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 San Marino
Rekeying a lock in San Marino means changing the internal pins so old keys stop working, without replacing the hardware. That matters here because so many homes still have original 1920s and 1930s mortise locks built into solid wood doors. A rekey is usually the better move than a full replacement, and it’s faster than most people expect. If you need a lock rekeyed, call Ridley Locksmith & Security at (956) 275-7388 and we’ll give you a written price before anyone is dispatched.
Why Ridley Locksmith & Security Is San Marino’s Preferred Rekey Locks Company
We’ve been operating to The Garrison Standard since 2007, and every Ridley technician carries that accountability onto every San Marino job site. When you call, a live person answers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, not a voicemail and not an answering service. You’ll know who is coming to your door: a background-checked, uniformed technician, never a subcontractor in an unmarked van. That matters when you’re handing someone the keys to your home.
San Marino homeowners have told us what they value most: a written price before any work starts, a written guarantee covering the repair for one full year, and no surprises at the invoice. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work fails inside that window, we come back and make it right at no charge. It’s not a verbal assurance. It’s a document.
Call (956) 275-7388 for a free estimate. We’ll quote the full price over the phone before dispatch, and the number we quote is the number on your invoice.
Keyed Alike in San Marino
Keyed alike in San Marino means setting multiple locks so they all operate from the same key. For a homeowner with a front door, side door, and garage entry each on a different key, this is the fix that cuts a keyring down to one key. The work involves pulling each lock cylinder, re-pinning the pin and tumbler stack to a single key code, and cutting new keys. On San Marino’s older mortise lock hardware, this is very doable, it just requires a technician who works on antique cylinders, not only modern deadbolts.
A typical keyed-alike job in San Marino runs $25 to $45 per cylinder, plus the trip and labor, so a three-door house usually lands between $150 and $250 all in. Full price is quoted on the phone before we dispatch, and that is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival.
Antique Mortise Locks Keyed Alike
Many San Marino front doors still carry the factory mortise lock from the 1930s. These cylinders pull straight out of the door edge, get re-pinned, and slide back in. No new hardware required, and the original look stays intact.
Newer Schlage and Kwikset Keyed Alike
If your home has modern deadbolts from Schlage or Kwikset, keying them alike is a faster job. We carry pin kits and key blanks on the truck for these brands, so the work is usually done in a single visit.
Rekey Deadbolt in San Marino
Rekey deadbolt in San Marino is the most requested single-lock job we do. A deadbolt rekey changes the pins inside the cylinder so every old key is rendered useless. San Marino homeowners call for this after a home sale, after tenant turnover, after a housekeeper or contractor had a key, or simply because keys have been floating around for years. The deadbolt itself stays in the door, which keeps the finish and hardware grade intact.
Rekeying a standard deadbolt in San Marino typically runs $30 to $65 per cylinder, plus labor and trip. If you have a high-security cylinder, a Medeco for example, the cost runs higher because the pins and key blanks are proprietary. We quote the full price before dispatch, every time.
Mortise Deadbolts on Older Entry Doors
Older San Marino entry doors often combine a mortise latch and deadbolt in one lock body. Rekeying these means pulling the entire cylinder assembly, re-pinning it, and testing the deadbolt throw before we leave. We do this on-site, in the door, no hardware replacement needed.
High-Security Deadbolts
If you have a Medeco or Abloy deadbolt, rekeying requires factory-specific pin kits and key blanks. Ridley technicians are trained on high-security lines, so the job is the same as any other rekey to us, it just costs more and takes slightly longer. We will tell you the price before we start.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Marino
We service the hardware San Marino homes actually have, from original Baldwin mortise cylinders to modern Schlage and Kwikset deadbolts. We also work on high-security Medeco and Abloy cylinders, which are common on San Marino properties with stricter key control. Because we carry pin kits and key blanks for these brands on the truck, most Rekey Locks jobs are completed in one visit. No ordering parts and waiting a week.
Common Rekey Locks Problems We See in San Marino Homes
- Original mortise locks skipped by chain-store rekey kits. Big-box rekey kits only fit modern deadbolt cylinders. The mortise lock cylinder common on San Marino’s 1920s and 1930s front doors will not accept those pins, so the main entry stays keyed to the old keys if a homeowner tries the kit route.
- Phone-quoted rekeys that turn into lock replacements at the door. A contractor quotes a flat rekey price, then arrives and announces the Baldwin or Schlage mortise cylinder “needs” full replacement. That is an upsell, not a limitation. These cylinders rekey fine when the tech knows the hardware.
- Unbranded pin kits on ANSI Grade 1 hardware. If a technician shows up with pin kits that don’t match the original manufacturer spec, the rekey can work initially, then fail as pins wear. We use manufacturer-matched pins for the hardware on the door, period.
- Post-sale key control gaps. After a San Marino home sale, the buyer often has no idea how many keys the previous owner gave out. A rekey is the only way to reset key control. We rekey every exterior lock so a single new key works, and every old key stops working at once.
Pricing for Rekey Locks in San Marino, CA
Here are honest numbers for San Marino. A single deadbolt rekey runs $30 to $65 per cylinder. Keying two or three exterior doors alike runs $150 to $250 total, depending on the number of cylinders. Mortise lock cylinders on older San Marino homes run $40 to $80 per cylinder because the cylinder has to be pulled from the lock body and re-pinned on-site. High-security Medeco or Abloy cylinders run higher, and we’ll quote that before dispatch. The price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge added on arrival. Call (956) 275-7388 for a free, exact estimate.
We got a call from a homeowner near Huntington Drive whose original 1930s front door still had its factory mortise lock. The previous owner’s key worked, but they wanted key control for their family. We pulled the mortise lock cylinder, re-pinned the pin and tumbler stack so the old keys stopped working, and cut fresh keys on the spot, no hardware replacement needed. That’s the job, done the way it should be.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Marino
Our crews serve San Marino and the surrounding area, including San Gabriel, Alhambra, Pasadena, and South Pasadena. If you’re in one of those cities, the San Marino team can get to you just as quickly, with the same written price and written guarantee on every job. Call (956) 275-7388 and a live person will pick up.
Serving San Marino, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Marino 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 San Marino
Yes, we rekey mortise locks, and they are one of the most common jobs we do in San Marino. The original 1920s and 1930s solid wood doors throughout the city often still have their factory mortise lock cylinders. We pull the cylinder, re-pin it on-site, and cut new keys. No hardware replacement needed. Call (956) 275-7388 for an exact quote.
Every Ridley technician is background-checked, uniformed, and arrives in a marked vehicle. We are part of the Garrison Partners family and have operated to The Garrison Standard since 2007. You’ll have a written price before work starts, and a written guarantee covering the rekey for one full year. That document is handed to you before the work begins. Call (956) 275-7388 and we’ll walk you through who is coming to your door.
Yes, keying multiple locks alike is a standard job for us in San Marino. We re-pin each lock cylinder, front door, side door, garage entry, or gate, to a single key code and cut fresh keys for you. Expect to pay $150 to $250 for a typical three-door home, quoted before dispatch. Call (956) 275-7388 and we’ll give you a firm written price.
Most rekeys in San Marino take 20 to 45 minutes per lock. A three-door keyed-alike job is usually done in under two hours. Mortise cylinders add 10 to 15 minutes per lock because the cylinder has to be pulled from the lock body. We’ll give you a time estimate when you call (956) 275-7388.
Yes, that is the entire point of a rekey. The pins inside each lock are changed to a new key code, so every key cut to the old code stops working immediately. We recommend rekeying all exterior locks at once after a sale or tenant turnover, then cutting fresh keys for the new key holders. Call (956) 275-7388 for a free estimate, and we’ll give you the price before anyone is dispatched.
Written by Drew Kowalski, Owner at Ridley Locksmith & Security, operating to The Garrison Standard since 2007.