If a lost key could be tied to your address, waiting isn't a good idea. Planned rekeys are scheduled when it suits you.
The Key Ring That Wasn't in the Bag
It often starts with a hand going into a bag and coming out empty. This is a typical example of a rekey call that starts that way.
Reached into her tote for her keys and found lip balm, receipts and a phone charger. No keys. She checked twice. She checked her coat. She thought back through the afternoon: a coffee shop, two stores, the food court, a bench where she'd sorted through her bag looking for a receipt.
The ring held her building fob, her unit key, her mailbox key and a store loyalty tag. Nothing had her address on it, but the fob could open the garage and the lobby of a building that wasn't hard to figure out if someone found the ring nearby. She took a rideshare home, got a spare unit key from the concierge's sealed envelope, and called the building office about the fob. Then she called us about the door.
The dispatcher asked what locks the unit had: a deadbolt and a lever set, both keyed. Did she want them on one key? Yes. Was there a mailbox lock too? Yes, but cluster mailbox locks are usually changed by building management, so he suggested she ask them. He told her she would need her ID and something showing the unit address, and offered that evening. She took it.
Came up in uniform, showed his ID and checked her license and a tax statement for the unit. Then he looked at the two cylinders and found the snag. The deadbolt was one brand and the lever was another, with a different keyway. They couldn't share a key as they were.
He explained the options: rekey both and live with two keys, or replace the lever with one that matched the deadbolt's keyway and rekey both to a single key. She chose the replacement. He pulled the deadbolt cylinder, removed the old pins with a plug follower, loaded new ones from his pinning kit, and reassembled it. He installed the new lever, pinned it to the same key, and cut four keys.
She tried every key in both locks. Then he tried the concierge's old spare. It didn't turn. His advice: put the new spare back in a fresh sealed envelope at the desk, and write the date on it.
How Rekeying Works
What Happens Inside the Lock
A pin-tumbler lock has a row of small spring-loaded pins split at different heights. The right key lifts each split to the exact line where the cylinder can turn. Rekeying swaps those pins for a new set that matches a new key. The old key now lifts them to the wrong heights.
Rekey vs. Change Locks
| | Rekey | Change locks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Old keys stop working | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware stays the same | Yes | No |
| Fixes worn or broken locks | No | Yes |
| Can upgrade security grade | No | Yes |
If a lock is worn, damaged or low grade, see lock change or lock replacement instead. A rekey on a failing lock only gives you a new key for a lock that will still fail.
Moments That Call for a Rekey
After losing a key, after moving in, after a roommate or tenant leaves, after contractors or cleaners have had keys, and any time you can't say with confidence who holds a copy.
Rekey After Moving
New homes and condos come with keys you can't account for: the builder's, the previous owner's, their family's, the realtor's lockbox.
Key All Locks the Same
Keying alike puts every lock on one key. It works when the locks share a keyway, which usually means the same brand family. When one doesn't, you can keep a separate key for that door or replace it with a compatible lock, as in the story above.
Landlord Rekey Between Tenants
Texas landlords must rekey or change security devices within a set period after a tenant moves out. We can set up master keying so you hold one key for every unit while each tenant's key opens only their own.
Smart Locks Have Cylinders Too
Many keypad and smart locks have a keyed backup cylinder that can be rekeyed to match the rest of the house. If you're thinking of going keyless on one door, see smart lock installation. The codes are separate. Delete old users and change the master code that day.
Who Can Ask for a Rekey
Owners, or tenants with the landlord's written approval. We check a photo ID against a deed, tax statement, lease or utility bill first.
Meeting You at the Spot in the Galleria
The dispatcher confirms the address in the Galleria on the call, and the technician meets you there. The West Loop at rush hour adds more. Planned rekeys, like a move-in or a tenant turnover, are booked at a time that works for you.
Who Handles Your Cylinders
Our technicians wear company uniforms and show ID at the door. They confirm you have the right to change the locks, and tell you plainly when a lock isn't worth rekeying. They handle your hardware and finishes carefully, test every lock with every new key, and point out loose strikes or doors that don't latch cleanly.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, with a 5-star rating on Google from Houston customers.
Rekey Service Around the Galleria
The Galleria area turns over a lot of housing. Condos and apartments along San Felipe, Sage and Hidalgo change hands and tenants often. Older homes in Tanglewood and Briargrove are sold, renovated and sold again, with contractors carrying keys for months. And with thousands of people shopping and working near the mall every day, lost key rings are common. Rekeying is how each of those situations gets reset.
Make a list of every lock you want changed. Front door, back door, garage entry, side gate and any padlock or mailbox should be on it. The technician can set them all to one key so you carry fewer.
Gather the keys you have now. The technician needs at least one working key per lock to match it, or he will take the cylinder apart to work without it. Bring the full ring. If a key has been copied at a kiosk, bring the copy as well, since a poor copy can wear a lock or jam in it and the technician should see it.
Think about who held keys before. Previous owners, tenants, builders, cleaners and relatives all count. A rekey makes their copies useless without touching the lock hardware.
Know what rekeying cannot do. It does not make a weak door stronger or a loose frame tighter. If the strike plate or the hinges are the real weakness, the technician will point that out and leave the choice to you.
Label the new keys. A small tag on each ring noting which door it opens saves confusion in the first weeks. Hand the old keys back to the technician or put them in a drawer for a while, so you are sure nothing still depends on them before you throw them away.
We also offer rekey service in Uptown, River Oaks and Bellaire.
Reset Who Holds Your Keys
Call Fast Locksmith 24/7 with your address, the number of locks, and whether you want them on one key. A photo of each lock helps.
Estimated Technician Arrival Time
Arrival times vary depending on your location and technician availability.
Actual arrival time may vary depending on your exact location, traffic conditions, time of day, current demand, and technician availability.
Providing your exact vehicle location when calling allows us to give you a more accurate estimated arrival time.