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 Los Angeles
Rekeying a lock in Los Angeles typically costs $85 to $160 per cylinder for standard Schlage or Kwikset hardware, and the job is usually finished in under an hour once our tech is at the door. That price is what you pay, because we put it in writing before the first screw comes out. We are Preston Locksmith & Security, and our Rekey Locks team serves every corner of Los Angeles, from Echo Park to Encino to San Pedro, with a live arrival time you can track on your phone. Call (409) 405-4485 and a real person answers, 24/7, no voicemail tree.
Why Preston Locksmith & Security Is Los Angeles’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
For Rekey Locks in Los Angeles, the deciding factor usually comes down to one thing: does the price on the phone match the price on the invoice. Ours does, because every job is quoted by lock type and cylinder count before anyone is dispatched, and that quote is the written price. We do not send an anonymous subcontractor. Kevin Yoon, our owner, built a process around background-checked, uniformed technicians whose face, name, and live arrival time show up on your phone before they knock.
We have been doing locksmith work in Los Angeles since 2008, and the city’s housing stock has taught us exactly one honest lesson: a flat rekey rate never holds. A 1922 single-cylinder mortise lock off Wilshire in Mid-City is a different job than a 2018 smart deadbolt in a Playa Vista condo tower. We quote by what is actually on the door. Every rekey carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it is not done right, we make it right. Written guarantee, included on every job, no exceptions.
Rekey Deadbolt in Los Angeles
Rekey Deadbolt work in Los Angeles means we swap the internal pins inside the deadbolt cylinder so the old key stops working and a new key takes over. The deadbolt itself stays on the door, the hardware does not get replaced, and the job takes about 20 to 40 minutes for a standard Schlage or Kwikset deadbolt. In Los Angeles, you will pay $85 to $160 per deadbolt cylinder depending on the brand and keyway.
What We Physically Do to the Cylinder
We pull the cylinder out, dump the old pin stack, install brand-matched pins cut to the new key, and reassemble the lock. The old keys are dead the moment the pins land. If the deadbolt is a Baldwin or Medeco, expect the higher end of the range plus a little extra service time, because those keyways need proprietary pins.
When Los Angeles Homeowners Actually Need This
Just bought a home in Glassell Park, or had a roommate move out of a duplex in West Adams. Anytime you cannot account for every copy of a key, the deadbolt needs a rekey, not a patch job. It is also the standard move after a property manager hands over a rental in Los Angeles neighborhoods like Palms or Jefferson Park before tenants move in.
Rekey House in Los Angeles
Rekey House service in Los Angeles means every exterior lock cylinder on the property gets repinned to one matching key. In a typical Los Angeles home there are three to five cylinders: the front deadbolt, back door knob, side gate, maybe a garage man door. Our techs walk the property, pull each cylinder, re-pin them all to a single key, and hand you a matched set.
What a Full House Rekey Costs Here
For a standard two- to three-bedroom Los Angeles house with Schlage or Kwikset hardware, expect $210 to $400 for the full job depending on cylinder count and keyway. We confirm the exact price in writing before tools come out, and the tech carries the brand-matched pin kits to do the whole house in one visit.
New Keys, Same Locks, No Hardware Swap
If your house near Koreatown still has quality Baldwin or Yale hardware that you like and that matches the door, a rekey preserves it while killing the old keys. No new locks to buy, no door prep, no paint touch-ups. Rekeying is the cleaner and cheaper route when the existing locks are in solid mechanical shape.
Trusted Brands We Service in Los Angeles
Our Los Angeles vans carry pin kits and cylinders for Kwikset, Schlage, Medeco, and Baldwin as standard, plus Yale and high-security Mul-T-Lock and Abloy hardware for commercial and specialty jobs. That matters in this city because Los Angeles homes span a century of hardware. A 1920s bungalow in Larchmont with an original mortise lock and a 2021 condo in downtown with a smart deadbolt need different pins, and we show up with both. Local parts stock means we do not have to run back to a supplier mid-job and hand you a second appointment.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Los Angeles Homes
- 1920s – 1950s mortise locks that have never been serviced. In Mid-City, Hancock Park, and Larchmont, the original mortise cylinders are often gummed with 60 years of dust and old graphite. A rekey often needs a solvent cleaning and a light lube before the new pins will cycle cleanly.
- Mismatched deadbolts and knobsets from different brands. A front door with a Schlage deadbolt and a Kwikset knob is common in Koreatown and Boyle Heights apartments. One key cannot run both keyways until we re-pin one cylinder to match the other, and we tell you exactly what that costs before we start.
- High-security cylinders quoted as standard. Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Abloy cylinders in Silver Lake duplexes or Wilshire Corridor condos need proprietary pins and a tech who knows the keyway. A discount dispatcher quoting a flat Los Angeles rekey price will not have the right parts on the van.
- Lost key on a rental turnover in South LA or the Valley. Tenants move, keys go missing, and the landlord needs every exterior cylinder repinned before the next tenant signs. We handle the whole property in one trip with a written flat price per cylinder.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Los Angeles, CA
A standard lock cylinder in Los Angeles runs $85 to $160 to rekey. Most full house rekeys land between $210 and $400 depending on cylinder count, brand, and whether we are matching multiple keyways to one key. High-security hardware like Medeco or Abloy starts around $35 per cylinder higher because the pins are proprietary. Mid-city mortise cylinders from the pre-1960 housing stock often need a cleaning before re-pinning, which adds a modest service charge we tell you about up front. You will get a written line-item quote with all of this before anyone is dispatched. The price you approve is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival. Free estimates over the phone: (409) 405-4485.
We Also Serve Cities Near Los Angeles
Our Los Angeles crews make regular runs into Huntington Park, South Gate, Bell, and Maywood for rekey work on rental turnovers, condos, and single-family homes. Same team, same written price, same same-day service. If you are just outside the city line, call and we will tell you exactly when the tech can be there.
Serving Los Angeles, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles
Yes. Rekeying an apartment deadbolt in Los Angeles means we swap the pins inside the existing cylinder, so the old key stops working and the new key operates the same deadbolt. It costs $85 to $160 per standard cylinder, the hardware stays on the door, and the job takes about half an hour once the tech is at the door. Call (409) 405-4485 and we will quote the exact cylinder type before we dispatch.
No. We do not charge a Los Angeles neighborhood premium. A rekey on a Schlage deadbolt in the Hollywood Hills is the same per-cylinder price as a rekey on a Schlage deadbolt in Koreatown: $85 to $160. What changes the price is the lock brand, keyway type, and cylinder count, not the zip code. Our written quote covers the whole job before the tech leaves our Los Angeles office.
A single standard deadbolt rekey in Los Angeles takes 20 to 40 minutes of hands-on time. A full house with four or five cylinders runs between 60 and 90 minutes. Older mortise cylinders in Mid-City or Larchmont that need cleaning and lubrication add about 15 to 20 minutes per cylinder. The live arrival time you get when you book lets you track our tech from the moment they leave, so you are not guessing when the job finishes. For an exact time estimate, call (409) 405-4485.
Have every key you want to keep using set aside, and count the exterior doors and gates. That is actually the main job. We handle the rest. The tech verifies each lock before anything gets pulled, confirms the written price matches what is on the door, and only then starts the rekey. If the lock type is different than what was described on the phone, the tech shows you the exact cost difference before proceeding. No surprises, paid only after the work is done and priced in writing.
A standard rekey on factory Schlage or Kwikset cylinders brings the lock back to its original factory tolerance, which is bump-resistant only as much as the original lock was. If you want real bump and pick resistance, we can re-pin with spool and serrated security pins, or rekey to a high-security Medeco or Baldwin keyway instead. We show you the per-cylinder price for security pinning upfront. Call (409) 405-4485 and ask for the security-pin option, and we’ll put the exact cost in writing before the tech heads your way.
Written by Kevin Yoon, Owner at Preston Locksmith & Security, serving Los Angeles since 2008.