Residential & Commercial Security - Locks, Keys & Dead Bolts - On re-keying ones own house

Hi all-

No question here. I just finished phase 1 of re-keying my house. I have 10 locks to do, so I split it up a bit. But I wanted to encourage anyone out there thinking about doing this job, to go for it. Its really pretty easy, does not take much time, and saves you SO much money. I still dont get why the locksmiths charge what they do, not trying to incite flames, but for my 10 locks it woulda cost 250-350$ in my area. I am doing it for 20$ in parts. And, I could do it for 10$ if I wanted to, just being lazy.

Went to home depot, picked myself up the kwikset re-pin your locks set. You unassemble the lock from the door, remove the lock core- for doorknobs this can be the hardest part- remove the tumbler, and put the color coded pins in. You can tell its done right when you stick your new key in, and the pins are all flush.

(even if you screw up and blow the springs all over, which I have done, you can even fix that. Its not hard)

Save some money and do this yourself. Its really not all that hard to learn to do, and kinda fun to see how your locks work. Yeah, I am a bit geeky that way.

Post if you have questions about doing this- I have done this to 2 house so far, gonna help my parents out and do thiers tomorrow. I have seen kits at home depot for both the kwikset and shlage brands, both selling for $9.95 in my area. Beats the hell out of paying some guy 100$ to walk in the door, 40$ per lock done and 10$ per key copy.

EricT

40 per lock and 10 per key?? With those numbers, looks like us locksmiths will be making the list of highest paid professions in the nation :D .
The rekey kits are a good option for those who are careful and follow the instructions. Another option for those less confident is removing the locks yourself and bringing them to a store to be rekeyed, this way you avoid the trip charges for on-site service. Congrats on a successful diy project.

100$ to walk in the door, 40$ per lock done and 10$ per key copy?

Do these guys wear a mask while writing the bill?

The shop I work for charges a $50 trip charge and $10 per lock. Keys are $2 each.
Our customers are always advised that the trip charge can be saved by bringing the locks into the shop.

Of course, for anyone willing to do it themselves as you suggest, all the power to them.

Those prices were from where I used to live in california. And the locksmiths themselves look like they probly did wear a mask at one point, haha.

Eric

I work in the hardware department of one of the big home improvement chains (won't advertise it here, but we're number 3 if you care to look it up). We rekey locks for $4 apiece if the customer brings it in; replacement keys are less than a buck.

I agree with Eric; rekeying is pretty simple stuff if you're halfway mechanically inclined and have some patience. Some brands are easier than others, though; Kwikset and Schlage are easy as pie, while Weiser and Wright, for example, are a little tougher.

I don't know where you lived in CA, but in San Jose, I get Kwikset and Schlage locks keyed-alike for $5 - $8 per lockset...........and the guy does it while I wait.

These were all phone quotes, down by Santa Barbara, CA. To give you a general idea of construction costs, its gone up from $250 sq ft to between 300/350$. Here where I am now in az, its around $120 for the high end contracters, with nice materials and the like.

I guess I must have called a few of the most expensive guys in town, oh well. Not slamming locksmiths in general- just the ones I called.

Dont take offense guys. :)

Eric

I have been a homeowner for less than a year and I have two quick questions which may sound stupid to you but nevertheless.:

1) I do not have the key to the lock on my screen door. Is there anyway to get a key made without costing me an arm and a leg or replacing the lock with a 50$ lock?

2) I got the process for the rekeying of locks. Now where do I get the new keys? Or do they come with that 10$kwikset you were talking about?

Thanks,
Sushrut

Sushrut -

Take the lockset out of the screen door and take it to a locksmith. They should be able to fix you right up.

Sushrut-

The kwikset package comes with 3 new keys. If you need more, you just take em to a hardware store and get em duplicated. Costs maybe 1$ or so per key.

If you are re-keying your house, then yeah, you just re-key the screen door too. I had the same problem. Screen door had a missing key.

When you do this job, all you replace are the little pins inside the lock core, so no $50 needs to be spent on this job.

Per Daves comments... you can also take the whole lock off, take it to a lockmith and they will re-pin the lock core for you as well, for a fee. But since this is do it yourself.com... hehe. Give it a try. Its really not that hard at all. I mean heck, if I can get it right on my first try, I bet anyone can...

Eric

I went to Home Depot and they do not have the ReKey sets and don't know where to get them. I also spoke to a couple of locksmiths around Princeton NJ and everyone gave me the same answer - need the old key to make a new one. So, if you have any solutions let me know ... or I am sending the lock to India with my friend. He will be back in 3 weeks but I know that I can get keys made to any lock over there for 50 cents :)

Cheers

Depending on the type of lock, keys usually can be made but the labor cost involved is usually more than it costs to buy a new lock. If that is not an option then India is your best bet.

From Home Depot to Lowes to all Local locksmiths said it could not be done. I sent the lock with my friend to India and the guy on the street made the key for the lock in less than 1o mins. He charged @ 20Rs which is @40 cents. I gave him a 50Rs.(1$) tip of top of that and life is good.

Cheers

And folks wonder why jobs are going overseas. Glad you got your problem solved.

I have an old skeleton key for my front door but only one, how could I get one made?

I went to a locksmith and the had newer skeleton keys but none that fit and said they don't make those.

Any other locksmiths in town? Sometimes the old timers have all kinds of odds and ends. Had a forum member before with the same problem, his friend was a metal worker and was able to fashion a blank for him. One of those hobbyist blacksmiths may be able to help-there was one near me that showed the boy scouts how to make nails and hinges the old fashioned way. I am not sure if there is an online clearing house for skeleton keys-perhaps a google search.

I'm rekeying some locks in my new place. There are 2 bedroom doors with Schlage tumblers but the previous owner does not have the keys anymore. I have the diy kit from Home Depot but can't get the tumbler out without the original key. Is there a way to take it out myself without having to go to a locksmith so I can rekey it with the diy kit?

I'm rekeying some locks in my new place. There are 2 bedroom doors with Schlage tumblers but the previous owner does not have the keys anymore. I have the diy kit from Home Depot but can't get the tumbler out without the original key. Is there a way to take it out myself without having to go to a locksmith so I can rekey it with the diy kit?

Hello dareho, and welcome to the board! As the locks in question are schlage, I'm afraid the answer is no. In order to remove the locks from the lock body, it has to be turned either with a key, or it has to be picked to the open/unlocked position. This turns the actuator bar, (I call it the tail piece) 90 digrees, which is out of the way of the retaining piece which holds the knob on. (The retaining piece is shaped like a C, and the tailbar is horizontal, or flat ((-)). Once turned, it is virticle((l)), thus, it's out of the way, allowing you to depress the retainer). I hope that isn't confusing. But bottom line, the lock cylinder has to be turned. The only other solution is drilling, and that ruins the lock, which is not an option.

Let me know how this comes out, or if there are any more questions.

cuedude

Hi all-





(even if you screw up and blow the springs all over, which I have done, you can even fix that. Its not hard)

Save some money and do this yourself. Its really not all that hard to learn to do, and kinda fun to see how your locks work. Yeah, I am a bit geeky that way.

Post if you have questions about doing this- I have done this to 2 house so far, gonna help my parents out and do thiers tomorrow. I have seen kits at home depot for both the kwikset and shlage brands, both selling for $9.95 in my area. Beats the hell out of paying some guy 100$ to walk in the door, 40$ per lock done and 10$ per key copy.

EricT
Eric, I have to beg to differ. I am a locksmith and there is NO ONE I know that will charge ten dollars for a copy of a house key(unless it is a high-security key), or forty dollars per lock, or even a hundred bucks to show up. Get real, call some locksmiths ppl and see how full of crap this post really is. I have no problem with someone doing it theirself, I do it too. But to mis interpret a pro's charges just to make yourself look good or smart is ridiculous. If a regular houselock is brought to my shop, I charge $7.50 to rekey it and you get two keys for free. I've also seen MANY ppl come into the shop with springs and pins all over (and missing pieces) to have the lock put back together the right way, which is of course more expensive. Not all locks come apart the same way so beware of what one persons opinion is, especially since he/she is not a pro in that area. Kwikset locks are the easiest usually, but seriously ppl, don't take all of what was posted as the gospel. Locksmiths are far more trained than just keying locks too, actually it is a fairly boring procedure. You said yourself it was around -$250-300 dollars- for your locks to be rekeyed, but for 10 locks @ $40.00 ea. that is $400.00, plus another hundred for him to "walk through the door" (whatever-- if you don't understand a service call don't comment on it) so you are up to FIVE hundred dollars..and don't forget the ten dollar house keys either. I am only replying to this post to straighten out the mis-information that gives REAL locksmiths a bad name.

These so-called home locksmiths or D-I-Y'ers may indeed save some money in the short term....however, the problems that some have down the track....make locksmith companies alot of money....whereas if they did take it to a locksmith (a real one) usually the problems will not come back ( at least quickly) and it will be less costly in the long term.

Hurray Globalocky,

You have hit the nail on the head. That's what makes locksmiths needed. Yes, our work is not that tough when it comes to most locks, it's the other things that can 'bight' you. ie; drilling doors, hanging doors, door closers, door pivots on storefront doors, thresholds, hinges, electronic locks, mechanical pushbutton locks, spring loaded locks, jimmyproof locks, the list goes on and on. And when it comes to a $10 key, there is only one instance I can figure charging that much, and that is when it's a high security key, like Medeco. (And that's because we can't cut them). And that brings up another point: the cost of a key cutting machine is at least $2000, and that's basic, manual key copying only. Not code cutting. The outfit I work with has many different machines, all with an average price of at least twice that. And one is over 10 thousand.

Now lets bring up another subject: Automotive key duplication. The newer cars, we all know have for the most part gone to an electronic key. (Transponder type) Some, not most, some, can be duplicated using simple methods. While most others require 2 working keys in order to program another key. And that is the simple methods. If there is no working key, then the equipment to do the work is on average $7-10 thousand dollars. And above all this cost, there is bonding, insurances, trucks, maintanance on vehicles, time and money lost while getting the vehicles serviced, so there is alot that goes into a 'service call' fee. Now there is another side of this. There are times when a locksmith cannot make a key for a car, as it requires special equipment not available to us. Dealer only items.

The situation is different here where I'm at. The cost of living is outrageous. And it's gotten terrable after last years hurricane season. But I stay, because I grew up here. I could go on and on here, but won't. I have to be boring someone with all this.

cuedude

EricT,

You said:

"I still dont get why the locksmiths charge what they do, not trying to incite flames, but for my 10 locks it woulda cost 250-350$ in my area."

Evidently you have never owned your own business. If you were a business owner you would know that the fees a locksmith charge 90% of the time go back into our businesses.

Your conservative number of $250 is spread out like this:

Advertising
Phones
Insurance
Workers Compensation
Wages
Fuel
Vehicle Maintence
Lease
Utilities
Licensing ( if your state has it )
Key Stock
Lock Stock
Tools
Continued Education
Certification Classes
Locksmith Association Yearly Due
Locksmith Industry Subscriptions
Parts
Paid Employee Vacations and National Holidays
Taxes
Profit

Just these 21 items is what you are paying for to have a professional locksmith ready to meet your emergency 24/7/365.

BTW it breaks down to $11.90 per category. If I were to collect $350 for servicing and placing a 30 day warranty on your 10 locks then I would make a grand total of $16.66 in profit.

Wow! I see how I'm robbing your blind. I guess I should do the job for less. Get real EricT.

CYA!

Good on you Cuedude,

Transponder systems have been designed and implemented since 1996 (Mitsubishi was the first). However, what alot of locksmiths fail to realise, is that you can still make a mechanical key "only" that will work the car. What you need to remember is that "most" transponder systems work on the "timelock principle".

Basically, you (or a locky who doesnt have the transponder gear) can manufacture a key in the conventional method, but wait the manufacturers allotted time period (could be anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours - depending on make) then, generally, the client will have about 10-15 minutes to start the car....you will get 1 attempt to start it before the time period starts from the beginning again.....but it can be done.

Then tell the customer to take the car to their dealer to have it done there or to another locky who has the equipment.

Hardee,

I understand and agree with you partly however, I believe that the client is not there to pay for all the supplementals you mention.

You really need to sit down and work out what YOUR annual expenses are/will be. Divide by 365. Divide by 8. this will tell you how much you require per hour to break even.

When you have done this, if you then add what you desire your profit margin to be....you can work out your desired hourly rate.

IMHO....i think i worked out those figures a few years back (in a different country) and found out that I needed to charge $50.00 per hour to put $170,000 a year profit into my business.
This is assuming I am able to charge at least 8 hours per day....365 days a year.

GlobalLocky,

Thanks for your response. But you are preaching to the choir. I've been in the industry almost 20 years, with two businesses.

My point was to EricT to point out why locksmiths charge what we charge and that we just don't grab numbers out of the air and throw it at a prospect to see if they will bite.

Any locksmith worth his/her weight knows they won't last long in business if they take advantage of the purchasing public.

CYA!

25 years for me....now moved stateside and trying something a little different....but always keep my hand in it...and never stop learning