Rekey or Replace? How to Decide What Your Locks Actually Need

When keys go missing, a tenant moves out, or you buy a house, the first question is usually whether the locks need to be replaced. Often they do not. Rekeying solves the most common problem for less money, and it is worth knowing the difference before you buy new hardware.

What rekeying does

A pin tumbler lock opens when the cuts on a key lift a set of small pins to exactly the right height. Rekeying means taking the cylinder apart and swapping those pins for a new set that matches a new key. The lock body, the handle and the deadbolt stay on the door. The old keys stop working the moment the cylinder goes back in.

When rekeying is the right call

• You moved into a home and do not know who still has keys.
• A roommate, tenant, employee or contractor had a key and no longer needs one.
• A key was lost or stolen but nothing else about the lock is wrong.
• You want one key to open the front door, back door and deadbolts. Locks of the same brand and keyway can usually be rekeyed to a single key.

When replacement makes more sense

• The lock is damaged, corroded or physically worn so the key binds or the latch sticks.
• The door was forced and the lock or strike was bent.
• You want a different type of lock, such as a keypad, smart lock or a higher-security deadbolt.
• The locks are mismatched brands and you want them all on one key; sometimes swapping a few cylinders is simpler than rekeying many different ones.

Questions to ask before you decide

1. Does the lock work smoothly with the current key? If yes, rekeying is usually enough.
2. Is the problem who has keys, or how the lock performs? Access problems point to rekeying; hardware problems point to replacement.
3. Are you planning an upgrade anyway? If a keypad or smart lock is on your list, replacing now avoids paying twice.

A note on keypad and smart locks

Most electronic locks still have a key cylinder for backup. When you rekey the rest of the house, include that cylinder, and change the codes at the same time.

Choice City Locksmith is a mobile locksmith in Fort Collins, Colorado that rekeys and replaces residential and commercial locks across Northern Colorado, open 5 AM to 9 PM daily at (970) 803-1100.