Rekey or Replace? What to Do With Your Locks After Moving In

Rekeying is the process of reconfiguring the internal pin stack of an existing lock cylinder so that old keys no longer work and a fresh cut key does. No new hardware is purchased, no door prep is needed, and the existing deadbolt or mortise lock stays exactly where it is. A skilled locksmith can typically rekey multiple locks in a single visit and cut matching keys on the spot, giving you one master key for every door if you want it. Because you're paying for labor and a new key cut rather than new hardware, the savings compared to a full swap can be substantial — especially when you're dealing with several entry points at once. Factors that affect your final quote include the number of lock cylinders, the lock type (a standard door knob lock is different from a heavy-duty commercial mortise lock), travel distance, and time of day — but Virginia Pro Locksmiths confirms an exact up-front price before any work begins, so there are never surprises.

Replacing the entire lock assembly makes sense in specific situations: the hardware is visibly worn or damaged, you're upgrading from a basic door knob lock to a higher-security mortise lock, you want a specific finish or keypad system, or the cylinder has been compromised. Outside of those scenarios, rekeying is almost always the practical choice for someone who has just taken over a property. Think of it this way — the lock is just a mechanism. What matters is who holds a key that works in it. Rekeying resets that list to zero and starts fresh with only the keys you hand out yourself.

A mortise lock is a different animal from the spring-latch door knob lock you'll find on interior doors or basic exterior setups. Mortise locks are set into a pocket (the 'mortise') cut into the door edge, and they include a full lock body with a deadbolt, latch, and sometimes a lever or knob all in one integrated unit. They're common on older Virginia Beach homes built before the 1970s, on commercial storefronts along Atlantic Avenue and throughout the resort strip, and on many multi-unit residential properties. Because of their construction, mortise locks require a professional with hands-on mortise lock experience — the cylinder can be rekeyed just like a standard lock, but the disassembly process and the way the cylinder seats inside the body is entirely different from a Kwikset or Schlage deadbolt.

If your new space has mortise locks, don't assume a general handyman or a big-box store key kiosk can handle them. Virginia Pro Locksmiths works with mortise lock hardware regularly, including antique and legacy European-style mortise lock systems found in historic properties near the Old Beach neighborhood and on Atlantic and Pacific Avenues. Whether you need a mortise lock rekeyed, a worn mortise lock cylinder replaced while keeping the original faceplate, or a full upgrade to a modern high-security mortise lock body, our team carries the tools and the experience to handle it correctly the first time.

Moving day is one of the most common times people find themselves locked out. Keys get packed into boxes, handed to helpers who leave early, or simply set down on the wrong side of a closing door. If you find yourself in that situation and you're wondering what to do if locked out of your house, the first practical steps are straightforward and safe: check every other entry point (back door, garage entry, unlocked window at ground level that you can reach safely without a ladder), call anyone else who was given a key earlier in the day, and check whether your real estate agent still has a lockbox code active. If none of those options pan out, the right call is to contact a professional locksmith rather than attempt to force or bypass the lock yourself — forced entry damages hardware, may violate your lease or HOA terms, and can create a security vulnerability that's harder to fix than the original problem.

For business owners taking over a commercial space, a lockout during setup can mean lost productivity on day one. Virginia Pro Locksmiths serves Virginia Beach commercial clients around the clock, including storefronts, office suites, warehouses, and multi-tenant buildings. Our mobile units are stocked for both standard and commercial mortise lock work, so we're not ordering parts while you wait on the sidewalk. If you're ever asking yourself what to do when locked out of your house or your place of business, the answer is the same: call (757) 290-8384 — we answer every call 24/7 and can dispatch to your location day or night.

Beyond rekeying and lockouts, a full-service mobile locksmith covers a wide range of needs that tend to come up when you're settling into a new property or managing an ongoing home or business. Virginia Pro Locksmiths offers the following services throughout the Virginia Beach area: residential lockout response, commercial lockout response, mortise lock rekey, mortise lock replacement, standard deadbolt rekey, door knob lock rekey, door knob lock installation, master key system setup, high-security lock upgrade, emergency locksmith response (day or night), lock repair for damaged or frozen cylinders, lock change after break-in or attempted forced entry, new construction lock installation, commercial mortise lock installation, vehicle lockout service, car key duplication, copy vehicle key (including transponder and chip keys), new key fob programming, smart key and proximity fob replacement, ignition lock repair, broken key extraction from locks and ignitions, safe opening and combination change, padlock service, sliding door lock installation, and access control consultation for small commercial properties. That's a broad toolkit, and it travels with us — our mobile units are equipped to handle the majority of these services on-site without a return trip.

For vehicle work specifically, Virginia Beach drivers frequently deal with keys locked inside cars in parking areas along the Oceanfront, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, and in the sprawling parking decks near Town Center. A vehicle lockout is stressful, but our team can reach you at your location, verify ownership through your registration or title documentation, and get you back in your car without damage to your door or window seals. We also handle copy vehicle key requests for late-model vehicles that require transponder programming — including many domestic and import models — and we can source and program a new key fob when yours is lost, damaged, or simply stops communicating with the vehicle. Factors that affect the quote for vehicle key work include the make and model, whether a transponder or proximity chip is involved, and whether programming equipment is required — we confirm the exact price before we begin.

One of the most common questions people search before calling a locksmith is what to ask a locksmith before hiring. The honest answer is: ask for a clear quote before any work starts, ask whether the technician has experience with your specific lock type (especially if you have a mortise lock or a high-security cylinder), and ask whether the business is insured. Virginia Pro Locksmiths is insured, and we always provide an exact up-front price before touching a single lock. There's no ambiguity about what the call-out fee covers and no add-ons that appear after the job is done. A locksmith call-out fee typically reflects travel to your location plus a base service charge; any parts or additional labor are quoted separately and confirmed before work begins — never added quietly at the end.

You may also wonder what locks locksmiths cannot open. The honest answer is that truly high-security, UL-listed lock cylinders with anti-pick, anti-drill, and anti-bypass features are significantly more resistant to non-destructive entry — they're designed that way, and that's actually a selling point if you're considering an upgrade. Standard residential deadbolts and door knob locks can be opened non-destructively by an experienced locksmith in most cases. For context, the phrase 'pop a lock' is informal slang for using a slim jim or similar tool to open a vehicle door without a key — it's a technique specific to cars, not residential doors, and it requires proper training and ownership verification to perform legally and without damage. Our team handles all of this with the care and professionalism the situation requires, including asking for proof of ownership or occupancy before performing any lockout service on a home, business, or vehicle.

Virginia Beach is a city with a wide range of property types — beachfront rentals that cycle through tenants seasonally, established neighborhoods like Kempsville and Great Neck where families have lived for decades, and a growing commercial corridor that includes everything from small retail along Shore Drive to larger office and industrial spaces inland near I-264. Whatever kind of property you're taking over, the security conversation starts at the door, and it starts on day one. Rekeying immediately after move-in is the single most cost-effective thing you can do to establish control over who holds a working key to your space.

If you're not sure whether to rekey or replace, a brief on-site assessment from one of our technicians can give you a clear answer based on the actual condition and type of hardware on your doors. We'll tell you honestly if a mortise lock cylinder is still solid and just needs a rekey, or if the internal mechanism is worn enough that a replacement is the better long-term investment. And if the unexpected happens at any hour — you're locked out of your house and wondering what to do, a key breaks in the ignition at midnight, or you lose the only fob for your vehicle — call (757) 290-8384. Virginia Pro Locksmiths answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with mobile units ready to serve Virginia Beach and the surrounding Hampton Roads communities.