Change or rekey · Richmond Hill
Lock Rekeying
The previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not. The house is yours now, but you have no idea how many copies were cut over the years or who still has one in a drawer somewhere.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 210-9924In plain words
The choice between rekeying and replacing comes down to the condition of the lock and what you want from it. A cylinder that turns smoothly, sits firmly in a solid deadbolt and matches the look of the door is worth keeping, and rekeying gives it a new key for a fraction of the effort of replacement. Replacement earns its place when the hardware is worn, low grade, damaged, a mismatched keyway that cannot join the house key, or when you want a keypad or a heavier deadbolt anyway. A locksmith looks at each door and tells you which one applies.
How the visit goesThe previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not. The house is yours now, but you have no idea how many copies were cut over the years or who still has one in a drawer somewhere.
Lock Rekeying · Richmond Hill
How the visit goes
- 1
Counting the keys that are already out there
Part of planning a rekey is understanding why it is happening. The locksmith asks how many keys exist as far as you know, who has held one, and whether any went missing with something identifying the address. The answers do not change the pinning, but they shape the advice: whether a padlock or mailbox shares the same risk, whether a garage keypad code should change on the same visit, and how many new keys make sense to cut. It also helps to know whether any key is a restricted or patented type, since those are cut from a record rather than duplicated and may involve the original supplier.
- 2
Bringing several doors onto one key
Keying doors alike is the same operation repeated with the same new key. Once the first cylinder is pinned and proven, the locksmith removes the second, follows the plug out, and loads bottom pins to the identical depths so the same key operates it, and so on around the house. Where a door carries a cylinder from a different keyway family, that cylinder is exchanged for a matching one in the same finish and then pinned to the house key. The result is one key on your ring that turns every exterior door, with the individual locks unchanged in appearance and function.
- 3
A written note of what was done
A short record closes the job: which doors were rekeyed, whether any cylinder was replaced, how many keys were issued and to whom, and any door that was deliberately kept on its own key. For a homeowner it is a line in the house file that answers the question, years from now, of which key opens what. For a landlord it is the handover to give the incoming tenant and to keep for the next turnover. For a property manager it is the start of a proper keying chart. It also makes any later work simpler, since the next locksmith can see what system the house is on.
In the van
- Replacement cylinder for odd keyways
- Dry graphite or PTFE lubricant
- Graded bottom pin kit
- Key tags and keying record
- Key blanks
What affects the quote
- 1
One key group or several
Keying every door alike is the simplest plan. Setting up separate keys for a basement suite, an office or a shed adds a group to pin and label, and the quote shows that as separate work.
- 2
Mailboxes, padlocks and cabinets
Small cam locks on mailboxes and cabinets are usually replaced rather than repinned, and padlocks vary in whether they can join the house key; each of these is priced as its own item.
- 3
Restricted or high-security cylinders
Patented keyways use controlled blanks and pins that cost more than standard ones, and their keys are produced from a controlled record instead of being copied, so a system of that kind is quoted differently from builder-grade hardware.
Same fees day, night or weekend.
Lock Rekeying: questions
Will my door hardware look any different afterwards?
No. The work happens inside the cylinder, so the bolt, handle, finish and strike plate stay exactly as they are, and nothing new is cut into the door. The only visible change is the key in your hand. If a cylinder does have to be replaced, because its keyway is incompatible with the others or it has worn out, the locksmith picks one in a matching finish so the door keeps a consistent look.
Can I keep one door on a different key from the rest?
Yes, and it is common. A basement suite or in-law apartment often gets its own key so the tenant's key opens their door and nothing else, while your key opens the main house. A home office, a storage room or a shed can be kept separate for the same reason. The locksmith sets up the groups you want, pins each accordingly and tags the keys so the separate one is not mixed into the household set.
Will I need to prove I own or rent the home?
Yes, and it is a welcome part of the job. Rekeying decides who can enter, so the locksmith confirms the person asking has the standing to make that decision. For an owner that means photo identification alongside a document that links them to the property, for instance a property tax notice or the closing statement. A manager brings the owner's written authorization. A tenant mentions that the landlord has agreed and will be given a key, since tenancy rules here expect both to hold one.
Lock Rekeying near you
York, Ontario
Richmond Hill information
- Town
- Richmond Hill, York, Ontario
- In business
- 23 years
- Hours
- Open 24/7 · nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
- Phone
- (289) 210-9924
- Visits
- On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.
What the census means at the door
15%
Newer homes. About 15% of homes in Richmond Hill were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.
Households in newer homes are often keen on keypads, fobs and phone-controlled locks. Standard doors make installation straightforward, and the locksmith spends more of the visit setting codes and pairing devices than on carpentry.
57%
A mix of homes. Single-detached houses make up about 57% of homes in Richmond Hill (2021 Census).
In an area with both houses and attached homes, the work varies by the door. A detached house wants all its exterior doors on one key; a suite door wants a cylinder that suits a metal frame and respects building rules. A locksmith carries parts for both.
Nearby
Open 24/7
Request a visit
The previous owners left a coffee tin of keys on the counter, some labelled, most not.
Call now · open 24/7(289) 210-9924- On-site assessment preferred
- Same fees day, night or weekend
- 23 years in business