Yes, rekey a home you just bought, ideally before move-in day. The seller, their agent, past tenants, cleaners, contractors and neighbors may all hold copies, and a lockbox key was almost certainly cut during the listing. Rekeying every exterior lock takes under an hour, keeps your existing hardware, and leaves you with one fresh set of keys that only you control.
What you get
- Every exterior door rekeyed in a single visit
- Garage side doors, gates and the door into the garage included
- One key for the whole house where the hardware allows
- Lockbox, contractor and old owner keys become useless
- Book for closing day or your first weekend in the house
Why every new owner should rekey
Think about who touched the keys while the house was for sale. The seller had a set, and probably gave copies to family. The listing agent put a key in a lockbox that every showing agent opened. Inspectors, appraisers, stagers, cleaners and repair crews came through for weeks. Before that, previous owners and tenants may have handed copies to neighbors and babysitters going back years.
None of those people are likely to be a problem. But you have no way to know how many copies exist, and rekeying erases all of them in one visit. That is why we treat it as part of moving in, like setting up utilities.
The doors people forget
The front door gets rekeyed. Then the old key still opens the door from the garage into the kitchen. We walk the whole property so nothing is missed:
- The door between the garage and the house, which is often the weakest lock in the home.
- Side and back gates with keyed locks, common on canyon lots in Tierrasanta and Scripps Ranch.
- Detached garages, sheds, casitas and ADUs.
- Sliding door keyed locks and the exterior door to a laundry room.
- Any padlock on a gate or storage that the previous owner keyed.
If a door has only a knob lock and no deadbolt, we can add one during the same visit.
Need new home rekey today?
Call or text with your address and door count. You get a firm price before we roll.
Rekey, replace, or go smart on day one
Move-in day is the cheapest time to decide, because we are already there. A few patterns we see across San Diego:
- Newer tract homes in 4S Ranch, Otay Ranch and San Marcos often have builder-grade Kwikset SmartKey hardware. It rekeys in seconds and is fine to keep, or we swap the front door for a Grade 1 deadbolt.
- Older homes in North Park, Kensington and Point Loma often have solid Schlage or Baldwin hardware worth keeping and rekeying.
- Anyone tired of keys can have us rekey the side doors and put a keypad smart lock on the front so the family never gets locked out.
Timing it with your move
The ideal window is between recording and the moving truck: you have keys, the house is empty, and we can work every door without furniture in the way. Closing-day appointments are common, and if escrow slips we simply move with it.
If you are already moved in, that is fine too. Weekends and evenings work. Military families arriving on orders often have days, not weeks, so we prioritize PCS moves; our PCS lock checklist covers what to do before the household goods arrive.
Read the full walkthrough in rekeying after buying a home in San Diego.
What to have ready
As a licensed California locksmith we confirm that the person requesting a rekey has authority over the property before any work starts. For a new purchase, your photo ID plus a closing statement, recorded deed or the keys the seller handed you is plenty.
Beyond that, a quick count helps: how many exterior doors, whether any lock sticks or needs the key jiggled, and whether you want one key for everything. Send that with a quote request and you will have a firm price before we arrive.
Condos, townhomes and HOAs
In a condo, the HOA usually controls the lobby, garage and common-area doors, and you control the deadbolt and handle on your own unit. Rekeying the unit door is your call and does not need board approval. Changing the exterior appearance of the door hardware sometimes does, so we match the existing finish when a swap is needed.
Downtown high-rises, UTC complexes and Mission Valley townhome communities are all routine for us. Our HOA and condo lock guide explains what you can change without asking.
Where we rekey new homes
Everywhere in San Diego County. We book closing-day rekeys from Carmel Valley and Carlsbad to Chula Vista, Rancho Bernardo, La Mesa and Santee, and in every neighborhood in between. If your new address is on our service area list, and it almost certainly is, we can usually be there the same day. Send the close date with your quote request and we will hold a window for it.
New Home Rekey: common questions
Should I rekey before or after moving in?
Before, if you can. Between closing and the moving truck the house is empty and every door is easy to reach. If that window has passed, rekeying after move-in is just as effective. The important part is doing it within the first few days, before you start handing out your own copies.
Does the seller or escrow pay for rekeying?
Normally the buyer pays after closing, because it is done for the buyer's benefit and after the seller is out. It is occasionally negotiated as a credit, but do not count on it. It is a small line item next to everything else in a home purchase.
Do I need to rekey a brand-new construction home?
Yes. Framers, trades, inspectors and the builder's superintendent all had access during construction, and builder hardware is often set up so crews could get in. Rekeying or resetting the SmartKey cylinders on handover day removes every construction-phase key.
Can I get one key for all the doors?
If the locks share a keyway, such as all Kwikset or all Schlage, yes, we pin them to a single key during the same visit. If one door is a different brand we swap its cylinder or replace that lock so the whole house matches. See our keyed alike page for details.
What about the garage door opener and keypad?
Those are electronic, not keyed, so rekeying does not touch them. Clear the remotes and reset the outside keypad code from the opener unit in the garage; the manual or a label on the motor shows the steps. We are happy to walk you through it while we are there.
How do I know every lock was actually rekeyed?
You test them with us. After the last cylinder goes back in, we try the old key and the new key on every door in front of you. Old key fails, new key works. We do not leave until you have watched that happen on each lock.
More answers on the FAQ page. Not sure what your door has? Send us a photo and we will tell you.
Where we do this
We do this everywhere in San Diego County, same day in most cases. Some of the places we cover:
Related guides
- Should You Rekey After Buying a Home in San Diego? – Yes, rekey on move-in day. Which doors to rekey, what to do about the garage, gates and mailbox, HOA and ADU quirks, and a San Diego move-in checklist.
- Rekey vs. Change Locks: Which Do You Actually Need? – Rekeying keeps your locks and kills old keys. Replacing swaps the hardware. Decide in two minutes with costs, timing and San Diego examples.
- HOA and Condo Lock Rules in San Diego: What You Can Change – Which locks a San Diego condo owner controls, what the HOA can restrict, how to get a smart lock approved, and what fire-rated doors mean for your options.
- Do You Need to Rekey a New Construction Home? – Yes, in most cases. Who held keys during the build, why construction keying is not a rekey, and what to check at the closing walkthrough in San Diego.
Ready to get it done today?
Call or text for a straight answer and an upfront price. Mon–Fri 7am–8pm · Sat–Sun 8am–6pm.