Home Locks

Should I Rekey or Replace My Locks After Buying a House?

Last updated October 13, 2026 by the Louisville Car Key & Lockout editors. How we research.

You just closed. The seller handed you two keys on a ring. Nobody can tell you who else has one. The last owner's dog walker, a contractor from three years ago, a neighbor who watered the plants. That is why the first week in a new house is the time to reset the locks. The good news is that most homes need a rekey, not new locks.

What Rekeying and Replacing Each Do

Rekeying changes the pins inside the lock so a new key works and the old keys stop working. The lock you see on the door stays the same. Replacing means taking the old hardware off and putting new hardware on (Liberty Home Guard).

Liberty Home Guard sums up when to pick which. Rekey after a move, a lost key, or when you want one key for every door. Replace when the lock is old or damaged, or when you want an upgrade such as a smart lock (Liberty Home Guard).

• Rekey if the locks work well and you like them.
• Replace if a lock sticks, wobbles, or is a cheap builder grade lock on a front door.
• Replace if you want a keypad or smart lock anyway. No point rekeying a lock you will pull off next month.

What It Costs

These are national planning ranges, not Louisville quotes. Liberty Home Guard puts do it yourself rekey kits at $10 to $25 and a professional rekey at $50 to $100 per lock. Replacing a lock can cost $200 or more with labor and new hardware (Liberty Home Guard).

Here is a worked example. A house with a front door, a back door and a door from the garage has three keyed locks, often more if each door has a knob and a deadbolt. At $50 to $100 per lock, rekeying three locks lands around $150 to $300. Replacing the same three at $200 or more each starts near $600. That gap is why rekeying is the default.

When you call around, ask for the full price for the whole house, including the trip fee, before anyone drives out. Our five question phone test takes one minute.

The Locks Most New Owners Forget

Rekeying the front door is the easy part. These are the ones that get missed.

• The garage door opener. Old remotes and any car that was programmed to it still work until you wipe them. On Chamberlain and LiftMaster openers, press and hold the Learn button on the motor unit until its light goes out, about 6 seconds. That erases every remote and keypad. Then press Learn once and, within 30 seconds, press each remote you want to keep (Acme Locksmith). The button may be under the light cover.
• The garage keypad and smart locks. Change every code and remove old users from the app. If the seller cannot hand off the smart lock account, reset the lock to factory settings using the maker's steps.
• The door from the garage into the house. It often has its own key.
• Back and side doors, and a keyed patio slider.
• Hidden spares. Check under mats, in planters and in fake rocks. Toss what you find.

Can You Rekey the Locks Yourself?

If the locks are Kwikset with SmartKey, yes, and it is fast. Kwikset says you need the current working key, the SmartKey tool that comes in the box and the new key, and the rekey takes seconds (Kwikset). How-To Geek explains how to spot one: look for a tiny oval hole next to the keyhole (How-To Geek).

The basic steps, from How-To Geek: put in the current key and turn it 90 degrees. Push the SmartKey tool firmly into the small hole, then pull it out. Swap in the new key without turning, then turn it back. Test it before you close the door (How-To Geek).

Two catches. You must have the working key. And the new key has to be a Kwikset key, because Kwikset and Schlage keys are different and will not work in each other's locks, per How-To Geek. So if half the house is Schlage, one key for every door means rekeying or replacing to one brand.

Other locks can be rekeyed with a kit and some patience. It means taking the cylinder apart and setting tiny pins. If you have never done it, the per lock price of a pro is often worth not losing a spring under the couch.

Renting Instead of Buying?

Different rules apply. In Louisville a tenant usually needs the landlord's OK to change locks. See can a landlord change the locks in Kentucky for what the law says, including the protective order exception.