Most Dallas homeowners think they need new locks when they really just need a rekey. The two are very different jobs with very different price tags, and choosing the right one can save you several hundred dollars.
This post explains what each does, when each makes sense, and how to decide which one fits your situation.
What “rekey” actually means
Rekey changes which key opens an existing lock — without replacing the lock itself. A locksmith takes apart the cylinder, swaps out the internal pins for new ones in a different configuration, and cuts new keys to match. The lock is mechanically identical afterward; only the keys are different.
What this gets you:
- The old keys no longer work.
- You have a new set of keys.
- The physical lock is unchanged — same brand, same hardware, same security level.
What “lock change” means
Lock change replaces the entire lock — the cylinder, the body, the strike plate (sometimes), and the keys. Everything mechanical is new.
What this gets you:
- A completely different lock.
- Optionally, a higher-grade or different type of lock (e.g. upgrading from a basic deadbolt to a smart lock or high-security cylinder).
- New keys for the new hardware.
The cost difference
Rekey is almost always cheaper than lock change. The savings comes from not buying new hardware — you keep what’s already on the door and just change its internals.
The exception: if you’re doing a lot of cylinders, rekey can add up — especially if the locks are very different brands or require different pin sets. At some point, replacing all the hardware in one job becomes comparable in cost to rekeying them individually.
For most Dallas homeowners with 2–6 doors, rekey is meaningfully cheaper than a full lock change.
When rekey is the right call
You just moved into a home. Whether you bought or rented, you don’t know who else has keys to your front door. Previous owners, real-estate agents, contractors, cleaners, neighbors. Rekeying makes all of those old keys stop working without buying new hardware.
You lost a key. If a key could have been picked up by a stranger, rekeying makes that key useless.
A roommate or tenant moved out. Same logic — make their key stop working.
You want to consolidate keys. If you have separate keys for front door, back door, garage entry, and gate, rekeying them to all use one key is convenient and usually no more expensive than rekeying them to different keys.
A break-in attempt damaged your trust in the existing keys. Even if no physical damage occurred, rekey resets the lock without buying new hardware.
When lock change is the right call
The hardware is past its service life. Cylinders eventually wear out — the pins get sloppy, the key sticks, the lock starts to misbehave. At that point rekey is just a temporary fix.
The brand or grade is too low for your security needs. A builder-grade Kwikset that came with the house is fine for an interior door but rarely the right choice for a front door in a Dallas neighborhood with property-crime concerns. Upgrading to a mid-grade Schlage or higher is a security improvement only a lock change provides.
You want a smart lock. Smart locks aren’t a rekey — they’re a different category of lock entirely. Lock change is the only option.
Aesthetics. New finish, different style, matching across doors. Lock change handles this; rekey doesn’t.
Damage to the lock itself. A bent cylinder, a broken body, or a lock that was forced during a break-in attempt should be replaced, not rekeyed.
Going to high-security. Upgrading to Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, ASSA, or Schlage Primus is a lock change. These aren’t a different pin set in the same lock — they’re a fundamentally different cylinder design.
A common confusion: rekey doesn’t add security
Many homeowners assume rekeying makes the lock more secure. It doesn’t. Rekey just changes which key opens the lock — the physical security of the lock (resistance to picking, bumping, drilling, kicking) stays the same.
If your goal is more security, you need:
- Higher-grade hardware (mid-grade Schlage minimum for front doors).
- Reinforced strike plates with longer screws into the door frame.
- A reinforced or replaced deadbolt strike box.
- High-security cylinders (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Schlage Primus) if your threat model warrants them.
All of those are lock change territory, not rekey.
Keying alike — a low-cost upgrade most people miss
If your home has multiple locks and they all currently take different keys, you can ask your locksmith to rekey them to use the same key. This is called keying alike.
It’s usually no more expensive than rekeying them to different keys (you’re paying for the cylinder work either way), and it’s hugely convenient — one key for the front door, back door, side gate, and any other entries.
The catch: the locks have to be compatible. Different brands and different key families can’t be keyed alike — only locks within the same family. If your locks are different brands, you might need to swap a few cylinders to enable keying alike.
What about smart locks?
Smart locks complicate this question slightly. They have:
- A mechanical override cylinder (rekey-able).
- An electronic code system (managed via the app or keypad).
- Sometimes biometric or proximity unlock.
For a smart lock, you usually want to:
- Rekey the mechanical override (so the physical backup key is fresh).
- Reset the electronic codes (delete old user codes, set new ones).
- Update any users in the app.
This is a hybrid job — partly locksmith work, partly app-level admin. We handle both.
When in doubt, call
The honest answer for most Dallas homeowners is: rekey covers 80% of situations and lock change covers the other 20%. If you’re not sure which you need, call us with the situation and we’ll tell you which makes sense.
For most new-move-in jobs, rekey is the right answer and saves money over replacement. For aging hardware, security upgrades, or smart-lock additions, lock change is the right answer.
Either way, we’d rather tell you the cheaper option is the right one than upsell you on hardware you don’t need.
Call us at (972) 962-9955 — we’ll talk through your specific situation and quote you on the phone.