Rekey Locks in Royal Oak, MI
Just moved in, lost a key, or someone with a copy moved out? A rekey makes every old key useless while your locks stay on the door — and your total price is confirmed on the call, before anyone is dispatched.
You do not know every hand your house key has passed through. A rekey makes every old copy useless, without buying new locks.
Locksmith Solutions Royal Oak rekeys homes across Royal Oak in one visit. Your existing locks stay on the door, and only your new key opens them.
What a rekey actually does
Rekeying changes the small pins inside your lock cylinder. The old key stops working, and a new key takes its place.
The lock itself, the knob, and the deadbolt do not change. That is why a rekey costs less than new hardware, and finishes faster.
What we handle
Whole-house rekeys after a move-in, covering every exterior door in one visit
Rekeys after a lost or unreturned key
Rekeys when a roommate, partner, or household helper moves out
Landlord and property-manager rekeys between tenants
Keyed-alike work, so one key opens your front, back, and garage-entry doors where the locks are compatible
Rekeys for Kwikset, Schlage, and other common residential lock brands
A straight check of any lock that is worn or sticking, with replacement advised only where a rekey would not hold
This service sits under our Residential Locksmith work. If a lock turns out to need new hardware instead, that decision is covered in the comparison below.
How it works
Call and count your keyholes. Count each place a key goes in, not each door. A door with a keyed knob and a deadbolt has two keyholes, and a double-cylinder deadbolt has one on each side.
Get your price confirmed before dispatch. We confirm the total for your exact job on the call, before anyone is sent out. No low starting price that changes at your door.
We check each lock first. A lock that works smoothly is a rekey candidate. A lock that is worn, loose, or damaged gets flagged before any work starts, not after.
Each cylinder is re-pinned. The cylinder comes out, its pins are changed to match your new key, and it goes back into the same lock. A standard lock typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes once work is under way.
Old keys are tested dead. Every rekeyed lock is tested with the new key and checked against the old one. A typical whole house of four to six locks is usually finished in about 30 to 60 minutes, in the same visit.
You get the new keys, and the count is yours. You decide how many new keys you need, and you know exactly who holds one.
One honest limit: a rekey covers mechanical keys only. Garage remotes, garage keypad codes, and smart-lock codes are not erased by a rekey, so tell us if those need resetting too. See Smart Lock Installation in Royal Oak for smart-lock work.
What a rekey costs
There is no honest flat price for a rekey without a keyhole count. A one-door job and a six-lock house are different work, and any single figure would mislead one of them.
What decides your total is straightforward:
How many keyholes are being rekeyed, counting knobs and deadbolts separately
The type of lock on each door, since high-security and non-standard cylinders take different work
Whether a working key is available for each lock
Whether any lock is too worn to rekey and needs a different conversation first
So the price for your exact job is confirmed before dispatch, on the call. Count your keyholes before you ring, and the quote you get is the quote for the whole job, not a starting point.
Rekey or replace? The simple rule
Rekeying solves an access problem: who holds a key. Replacing solves a hardware problem: the lock itself.
| Question | Rekey | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Why are you doing this? | Someone who should not have a key may still hold one | The lock is worn, damaged, or too weak for the door |
| What changes? | The pins inside the cylinder, and the key that works | The whole lock, with new hardware |
| What stays the same? | Your existing lock, knob, and deadbolt | Nothing — new hardware throughout |
| How does the lock feel afterwards? | The same as before, because the hardware is unchanged | New, and it can be a higher grade than the old lock |
| Can it put every door on one key? | Yes, where the locks share a compatible keyway | Yes, when the new locks are bought or set keyed alike |
| What does it cost? | Priced per job and confirmed before dispatch; no new hardware to buy | This site publishes full lock replacement at $80–$300 per door, hardware included in that range |
| Best moment to choose it | You just moved in, lost a key, or someone with a key moved out | The lock sticks, wobbles, shows rust, or you want a keypad or smart lock |
Many homes land on a mix, and that is normal. Rekey the sound locks, replace the one worn deadbolt, and both jobs happen in the same visit.
If you are weighing new hardware as part of the move, see Lock Change in Royal Oak.
Who this is for
New movers in Royal Oak. The sellers handed over their keys, but not the copies held by family, cleaners, contractors, or neighbours over the years. A rekey on or just after moving day closes that gap while the house is still easy to work in.
Landlords between tenants. Rekeying at every turnover is standard practice, because you cannot know how many copies the last tenant made. Michigan law does not require it by statute, but the risk it covers is real, and the key count for the new tenant can be logged at handover.
Anyone whose roommate or partner has moved out. Getting a key back does not tell you whether a copy was made. A rekey settles the question the same day.
Homeowners who lost a key. If a key is gone and you cannot say where, rekeying is the step that makes it worthless.
Households tired of a ring of keys. Where your locks share a compatible keyway, one visit can put the whole house on a single key.
Renting rather than owning? Talk to your landlord first. Tenants generally need the landlord’s agreement before lock work, and the landlord needs a key. Our Residential Locksmith page covers the wider home service list.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rekey a house in Royal Oak?
Your price is confirmed before dispatch, once we have your keyhole count. The total depends on how many keyholes you have, the lock types on your doors, and whether a working key is available for each lock, so call +1 (947) 263-5566 with that count and you will get the figure for the whole job.
Is the price per lock, per door, or per keyhole?
Quotes differ because locksmiths count differently, and that is the main source of confusion. Count keyholes before you compare: a door with a keyed knob and a deadbolt holds two cylinders, even though it is one door.
How long does a whole-house rekey take?
A typical whole-house rekey takes about 30 to 60 minutes in one visit. A standard lock takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes once work is under way, and most homes have four to six exterior locks.
Can all my locks be put on one key?
Yes, where your locks share a compatible keyway. Locks from different makers use different keyways, so a mixed-brand house may need a cylinder changed on one or two doors before a single key can run the whole house, and we will tell you that before any work starts.
Should I rekey or change the locks after moving in?
Rekey if your locks work smoothly and your only concern is who holds a key. Replace a lock when it is worn, sticking, rusted, or too basic for the door, or when you want a keypad or smart lock in its place.
I got my roommate’s key back. Do I still need a rekey?
Yes, if you want certainty, because a returned key says nothing about copies. Copies can be cut quickly and cheaply, and a rekey is the only step that makes every copy useless at once.
Does rekeying make my lock weaker?
No, rekeying does not reduce a sound lock’s strength or grade. It changes which key works; the hardware, and the protection it gives, stay exactly as they were.
Can you rekey a lock if I have lost the key?
Usually, yes, for a conventional pin-tumbler lock, though it can take a little longer without a working key. Kwikset SmartKey locks are the exception: their built-in rekey procedure needs the current working key, so tell us the brand when you call.
I have Kwikset SmartKey locks. Can I just rekey them myself?
You can, using the current working key, the SmartKey tool, and your new key, following Kwikset’s instructions. If any key is already lost, or several different locks need to end up on one key, a professional rekey is usually the cleaner route.
Does rekeying reset my garage code or smart-lock codes?
No, a rekey changes mechanical keys only. Garage remotes and keypad codes, and smart-lock users and codes, have to be reset separately, so mention them when you book and they can be covered in the same visit.
I am a landlord. Do I have to rekey between tenants in Michigan?
No Michigan statute requires rekeying between tenants, and this page is not legal advice. Rekeying at turnover is still standard practice among landlords, because there is no reliable way to know how many copies a departing tenant made or handed out.
Get started
Call Locksmith Solutions Royal Oak on +1 (947) 263-5566. Count your keyholes first, and you will get a confirmed price for the whole job before dispatch.
Locksmith Solutions Royal Oak. Hours: Mon–Fri 8AM–6PM, Sat 9AM–4PM, Emergency 24/7.
More home services: Residential Locksmith in Royal Oak · Homepage · Smart Lock Installation in Royal Oak · Lock Change in Royal Oak