Can I make all my house locks use the same key?

A front door key, a back door key, a deadbolt key, a key for the door from the garage. Most houses end up with a ring of keys that all look alike and only one of them works in each lock. The good news is that most homes can get down to one key for every exterior door, and it is usually done by rekeying the locks you already have.

Locksmiths call this keyed alike. Every lock is set to the same key. This guide covers home and business door locks only. Roger does not handle vehicles of any kind.

The short answer

If your locks are the same brand, or at least take the same shape of key, a locksmith can usually rekey them all to one new key. If they are a mix of brands, one or two cylinders may need to be swapped for ones that take the same key as the rest. Either way, you keep your knobs, levers, and deadbolts in most cases. Only the insides change.

What decides whether your locks can match

It is not the finish or the style. It is the keyway, the shape of the slot the key slides into. Each lock maker uses its own keyway, and a key cut for one will not even go into another. Two of the most common in homes are not compatible with each other, which is why a house with one brand on the front door and another brand on the back door ends up with two keys.

• Look at the brand name on the face of each lock, usually around the keyhole or on the edge of the door.
• Compare your current keys. If the blades have the same profile and the same head shape, the locks probably share a keyway.
• Try a key from one door in another lock, gently. If it slides all the way in but will not turn, the keyway matches and the lock can be rekeyed. If it will not go in at all, the keyway is different.
• Some locks have a small slot next to the keyhole. That usually means a lock the owner can rekey with the maker's tool. Those can only be matched to other locks of the same system.

Rekey or swap a cylinder

• Same keyway, locks in good shape: rekey. The locksmith takes out each cylinder, changes the small pins inside, and sets every lock to one new key. All the old keys stop working at the same time, which is a bonus after a move or a lost key.
• Mixed brands: swap the odd one out. A locksmith can often fit a cylinder that takes your main key into the mismatched lock, or replace just that lock with one that matches the rest.
• Worn or cheap locks: replace those. A lock that is loose, sticky, or already fighting the key does not rekey well. Replacing it with a lock that matches the others is the better use of the visit.
• Buying new locks yourself: look on the box for a keyed alike label, or a key code printed on the package. Boxes with the same code share a key. If you already own the other locks, bring them in to be matched instead of hoping a new box lines up.

Which doors to include

• Every exterior door: front, back, side, and any patio door that takes a regular key.
• The door from the garage into the house. It is the one people forget, and it is the one that matters if someone gets into the garage.
• The side or service door into the garage.
• A smart lock or keypad deadbolt, if it has a key cylinder. Many do, and many can be rekeyed to match. Some use a cylinder that cannot be changed, so ask before counting on it.
• Sliding glass doors, storm doors, mailboxes, and sheds often use small or special locks that do not take a standard cylinder. They may stay on their own key, and that is normal.

One key for everything vs a master key

Keyed alike means every lock takes the same key. A master key system is different. Each door or unit has its own key, and one master key also opens all of them. That suits a rental with several units, a small office, or a home with a separate in-law apartment, where you want tenants or staff to open only their own door.

A master key system has to be planned, so the locksmith knows which keys open which doors before pinning anything. It also adds pins to each lock, so the master key itself needs to be kept under control. For a single-family home, keyed alike is almost always the simpler choice.

The tradeoff to know about

If every door takes one key, losing that key affects every door. That is not a reason to skip it, but it does change what you do when a key goes missing. If a key is lost or stolen, have all the locks rekeyed again, not only the front door. If you want more control over who can copy your key, ask about a restricted keyway, where blanks are not sold to the public and copies are cut only for the owner.

What moves the price

What moves the price is how many locks there are, whether they share a keyway or some need new cylinders or new locks, whether any are smart locks or high-security locks, whether you want a master key system, and whether it is after hours. Rekeying locks you already own is usually on the smaller end of locksmith work. You see a qualitative range up front, and the locksmith confirms the price in person after seeing the locks.

Booking through Roger

Describe what you have: how many doors, the brand on each lock if you can see it, whether any are smart locks or keypads, and whether you want one key for everything or a master key setup. A photo of each lock face helps. Roger books one vetted local locksmith and confirms the appointment, so you know which company is coming. Home and business only.

You can describe the problem on rogerrepair.com and get one locksmith booked.