Commercial Locksmith · Middle Tennessee
Commercial Rekeying for Businesses and Rental Properties
Rekeying changes the pins inside your existing commercial locks so old keys stop working and new keys take over, without replacing the hardware. Instant Locksmith TN rekeys business locks on site across Middle Tennessee.
- Keeps your existing hardware
- Price confirmed before work begins
- Mobile service at your location
When a business should rekey
Every key that leaves your control is a door you can no longer vouch for. Rekeying is usually the quickest and most economical way to take that access back when the locks themselves are still in good shape.
Staff turnover
A manager, keyholder or cleaning contractor leaves and their key does not come back, or you are not sure how many copies were made.
New lease or purchase
You moved into a space that previous tenants, contractors and the landlord's vendors may all have keys to.
Lost or stolen keys
A key ring goes missing with the building address on it, or a vehicle carrying business keys is broken into.
Property managers also rekey between commercial tenants so the incoming business starts with a clean set of keys.
How commercial rekeying works
Most commercial cylinders use pin tumblers. Inside, pairs of pins have to line up at a shear line for the plug to turn, and the cuts on the key set that height. When we rekey, we remove the cylinder or core, take out the existing key pins and install a new set matched to a new key.
The type of cylinder on your doors changes how the work is done:
- Mortise cylinders. Threaded cylinders common on storefronts and mortise locks. They are removed from the door, repinned and reinstalled.
- Cylindrical lever locks. Common on office and back doors. The lever and cylinder are taken apart to reach the plug.
- Rim cylinders. Often found on the outside of exit devices and on some storefront hardware.
- Interchangeable cores (IC). Small-format (SFIC) and large-format (LFIC) cores are removed with a control key and swapped or repinned. If you have spare cores pinned to a new combination, the core swap itself takes very little time per door. We service IC cores but don't stock them; new cores are ordered.
If your building uses a master key system, rekeying has to respect it. Changing one door's pins without regard to the system can break the manager's master key or create keys that open doors they should not. Tell us if a master key opens your doors and have your key schedule ready, because we rekey to the schedule you keep. See our master key system service for how that works.
What to have ready
- Count your doors and cylinders. Include front and rear entrances, office doors, storerooms and the outside cylinder on any panic bar. A deadbolt and a lever on the same door are two cylinders.
- Decide how they should be keyed. Should one key open everything, or should some doors stay separate? Should managers have a key others do not?
- Collect a working key for each lock. Having the current key makes rekeying faster. If a key is missing, the cylinder can still usually be rekeyed after it is opened or removed.
- Plan the key count. Decide how many new keys you need and who gets them. Keep a written list.
- Order online or call. Describe the doors on the locksmith order form and we will confirm the price before work begins.
When rekeying is not the right fix
Rekeying solves a key problem, not a hardware problem. If a lever droops, the latch sticks, the lock is a light-duty residential model on a busy commercial door, or a cylinder has been forced, replacement is often the better call. See commercial lock replacement for when that makes sense.
Rekeying also does not stop someone from copying your new keys at a hardware store. If unauthorized duplication is the real concern, a restricted or patented keyway is what limits who can cut keys. Our high-security lock service covers those options.
What does commercial rekeying cost?
Standard price: from $55 per cylinder, plus the service call. The total depends mainly on the number of cylinders, the cylinder types, whether a master key system is involved and how many new keys you need. Online orders pay the $15–$25 service call at checkout as the deposit: $15 inside city limits, $25 outside. It is a flat fee added to the service price, and the time-of-day multipliers never apply to it.
- Standard rate: orders placed 7 AM–8 PM
- After hours (orders placed 8 PM–7 AM): 1.5×
- Federal holidays (calendar date and observed date): 2×
- Federal holiday, after hours: 3×
- No weekend surcharge
- Mileage: $1.25/mile beyond 5 miles from the city center
Multipliers apply to everything on the job (service, labor, parts and hardware) except the flat $15 (inside city limits) or $25 (outside city limits) service call and mileage. The after-hours rate is set by the time the order is placed. Holidays are U.S. federal holidays, billed on both the calendar date and the observed weekday.
Many businesses schedule rekeying during normal hours to keep it at standard pricing. If we find hardware that differs from what was described, we explain it and get your approval before continuing. Review our pricing policy.
Commercial Rekeying FAQ
Can all of our doors be rekeyed to work with one key?
Usually yes, as long as the locks share the same keyway, or can be converted to one. Locks from different brands often need cylinder changes before they can share a key, which we confirm before starting.
Do we have to close the business while you rekey?
Usually not. We work door by door, so most of the building stays usable. Plan for each door to be briefly out of service while its cylinder is out.
Can you rekey the outside cylinder on our panic bar?
Yes. Exit devices with outside trim usually have a rim or mortise cylinder that can be rekeyed like any other. Problems with the bar itself are handled under exit device service.
We have interchangeable cores. Do you need our control key?
The control key is the simplest way to remove IC cores. If it is lost, the cores can still be serviced, but the job takes longer. Let us know when you order.
Should a landlord or the tenant pay for rekeying a commercial space?
That depends on your lease. We can work for either party, but the person ordering must be authorized to have the locks changed on that space.
How many new keys should we order?
Order enough for the people who truly need access plus a small number of spares kept somewhere secure. Fewer keys in circulation means fewer keys to track.
Take back control of your keys
Tell us how many doors you have and how they should be keyed. We confirm the price before any work begins.
