Rekey or replace? How to tell in thirty seconds

13 October 2026

These are two different jobs and they solve two different problems. Asking for the wrong one costs money for nothing.

Rekeying

The lock stays on the door. We change the pins inside it so that a new key turns it and every old key does not. It takes minutes per lock, and several locks around a house can be set to one key at the same time.

Replacing

The whole lock comes off and a new one goes on. That is for a lock that is damaged, worn out, or the wrong type for what you want now.

Which one you need

• The lock works, you just want the old keys dead: rekey.
• You moved in and do not know who has keys: rekey, every door.
• The key sticks, grinds or needs lifting: look at repair first, replacement second.
• The lock is loose, rusted or has been forced: replace.
• You want a keypad or a smart lock: replace.

The one people get wrong

After a move, almost everybody asks to replace every lock. Unless the locks are poor, rekeying all of them is faster, cheaper and ends with exactly what was wanted: one new key, and every old key useless.