We got the call on a Tuesday morning, two days after the storm that flooded parts of Lake Avenue. A woman in the Janes Cottages district was walking back from her car when her key ring slipped out of her coat pocket, bounced once on the curb, and dropped straight through the slotted grate of a storm drain on Mariposa Street. Car key, house key, mailbox key, gym fob — all of it gone. The water was still moving fast enough that we could hear it from the sidewalk.
That call is the reason we’re writing this. People hear “all keys lost” and assume it’s a small problem with a small price tag, or they assume it’s catastrophic and untouchable without a dealership tow. Neither is quite right. Here’s what the job actually involves in Altadena, and what you should expect to pay.
What “All Keys Lost” Actually Means
If you still have one working key, that’s a key duplication or replacement job, and it’s cheap. All keys lost means there is no surviving key to copy from, so we have to generate a brand new key from scratch using your vehicle’s lock cylinder or your home’s pinning. For cars built after roughly 1998, that also means programming a new transponder or smart key to your vehicle’s immobilizer. Different job, different tools, different price.
Real Cost Ranges in Altadena
Numbers vary by vehicle and lock type, but here’s the honest range we quote on most calls:
Residential All Keys Lost
- Standard pin tumbler rekey or new key cut to code: $95–$185 per lock
- High-security locks (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Schlage Primus): $200–$350 per cylinder
- Full home rekey (3–5 locks matched to one new key): $180–$320
Automotive All Keys Lost
- Older vehicles (pre-2000, no transponder): $150–$220
- Transponder key cars (most 2000–2010 vehicles): $220–$380
- Push-to-start smart key fobs (2010 and newer): $320–$650 depending on make
- European vehicles (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo): $450–$900
Our Mariposa Street customer had a 2017 Toyota Highlander and a standard residential deadbolt. Her total came to $548 — one smart key generated and programmed, plus a single house lock rekeyed with two new keys cut. She got back into the Highlander in about 40 minutes and into the house in another 25.
What Changes the Price
Three things move the number more than anything else:
Year, make, and model of the vehicle. A 2008 Honda Civic and a 2022 Range Rover are not the same job. Newer European and luxury vehicles require longer programming times and pricier blank keys.
Whether we need to remove the lock cylinder. If we can decode the lock through the keyway directly, the job is faster. If the cylinder needs to come out — common on older Ford and GM trucks around Altadena — that’s extra labor.
Time of day and location. A 3 a.m. call on Christmas Eve up in the foothills near Eaton Canyon will run higher than a 10 a.m. weekday call near Farnsworth Park. We’re upfront about after-hours rates on the phone.
The Process, Step by Step
1. The Phone Quote
Tell us year, make, and model for cars, or the lock brand for homes. We give you a range, not a final number, because we won’t know the exact key code until we see the lock.
2. ID Verification
This part is non-negotiable. For a car, we need the registration and a matching photo ID. For a home, we need proof you live there — a utility bill, lease, or deed. We’ve turned down calls in Altadena where the story didn’t match the paperwork, and we’d rather lose the job than help the wrong person.
3. Generating the New Key
For cars, we decode the lock or pull the immobilizer data, cut the blank, then program it to the vehicle. For homes, we either pick the cylinder open and rekey it, or drill as a last resort (rare, and we discuss it before doing it).
4. Testing and Handoff
You watch the new key work. We give you a second copy on the spot if you want one, and we explain what we did.
When to Choose This Over Alternatives
If you have any working key, even a worn-down spare buried in a drawer, get a duplicate made instead — it’s cheaper. If your fob just stopped working but the key still turns the ignition, you may need rather than full all-keys-lost service.
Full all-keys-lost service is the right call when there is genuinely nothing left to work from — storm drains, lost luggage at LAX, a stolen bag at the Altadena Farmers Market parking lot, or a fire that destroyed the spares.
If you’re stuck somewhere between Lincoln Avenue and Allen, or anywhere else in town, our team can usually reach you within 30 minutes. For pricing on your specific situation or other Altadena locksmith services, give us a call at (818) 398-9391 and we’ll walk you through what your job will actually cost before we head out.
— Locksmith HQ Team
