Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Fast, Reliable Rekey Locks Across Claremont
Rekeying a lock in Claremont usually costs between $75 and $160 for the first cylinder and $25 to $45 for each additional lock keyed alike, and most jobs at a single-family home finish in under an hour. That’s the honest range for this market, and you’ll get a written price before anyone is dispatched to your door. If you bought a house in the Village, hired a new housekeeper, went through a tenant turnover near the Colleges, or a set of keys went missing, call (956) 275-7388 and we’ll walk you through it.
We run rekey jobs across Claremont six days a week, from the Craftsman bungalows on Indian Hill Boulevard to the tract homes off Foothill and the apartment rows near the Claremont Colleges. Our crews know the difference between a 1920s mortise cassette and a 1990s Kwikset knob because they see both in the same afternoon. They arrive in marked vehicles, in uniform, carrying a written price.
Why Ridley Locksmith & Security Is Claremont’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
We are not a call center. We are a locally dispatched team of Rekey Locks technicians working under The Garrison Standard, the same operating code that has governed our work since 2007. Every technician is background-checked, uniformed, and employed by Ridley Locksmith & Security, not subcontracted to whoever happens to be nearby. When you open the door, the person standing there is the person we said we were sending.
Claremont homeowners tell us the same thing: they have been burned by a phone price that changed at the doorstep. That is why every rekey job here starts with a written price delivered before work starts, and ends with a written guarantee covering the cylinder and hardware for one full year under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the rekey fails inside that year, we come back and make it right at no charge. Not a verbal promise. A document.
Drew Kowalski oversees our dispatch and quality standards. He holds every job to the same bar: the price is the price, the tech is identified, and the work is documented. That structure is what separates Ridley from an independent with no one answering for them, and from a national lead-generator that sells your job to a stranger.
Rekey Service in Claremont
Rekey Service in Claremont means changing the pin and tumbler stack inside your existing lock cylinder so old keys stop working, without replacing the lock body or the trim. It is faster and cheaper than changing hardware, and for the older homes around Claremont Village, it is often the only option that preserves the original mortise lock bodies that new hardware would not match.
When a Rekey Makes Sense
We rekey after a purchase, after a tenant moves out, after a housekeeper or contractor returns a key, and after a divorce or roommate split. If you cannot account for every key that was ever cut, the old cylinder is a liability. A rekey removes that liability in about ten minutes per lock.
Mortise Locks and Original Hardware
On a 1920s bungalow near Harvard Avenue, drilling out an original mortise lock to install modern hardware destroys the door. We rekey the existing cylinder in place. The price for the first cylinder runs $75 to $160 here, and a second cylinder on the same call adds $25 to $45. No emergency surcharge gets stacked on at the door.
Keyed Alike in Claremont
Keyed Alike in Claremont means setting multiple locks, typically a front door knob and a deadbolt, so one key operates all of them. When we rekey a house, we check every exterior cylinder and ask whether you want them matched. If the knob and deadbolt stay on different keys, the door is only as secure as the cylinder with the most keys still in circulation.
Why One Key Matters
A property manager on Harvard Avenue called us after a turnover at a 1920s bungalow whose front door had an original mortise lock with a worn Schlage cylinder. Our tech performed a non-destructive entry to confirm function, then rekeyed the pin and tumbler cylinder and matched the back deadbolt keyed alike so one key ran both doors. The quote was set before dispatch. The whole job took under an hour, and the old tenant keys were dead before the truck pulled away.
The College Turnover Cycle
Claremont rentals turn over in May, not on a calendar year. If you own a rental near the Colleges, keying all exterior locks alike at turnover costs less than you expect and gives every new tenant one key for every door. It also means you are not sorting through six different keys the next time you show up for a walkthrough.
Trusted Brands We Service in Claremont
Our techs rekey Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Yale hardware daily. We carry pin kits for standard residential cylinders in the truck, so a rekey on a Kwikset knob or a Schlage deadbolt does not wait on a parts run. For Medeco restrictable keyways, we schedule a short follow-up to cut keys under the manufacturer’s protocol. You will know before we arrive whether we can rekey on the spot or need a return trip. Either way, the price is in writing first.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Claremont Homes
- Knob rekeyed, deadbolt left on the old key. This weakens the door to whoever still holds a copy for that deadbolt. A rekey is only as good as the weakest cylinder on the door, so we check every exterior lock before we finish.
- Forcing new pins into a worn mortise cylinder. Older Village bungalows carry original lock bodies. Cheap rekey kits with off-spec pins bind the plug, and the lock fails weeks later. We match waist length and pin diameter to the cylinder’s actual wear.
- Teaser phone quotes with add-on fees on arrival. We hear this from Claremont customers constantly. Our standing rule is a written price before dispatch, and a written guarantee after the work. No arrival fee appears that was not on the original quote.
- Rental turnovers with keys spread across the block. Rentals near Foothill Boulevard and the Colleges change hands in waves. One old tenant’s key in a friend’s pocket is a real risk. Rekey every exterior cylinder at turnover and key them alike, every time.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Claremont, CA
A typical rekey in Claremont runs $75 to $160 for the first cylinder, and $25 to $45 for each additional cylinder keyed alike on the same visit. A standard two-lock front door, knob plus deadbolt, lands between $100 and $205 total. High-security cylinders like Medeco run higher because the cylinders and key blanks cost more. The full price is quoted on the phone before anyone is dispatched, and that is the price on the invoice. There is no call-out surcharge added on arrival. Call (956) 275-7388 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Claremont
Our Claremont crews also cover Montclair, La Verne, Upland, and Ontario, often arriving inside an hour on rekey calls. If you own property in one of those cities or work across the border, the same written price and written guarantee apply. Call and tell us the cross streets.
Serving Claremont, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Claremont area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Rekey Locks in Claremont
Yes. We give you a written price over the phone before anyone is dispatched, based on the number of cylinders and the hardware you describe. The price on the invoice matches the quote. Call (956) 275-7388 and we will price it in minutes.
Yes, this is routine for us. We rekey the existing mortise cylinder in place without drilling out or replacing the lock body. We keep a range of pin depths on the truck specifically for older Schlage and Yale mortise cylinders. The lock keeps its original trim and faceplate.
Most single-family rekeys in Claremont finish in under an hour, including keyed-alike work on two or three cylinders. Mortise locks or a high-security cylinder may add a few minutes. You will have the new keys in hand before we leave.
Yes, as long as the new deadbolt uses the same keyway as your existing locks. If the new deadbolt matches the cylinder type, we key it alike on the same visit. If the hardware is mismatched, we will tell you before we start and price the right fix.
Every tech drives a marked vehicle, wears a Ridley uniform, and carries company ID. They will also hand you a written price before touching a lock. Call (956) 275-7388 and the dispatcher will tell you the tech’s name and ETA. The Garrison Standard means no unmarked vans and no subcontractors.
Written by Drew Kowalski, Owner at Ridley Locksmith & Security, serving Claremont and the surrounding cities under The Garrison Standard.







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