Lock Rekeying
Moving into a new home in Woodmere or finally done with a difficult tenant situation in Far Rockaway? Before you spend money on brand-new locks, consider this: rekeying is almost always cheaper, faster, and just as secure. Encino Locksmith Corp is a licensed and insured 24/7 mobile locksmith serving the Five Towns, the Rockaways, and the JFK corridor — and we come directly to your door, no trip to a hardware store required.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured
Rekeying a lock means a technician reconfigures the internal pin tumblers so that only a new key operates it. Every old key — whether it belonged to a previous owner, a former roommate, or a contractor you no longer trust — becomes permanently useless. The lock body itself stays in place. You get fresh security without the cost or hassle of a full lock replacement, and our team can typically complete the job in minutes per lock, right there on your driveway or doorstep.
What we do
Available 24/7
Day, night, weekends and holidays — a real local locksmith answers and rolls a fully-stocked van.
Fast local response
Based in Los Angeles, we reach the Los Angeles area in well under an hour.
Insured & background-checked
Vetted technicians, up-front pricing, and no surprise add-ons when we arrive.
Damage-free entry
We pick and bypass locks the right way, so most lockouts are solved without drilling anything.
How Rekeying Actually Works
Inside every pin-tumbler lock — the type found on the vast majority of residential and commercial doors across Lawrence, Cedarhurst, and the surrounding Five Towns communities — is a series of spring-loaded pin stacks. Each stack has a specific height, and your key is cut to lift every pin to exactly the right height simultaneously, allowing the cylinder to rotate and the lock to open. When we rekey your lock, we disassemble the cylinder, swap out those pins for a different set, and reassemble everything. The result is a perfectly functioning lock that simply responds to a completely different key bitting.
Because we are mobile, our technicians carry a full inventory of replacement pins, key blanks, and cutting equipment in the service vehicle. We cut your new keys on the spot and test every one before we leave. There is no waiting for parts to be ordered, and there is no need for you to drive anywhere — a real advantage when you are juggling a closing day in Hewlett or dealing with a late-night security concern near JFK.
When Rekeying Is the Right Choice — and When It Isn't
Rekeying makes sense in a wide range of situations: you just purchased a resale home and cannot account for every copy of the previous owner's key; you ended a lease and a tenant kept a copy; you lost your keys and want peace of mind without the expense of new hardware; or you want to put all your exterior locks on a single key (a process called master-keying or key consolidation). It is also the go-to solution after a breakup or business-partner dispute where someone who once had legitimate access now should not. For homeowners along the South Shore or landlords managing multi-unit buildings near Rockaway Beach Boulevard, rekeying between tenants is simply smart, low-cost property management.
Rekeying is not always the answer, though. If the lock mechanism is worn, damaged, or does not meet current security standards — for example, a builder-grade lock with no anti-pick or anti-bump features — replacement may be the wiser investment. Our technicians will give you an honest assessment on the spot. If your lock is in good shape and the hardware is solid, rekeying delivers the same access control upgrade as replacement for a fraction of the price. We will never upsell you on a new lock if a rekey is all you genuinely need.
Pricing: What Affects the Cost and How We Quote
Rekeying is consistently less expensive than lock replacement because you are paying for labor and a small number of pins rather than an entire new lock mechanism and hardware. Several factors influence the final price: the number of locks being rekeyed in a single visit, the brand and model of your existing hardware (high-security cylinders like Medeco or Mul-T-Lock require specialized equipment and pins), whether you want multiple locks keyed alike to a single key, and whether the call is during standard business hours or in the middle of the night when one of our technicians is dispatched to assist you after hours near JFK or along the Rockaway Peninsula.
We do not publish flat-rate figures that end up changing at your door. Instead, when you call or text us, we ask a few quick questions about your locks and your situation, and we confirm an exact price before our technician ever leaves for your location. What we quote is what you pay — no surprise fees, no after-the-fact additions. We are fully licensed and insured, and every service call is backed by our work guarantee. Transparency in pricing is part of how we have built our reputation across the Five Towns and the broader South Shore of Long Island.
What to Expect During a Service Call
When you call Encino Locksmith Corp, a live person answers around the clock — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. We confirm your address, describe the scope of the work, give you that firm price, and dispatch the nearest available technician. Most locations in the Five Towns, Rockaways, and JFK area are reached within 20 to 45 minutes depending on time of day and traffic conditions.
Our technician arrives in a clearly marked vehicle with all the tools and parts needed for the job. After a quick inspection of your existing hardware to confirm everything is in good working order, we proceed with the rekey using damage-free methods wherever possible — there is no drilling, no forcing, and no cosmetic harm to your door or lock finish. We cut your new keys on our mobile cutting machine, test each one in the lock, and hand you the verified set before we pack up. If you want additional copies made on the spot, just ask. We can also advise you on any complementary security upgrades — like deadbolt reinforcement strike plates or smart-lock compatibility — if they are relevant to your situation.
Frequently asked questions
How is rekeying different from changing the locks entirely?+
Rekeying changes only the internal pins inside your existing lock cylinder so that a new key operates it and all old keys are permanently disabled. The lock body, the knob or lever, the deadbolt housing, and the finish all stay exactly as they are. Changing a lock means removing the entire hardware unit and installing a new one. Rekeying is faster and significantly less expensive when the existing hardware is in good condition.
Can you rekey locks from different brands so they all use one key?+
Yes, in many cases we can. This is called keying alike or key consolidation. If your front door, back door, and garage entry door all have compatible cylinders — even from different manufacturers — we can often rekey them so a single key operates every lock. There are some limitations depending on the specific cylinder profiles involved, but our technician will assess your hardware on arrival and let you know exactly what is achievable.
Do I need to be home the entire time, or can I leave after letting you in?+
You do need to be present at the start so we can verify your identity and authorization for the property — a standard security and liability requirement. Once we begin, the job moves quickly; most single-cylinder rekeying is finished within 15 to 30 minutes for a typical home. We recommend you stay so you can immediately test your new keys and ask any questions before we leave.
Is rekeying secure enough after a break-in attempt, or do I need a full replacement?+
If a break-in attempt has physically damaged the lock — bent bolt, cracked cylinder, compromised strike plate — then replacement and possibly door-frame reinforcement are the right steps. Rekeying a damaged lock does not restore its structural integrity. However, if someone attempted to use an unauthorized key or you simply want to eliminate key access after a security concern, rekeying an undamaged lock is completely sufficient. Our technician will inspect the hardware and give you a straightforward recommendation.
Are you available for emergency rekeying late at night near JFK or in the Rockaways?+
Absolutely. We operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including overnight hours, weekends, and holidays. We serve the full area including the Rockaways, the Five Towns, and the JFK corridor. Late-night and early-morning dispatch is available, and pricing for after-hours calls is always confirmed with you before we roll out — no guessing, no surprises when the bill arrives.
How many new keys can I get when you rekey my lock?+
You can get as many copies as you need. We cut keys on our mobile key-cutting machine right at your location, so there is no limit imposed by a small in-store blank inventory. If you need copies for family members, housekeepers, a dog walker, or a neighbor who holds a spare, just let us know when you call and we will have the blanks ready. Additional copies are priced transparently and included in the upfront quote we provide.
Locked out or need a lock fixed? We are on the way.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Insured, background-checked technicians · Up-front pricing
(818) 450-5144