Lock Rekey Service in Illinois and Wisconsin

Rekeying removes the existing cylinder and re-pins it so your old keys no longer work, while the lock body, finish and door stay exactly as they were. Only the set of keys that opens the lock changes. It is the cheapest genuine security upgrade for most properties.

Rekeying is the cheapest genuine security upgrade available to most properties, and it is the job we are asked for most. Instead of replacing every lock, a locksmith removes the existing cylinder and re-pins it to a new key. The hardware stays; the keys change.

The usual trigger is a change of occupancy: a new home, a tenant moving out, a lost handbag, or a contractor who kept a copy. Rekeying closes that gap in a single visit.

Rekey, replace or repair: a straight comparison
Option	What changes	Typical time	Choose it when
Rekey	The pins inside the cylinder	20 to 45 minutes per lock	The hardware is sound and you want old keys void
Replace cylinder	The cylinder only, keeping the body	15 to 30 minutes	The cylinder is worn or damaged, or you want a restricted keyway
Replace lock	The whole lock assembly	30 to 60 minutes	Grade 3 builder hardware, or physical damage
Do nothing	Nothing, and you keep the risk	Not applicable	Never after a change of occupancy

Change who has access without changing the hardware

A standard house typically takes thirty to forty-five minutes. We re-pin to the keyway already on your door where possible, which keeps the cost down and means your existing spare keys can be cut anywhere. If your locks are builder-grade and worn, we will say so and quote a replacement instead, because rekeying a cylinder that is already failing simply moves the problem a few months down the road.

For commercial premises we can rekey to a hierarchy so that staff keys open staff doors and nothing else.

Related:Wikipedia: locksmithing

When to rekey a lock and when not to

A rekey solves exactly one problem: the set of keys that opens your lock. It is the correct call far more often than not, but it is not universal.

Right answer: a tenant, lodger, cleaner or contractor has moved on with a key.
Right answer: a key has been lost, or you cannot account for every copy.
Right answer: you have just completed on a property and do not know who holds keys.
Right answer: you want one key to operate several doors that currently use different ones.
Wrong answer: the cylinder is Grade 3 builder hardware. Rekeying a cheap lock gives you a cheap lock with new pins.
Wrong answer: the lock is mechanically worn, meaning the plug is loose, the key sticks, or the bolt drags.
Wrong answer: the door itself is the weakness. Correctly fitted Grade 2 hardware on a reinforced strike matters more than the pinning.

Rekey to the existing keyway or a new one

Rekeying to the existing keyway lets your spares be cut anywhere, which is convenient and cheaper. Rekeying to a new keyway means every old copy is permanently void, including any you have forgotten about. If the reason for the rekey is a lost key, ask for the new keyway.

What rekeying does not fix

This is the part most quotes leave out, and it is where customers end up disappointed. A rekey changes the pins and nothing else, so anything that is not the pins is still there afterwards.

Copy keys already cut are voided, which is usually the point, but only if the new pins are actually different. A rekey to the same bitting changes nothing.
A door that does not close properly will still not close. If the bolt will not throw without lifting the door, new pins will not help. Fix the alignment first.
An unrated lock stays unrated. New pins in a lock with a short bolt throw and a thin strike is still a weak door.
Key control is not achieved. If you need to prevent copying altogether, that requires a restricted keyway, not a rekey.

How the job should run, start to finish

The order of work matters more than the pinning itself, because it is what guarantees every door is covered.

Count the locks, not the doors. A door can carry a handle-set latch, a deadbolt and a second bolt. Each cylinder is rekeyed separately.
Test every key on every lock before starting, so you know what works today.
Remove the cylinder and re-pin it on site wherever possible, rather than swapping in a pre-pinned unit.
Cut and test the new keys on the door, not at the van.
Hand back a working key and a record of which cylinders were re-pinned, which matters on any property with more than one entrance.

Rekeying a home you have just bought

A property transfer is the single most common reason we are called to rekey. You cannot know how many copies were cut over the previous ownership, whether a neighbour still holds one, or whether a spare is sitting in a kitchen drawer that was cleared out months ago. Rekeying on the day you take possession removes the question entirely.

If every exterior door currently uses a different key, this is also the moment to have them pinned alike so one key operates the lot. Cylinders that share a keyway family can be pinned to match; where brands cannot be matched, we will name the ones that need replacing to reach that result rather than quietly leaving you with two keys.

Doing it yourself with a hardware-store kit

On a single Grade 3 lock it sometimes works. The practical problems are that kits rarely cover every cylinder on a property, pinning two locks alike requires pin sizes you will not have, and a mis-pinned cylinder usually shows up as a key that works intermittently rather than not at all. On a multi-door property the cost of tools and time generally exceeds having it done, and you lose the written record of what was changed.

Service areas for lock rekey service

We cover every town on our list across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. These are a few of them.

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Frequently asked questions

Is rekeying as secure as replacing the locks?

For a lock that is mechanically sound, yes. The security of a pin-tumbler cylinder comes from the pinning, and re-pinning to a new key is exactly what a new lock would give you. Replacement only becomes the better answer when the cylinder itself is worn, damaged, or an unrated builder-grade unit.

How long does rekeying take, and can you do it the same day?

A typical home takes thirty to forty-five minutes. We keep rekeying kits on the van, so most jobs are completed on the first visit without a parts order. Call to check what is available on the day you need.

Can you rekey locks from different manufacturers to one key?

Often, yes. If the cylinders share a keyway family we can pin them alike so a single key operates every door. Where brands cannot be matched, we will tell you which ones need replacing to reach that result rather than quietly leaving you with two keys.

Can I rekey my locks myself with a kit from a hardware store?

You can, and on a single Grade 3 lock it sometimes works. The practical problems are that kits rarely cover every cylinder on a property, pinning two locks alike requires pin sizes you will not have, and a mis-pinned cylinder usually shows up as a key that works intermittently rather than not at all.

Lock Rekey Service in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin