Just closed on a home
Rekey every exterior door before you really 'move in' mentally.
Lock rekey
Lock rekey: take back control of who has a key.
Just bought a home? Lost a key? Roommate moved out? Rekeying is the clean, fast way to make every previous key stop working - without replacing your hardware.
Rekeying changes the inside of your existing lock so a new, different-shaped key now operates it - and the old keys do not. It's the right move whenever you don't know who has copies of your current keys, but the locks themselves are still in good shape. It's faster and more cost-effective than replacing every lock, and it leaves you with hardware you already know works.
When rekeying is the right call
The classic case is a fresh home purchase. The previous owner had keys, the realtor had keys, the contractor maybe had keys, the cleaning crew had keys - and none of those people necessarily turned everything in. Rekeying renders all of that history irrelevant. Other common cases: a lost set of keys, a tenant or roommate moving out, a divorce or separation, the end of a contractor relationship, or a babysitter you no longer use.
- You just bought or moved into a home
- A house key is missing or stolen
- A tenant, roommate, or relative has moved out
- Service providers had keys you no longer want active
- You want all your doors to use one key
- You're consolidating after a remodel
How rekeying works (briefly)
Inside a typical pin tumbler lock are several small pins that have to align at exactly the right height for the cylinder to turn. The pattern of those heights is what makes one key fit and another not. To rekey, we open the cylinder, swap the pin set to a new pattern, and cut a new key that matches the new pins. The lock body stays the same - only the internal pin combination and the key change.
Match all your locks to one key
A common upgrade is to rekey every exterior lock so a single new key works in all of them. Front door, back door, garage entry, side gate. As long as the locks are compatible (and most major brands are), we can pin them to the same key. It's a small change that makes daily life noticeably easier - and it's a perfect time to do it during a rekey visit.
Rekey vs. lock replacement
If your locks are in good shape and you just want to control who can open them, rekey. If a lock is damaged, badly worn, or you want to upgrade to a higher grade or different style (e.g., adding a deadbolt where there isn't one, or going from a knob lock to a lever lock for accessibility), replacement makes more sense. Often it's a mix: rekey the deadbolts that are working fine, replace the one tired knob lock that's been sticking for years.
Local rekey work across Effingham County
We rekey homes, apartments, and small businesses across Rincon, Springfield, Guyton, Port Wentworth, and Pooler. Most rekeys wrap up within a single visit. Service requirements vary depending on the lock, hardware, and complexity of the situation.
Common situations
Calls we get every week.
If your situation looks like one of these, you're in the right place.
Roommate moved out
Rekey instead of awkwardly trusting all the copies got returned.
Lost a single key
You don't have to replace the lock - a quick rekey is usually enough.
Small business turnover
Storefront or office staff change? Rekey beats collecting old keys.
Common questions
Straight answers before you call.
If you don't see your situation here, give us a ring - we'd rather walk you through it than have you guess.
Will my old keys still work after a rekey?
No - that's the entire point. Once we rekey, only the new key operates the lock. Any previous key becomes unusable.
Can you rekey all my locks to one key?
Yes, as long as the locks are compatible. Most major brands rekey to each other without issue.
Is rekeying really cheaper than replacing locks?
Generally yes, because we reuse your existing hardware. We don't post pricing online - service requirements vary depending on the lock, hardware, and complexity of the situation.
Do you need both the lock and the old key?
We need access to the lock. A working key makes the job a little faster but isn't strictly required.
How many keys do I get with a rekey?
Typically a couple of keys to start. Extra copies are easy to add the same visit.
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