You bought a new home, lost a key, or fired a contractor. Now you need new keys. Here's how to decide whether re-keying or replacing locks makes more financial sense for your PSL home.
Re-keying costs about $25-$45 per lock plus a service call - typically $185-$285 for a whole-house re-key of 4-6 locks. Replacement runs $165-$285 per lock installed, so a full replacement of 4-6 locks runs $660-$1,710.
Re-key wins on cost about 80% of the time. Replace wins when locks are 10+ years old, mixed brands, low quality, visibly damaged, or when you want to upgrade to smart locks or high-security.
Doctor Lockout re-keys Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, Baldwin, Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Master Lock across Port St. Lucie. Most whole-house re-keys finish in under an hour at your door. Call (772) 284-5142.
The cheap-vs-expensive question depends on three things: how many locks, what brand, and how old.
Re-keying scenario (typical PSL home, 4 doors, Schlage or Kwikset, under 10 years old):
Full replacement scenario (same home, replacing all 4 deadbolts and 4 doorknobs with Schlage B60 + F40):
Re-key is roughly 3-6x cheaper. For most situations where you just want to change who has access (new owner, lost key, fired contractor), re-key is the obvious answer.
Re-key your existing locks when:
See our lock re-key service page for details and the truck-stock brands we handle.
| Scenario | Rekey Cost | Full Replace Cost | When Rekey Is Wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-cylinder whole-house, post-closing | $140-$220 | $840-$1,560 | When existing hardware is Grade 3 junk |
| 3-cylinder front-door-only | $60-$120 | $240-$540 | When you want smart-lock anyway |
| Commercial 8-cylinder building | $220-$420 | $1,400-$2,800 | When cylinders are old / worn |
| After break-in (forced entry) | $140-$220 | $240-$640 | When the lock was physically damaged |
| Adding new key, all cylinders OK | $140-$220 | Replace not needed | Almost never |
Replace instead of re-key when:
Real locksmith, real ETA, honest price quoted before any tools come out. 15-30 minute arrival across the Treasure Coast.
Call (772) 284-5142Quick walkthrough of common PSL scenarios:
Scenario: New homeowner, locks look fine, want to ensure no one else has keys. Re-key. $185-$285 total.
Scenario: Just-lost a single key, locks are 6 years old. Re-key just the affected door, or all doors if you want them keyed alike. $95-$185.
Scenario: 15-year-old locks, builder grade, two of them stick already. Replace. $660-$1,200 for 4 locks with mid-grade Schlage.
Scenario: Want keypad entry, no more physical keys. Replace with Schlage Encode or Yale Assure. $245-$385 per door installed.
Scenario: Hurricane damage scratched and bent the exterior of two locks. Replace those two, re-key the rest to match. Mixed approach, $385-$585 total.
Scenario: Recent break-in, two locks were drilled. Replace all locks, upgrade to high-security. $1,200-$2,800 depending on lock count and tier.
The mechanics, in plain language: every pin-tumbler lock has a row of small pins inside the cylinder. Each pin has two pieces (a top driver and a bottom key pin) stacked together. The bottom key pins are cut to specific heights matching your key's grooves.
Re-keying means we pull the cylinder out of the lock, dump out the bottom key pins, and replace them with new key pins matched to your new key. Same cylinder, same lock body, same finish - just new internals.
Time on-site for a typical PSL home (4-6 locks):
You get 4-6 new keys included (more available at $3-$5 each). The old keys no longer work the new pins, even though they fit the keyway.
For a standard residential deadbolt replacement (typical Schlage B60 to new Schlage B60), we:
Time per door: 25-45 minutes including testing. We test the deadbolt operates smoothly with the door open AND closed, and that the strike alignment is correct.
For smart lock installation (Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, Kwikset SmartCode), add 15-25 minutes for app setup, code programming, and WiFi or Z-Wave pairing.
Things that can change the price on either option:
Re-key extras:
Replacement extras:
We quote everything in writing on-site before any work. No surprise add-ons after the truck is unloaded.
Doctor Lockout includes 4 keys with a whole-house re-key. Additional copies are $3-$5 each at the time of service, or you can have copies cut later at any Home Depot or hardware store (assuming you didn't upgrade to a restricted keyway like Medeco).
Not to the same physical key - the keyways are different shapes. But we can re-key each brand to a separate matching key within its own brand, so your three Kwikset doors all use one Kwikset key, and your two Schlage doors all use one Schlage key. To get everything on a single key, the answer is to replace one brand to match the other.
Yes, if the locks themselves are in good condition. The security level depends on the lock body, cylinder grade, and pin configuration - not on whether the pins are factory-new or freshly re-pinned. A re-keyed Schlage B60 is exactly as secure as a brand-new Schlage B60 of the same model.
Same lifespan as any new lock - 10-20 years for quality brands in PSL conditions, less for budget brands. Re-keying doesn't shorten or lengthen the lock's life; it just changes which key works it.
Yes, Kwikset SmartKey (the orange-sticker line) is designed for owner re-keying with a learning tool. You can change the keys yourself in 5 minutes per lock. The trade-off is that SmartKey has been demonstrated vulnerable to certain bypass attacks, which is why we recommend Schlage B60+ for higher-security needs.
Yes - master key systems, restricted keyways, multi-tenant buildings, schools, churches, retail. Commercial re-key is significantly more involved than residential because of master/sub-master hierarchies, but it's still typically far cheaper than full lock replacement. See our commercial locksmith page for details.
Doctor Lockout runs 24/7 across the Treasure Coast. Real person on the phone in under 2 rings, locksmith on-site in 15-30 minutes, honest quote before any work starts.
Call (772) 284-5142Doctor Lockout serves Port St. Lucie and the entire Treasure Coast 24 hours a day, including these neighborhoods and surrounding cities:
Last updated: 2026-05-18
