Rekeying Clay County homes after a move

Who else has a key to your new house?

Clay County has seen years of steady home building, and every new house passes through a lot of hands before the family moves in: framers, electricians, painters, cleaners, the builder's superintendent, the real estate agents. Resales add previous owners, their relatives and their dog walkers. Rekeying changes the pins inside your existing locks so a fresh key works and all of those old keys don't — without buying a single new lock.

After closing on new construction

Some builders use construction keying that's meant to be retired once the owner uses their key, but that's not something to take on faith. In a subdivision that's still building out around Oakleaf, Middleburg or Lake Asbury, crews may be working on the next street for months. Rekeying the front door, garage entry door and any side doors right after closing is a quick way to know exactly who can get in.

Resales on Fleming Island and around Orange Park

Older neighborhoods around Orange Park and on Fleming Island often have homes that have sold several times. Garage remotes get reprogrammed, but door keys usually don't get changed. Rekey on move-in day and ask the locksmith to check whether every exterior lock — including the back slider's — is working properly.

Rentals and lake cottages

Landlords in Orange Park, Middleburg and Green Cove Springs, and owners renting out a cottage on one of the Keystone Heights lakes, all face the same problem: keys leave with tenants and guests. Rekeying between tenancies costs far less than replacing hardware, and a master key setup can let the owner carry one key for several units while each tenant's key opens only their own door.

Front, garage and patio on a single key

Subdivision houses often end up with a mix of lock brands after a few owners — the builder's set on the front, a replacement on the garage door, something else on the patio. If they share a keyway, a locksmith can rekey them to one key. If one doesn't, it may be worth swapping that lock so the whole house matches.

Need something else in Clay County?

See everything on the Clay County locksmith page, or browse Florida locksmiths.

Want the background first? Read our guide: Lock Rekeying.