Article

Rekey or Replace: Pricing the Decision and Running Keys

Updated October 11, 2026

Rekeying wins when hardware is sound

A locksmith changes the pin combination inside the existing cylinder so the old key stops working. At roughly $25 per cylinder, rekeying beats the roughly $140 full-replacement cost whenever the lock operates smoothly and all cylinders share one keyway.

Replace in three cases

• Damaged hardware. Forced, corroded, or loose locksets will not hold a rekey.
• Mixed brands. Different keyways cannot share one key without new cylinders.
• Upgrading. Moving to high-security or smart hardware replaces the cylinder anyway.

Lost keys force the order of operations

Rekey first, then cut copies. Cutting new keys from a compromised cylinder hands out access to whoever holds the old one. Rentals and turnovers should treat every handover as a rekey event.

Run a written key log

Log every key by person and date, keep restricted keys on authorization only, and collect all copies before returning a deposit. Two key groups at most: one shared, one restricted.