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.
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Rekey Locks Across Hillsborough
Rekey locks in Hillsborough, CA typically costs $75 to $160 for the first cylinder and $20 to $35 for each additional cylinder keyed alike, with mortise locks and high-security cylinders like Medeco running $35 to $65 per cylinder on top of the base. Most Hillsborough rekey jobs take 45 to 90 minutes once the technician arrives, and we schedule same-day or next-day appointments across every neighborhood in town. Call (956) 275-7388 for a written price before anyone is dispatched.
Here’s the thing about rekeying in Hillsborough: the homes are not like the rest of the Peninsula. We’re talking large custom builds with multiple exterior doors, gates, and legacy hardware that big-box locksmith chains do not stock parts for. Our Rekey Locks team carries pins, springs, and cylinders for Schlage, Kwikset, Baldwin, and Abloy on every truck, so one trip usually finishes the job. No waiting on parts. No second visit needed because the tech did not have the right kit.
Why Ridley Locksmith & Security Is Hillsborough’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
Ridley Locksmith & Security operates under The Garrison Standard, the accountability framework that has governed our work since 2007. Every technician who arrives at your Hillsborough property is background-checked, uniformed, and driving a marked vehicle. That matters when you live on a private drive off Hayne Road or Ralston Avenue and someone is walking up to your door with lock tools.
We do not dispatch subcontractors. We dispatch our own people, trained on the full range of hardware Hillsborough homes actually have, from the Schlage deadbolts on side doors to the Baldwin mortise entry sets on front entries and the Medeco cylinders on gates. Drew Kowalski has led this team by one rule: a written price before work starts, and a written guarantee covering every rekey for one full year. If a cylinder fails inside that window, we return and fix it at no charge. That is the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it is printed on every job sheet.
We answer the phone live, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No answering service, no automated menus. You call, a person picks up. When a Hillsborough homeowner is locked out or has a new key handoff at a property they just closed on, that is the difference between waiting and getting it handled.
Rekey House in Hillsborough
A Rekey House job in Hillsborough means changing the internal pins in every exterior lock cylinder on the property so the old keys stop working and a set of new keys, often all matching one key, takes over. Most Hillsborough homes have four to six exterior doors, plus a gate or service entrance, so this is a multi-cylinder project, not a single-lock call. You need this when you buy a home, fire a contractor, end a relationship, or lose track of who has copies of your keys.
What a Full Home Rekey Includes
We walk the property with you, door by door. Each lock gets disassembled, the old pins removed, new pins installed to match your new key, and the cylinder reinstalled and tested. $75 to $160 covers the first cylinder; each additional cylinder keyed to the same key runs $20 to $35. A house with five Schlage deadbolts typically lands around $180 to $300 all-in.
Hillsborough-Specific Hardware Considerations
In Hillsborough, the front entry is often a Baldwin or Schlage mortise lock, not a bored cylindrical deadbolt. A mortise lock rekey takes more time than a standard deadbolt because the cylinder comes out of a rectangular lock body, and the pin stack is different. We quote mortise work at $35 to $65 above the base rekey price, and we tell you that before we touch the lock, not after we open it up.
Lock Rekey in Hillsborough
A Lock Rekey in Hillsborough is the same mechanical process as a house rekey, but scoped to one or two locks rather than the entire property. You might want this when you have a guest house lock, a wine cellar door, a pool equipment gate, or a detached garage that still operates on an old key you gave to a landscaper three years ago. The cost is $75 to $160 for the first cylinder and $20 to $35 for each additional cylinder keyed alike.
Single Door and Gate Rekeys
We handle individual deadbolts, privacy locks, and gate cylinders. A Medeco or Abloy high-security cylinder costs $35 to $65 extra because the pins are master-keyed, mushroom-shaped, or use sidebar technology that takes longer to re-pin correctly. We stock Medeco and Abloy components on the truck for Hillsborough calls.
Keyed-Alike and Master Key Options
If you want one key to open every door but still want a separate key for the housekeeper that only opens the service entrance, we can set that up during a standard rekey. Master key systems cost an extra $15 to $25 per cylinder for the additional wafer pins, and we scope it in the written price before work starts.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hillsborough
We rekey hardware from Schlage, Kwikset, Medeco, and Baldwin daily in Hillsborough, and we carry pin kits and cylinders for all of them on every truck. That means we do not have to run back to a shop off the Peninsula, and we do not tell you to replace a perfectly good Baldwin mortise lock with a cheap import because we do not have the right pins. High-security lines like Medeco cost more to rekey because the cylinders are harder to re-pin, but that is a parts and labor difference, not an upsell.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in Hillsborough Homes
- Mortise locks quoted as standard deadbolts. A call-center rep quotes $29 for a rekey over the phone, then the technician arrives and sees a Baldwin mortise entry set and revises to $180. We scope door-by-door before we dispatch, and the written price is the price on the invoice.
- Five exterior doors treated as one lock. A single-cylinder quote leaves a Hillsborough homeowner with two doors on the new key and three doors still working on the old key. We count every exterior door and gate cylinder during the phone scope, not just the front entry.
- No verification at the gate. Hillsborough homes sit behind gates and long drives. A technician who cannot produce ID and a company match at the curb stalls the job and spooks the homeowner. Our techs carry Ridley Locksmith & Security photo ID and arrive in marked vehicles, and dispatch can confirm the name over the phone in under a minute.
- High-security cylinders on older custom homes. We regularly see Medeco and Abloy cylinders on side gates and service doors in Hillsborough, installed years ago and now worn or abandoned. Re-pinning these takes longer and costs $35 to $65 extra per cylinder, and we tell you that up front, not at the door.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in Hillsborough, CA
A standard single-cylinder rekey in Hillsborough runs $75 to $160. Each additional cylinder keyed alike adds $20 to $35. Mortise locks and high-security cylinders like Medeco or Abloy add $35 to $65 per cylinder. A full five-exterior-door Hillsborough house with standard Schlage deadbolts typically totals $180 to $300. A custom home with two mortise entries and a Medeco gate cylinder can run $350 to $500. Those are honest, scoped ranges. The written price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice, period, and there is no call-out surcharge added on arrival.
We Also Serve Cities Near Hillsborough
While our crews focus on Hillsborough, we also provide Rekey Locks in Hillsborough and its surrounding communities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. Scheduling and dispatch are coordinated from our San Francisco Bay Area office, with technicians serving Hillsborough locally.
Serving Hillsborough, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough
Yes, we rekey Baldwin mortise locks in Hillsborough without replacing the hardware. The cylinder is removed from the mortise body, re-pinned to your new key, and reinstalled. It costs $35 to $65 above the standard rekey price because the cylinder takes longer to service, but the hardware stays. Call (956) 275-7388 and we will tell you over the phone whether your lock is a mortise or a bored cylinder.
Yes. We rekey every exterior cylinder to a single key, including deadbolts, mortise entries, and gate cylinders. The first cylinder costs $75 to $160, and each additional cylinder keyed alike adds $20 to $35. If you also want a separate key for a housekeeper or contractor that only opens one door, we can set up a basic master key system for $15 to $25 extra per cylinder. The written price covers every door before we start.
The lock is disassembled, the old pins are removed, new pins matching your new key are installed, and the cylinder is reassembled and tested. A standard deadbolt takes about 15 to 20 minutes. A full Hillsborough house with five exterior doors takes 45 to 90 minutes. Mortise and Medeco cylinders add time because the pin configurations are more involved.
Every Ridley technician arrives in a marked vehicle, wears a uniform, and carries company photo ID. Drew Kowalski’s team works under The Garrison Standard, which means no subcontractors and no unmarked vans at your gate. Before the technician arrives, dispatch can give you the tech’s name and a description of the vehicle. If the person at your gate does not match, do not let them in, and call us at (956) 275-7388.
Rekey is almost always the right move. You keep the existing hardware, which on a Hillsborough custom home is usually better quality than anything you would buy off a shelf, and you change the pins so all the old keys stop working. Replacing five exterior locksets would cost significantly more than a full rekey at $180 to $300. If a specific lock is broken or worn, we will tell you during the scope and give you both options with written pricing.
Call Ridley Locksmith & Security for Rekey Locks in Hillsborough
We serve Hillsborough with written pricing, trained technicians, and The Garrison Standard on every job. Call (956) 275-7388 for a free rekey estimate. A live person answers 24/7, and the price you hear is the price on the invoice.
Written by Drew Kowalski, Owner at Ridley Locksmith & Security, serving Hillsborough under The Garrison Standard since 2007.