deal, spelled out clearly, before the truck heads your way.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Lemon Grove and the surrounding San Diego area.