Rekeying is one of the most useful things a locksmith does and one of the least understood. Instead of replacing the whole lock, we reset the pins inside the cylinder so your old keys no longer turn it and a new key does. The lock on the door stays; only the key that works it changes. For a lot of Pasadena households and businesses, that’s exactly the right, economical fix.
Rekey when the hardware itself is sound and you only need old keys retired. Replace when a lock is worn, damaged, dated, or you want a higher grade of security or a different finish. When we look at your locks we’ll tell you honestly which way makes sense — there’s no reason to sell you new hardware if a rekey solves the problem. We wrote a fuller rekey-or-replace guide if you want to think it through first.
Need spares for the family, a copy for a trusted neighbor, or a fresh set after a rekey? We cut accurate keys on site so they turn smoothly rather than fighting the lock. Worn or miscut keys are a surprising cause of ‘my lock is failing’ calls; a clean copy often fixes it.
We can set your front, back, and side doors to open with a single key — a small convenience that pays off every day. For businesses and multi-unit owners, we set up master key arrangements so one key opens everything while others are limited by area. There’s more on that on the commercial page.
Rekeying keeps your existing lock and changes the internal pins so old keys stop working. Replacing swaps the whole lock. Rekeying is usually faster and cheaper when the hardware is in good shape.
Yes, as long as the locks are compatible. We can key them alike so a single key opens the front, back, and side doors.
It’s a smart first step. You rarely know how many copies of the old key exist — rekeying retires all of them at once.
We do, and we cut them to turn smoothly. A clean copy also fixes a lot of ‘sticky lock’ complaints that were really a worn key.
Rekeying is quick, affordable, and the surest way to know who can open your doors.
