Published 2026-05-13 · Music City Lock
How Much to Rekey a House in Nashville: Real Costs vs Replacement
Quick answer: Rekeying a Nashville home (4 to 6 cylinders) runs $150 to $300 in standard hours, $200 to $400 after hours. Per-cylinder pricing is $20 to $40 plus a service call. Rekey is faster and cheaper than full lock replacement (which runs $400 to $1,500 for a 4-to-6-cylinder home). The on-site process takes 45 to 90 minutes including testing.
What rekeying actually does
Rekeying a lock means changing the pin configuration inside the cylinder so the old keys no longer work and a new key set takes over. The lock itself stays. The hardware on the door looks the same. The change happens entirely inside the cylinder, in the spring-loaded pin stack that lifts when the right key cuts hit the right depths. A standard rekey takes 5 to 10 minutes per cylinder for a working locksmith with the proper pinning kit.
Rekeying is different from replacing the lock. Replacement means buying new hardware (a new deadbolt or knob set) and swapping the entire assembly. Rekey costs less because the hardware stays; replacement costs more because the hardware is new. In a typical Nashville home with builder-grade Schlage or Kwikset, rekey wins on cost almost every time.
Real rekey pricing in Nashville
| Job | Standard hours | After hours |
|---|---|---|
| Single cylinder rekey (on site) | $50 to $100 | +$50 to $100 |
| Full home rekey (4 to 6 cylinders) | $150 to $300 | +$50 to $100 |
| Full home rekey (high-security cylinders, 4 to 6) | $250 to $450 | +$50 to $100 |
| Rekey plus same-day new-deadbolt install | $250 to $500 | +$75 to $150 |
A typical Nashville home has 4 to 6 keyed cylinders: a front-door deadbolt, a front-door knob, a back-door deadbolt, a garage entry-door deadbolt, sometimes a basement walkout, and sometimes a side or master-suite interior. That count drives the total. Per-cylinder pricing is $20 to $40 for standard hardware plus a base service-call charge.
When rekey beats replacement
- Builder-grade Schlage or Kwikset that still operates smoothly (no key sticking or pin damage). About 80 percent of post-move rekey calls fall here.
- Recently re-painted door where new hardware would not match the existing finish without re-painting around the new strike plate.
- Historic Germantown or Edgefield homes with original mortise hardware that you want to keep visually intact. Restorable mortise locks can be rekeyed for $100 to $200 per door.
- Rental property with frequent tenant turnover, where the property manager wants to standardize keying without replacing hardware on every turnover cycle.
When replacement beats rekey
Sometimes new hardware is the right call. The lock body is mechanically worn or sticking even when the right key is in. The cylinder pins have a small-arms wear pattern from years of use (visible only on disassembly). The lock is a discontinued model where pinning kits or replacement parts are no longer available. Or the homeowner wants to upgrade to a smart lock and the existing hardware is going away anyway.
Replacement runs $100 to $250 per door for a basic Schlage or Kwikset deadbolt installed, $150 to $400 for a smart-lock retrofit. A full-house replacement on 4 to 6 cylinders lands at $400 to $1,500 depending on hardware tier. Compared to a $150 to $300 rekey, replacement is 2 to 5 times more expensive.
Most common Nashville rekey situations
- Post-purchase rekey. New homeowners want every old key invalidated before unpacking the moving truck. The previous owner, their contractors, the cleaning service, the realtor lockbox handlers, anyone who handled the property through closing might still have a key. Standard rekey across 4 to 6 cylinders.
- Post-lease rekey. A landlord wants the property keyed fresh between tenants. Common in East Nashville plus Antioch plus the Vanderbilt-Belmont rental corridor.
- Post-breakup rekey. A roommate or partner has moved out under non-amicable conditions and may still have a key. Same-day or next-morning service.
- Post-loss rekey. A wallet or purse was lost with the house key inside, especially when the wallet also held an ID showing the home address. Same-day priority.
How the on-site rekey actually works
The tech arrives with a pinning kit, a follower, a plug spinner, and a fresh set of key blanks. Per cylinder the process runs: remove the cylinder from the lock body (2 minutes), tap out the old pins (1 minute), set new pins to the new key cuts (3 minutes), reassemble and test (2 minutes). The 5 to 10 minute per-cylinder pace holds for any standard Schlage or Kwikset residential cylinder. High-security cylinders (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock) run 15 to 25 minutes per because the pin geometry is more complex.
All the new keys cut on site come from the same blank set. The tech tests each cylinder twice (once from inside, once from outside) before leaving. The total visit for a 4-to-6-cylinder home runs 45 to 90 minutes including testing. See our rekey service page for hardware options if you are weighing rekey against full replacement.
Frequently asked
How long does a full Nashville home rekey take?
For a 4-to-6-cylinder home, 45 to 90 minutes including testing. Per-cylinder pace is 5 to 10 minutes for standard hardware, 15 to 25 minutes for high-security Medeco or Mul-T-Lock cylinders.
Can you rekey all my locks to one key?
Yes, as long as all cylinders are the same brand and keyway. Schlage and Kwikset use different keyways and cannot share a key without a rekey-to-Schlage or rekey-to-Kwikset conversion. We can do that conversion on site with the proper rekey kit; it adds $25 to $50 per cylinder.
Will rekey work on a smart lock?
Yes, on the mechanical-override cylinder that every reputable smart lock includes. The electronic codes are separate; we reset those alongside the mechanical rekey. Schlage Encode, Yale Assure, and August all support standard rekey on the backup cylinder.
Is rekey the same as changing the locks?
No. Rekey changes the internal pin configuration so old keys no longer work but the hardware stays. Lock change replaces the hardware entirely. Rekey is faster and cheaper for most cases; replacement makes sense when the lock body is mechanically worn or you want to upgrade hardware.
What hardware brand do you rekey in Nashville?
Schlage and Kwikset are 80 percent of the call book in Nashville. We also rekey Baldwin (premium residential), Mul-T-Lock and Medeco (high-security), Yale and Assa Abloy commercial, plus older mortise hardware in Germantown and Edgefield. Bring or photograph the lock and we will confirm before dispatching.
How do I prevent needing another rekey after I move in?
Get a rekey done as soon as you take possession. Then use a real waterproof lockbox bolted to a fixed structure for any backup key (skip the mat hide). For frequent tenant turnover (rental property), match all cylinders to a single key on the rekey so future turnovers are one-cylinder rekeys, not full-house.
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Last updated: 2026-05-13.