Kwikset Lock Rekeying Nationwide | Loxley Locksmith & Security

Kwikset Lock Rekeying: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide

We rekey Kwikset locks same-day across Los Angeles for $45-$85 per cylinder, including new pins, labor, and testing. Most residential jobs take 20-40 minutes on-site. If your keys are sticking, you’ve lost a copy, or you’re moving into a new place in Silver Lake or Culver City, we’ll match the pinning to your existing key or cut fresh ones.

Call (682) 281-8985

Homeowners usually figure out they need a rekey when the key starts catching at 10 o’clock, when a former roommate or contractor still has access, or when they realize the previous owner handed over four keys but there were probably six made. In older Los Angeles neighborhoods like Echo Park or Mid-Wilshire, we also see a lot of Kwikset SmartKey cylinders that previous owners rekeyed themselves and left finicky - the key works, but only if you jiggle it just right. That’s a pinning issue, not a key issue.

Which Kwikset Models This Applies To

Kwikset has three main cylinder families we work with in Los Angeles, and knowing which one you have changes both the approach and the price.

Standard pin-tumbler cylinders - found on entry-level deadbolts like the 660 and 998, and most handle sets before 2008. These use a .115″ diameter top pin and five .003″ increment master pin sizes. We stock Kwikset OEM bottom pins (sizes 0-9) and custom-mix top pins for worn bores.

SmartKey cylinders - introduced around 2008, identifiable by the small slot next to the keyway. These use a sidebar and wafer system, not traditional pins. Rekeying requires the current working key and the SmartKey tool; without the key, we drill and replace the cylinder core. Many Los Angeles landlords installed these for convenience, then lost the reset tool.

High-security Kwikset variants - the 980/985 deadbolts with SmartKey Security, and some commercial-grade Tustin or Montara handlesets. These have hardened drill plates and tighter tolerances.

We carry OEM Kwikset pinning kits and quality aftermarket equivalents from LAB and HPC. For SmartKey cylinders where the reset function has failed, we typically recommend an OEM replacement core - aftermarket SmartKey clones have inconsistent sidebar tolerances that show up six months later, especially with the dust and temperature swings we get in the San Fernando Valley.

To identify your cylinder: remove the lock from the door (two screws on the interior thumb turn) and look for “KW1” or “KW10” stamped on the key, or a small rectangular slot above the keyway for SmartKey.

Signs Your Kwikset Lock Rekeying Is Failing

• Key catches or requires jiggling. This usually means worn driver pins or a master pin stack that’s settled out of alignment. In Los Angeles, the dry heat hardens lubricants over time, so pins drag instead of sliding freely.
• Key turns but doesn’t retract the bolt. The tailpiece or cam has slipped, or the cylinder was rekeyed without proper tailpiece alignment. We see this a lot after DIY SmartKey resets in Koreatown rentals.
• Different keys now open the same lock. Someone rekeyed improperly with master pins left in the stack, creating accidental cross-keying. It’s more common than you’d think after handyman “rekeys.”
• SmartKey reset tool spins freely without clicking. The sidebar wafers have worn or the reset cradle is damaged. Once this happens, the cylinder usually needs replacement - the internal plastic components don’t tolerate repeated resets well.
• New key works, old key still works too. The rekey didn’t fully seat new bottom pins, or a pin chamber has a burr holding an old pin fragment. We check every chamber with a plug follower to confirm clean pinning.

Replacement Cost & What’s Included

What moves you within the range: cylinder condition (worn bores need oversized pins), whether we have to extract a broken key first, and travel distance from our dispatch points in Northeast LA and the Westside. We quote the full price on the phone before we dispatch - that’s the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge, no “trip fee” that appears when we arrive.

Every rekey carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the key sticks, a pin drops, or anything fails inside a year, we come back and fix it at no charge. The guarantee is written on the invoice, not offered as an upgrade.

DIY or Call Us?

Here’s what you can safely check yourself: confirm you have the right key (KW1 vs. KW10 profiles look similar but aren’t interchangeable), spray a dry Teflon or graphite lubricant into the keyway if sticking is minor, and verify the lock is properly installed - a misaligned strike plate can feel like a key problem.

Where DIY goes wrong: Kwikset SmartKey cylinders require the current working key and the reset tool. Without both, you’ll force the sidebar and turn a $55 rekey into a $105 core replacement. Standard pin-tumbler rekeying needs a plug follower, pinning tray, and the correct size pins - a screwdriver and patience won’t cut it. We’ve rescued plenty of Los Angeles homeowners who bought a $15 rekey kit online and ended up with pins scattered across the kitchen table and a lock that won’t go back together.

A good lock shouldn’t need a sales pitch. If you’re not sure which cylinder you have or whether it’s worth rekeying versus replacing, call us at (682) 281-8985 and we’ll talk it through. Estimates are free, and we’ll tell you if it’s something you can handle yourself.

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