Lock Rekey in Valencia, CA

What is lock rekeying, and what does it actually change?

Lock rekeying means changing the internal pin configuration of a lock cylinder so it works with a new key and no longer responds to the old one. The lock itself stays on your door: the deadbolt, the knob, the handle set. What changes is the small part inside that decides which key is allowed to turn it.

That is why rekeying is the usual answer when the hardware is fine but the keys are the problem. A former roommate may still have a copy. A previous owner may have handed spares to relatives, a dog walker, or a contractor. Or you may simply have no idea how many copies of a key exist after years in a home. Once the cylinder is rekeyed, every one of those old keys becomes a piece of metal that opens nothing.

Rekeying also lets us put every lock on a property onto a single new key, so you carry one key for the front door, the back door, and the side entry instead of a ring of four. People ask us to rekey all house locks to one key more than almost anything else, and it is usually a straightforward job.

When should you rekey your locks?

Rekeying is about control over who can get in. These are the situations where it makes the most sense, and they are the ones Valencia customers call us about most:

• Rekey locks after buying a house. You cannot know who the previous owners, their agent, or their contractors gave keys to. A rekey resets that to zero before you move your things in.
• Rekey locks after moving into a new apartment or condo, where your lease or HOA allows it. Check with your landlord or association first, since lock changes in a rental usually need approval.
• Rekey locks after a tenant moves out. Tenant turnover rekey is standard practice for landlords, because a returned key does not prove no copy was made.
• Rekey locks after losing keys. A lost key with no tag on it is still a key to your door. If you are not sure where it went, treat it as someone else's.
• After a breakup, a roommate leaving, or an employee or contractor no longer working with you.
• After a break-in or attempted break-in, once any damaged hardware has been dealt with. Rekeying fixes who holds keys; it does not repair a door or a bent latch.

How does a rekey visit work, step by step?

Our mobile vans carry cylinder tools, pin kits, and key blanks for the common residential and commercial lock brands, so most rekeys are finished at your door in a single visit. Here is how it goes:

1. You call (213) 577-1366. The line is answered around the clock. We ask what kind of property it is, how many locks need rekeying, whether you want them all on one key, and what brand the locks are. A photo of each lock helps.
2. We arrive and ask you to confirm you have the right to change the locks, as the owner, a tenant with permission, or a property manager.
3. We inspect each cylinder: brand, condition, and whether it can be rekeyed. Worn, damaged, or restricted cylinders get flagged before we start, not halfway through.
4. We remove each cylinder, replace the pins inside it to match the new key, and reassemble it. Where you want locks keyed alike, we match them all to the same key.
5. We cut your new keys and test each one in each lock, with the door open and again with it closed, so we know the bolt throws fully into the strike.
6. We try the old key in every lock to confirm it no longer turns. This is the step that proves the rekey worked.
7. We walk through what you have: how many keys, which lock is which, and where to get extra copies made so you do not end up back in the same situation.

How much does lock rekeying cost in Valencia?

We do not publish flat prices, because the same words, rekey my house, can describe very different jobs. What drives the cost is fairly predictable:

Rekeying is usually the more economical route compared with replacing every lock, as long as your hardware is in good working shape. You keep the locks you already own and pay for the labor and the new key setup instead of new hardware on every door. We explain the quote before we start work, and we tell you plainly if a lock is better replaced than rekeyed.

• The number of cylinders. A single deadbolt is a smaller job than a whole house with entry, back door, garage entry, and side gate.
• Whether you want everything keyed alike or each lock on its own key.
• The lock type. Standard residential cylinders are routine. High-security or restricted-keyway cylinders can take more work and sometimes need factory-controlled key blanks.
• How many new keys you want cut.
• Condition. A worn or sticking cylinder may need a part replaced, and that changes the job.
• Time of day. Calls in the middle of the night or on a holiday are a different situation from a daytime appointment.
• Travel. Valencia is about 34 miles from our Westwood storefront, and the trip is part of any mobile call out here.
• For businesses, how many doors are involved and whether a master key system is in the picture.

Should you rekey or replace the locks?

Rekey when the lock is solid, turns smoothly, and looks and works the way you want. The only thing wrong is who has a key. That is the situation rekeying was made for.

Replace when the hardware itself is the problem: a deadbolt that is loose or worn out, a lock that sticks even with a good key, a finish that has failed, or hardware you simply want to upgrade. If you want a different grade of lock, see our page on lock replacement, and if you are changing every lock on a home for style or security reasons, changing the locks covers that route. If what you really want is keyless entry, smart lock installation is a different job from a rekey.

On a visit we will tell you honestly which side of that line your locks are on. If a rekey is all you need, that is what we will do.

What about rental units, tenant turnover, and business locks?

Apartment lock rekey and tenant turnover are routine work. When a tenant leaves, the safe assumption is that more keys exist than were returned. Rekeying each unit between tenants gives the next resident a lock nobody else can open. Landlords and property managers with several units can have us work through them in one visit, keep a clear list of which key fits which door, and keep the paperwork simple. Our page for landlord locksmith services goes deeper on that kind of recurring work.

Commercial rekey and business lock rekey follow the same idea with more moving parts. When an employee leaves, a manager changes, or a tenant vacates a unit, rekeying the exterior and back-office doors closes the gap without replacing every piece of hardware. If you want one key for the owner, a limited key for staff, and a different one for a supply room, that becomes a layered setup, which we cover under master key systems. For a wider look at what we do for shops and offices, see our commercial locksmith page.

Extra copies of the new keys are a separate step, and they should be made deliberately, not casually. Our key duplication service is how you add copies after a rekey is finished.

What does rekeying look like in Valencia's villages and neighborhoods?

Valencia is a master-planned community that the Newhall Land and Farming Company began in the mid-1960s, laid out as named villages connected by the paseo walkway system. Most of the housing is HOA-governed single-family tract homes built between the 1960s and the 2000s, with townhome and condo clusters near Town Center and newer construction in FivePoint Valencia to the west. That mix shapes the rekey calls we handle here.

In older tracts such as Old Orchard, Bridgeport, and Northpark, many homes have changed hands a few times since they were built. Original builder locks and keys that have been copied over decades are exactly where a rekey earns its keep, especially for someone who just bought in 91355 or 91354 and wants to start with a clean set of keys. In gated enclaves like Westridge, a rekey on the house does not touch the community gate, which is controlled by the HOA, so we separate the two when we talk through the job.

Near Town Center, the apartment and condo corridor along McBean Parkway sees steady turnover, and a unit rekey between residents is the typical call. Student housing near CalArts has its own rhythm, with roommates moving in and out and lost keys at the start of a term; rekeying a shared unit once everyone has moved changes who can get in without anyone buying new locks. In newer FivePoint Valencia homes, keys may have passed through more hands before closing than a buyer realizes, so a rekey is a sensible first step before or alongside a smart lock setup.

Mailbox and cluster-box locks in paseo-linked village HOAs are a related but separate matter, since who controls those boxes depends on the setup. If yours needs attention, see mailbox lock replacement. For commercial work in the Valencia Industrial Center, rekeying and key control for suites and warehouse doors is the usual request.

Climate plays a part too. Hot, dry Santa Clarita Valley summers with big day-to-night temperature swings cause seasonal movement in doors and frames, and wind-blown dust gets into exterior locks during Santa Ana events. While we have a cylinder out for a rekey, we can see whether it is gritty or dragging, and we point out when a door that has shifted is making a bolt bind. That is something to know before blaming the lock or the key.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?

We have been in business since 1987, and rekeying is some of the oldest and most basic work in this trade. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile service vans, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Valencia included.

When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a national call center that sells the job to whoever picks it up. One company handles the call and the work, with no dispatch middleman between you and the person at your door. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year, which matters when the reason for your rekey is a lost set of keys at night.

Because Valencia is about 34 miles from our base, we tell you honestly on the phone what to expect for arrival rather than guessing. If your situation is really a lockout rather than a rekey, we can help with that too, but we will treat it as the separate service it is.

How can you check that a locksmith is legitimate?

California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), called an LCO license. Ask any locksmith for their license number before work begins, and you can verify it with BSIS yourself. This applies to every company you might call, including us.

A few other signs of a straight operation: they ask what you need and explain the quote before starting, they tell you which locks can be rekeyed and which should be replaced, and they answer the phone with a business name. Be wary of anyone who quotes a rock-bottom number on the phone and then changes it at your door.

More locksmith help in Valencia

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

Lock Rekey near Valencia

• Stevenson Ranch
• Santa Clarita
• Sylmar
• San Fernando
• Agua Dulce