What does it mean to rekey locks, and is it right for your La Puente home?
Rekeying keeps your lock and changes what opens it. Inside a standard pin tumbler cylinder are small pins sized to match one specific key. When we rekey, we take the cylinder apart, replace or reorder those pins, and cut new keys to fit the new arrangement. The old key still slides into the keyway, but it no longer turns. The knob, deadbolt, or handleset stays on your door, the finish stays the same, and nothing about the way the door looks changes.
That is why rekeying is usually the more economical route when the real question is simply who has a key to your house. You are paying for a changed cylinder, not for a brand-new lock. It also means a group of locks can be rekeyed to share one key, so the front door, the back door, and a detached garage side door can all open with the single key in your pocket.
Rekeying is the right answer when the hardware is in decent shape and the concern is who holds keys. It is not the right answer when the lock itself is worn out, damaged, or too weak for what you want to protect. We work that out at the door and tell you plainly which one you need, even when the answer means a smaller job for us.
When do La Puente customers rekey their locks?
Almost every rekey call starts with the same uncertainty: you do not know how many copies of your key exist. These are the situations that bring people to us most often.
- Rekey locks after moving: a previous occupant, their relatives, a former landlord, a cleaner, or a contractor may all still have a key. You cannot know, and rekeying settles the question.
- Rekey locks after buying a house: sellers and agents hand over the keys they know about, not necessarily every key that went out over the years. A house rekey around closing is routine.
- Rekey locks after a tenant moves out: a tenant turnover rekey is the standard way to make sure the departing tenant's key is dead before the next person moves in.
- Rekey locks after losing keys: a missing key that could be anywhere, possibly with your address attached to it, is worth ending rather than hoping for the best.
- Rekey all house locks to one key: carrying a separate key for every door gets old, and matching them is a perfectly good reason on its own.
- Business changes: an employee leaves, a manager changes, or a shop changes hands, and the keys that went out need to stop working.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How does a rekey visit work, step by step?
Whether you searched for rekey service or rekey locks near me, the visit follows the same order. Here is what happens from your first call to the last key tested.
- You call (213) 577-1366, day or night, and tell us how many doors you have, what kind of locks they are if you know, and why you want the rekey. A photo of the lock helps but is not required.
- We drive a mobile van to you, equipped with pinning supplies and key-cutting tools, so the work happens at your door rather than in a shop.
- We confirm that you are entitled to have the locks changed: an owner, a tenant with the landlord's permission, or someone authorized to act for a business.
- We inspect each lock to confirm the cylinder can be rekeyed and turns smoothly. If one is too worn to be worth rekeying, we say so before we touch it.
- We remove the cylinders, repin them, and cut the new keys. You decide which doors share a key and which stay separate.
- We test every new key in every lock several times and confirm that the old key no longer turns.
- We hand over the keys and explain what was done, including anything we noticed that you may want to deal with later.
What affects the cost of rekeying in La Puente?
We do not quote a number on a web page because the honest answer depends on your doors. Here is what moves the cost up or down, so nothing at the end surprises you.
- Number of cylinders: each knob, deadbolt, and lock that gets rekeyed is work. A full rekey of all house locks takes longer than a single deadbolt.
- Brand and type of lock: common residential cylinders are straightforward. Less common or restricted-keyway cylinders can need special parts or a different process.
- Condition of the hardware: a lock that sticks or has a worn cylinder may need attention before or instead of rekeying.
- How many keys you need: more keys cut means more cutting and materials.
- Whether you want doors keyed alike: matching several doors to one key is common, but locks from different makers sometimes need one cylinder swapped to make it work.
- Where and when you call: we answer around the clock, and our storefront in Westwood is about 29 miles from La Puente. We tell you on the phone whether the hour or the distance affects the quote.
- Residential versus commercial: storefront and business cylinders, and any master key arrangement, can involve more pieces than a typical house door.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366When is rekeying not the right fix?
We would rather lose a rekey job than rekey a lock that should not stay on your door. A few situations point somewhere else.
- The lock is worn out. Original locksets on older homes can have loose, rattling parts or cylinders that no longer turn cleanly. Rekeying a failing lock only gives you a fresh key for a failing lock. A lock replacement is the better move.
- You want different hardware. If the goal is a sturdier deadbolt, a new style, or a different level of security, you are really looking at changing the locks rather than keeping what you have.
- The lock is damaged, not just old. A bent latch, a cracked housing, or a broken-off key piece is repair or extraction work, which we handle as separate jobs.
- The door is the problem. Sometimes a deadbolt that binds is a door that has swelled or shifted, not a bad cylinder. We check before we blame the lock.
How does rekeying work for rentals and La Puente businesses?
Apartment lock rekey and tenant turnover rekey follow the same principle as a house rekey, with a few differences in how the work gets organized. For a landlord with a unit or several units turning over, rekeying between tenants is the cleanest way to be sure old keys are dead without buying new hardware each time. If that describes you, our page on locksmith services for landlords covers how we work with property owners on repeat turnovers.
Commercial rekey and business lock rekey call for a little more planning. A shop may have a front door, a back door, a storeroom, and an office, all with different people who need access. Rekeying lets you cut off a former employee's key without replacing a single piece of door hardware. For businesses that want a layered setup, where one key opens everything and others open only certain doors, a master key system is built on the same rekeying principles. Our broader commercial locksmith work covers the hardware side of storefronts and offices.
We keep this page about rekeying itself. If your business needs door closers, panic bars, or access control, those are separate jobs and we will explain them when they come up.
What does a rekey look like on La Puente's 1950s tract streets and business corridors?
La Puente's housing is mostly single-story stucco tract homes built in the 1950s, during the area's rapid postwar subdivision. Lots are modest and many homes have detached garages. Owner occupancy is high, and many households are multigenerational. That combination shapes how rekey work goes here. Home lockouts and rekeys on the 1950s tract streets near the La Puente Park area are a good example: a family has had the same keys in circulation for years among parents, adult children, and relatives. When someone moves out or a key goes missing, rekeying all the house locks gives the household a clean start without the expense of new hardware.
Detached garages and security screen doors are common on these homes, and both matter in a rekey. We ask about the garage side door, because it is often forgotten and often has its own key. Security screen doors are a common retrofit, and their locks are usually a different product from the main door's. We look at them on site and tell you whether they can be matched to your key or should stay separate.
Climate plays a small part. The eastern San Gabriel Valley has hot, dry summers and mild winters, with no coastal salt air to corrode cylinders. The practical effect on postwar homes is seasonal expansion of wood doors. A deadbolt that binds in summer is sometimes the door, not the lock, and we check for that during the visit.
Storefronts in the Old Town La Puente business district have their own routine: a change of staff or ownership, and the keys need to follow. Along the Hacienda Boulevard and Amar Road corridors, where apartment stock is limited but concentrated, unit turnover and commercial doors are the usual rekey scenarios. We also serve the Valinda and Bassett border areas next to the city. Whether you are in 91744 or 91746, the call is the same: (213) 577-1366.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?
We have been in business since 1987, and rekeying is some of the most basic work we do. A rekey done carefully takes attention to detail more than anything else: right pins, right keys, every lock tested afterward. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how that work is done.
We are one company, not a dispatch service. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, and the people who work the job work for us. We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile vans that come to you, so the equipment for cutting keys and repinning cylinders arrives at your door. You can read more about how our mobile locksmith service works.
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for it before they start work. That is a fair question and a good habit. Phones are answered around the clock, every day of the year, so a rekey does not have to wait for business hours.
Frequently asked questions
Will my old keys still work after a lock rekey?
No. Rekeying changes the pins inside the cylinder to match a new key, so the old key can still enter the lock but cannot turn it. We test that after the work, so you see it for yourself before we leave.
Is rekeying cheaper than replacing the locks?
Usually it is the more economical route, because you keep your existing hardware and pay for the cylinder work and new keys instead of new locks. It depends on the condition of the locks, though. If a lock is worn out or damaged, replacing it can make more sense than rekeying.
Can you rekey all the locks on my house to one key?
Often yes. Locks from the same maker usually match easily. If your front deadbolt, back door, and garage side door come from different manufacturers, one cylinder may need to be swapped to share a key. We look at each door and tell you before starting.
Can you rekey a security screen door or a detached garage lock?
We can look at both. Garage side door locks are often standard cylinders and are easy to include. Screen door locks are frequently a different product from the main door lock, so whether they can match your house key depends on the lock itself. We confirm in person.
How long does a rekey take?
It depends on how many cylinders you have and what condition they are in. A single deadbolt is a short job, and a full house takes longer. We give you a realistic picture at the door once we have seen the locks.
Do I need to prove I own the property?
We need to confirm that you are entitled to have the locks changed. Owners, tenants with the landlord's permission, and authorized business representatives are all fine. We ask because rekeying someone else's door without permission is not something we will do.
Do you handle commercial rekey for shops in Old Town La Puente or on Hacienda Boulevard?
Yes. Business lock rekey and commercial lock rekey are part of our work for storefronts and offices in La Puente. If you need multiple levels of access, we can talk through a master key setup. Call (213) 577-1366 and describe your doors.
Can I get extra copies of the new keys?
Yes. We cut as many keys as you need as part of the rekey. If you need more later, our key duplication page explains how copies work and what to watch for with restricted keys.
Do you rekey at night or on weekends?
Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. Tell us what you need and we will explain what is possible at that hour.
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Lock Rekey near La Puente
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.