Lock Rekeying Costs in Melbourne: What You Pay For

Rekeying is one of the most useful and least understood services a locksmith offers. It gives you control over who can open your doors without replacing the locks themselves, and in most cases it costs much less than new hardware. This guide explains what you are paying for when you rekey, what pushes the price up or down, and how to get the best value from a single visit.

What rekeying actually is

Inside most door cylinders is a row of small pin stacks. When you insert the correct key, the cuts on the key push each pin to exactly the right height, and the cylinder can turn. A different key lifts the pins to the wrong heights, and the cylinder stays locked.

Rekeying replaces those pins with a new combination and cuts new keys to match. The lock body stays on the door. The handle, the latch and the finish all stay the same. The difference is that every old key, however many copies exist, stops working.

That is why lock rekeying is the go-to service after moving house, losing keys, or changing tenants or staff.

What makes up a rekeying price

A rekeying quote usually has three or four parts.

The call-out

Most locksmiths charge a call-out or service fee to come to you. This is fixed regardless of how many locks you rekey, which is why rekeying several locks at once is better value than doing them one at a time.

Labour per lock

Each cylinder has to be removed, disassembled, re-pinned, reassembled and refitted. On a simple rim cylinder or deadlatch this is quick. On some mortice locks, or locks that are stiff or corroded, it takes longer. Very old locks occasionally need extra work just to get the cylinder out.

Pins and keys

The new pins are inexpensive, but keys are charged separately. Standard keys are cheap. Restricted keys, which can only be cut by an authorised locksmith, cost more because the key blanks are controlled.

Matching different brands

If your house has a mixture of lock brands, they may not share the same key profile. To make them all work from one key, one or two cylinders may need to be replaced with compatible ones. That adds the cost of the new cylinders, but it is still usually cheaper than replacing every lock.

Rekeying versus replacing: the cost comparison

Rekeying is almost always the cheaper option when your locks are in good condition. You pay for labour and keys rather than new hardware. Replacement makes more sense when:

• The lock has been damaged in a break-in.
• The lock is badly worn and no longer works smoothly.
• The lock is a low-security type you want to upgrade.
• Parts are no longer available.

If you are unsure, our guide Rekey or Replace Locks? walks through the decision. When we visit, we will tell you honestly whether your locks are worth rekeying.

How to get the best value

Rekey everything at once

The biggest saving comes from doing every external lock in one visit. Front door, back door, garage access door, side gate and screen doors can often be done together. The call-out is shared and the job is done in one go.

Key them alike

While the locks are being rekeyed, ask for them to be keyed alike. One key for every external door is more convenient and means you only need to cut copies of one key.

Count the keys you need

Work out how many keys you need before the visit: one per adult in the household, one spare, and perhaps one for a trusted neighbour or family member. Cutting them all at the same time is cheaper than coming back later.

Book during office hours

Unless keys have been stolen with your address and you feel unsafe, rekeying can almost always be booked during office hours, which is cheaper than after-hours work.

When rekeying is worth paying for

After buying a home

You have no way of knowing how many keys the previous owners gave out. Family, cleaners, dog walkers and tradespeople may all have had copies. Rekeying on moving day is one of the cheapest security measures available.

After lost or stolen keys

If your keys were lost with anything showing your address, such as a wallet or a bag with mail in it, rekey promptly. If they were lost somewhere with nothing linking them to your home, the risk is lower, but many people still choose to rekey for peace of mind.

Between tenants

Rental providers and agents often rekey between renters. Victorian rules on locks and keys in rentals are covered in our guide to landlord and tenant lock change rules in Victoria.

After staff changes

Businesses rekey when a staff member leaves without returning keys, or as a routine step after turnover. A commercial locksmith can set up a master key system so only the affected locks need rekeying next time.

What rekeying cannot do

Rekeying changes who can open a lock. It does not make a weak lock strong. If a lock is a basic type that offers little resistance to forced entry, or if the door frame is soft, rekeying will not fix that. In those cases a security locksmith assessment is a better place to start.

Rekeying also cannot be done on some locks. Certain cheap or sealed cylinders are not designed to be re-pinned. If that is the case, a replacement cylinder is fitted instead.

Questions to ask before you book

• Is the price per lock or for the whole job?
• Does it include keys, and how many?
• Can all my locks be keyed alike?
• Will any cylinders need replacing to match?
• Are there any extra charges for old or stiff locks?

A locksmith should be happy to answer every one of these on the phone.

Restricted keys and building systems

Some apartment buildings and businesses use restricted key systems. Keys for these can only be cut by an authorised locksmith on the written request of the system owner, often the owners corporation. If your lock is part of such a system, rekeying or cutting new keys may need approval first. We will tell you if this applies before the job.

A quick checklist for moving day

1. List every external door, including garage and side access.
2. Count the keys you were given.
3. Decide how many new keys you need.
4. Book a rekey of all external locks, keyed alike.
5. Store a spare somewhere safe, away from the front door.

Book a rekey in Burwood East

Our workshop is at 50 Middleborough Rd, Burwood East VIC 3151, and we rekey homes, rentals and businesses across Burwood, Forest Hill, Vermont South, Blackburn South and Glen Waverley. Call 03 4422 2837 or request a quote with the number of locks and keys you need, and we will give you a clear price before we start. See also our residential locksmith service.