Lock Rekey in Simi Valley, CA

What does it mean to rekey locks, and is it the right fix?

Rekeying changes the inside of a lock so it works with a new key and stops working with the old one. The lock stays on your door. The pins inside the cylinder are rearranged to a new combination, and we cut keys to match. Anyone still holding a key from the previous owner, a former tenant, an ex-roommate, or a contractor is left with a piece of metal that no longer turns anything.

Rekeying is the right fix when the hardware is sound and the real problem is who has keys. It is the wrong fix when the lock is broken, badly worn, or too weak to trust on an exterior door. We tell you which situation you are in before any work starts, even when the honest answer is that rekeying is not what you need.

Rekeying also lets us make several locks share one key. If your front door, back door, and side door each take a different key, we can set them all to the same one so you carry a single key instead of a ring. That is usually called keying alike, and it is one of the most common requests we get on a whole-house job.

When do Simi Valley customers rekey their locks?

Most of our rekey calls fall into a handful of situations. The common thread is that you no longer know, or no longer trust, how many working keys are out there.

• Rekey locks after moving: you have the keys the seller or landlord handed over, but no idea who else has copies.
• Rekey locks after buying a house: previous owners, agents, inspectors, cleaners, and contractors may all have had keys over the years.
• Rekey locks after a tenant moves out: tenant turnover is the standard moment to reset every cylinder on the unit.
• Rekey locks after losing keys: if the keys were lost with an address attached, or you simply cannot account for them, changing the lock is cheaper than worrying.
• After a breakup, a falling out with a roommate, or ending a relationship with a house sitter or caretaker.
• When you want every door on the property on one key, or want to move from several keys to a tidy system.

How do we rekey your locks, step by step?

The process is not complicated, but it is easy to do badly. Here is how a typical house rekey goes with us.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us what is on the property: how many exterior doors, whether there are deadbolts and knob or lever sets, and any gates, garage side doors, or sheds. A photo of the hardware helps if you can text one.
2. We come to you in a mobile van carrying the pinning kits, key blanks, and cutting equipment for common residential locks, so most rekeys are finished on the spot.
3. On arrival we look at each lock first. We check that it turns smoothly, that the latch lines up with the strike plate, and that the cylinder is rekeyable. If something is worn or damaged, we show you before going further.
4. We remove each cylinder, replace the pins to the new combination, and reassemble it. If you want all locks on one key, we pin them all to that same combination.
5. We cut new keys and test every one on every lock, from both sides of the door, with the door open and closed.
6. You get the new keys in your hand and we make sure you know that the old keys are now dead. If you want extra copies, we can cut them right then.

What affects the cost of a lock rekey?

We do not publish numbers on a web page because the job depends on your doors, not on a flat menu. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so there are no surprises when you call.

Rekeying is usually the more economical route compared with replacing hardware, because you are paying for labor and a few small parts rather than new locks. But how much you pay still varies.

• How many cylinders: each lock on the property is rekeyed individually, so a two-door apartment is a smaller job than a house with several doors, a side gate, and a garage entry.
• Lock brand and type: common residential brands are straightforward. Some restricted or high-security cylinders need specific parts or factory processes.
• Keyed alike or separate: matching everything to one key is a small extra step per lock but saves you from carrying several keys.
• Number of keys you need: extra copies are cut one at a time.
• Condition of the hardware: a lock that sticks, spins, or has a worn cylinder may need repair or replacement before a rekey makes sense.
• Where and when: a hillside address, a late-night call, or a job well outside our storefront area can change the service-call portion.
• Residential versus commercial: business doors, multiple tenants, and master key needs add planning time.

Should you rekey, replace, or move to a smart lock?

Rekey when the locks are in decent shape and you want new keys. It costs less than new hardware, and the look of your doors does not change.

If you want different hardware, such as a stronger deadbolt, a new finish, or a style that matches a remodel, change-the-locks service or full lock replacement is the better route. Replacement also makes sense when a lock is old enough that parts are hard to find, or when it has been forced, drilled, or damaged.

If what you actually want is to stop dealing with keys at all, a keypad or smart lock may suit you. We cover that under smart lock installation. Many people still rekey the deadbolt on the back door and install a keypad on the front, so it is not always either-or.

We do not push replacement when a rekey will do the job. If your locks are fine, we say so and rekey them.

What about rental units, tenant turnover, and commercial rekeying?

Tenant turnover rekey is probably the single most routine use of rekeying, and the reason is simple: you cannot enforce who has a copy of a key. When a tenant moves out, every cylinder on the unit should be reset before the next person moves in. That covers the entry door, any patio or balcony door, and mailbox or storage locks if they belong to the unit. If you manage several units, we can pin them to a consistent system. See our page for landlords and property managers for how we handle multi-unit work.

An apartment lock rekey is a smaller job, but the same logic applies for the tenant: if you moved in and the lock has not been changed, you do not know how many old keys exist.

Commercial rekey and business lock rekey follow the same mechanics but with more planning. A shop or office may have a front door, back door, storeroom, and a few interior doors, and several employees who have keys. After someone leaves, rekeying the doors they could open closes that gap. If you need different keys to open different doors, with some staff holding access to everything and others holding only a few doors, that is a master key setup, and it is worth designing before cutting keys. Our commercial locksmith work covers that, including panic hardware and door closers when a rekey turns up other problems.

How does rekeying work in Simi Valley homes and neighborhoods?

Simi Valley is covered mostly by 1960s and 1970s single-family ranch tracts on the valley floor, with newer master-planned housing in Wood Ranch and hillside homes in Big Sky. That mix shapes what we see on rekey calls in 93063 and 93065.

In the older tract homes, the original hardware has often been rekeyed once or twice already, or replaced piecemeal, so a single house can have three different brands on three doors. Rekeying after a sale in these homes is a good moment to bring everything onto one key and look at which cylinders are worn out. If a lock turns stiffly, we will tell you whether a clean rekey is enough or the cylinder should be swapped.

In Wood Ranch, new homeowner packages are a common scenario. HOAs are common in the newer west-end communities, and new owners often want the entire house reset to their own key right at closing, since the builder, agents, and various trades have had access. Check your HOA rules if you are changing visible exterior hardware. A rekey leaves the look of your locks untouched, which is one reason it tends to be an easy fit for HOA homes.

Bridle Path is its own case. It is an equestrian neighborhood with large lots and horse gates, and rekeying there can mean the house plus barn locks, tack room, and gate padlocks or latches. We can often bring those onto the same key as the house, though gate and barn hardware that is rusted or damaged may need repair instead. For that, see our gate lock repair page.

In Santa Susana Knolls, the older custom hillside homes on winding streets sometimes have unusual or mixed hardware. We look at each lock before promising a rekey.

The climate matters too. Hot, dry summers and strong Santa Ana wind events mean doors expand, and sun and heat fade or stiffen hardware on south-facing entries. A lock that binds is often a door alignment problem, not a key problem. A rekey will not fix a misaligned latch, so we check alignment while we are there and tell you what we find.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?

We have been in business since 1987, and rekeying is one of the oldest jobs in the trade. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how we do this work. That means the same standards for a one-door apartment and a whole-house reset.

We are a single company with a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and our own mobile vans. When you call (213) 577-1366, you are not reaching a dispatch middleman who sends whoever is available. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.

Simi Valley is roughly 35 miles from our storefront, so we handle it as a mobile-van job. When you call, we give you an honest picture of when we can get there rather than a number meant to get you to say yes.

We are also straightforward about limits. If a lock cannot be rekeyed, we say so. If a cylinder is worn, we show you. If you only need a duplicate key, key duplication is a simpler, lighter-cost service than a rekey, and we will point you there.

How do you check that a locksmith is legitimate before they rekey your locks?

California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Ask any locksmith for their license number before work starts, and check it yourself with the state. That applies to us and to anyone else you call.

A few other things are worth watching for. Be wary of anyone who will not tell you the company name on the phone, or who quotes a very low number and then raises it at your door. Ask what the quote covers: the service call, labor per lock, and keys. A reputable locksmith will explain how the total is built even if the final figure depends on what is on the door.

And ask what happens to the old pins and keys. A proper rekey leaves you with working new keys and a lock that no longer accepts the old ones, and the tech should test that in front of you.

More locksmith help in Simi Valley

• Change Locks in Simi Valley
• Deadbolt Installation in Simi Valley
• Gate Lock Repair in Simi Valley
• High Security Locks in Simi Valley
• Key Duplication in Simi Valley
• Lock Installation in Simi Valley
• All services in Simi Valley

Lock Rekey near Simi Valley

• Chatsworth
• Moorpark
• West Hills
• Porter Ranch
• Thousand Oaks
• Canoga Park