Medeco Lock Rekeying: The Houston Owner’s Guide
Medeco lock rekeying in Houston typically runs $45-$85 per cylinder when done in our shop, or $120-$195 for mobile service to your home, and we can usually handle it same day if you call before noon. We stock Medeco key-in-knob, deadbolt, and rim cylinder pinning kits on every service truck, so the job gets finished in one visit. Most Houston homeowners discover they need a rekey when a key starts sticking in the humid months, after a tenant or employee turnover, or when they realize they have never changed the pins since buying the house in 1998.
Which Medeco Models This Applies To
Medeco has produced several cylinder lines over the decades, and the rekeying approach differs slightly for each. The original Medeco Biaxial system, still common in Houston homes built between 1985 and 2005, uses angled pin tumblers with sidebar coding. The Medeco3 line, introduced in the early 2000s, added a sliding sidebar with a third locking point. More recently, the Medeco X4 and KeyMark lines brought standard .005-inch increment pinning to residential grade hardware, though true high-security cylinders still use the proprietary angled cuts.
To identify what you have, check the face of the cylinder for markings. Biaxial cylinders are stamped with a small “B” near the keyway. Medeco3 cylinders show “M3” or a three-point logo. KeyMark cylinders, often found in commercial master-key systems around the Medical Center and Greenway Plaza, carry a distinct keyway shape and “KM” marking. If the cylinder face is unmarked, the plug diameter tells the story: Biaxial and M3 cylinders measure .500 inch, while KeyMark residential cylinders run .498 inch, a difference that matters when ordering replacement cams and tailpieces.
We carry factory-original Medeco pinning kits for Biaxial and M3 cylinders, plus quality aftermarket pinning for KeyMark and X4 hardware where the security grade allows. Strongbox Lock & Safe Co. of Houston is an independent service provider, not affiliated with Medeco. For true high-security applications, we recommend staying with OEM pins and sidebar codes to maintain UL 437 listing and key control integrity.
Signs Your Medeco Lock Rekeying Is Failing
- Key sticks or requires jiggling to turn. In Houston’s Gulf Coast humidity, lint and airborne grit mix with the light oil Medeco recommends, forming a paste that binds the angled pins. The lock is not worn out; it needs disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, and fresh pinning with proper lubrication.
- Key turns but the bolt does not retract. This usually points to a worn cam or tailpiece connection between the cylinder and the locking mechanism, not the cylinder itself. On Medeco deadbolts installed before 2010, the zinc-alloy tailpiece can fatigue and twist slightly, enough to slip under load.
- Different keys now operate the same lock. When master-keyed Medeco systems degrade, pins can wear to where incidental key combinations accidentally align the shear lines. In Houston’s older apartment complexes near Montrose and the Heights, we see this after fifteen to twenty years of heavy turnover.
- Key extraction requires force. The plug’s brass follower can develop burrs, or the sidebar springs weaken and bind. Forcing the key out risks snapping it, and Medeco blanks are not something you duplicate at the hardware store.
- You have lost track of who has keys. Not a mechanical failure, but the reason half our Medeco rekey calls happen. A former housekeeper, a contractor from the 2017 remodel, a grown child who moved to Katy and kept their key. Rekeying restores key control without replacing the hardware.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Shop rekeying at our Houston location runs $45-$65 for a single Medeco cylinder, $75-$85 for a double-cylinder deadbolt with matching keying. Mobile service to your home or business adds a flat trip charge of $75, bringing most residential rekeys to $120-$195 total. Commercial master-key rekeying, common for property managers in the Galleria and Downtown corridors, runs $95-$150 per cylinder depending on hierarchy complexity.
Every rekey includes full cylinder disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, inspection of springs and sidebar components, replacement of worn pins with factory-spec or equivalent, new keys cut to code, and lubrication with Medeco-recommended Houdini Lock Lube. We quote it flat before the truck rolls, and we put it in writing when the job is done. The work is covered by our 90-Day Done Right Promise: backed in writing, no arguing, no extra paperwork. If the key does not turn smooth as glass, we come back.
Seniors and veterans receive a standing 5% discount. Any repair over $250 qualifies for $50 off.
DIY or Call Us?
A determined homeowner can remove a Medeco cylinder from most residential deadbolts with a standard Phillips screwdriver and the key turned to 45 degrees. What happens next is where it goes wrong. Medeco cylinders use sidebar springs under compression, angled pins that must seat in a specific rotational orientation, and a plug follower that demands steady hand pressure to avoid dropping components into the lock body. Lose a sidebar spring in your carpet, and you have a cylinder in pieces and no way to reassemble it without a pinning kit you do not own.
We do not recommend DIY rekeying on Medeco high-security hardware. The tolerances are tight, the parts are proprietary, and a mis-pinned cylinder creates a false sense of security. Check what you can: confirm the keyway is not obstructed, verify the door is not binding against the frame in Houston’s seasonal humidity swelling. For the cylinder itself, call us. We will quote the work on the phone, show up uniformed with ID, and finish in twenty to forty minutes.
FAQs
How long does a Medeco rekey last?
In normal residential use, a properly rekeyed Medeco cylinder lasts fifteen to twenty years. Houston’s coastal humidity can accelerate spring fatigue, so we see commercial cylinders in high-traffic buildings needing attention closer to ten years. Call (833) 695-3962 for a free estimate if your keying is over a decade old.
Can a worn Medeco cylinder be repaired instead of rekeyed?
Sometimes. If the plug bore is not ovaled and the sidebar slot is crisp, we can replace springs, sidebar components, and pins for roughly the same cost as a rekey. If the plug or housing is worn beyond spec, replacement is the honest recommendation. We will tell you which after inspection, never sell you hardware you do not need.
How long does the rekeying appointment take?
Most residential Medeco rekeys take twenty to forty minutes on site. Commercial master-key systems with multiple cylinders and hierarchy changes run one to two hours. We stock the pinning kits and key blanks on every truck, so there is no waiting for parts. Call (833) 695-3962 to schedule same-day service.
Do you stock Medeco rekeying parts?
Yes. Every Strongbox service truck carries Medeco Biaxial and M3 pinning kits, KeyMark and X4 pinning in common bitting ranges, sidebar springs, cams, and tailpieces for standard door preps. For obsolete Medeco Original cylinders found in some Houston homes from the 1970s, we maintain a limited parts inventory at our shop. Call (833) 695-3962 and we will confirm compatibility before we drive.
Written by Earl Hutchinson, Owner, Strongbox Lock & Safe Co. of Houston at Strongbox Lock & Safe Co. of Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.