Can a locksmith make a house key without the original?

Written by Magnus Aller, owner of Amco Locksmiths. WA Police-licensed security installer (licence 30629), 25 years’ experience as a locksmith in Perth, Western Australia. Reviewed September 2026.

This question usually comes from one of two places. The only key to the house has gone, or you have moved in and were never handed a key for one of the doors. Either way, the lock itself is rarely the problem. What matters is who else might be holding a key that fits it.

If you are locked out right now, start with our guide to lost house keys, which covers getting back inside. This page picks up from there: once you are in, how do you end up with a working key again?

Can a locksmith make a key for a house lock when there’s no key at all?

Yes. For a house, the usual answer is to rekey the lock so it works with a brand new key. The other is to fit a new lock. Which one is right depends on why the key is missing and what shape the lock is in, and we will tell you which we recommend before we start.

• Rekey the lock. The lock stays on the door. Its insides are reset to suit a new key, and we cut the keys on site. This is the one we recommend most often. More on how it works on our rekeying page.
• Replace the lock. A new lock and new keys. Worth it when the old lock is worn out, damaged, or simply not the lock you want on that door.

Why is rekeying usually better than a copy of the lost key?

Because a key made to fit the old lock is, in effect, one more copy of the key you lost. If the missing one is in a taxi, a stolen bag or a stranger’s pocket, it still opens your door. A rekey gives you a key nobody else holds, and whatever went missing becomes a useless bit of metal.

Think about where the missing key might be. If it went missing with your wallet, a work bag or a set of car keys, you can’t know who picked it up, and we would treat it as a key in someone else’s hands. If you are certain it never left the house, tell us, and we will talk through whether a rekey is still worth doing.

There is a practical side as well. A rekey leaves your existing hardware and the door untouched, so there is nothing new to buy unless the lock is on its way out anyway. It also means the finish on the door, and any holes cut for the old hardware, stay exactly as they are.

A lost key is also a good moment to sort out a house that runs on three or four different keys. While the locks are apart, we can usually bring the doors and the security screens onto one new key, where the hardware allows it. We will tell you before we start if one of your locks can’t be matched.

When should you replace the lock instead?

When the lock is the problem, not just the key. If it’s worn, sticking, broken, or was damaged when someone tried to force the door, a new lock makes more sense than resetting an old one. The same goes if you would rather have a different type of lock on that door, such as a deadbolt or a keypad lock.

A new lock can usually be keyed to match the rest of the house, so you don’t end up carrying a separate key for one door. We will tell you on the day whether each lock can be rekeyed or needs replacing, and why, before any work starts.

What do you need to show before a locksmith makes you a key?

Photo ID and proof that you live there. We ask for photo ID before opening a door or making a key, because we would rather ask you a question than open a door for the wrong person. We also need something showing you live there: a lease, a rates notice or a piece of mail.

That goes for owners and renters alike. If you rent, the lock belongs to the owner, so let your property manager know before anything on it is changed; our guide to changing the locks on a rental explains why. If you have just bought the house and a key never turned up, a rates notice or other mail to the address does the job.

What if it’s a car key you’ve lost?

Then it’s a different job. A car key usually has to be programmed to the car as well as cut, so it can’t be handled like a house lock. Our guide to making a car key without the original explains how that works.

What happens when we come out?

If you are locked out, we get you in first. Then we count every keyed lock on the house, including screen doors and gates, and agree what is being done and the price before we start. We rekey or replace as agreed, cut the new keys on site from the van, and test each door with its new key.

Need extra copies later for family, a tenant or a tradie? We cut those on site too; see key cutting.

We are a mobile locksmith across Perth, Western Australia, and Mount Lawley is the suburb we work in most. The person who takes your call is the person who comes to your door.

How much does it cost to get a key when you have none?

The main factors are the number of locks on the house and whether each one is rekeyed or replaced. This guide doesn’t list prices, but our cost guide for changing locks in Perth sets out how a lock change is priced. Either way, the price is settled with you before any work starts.