If you’re moving into a new home, replacing lost keys, or removing access from past tenants, residential rekeying is one of the most secure and affordable ways to protect your property. At Arch City Locksmith, we offer professional, mobile rekeying services throughout the St. Louis metro area.
Our licensed locksmiths rekey deadbolts, knob locks, levers, and smart locks, ensuring that old keys no longer work and only your new set has access to your home.
Rekeying is the process of adjusting the internal pins and tumblers of a lock cylinder so that a new key works, while the old one no longer does. It's a cost-effective way to reset control over who can access your home without replacing the entire lock.
We recommend rekeying locks when:
If your current locks are still in good condition, rekeying is typically the smarter option.
We rekey most standard residential locks throughout St. Louis, including:
Single and double-cylinder deadbolts from major brands like Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, and Defiant can be rekeyed to match your new key set. If your existing lock mechanism is sticking or has sustained damage, we can perform a new deadbolt installation and upgrade during our visit to ensure your home remains secure with heavy-duty strike plates and structural frame reinforcement.
Door handles and levers with integrated keyed cylinders throughout the St. Louis area are easily rekeyed to work with your new keys while keeping the existing hardware in place. This is a practical and cost-effective alternative to a full lock replacement, letting you retain your current handle styles and finishes while completely resetting who has access to your property.
Patented lock systems from brands like Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Schlage Primus require specialized tools and authorized key blanks to rekey. Our trained technicians carry the necessary equipment to service these high-security lock systems, restoring your peace of mind and maintaining the structural integrity of your high-grade home protection setup.
Many modern electronic smart locks and keypads feature a physical backup key cylinder on the face of the lock. We can mechanically adjust these cylinder pins to match your traditional brass keys during a home rekeying visit. This consolidates your keyring to a single key while preserving all digital codes and smart integration settings. For setups with older or damaged smart hardware, a full smart lock installation can be scheduled to renew your entry system.
Older or commercial-style mortise locks found in classic brick homes across St. Louis can be rekeyed by disassembling the cylinder housing. We rebuild the internal chamber with fresh pins to match a new key without replacing the decorative vintage lock body. However, if the housing is cracked or the mechanism is worn out, we recommend a complete lock replacement service.
If you’re unsure whether your current lock models can be rekeyed, our residential locksmith team is ready to help. We will assess your door hardware, check the keyways for compatibility, and recommend the most effective security solution during our on-site visit.
We assess the current locks and discuss your access control goals.
We remove the lock cylinder and reconfigure the pins to match a new key.
We provide a new set of matching keys for your rekeyed locks.
We reinstall the rekeyed lock, test its performance, and ensure it operates smoothly.
Not every rekeying situation is equally priority. These bars show the relative access risk if you delay rekeying after each trigger.
Rekeying does one thing precisely: it ends the working life of every existing key for that lock. Here is what that means in each common scenario.
The four-step process on this page covers the mechanical steps. Here is what the full visit experience looks like from the moment our technician arrives.
We check each lock’s brand, keyway, and condition before starting. Not all locks use the same pin system — matching the right tools to each lock matters. If a lock is worn or damaged, we flag it before rekeying it so you are not paying to rekey hardware that needs replacing anyway.
We remove the cylinder from each lock, disassemble the plug, and replace the internal driver and key pins with a new configuration matched to a single new key. This is done with a rekeying kit specific to the lock brand — no improvising, no damage to the housing.
New keys are cut to match the repinned configuration using our mobile key cutting equipment. We cut the number of copies you need during the visit — no separate trip to a hardware store required.
Each cylinder goes back into its lock and we verify the bolt throws cleanly, the key turns smoothly in both directions, and the door latches and deadbolts correctly. If the door has any alignment issues that affect lock performance, we point them out before closing the job.
Before leaving, we test the old key on each rekeyed lock to confirm it no longer works. This takes 30 seconds per door and gives you direct confirmation that access has been reset — not just our word for it.
The most common question we get about rekeying is whether all the locks in a home can be set to use a single key. The answer depends on the brands and keyways involved.
Locks from the same brand and keyway family can almost always be rekeyed to match a single key. This covers the majority of St. Charles and St. Louis area homes that were built with consistent hardware from a single manufacturer.
Mixed brands are more complex. Kwikset and Schlage, for example, use different keyways that are not interchangeable. In those cases, the options are:
We assess your specific lock brands on site and tell you exactly which approach works for your home before any work begins.
St. Louis has a distinctive housing stock. The metro area includes a large proportion of older homes — brick bungalows, two-flats, and Victorians in the city, alongside ranch homes and newer construction in St. Charles County. That range affects rekeying in a few practical ways.
Older city homes often have mortise locks rather than standard cylindrical deadbolts. Mortise cylinders can be rekeyed but require different tools and technique than a standard Schlage or Kwikset. If your home was built before 1970, there is a reasonable chance at least one door uses a mortise lock.
Rental and multi-unit properties are especially common in St. Louis City and inner-ring suburbs. Tenant turnover rekeying is one of the most frequent residential locksmith jobs in the area. We service single-family rentals, duplexes, and small apartment buildings throughout the metro.
You do not need to prepare much before a rekeying visit, but a few things make the job go reliableer. Know how many exterior doors you want rekeyed, whether you want a one-key setup or separate keys for different areas, and have access to all the doors at the time of the visit. If you have any locks that are already stiff or problematic, mention that when you call so we arrive with the right components.
For rental property owners, letting us know the number of units and lock brands in advance helps us bring the correct rekeying kits and enough key blanks for all copies in a single visit.
To schedule a rekeying visit in St. Charles, St. Peters, O’Fallon, Wentzville, or anywhere across the St. Louis metro area, contact Arch City Locksmith directly. You can also explore our full range of residential locksmith services if you have additional security needs beyond rekeying.
We provide residential rekeying services across:
We bring tools, key blanks, and mobile rekeying equipment to your home.
Tired of carrying multiple house keys? We can rekey all compatible locks to match a single key, simplifying your keychain and access.
Yes, if the lock is in working condition and accessible, we can rekey iteven if it wasn’t originally installed by us.
Hours: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM, 7 days a week
Service Area: St. Charles, St. Peters, O’Fallon, Wentzville, and nearby cities
Residential Lock Installation, Residential High-Security Lock Installation, Residential Lock Repair, Residential Lockout Services, Residential Safe Installation
Yes, rekeying is significantly more affordable than full lock replacement. You keep your existing hardware and only change the internal pins, saving money while achieving the same security result. Our residential locksmith team can provide a cost comparison during your service visit.
Absolutely. We can rekey all compatible locks in your home to work with a single key, making access more convenient. This works best when your locks are the same brand or use similar keyways.
Yes, we strongly recommend rekeying your locks when moving into a new home. You never know how many copies of the previous keys exist or who has access. Rekeying ensures complete control over who can enter your property.
Rekeying changes the internal pins so old keys no longer work, while keeping the existing lock hardware. Changing locks means removing the entire lock and installing a new one. Rekeying is reliableer, more affordable, and works well when your current locks are in good condition.
Secure your home with professionals, reliable rekeying services from local experts. Arch City Locksmith delivers mobile rekeying throughout St. Charles and surrounding areas.
Call Now: (314) 916-3177
Service Hours: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM, 7 days a week
Service Area: St. Charles, St. Peters, O’Fallon, Wentzville, and more
