Rekeying a house in North Jersey
Every previous key stops working. Every door opens with one new key, and you get five of them, cut and tested in the locks before we leave.
Nobody hands the old keys back. Not the previous owner, not their cleaner, not the contractor who did the kitchen. Rekeying is how you make that stop mattering, and it is the same afternoon.
What it costs, before you read anything else
A typical three-door house comes to $580 if you have a working key, or $850 if you have lost them all. Here is exactly how that is made up, because you should not find out at checkout:
| Mobile service charge once per visit, however many doors. This is the bit most sites hide until the end — it is the cost of getting a locksmith and a stocked truck to your address, and it is charged once, not per lock | $250 |
| Then each cylinder, with a working key a cylinder is one keyhole. A three-door house is usually six of them — see below, this is the part every phone quote gets wrong | +$55 |
| Or each cylinder with no working key we make a key to the existing lock first | +$100 |
| Typical three-door house $250 + 6 × $55 · keyed alike, 5 keys, every deadbolt checked | $580 |
Bigger house, or lost every key? The whole-house package is $695 for up to six cylinders with no working key needed — which is the better buy the moment you are over about five cylinders or missing keys.
The full price list
| Rekey | Price |
|---|---|
| Mobile service charge daytime, once per visit | $250 |
| One cylinder, you have a working key | $55 |
| One cylinder, no working key we make a key to the existing lock | $100 |
| Keying every lock alike | Included |
| 5 keys, cut and tested on site | Included |
| Extra keys | $5 each |
| New standard lock supplied & installed when a lock cannot be rekeyed to match | $150 |
| Door and frame prep for a new bore — per lock | $100 |
| Whole-house package, up to 6 cylinders the usual three-door house, everything above included | $695 |
What the price includes:
- Rekeying the cylinder so every previous key stops working
- Keying every lock we touch to a single key, including any new locks fitted the same day
- 5 keys cut and tested in the locks before we leave
- The mobile service charge is a single charge per visit, not per lock
What costs extra, and how much:
- Each additional key beyond 5 — $5
- A lock that physically cannot be matched, replaced instead — $150
- A door that needs a new bore — $100
- After 5 PM the mobile service charge is $350, collected before dispatch
Prices shown are in effect from August 2026 and remain in effect until updated on this page. Final price is confirmed with you before any work begins.
Before you let a stranger change your locks
We had excellent service. Timothy, the Locksmith arrived within a half hour of phone call. He repaired two locks for us and new keys for our front door. I would definitely recommend his service and I would definitely call him again if I needed him
Geraldine M.Google review
Timothy from Major Key Locksmith was such a nice and honest guy. He did a great job rekeying the locks at my house in Hasbouck Heights. He explained how the keypad works and was so patient with me. He is a very polite and cleaned up after the job was done. Would definitely recommend him to my friends and family.
Ann M.Google review
Called Tim this morning problem with two anderson French doors locks one not locking one loose handle keeps falling off. Tim was great fast efficient and resolved both issues quickly. We are in north caldwell private home in essex county. Highly recommend Tim he comes out and does the work himself.
Rima N.Google review
Excellent service and attention to detail. Tim was able to troubleshoot a number of mechanical issues with competence and creativity. Got everything working smoothly and efficiently. Tech options explained clearly. Highly recommended!
Julie G.Google review
Those are real, and they are quoted exactly as written — but they are still five we chose. Read them where they live — unedited, in whatever order Google puts them, including any we would rather you skipped.
400+ reviews is not a handful of friends. It is nine years of doors.
Opens Google · nothing to sign up for
Count cylinders, not doors
This is the part every phone quote gets wrong. A cylinder is one keyhole. Most exterior doors have two — a knob and a deadbolt — so a three-door house is six cylinders, not three. And a double-sided deadbolt, the kind with a keyhole on both sides instead of a thumb turn, is one lock with two cylinders inside it.
We quote in cylinders because that is what the work is done on. It is why our booking form asks how many doors you have and whether any deadbolt has a keyhole on both sides. Two questions, and the number you see is the number you pay.
Rekey, or replace?
Rekey, nearly always. It is faster, it costs less, and the moment we are finished every key that was ever handed out stops working. The only reasons to replace are that the hardware is worn out, that you want a keypad or a smart lock, or that a lock physically cannot accept the keyway everything else is on.
There is a version of this trade where the locksmith always recommends new locks, because new locks are a bigger invoice. We would rather rekey. It is quicker, it does not eat our stock, and a good heavy lock that is already on your door is usually better than the replacement.
One key, no charge to match them
If part of the house gets rekeyed and part of it gets new hardware, we key it all alike anyway. There is no surcharge for matching. You should be able to open every door on your house with one key when we drive away — and if getting there needs a cylinder swapped, your tech tells you the price before starting, never after.
Get a spare before you need one
It sounds obvious and almost nobody does it. We hear the same sentence constantly — “I don’t lose things.” Neither do most of the people we let back into their houses. Keys get left in coats, in other people’s cars, in the hands of somebody who moved out.
Here is the comparison worth making. People weigh a spare key against nothing — against never losing it. That is not the real choice. The real choice is a spare cut on a Tuesday afternoon, or a lockout call at eleven at night, at the after-hours rate, standing outside.
The best spare is not a key at all — it is a code. A keypad lock means there is nothing to find, nothing to steal, and nothing to retrieve while somebody watches you do it. If a code gets out you change it in thirty seconds. If a hidden key gets out, you are paying to rekey the house.
After that, a person beats a place. A neighbour or family member nearby means nothing is on your property at all.
If it has to be outside, two rules. Distance does more work than the hiding place — a key well away from the door it opens is a puzzle even to somebody who finds it. And never the mat, the pot by the door, or the ledge above the frame; those are the three everybody knows. If you use a key box, use a properly rated one and put it out of sight of the street. A cheap box by the front door is the worst of both: it opens with a hammer, and it advertises that there is a key in it.
Rekeying questions
How much does it cost to rekey a lock?
$55 per cylinder when you have a working key, $100 per cylinder when you do not and we have to make a key to the lock. On top of that is the $250 mobile service charge, which covers coming to you. A typical three-door house is six cylinders — $580 itemised, or $695 as the Rekey & Secure package with the keys and the alignment check included.
What is the difference between rekeying and replacing a lock?
Rekeying changes the pins inside the cylinder so a new key works and every old key stops. The lock stays on the door. Replacing throws the hardware away and fits new. Rekeying is faster, cheaper, and usually the better answer — especially on heavy, well-made hardware that is better than anything we would put in its place.
Is there ever a point where rekeying stops being worth it?
No. There is no door count at which rekeying becomes the wrong call. It is the fastest thing we do and it does not consume hardware. If we are recommending replacement it is because the lock is worn out or the keyways cannot be made to match — not because replacing is better business for us.
Can all my locks work off one key if they are different brands?
Usually. Take the key you have and try it in every keyhole in the house. If it goes in everywhere but only turns in some, they share a keyway and we can make them all match. If it will not physically enter some locks, that hardware has to change — and if we are fitting new locks at $150 each, we key them to match everything else for free. We match to whichever keyway you have most of, because that is the cheapest way there. If the odd one out is the better lock, we will usually suggest matching the others to it instead. Leaving one door on its own key is always an option too — plenty of people do. Either way you hear the price before we start, not once the job is open.
How many keys do I get?
Five, cut and tested in the locks before we leave. Extras are $5 each. Cutting on site matters more than the price — a key cut by a kiosk that has not been calibrated in a year is a second trip you did not budget for.
What is a double-sided deadbolt?
A deadbolt with a keyhole on both sides rather than a thumb turn inside — common on doors with glass. It is one lock but two cylinders, so it is $110 to rekey rather than $55. We ask about these before you book so the quote is real.
Can you rekey without the original key?
Yes. We decode or impression the lock and make a key to it, then rekey it to your new key. That is $100 per cylinder rather than $55.
How long does it take?
A few minutes per cylinder once we are at the door. A typical whole-house rekey with keys cut, doors tested and deadbolts adjusted runs about 90 minutes.