Lock Installation & Rekey Cost - What It Actually Costs, Agreed Up Front

Every visit starts with

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.

Styles & brands we work with

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Before & after – our own jobs

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How Much Does Lock Installation & Rekey Cost in Los Angeles?

Rekeying a single lock in Los Angeles usually runs $45 to $85 for the first cylinder, with each additional lock at the same address discounted to about $25 to $45. Installing a new residential deadbolt typically costs $120 to $260 per door, hardware included, while a high-security cylinder upgrade runs $180 to $400 depending on the brand. Commercial jobs, master key systems, and anything involving panic hardware price higher, so we give you a written price before we start, every time.

We’re Ridley Locksmith & Security, part of the Garrison Partners family and operating under The Garrison Standard since 2007. Every job we do in Los Angeles carries a written guarantee covering the repair for one full year. If it fails inside that window, we come back and make it right at no charge. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it isn’t negotiable.

Lock Installation & Rekey Cost Breakdown (2026)

These are real ranges we see across our Los Angeles work, from Silver Lake bungalows to Downtown high-rises and storefronts along Ventura Boulevard. Actual price depends on the hardware you choose and the condition of the door.

What pushes a job to the top of a range? Door condition is the big one. In older Los Angeles housing stock, particularly the 1920s-era bungalows through Echo Park and Highland Park, we often find door slabs that have been bored, patched, and rebored over decades. A clean new bore takes less time than fitting hardware into a damaged strike plate or a door that’s warped from years of sun exposure. High-security cylinders from Medeco and Abloy cost more than a standard Kwikset for good reason: patented keyways and restricted key duplication. After-hours service, multi-unit buildings, and ADA-compliant commercial hardware all add labor.

What Affects Lock Installation & Rekey Pricing in Los Angeles

• Hardware grade. Builder-grade locks from big-box stores sit at the low end. Commercial-grade Schlage and Sargent sit in the middle. High-security lines like Medeco and Mul-T-Lock carry both a higher part cost and the requirement that your technician actually be certified to work on them, which we are.
• Number of locks. Rekeying gets cheaper per lock the more you do in one visit. Five locks on one property cost less per lock than a single lock. This is why we encourage landlords in Koreatown and Mid-City to do the whole building at once.
• Door type and condition. A solid-core wood door with a clean bore is a quick job. Metal commercial doors, glass storefronts, and older doors with worn mortise pockets take longer. We’ll tell you upfront what we see.
• Access and parking. Downtown towers and dense corridors like Century City sometimes need coordination with building management, freight elevator scheduling, or a parking plan. That’s labor time, and it’s honest to say so before we arrive.
• Housing stock. Los Angeles has one of the widest mixes of old and new construction in the country. A 1915 Craftsman and a 2022 Santa Monica townhome take different approaches to the same deadbolt install.
• Time of day. Standard business hours are the base rate. Evenings, weekends, and holidays carry a higher labor rate across the trade in Los Angeles. We still give you the written price before we start.

If you want the full picture of what installation and rekeying work involves, our Lock Installation & Rekey in Los Angeles page walks through the whole process, from first inspection to final key handoff.

How to Save on Lock Installation & Rekey

Here’s the honest version: nobody saves money by choosing the cheapest phone number in Los Angeles. What actually saves money is doing the job right once and never paying for it twice. That said, there are legitimate ways to keep the cost down.

1. Rekey instead of replacing. If your locks are working and just need new keys, rekeying is almost always cheaper than new hardware. You’re changing the internal pins so old keys no longer work, and that’s a fraction of the cost of a full replacement.
2. Bundle the whole property. Rekey every exterior door in one visit. The per-lock price drops, and you only pay one service call.
3. Move-in rekey timing. If you’re buying or leasing a home in Los Angeles, schedule the rekey before the first night. Doing it right after closing avoids a second trip later.
4. Skip the upgrade you don’t need. A Medeco cylinder is worth it on a high-traffic commercial entry and on homes where key control genuinely matters. For an interior closet, a standard Schlage deadbolt does the job.
5. Fix the door first if it’s failing. A deadbolt that doesn’t latch cleanly because the strike plate has shifted will keep failing no matter what lock you buy. We handle that as part of the installation.

Estimates are free. Call (956) 275-7388 and we’ll give you a real range for your address before anyone drives out. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

FAQs – Lock Installation & Rekey Cost

How much does it cost to rekey a lock in Los Angeles?

Rekeying a single lock in Los Angeles typically costs $45 to $85. Each additional lock at the same address during the same visit is usually $25 to $45, so a full house of four to six locks generally lands between $140 and $290. Call (956) 275-7388 for an exact written price – the estimate is free.

Is it cheaper to rekey or replace a lock?

Rekeying is almost always cheaper. A rekey runs $45 to $85 for the first lock, while replacing the same lock with new hardware starts around $120 and climbs fast with premium or high-security brands. You only replace the hardware when the lock body itself is failing, damaged, or doesn’t meet the security level you need. Call us and we’ll tell you which one your door actually needs.

How much does it cost to install a new deadbolt in Los Angeles?

A standard deadbolt installation in Los Angeles runs $120 to $260 per door with hardware included. Premium residential brands like Baldwin or Yale push that to $220 to $450. High-security cylinders from Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, or Sargent run $180 to $400 per cylinder, plus labor. We give you the written price before the drill comes out of the van.

Can you come the same day?

Same-day service is common across Los Angeles when you call early in the day, and a live person answers 24 hours a day if you need an evening or emergency visit. Rekeys are quick jobs; a full deadbolt install takes longer but can still often be completed same day. Call (956) 275-7388 and we’ll tell you exactly what’s available for your address.

What does the price include?

Every Ridley price includes labor, hardware on installation jobs, and a written guarantee covering the work for one full year. If the repair fails inside that window, we return at no charge under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. That written guarantee is a document you keep, not a verbal promise. Call (956) 275-7388 for your free estimate.

Why Los Angeles Homeowners Call Ridley

Every technician we send is background-checked and uniformed, not a subcontractor in an unmarked van. We’re trained across the full hardware spectrum, from everyday Schlage, Kwikset, Yale, and Baldwin to high-security lines like Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, and Sargent. Every job gets a written price before work starts and a written guarantee after it’s done. It’s how we’ve operated since 2007 under The Garrison Standard, and it’s why our customers call us back instead of rolling the dice on whoever answers the phone next.

Whether you’re rekeying a Silver Lake rental, installing commercial hardware on a Downtown storefront, or upgrading the front door of a family home in Sherman Oaks, you’ll know the price, know the person, and know what happens if anything goes wrong. Start at our home page if you’d like to see everything we handle across Los Angeles.

Get Your Written Price Today

Call (956) 275-7388 for a free estimate on lock installation or rekeying anywhere in Los Angeles. A live person answers around the clock. We’ll quote you a real range, show up in uniform, charge what we quoted, and back the work with a guarantee for one full year. That’s the whole deal, and it’s the same deal on every job we run.

Pricing reflects the Los Angeles market as of 2026. Ridley Locksmith & Security offers free estimates – call (956) 275-7388.

Written by Drew Kowalski, Owner at Ridley Locksmith & Security, serving Los Angeles since 2007.