Back in the old Egyptian society, having house keys equals wealth since not many people could afford to lock doors. Keys have become a regular item everyone can own now, and they play a major role in protecting a place’s safety.
So what if there is something wrong but you have no idea how much does it cost to change locks in an apartment? There are certain things that you need to be aware of before asking a locksmith to change the door locks in your apartment.
The cost to replace door locks depends on the condition of your locks, whether you need to replace the lock or just rekeying it. But the average price to buy a new lock ranges from $40 to $300, and an extra $80-200 for a locksmith installation.
What You Will Need to Know Before Changing Locks in an Apartment
1. Know the difference between replacing and rekeying
Changing a lock on the door involves either replacing the lock or rekeying it so old keys can no longer open this door. You will find a comparison between the price of these tasks done by yourself or a locksmith for an apartment here.
- Replacing door locks
The safest way to ensure the security level of your apartment is to remove the existing lock from the door. This includes the handle if it is a handle-lock combo. After that, you can purchase and install a brand new lock into its place instead.
The wide range of door locks offers different quality, so expect to pay around $40 to $300 for a new lock. If you need a professional installation, it can cost $80 up to $200 more. But many locks come with instructions for you to do DIY installing.
- Rekeying door locks
Rather than changing to a whole new door lock, rekeying is a more popular and less costly way in most apartment complexes. This work involves the realignment of the inner working pins and springs of a lock so the lock can match a new key.
It usually costs $15 to $25 for you to purchase a DIY kit that contains necessary tools and instructs you on how to rekey the lock. In case you need a locksmith to get the job done professionally, you should be ready to pay at least $80 to $160.
2. Rekey when you move
When your house is under construction, a lot of people like real estate agents, inspectors, and subcontractors have the key to your door. As a new homeowner, you will not want them to have such access, and the best way is to rekey the lock.
Rekeying is a recommended task whenever you move to a different house since you never know how many similar keys are in the hands of others. If you buy an existing apartment, the first thing to do is rekey the front door lock.
3. Replace damaged locks
All mechanisms with moving parts eventually wear out over time, and a lock is not an exception. If you jam the lock with the wrong key or repeatedly lock and unlock a door, its internal mechanism may get damaged and become difficult to use.
Since you cannot return a worn-out lock with problematic locking mechanisms to its initially good condition, rekeying will not be the ideal solution for this case. That is why I advise you to replace the entire damaged lock for better durability.
4. Change the locks when your keys are lost or stolen
If your apartment keys are ever lost or stolen, one of your priorities has to be changing the locks of your main doors. You can consider rekeying the lock since it might only be a family member misplacing or losing track of their own keys.
One case when you need to replace the entire lock is losing your only key to that door because the rekeying process will require using the original key to the lock.
5. Consider the convenience of a single key
You may find it annoying fumbling through a bunch of keys to get inside your apartment since your key does not fit all doors. This is when you should consider the convenience of a single key that accesses every door, including the garage.
As long as you have locks from the same brand on all doors, you can rekey all of them to fit a single key and obtain better convenience. If your house locks come from different brands, simply replace some of them then have them all rekeyed.
6. Better locks equal more security
It is ideal for you to change locks on apartment door regularly, especially after a break-in in the neighborhood. If you desire to have cutting-edge technology that simplifies but enhances home security, modern locks will be the finest choice.
Instead of using a key to unlock the door, many of today’s locks include a keypad and a code. You can program this keypad to accept a numerical digit code and feel free to reset this code whenever it is necessary to ensure your house safety.
Conclusion
I hope this article has succeeded in resolving your concerns around the cost of locksmith to change locks, in case anything happens with your apartment door lock. Keep in mind that you can easily replace the lock or rekey it on your own.
Plus, do not forget when you should change locks in an apartment, like when the lock’s damaged, the keys went missing, or when you’re considering a better type of door lock for better security. Thank you for reading.
If you still have questions on “how much does it cost to change locks in an apartment,” feel free to share your thoughts.
I am the last member to join Revolar and might be just the luckiest to work with dedicated people like Teddy and John. Our team has established a process where my only job is writing the best content to deliver incredible ideas and guides.
