Smart locks
House lockouts
Re-keying
Deadbolt upgrades
Schlage
Kwikset
Car keys & fobsNon-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Get your free estimateLocksmith in Union City, CA
Rekeying is the service we handle most in Union City, and it usually costs between $75 and $160 to rekey a standard lock. Homes across the 94587 ZIP run heavily toward late-1960s through 1980s tract construction, which means original builder-grade Kwikset and Defiant hardware that has been through decades of wear. If you need a locksmith in Union City, call (833) 589-8078 for a direct answer and a firm price before anyone gets dispatched.
Why Union City Homes Are Different
Union City’s housing stock creates a specific set of lock problems you will not find in every Bay Area city. Most of the single-family homes in Decoto, Alvarado, and the Old Alameda Creek areas were built between the late 1960s and the mid-1980s. Those houses still carry their original entry hardware in a surprising number of cases, and a forty-year-old Kwikset knob with worn pins behaves very differently from a new one. The lock still turns, but it has gotten sloppy. Keys stick. The latch no longer lines up with the strike plate because the door has settled over four decades.
The climate adds another layer. Union City gets dry inland-bay summers and real winter rain, and exterior locks collect fine dust all summer. When the rains come, wooden doors swell, and suddenly a deadbolt that worked in September will not throw in January. We do a steady seasonal call volume of strike plate adjustments and lock lubrication here, and it is predictable enough that we schedule for it.
Then there is the BART station factor. Union City sits directly on the 880 corridor, and a massive share of our emergency calls come from the parking structures near the Union City BART station or from rentals clustered around the transit-oriented developments. These are metro-bay lockouts, not just the front-door rekeys of a quiet suburb. The newer townhomes and condos near the station also tend to have multi-point locks and keyed-alike hardware that the older tract homes never had, so we are always switching between two very different generations of hardware in the same afternoon.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Union City Services
Two of our services get the most calls from Union City residents, and each one has its own dedicated page with full pricing and local detail.
Car Key Replacement in Union City
Getting locked out of your car at the Union City BART parking structure or losing your only key near Decoto is a different kind of problem than a house rekey. Most cars from the last decade need a transponder key or a fob that has to be programmed to the vehicle, and dealerships routinely charge far more than an independent locksmith does. We cut and program replacement car keys on the spot for most makes and models. For the full breakdown of what we cover and what it costs in Union City, see Car Key Replacement in Union City.
Emergency Locksmith in Union City
A lockout does not wait for business hours, and neither do we. Whether it is a front door in Alvarado, a rental near the BART station, or a car in the 880 corridor, our emergency response is built into how we operate, not bolted on as an afterthought. We carry hardware for the locks Union City homes actually have, so we can often fix the problem on the first visit rather than just getting the door open. Read the full scope and response details on our Emergency Locksmith in Union City page.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Rekey Locks in Union City
Rekeying a lock in Union City is the fastest way to invalidate every old key that might still be floating around, and on the tract homes and split-levels that dominate the 94587 ZIP it is a job we can usually finish in under an hour per lock. Homes here change hands often, and a rekey right after closing is the single most common request we get. Whether you bought a 1970s ranch in Decoto or a newer townhome near the station, rekeying locks gives you a clean start without replacing hardware that still works. Call (833) 589-8078 and we will give you a firm per-lock price on the phone.
Lock Rekey
Signs you need it
You have moved into a new home, ended a relationship, fired a contractor, or you honestly have no idea how many copies of your key are out there.
What it costs in Union City
A standard lock rekey in Union City runs $75 to $160 per lock, with most homes needing two to four locks done.
How we do it
We disassemble the lock, replace the internal pins so the old keys no longer turn, reassemble it, and cut you a new set of keys, typically in under an hour per lock.
Keyed Alike
Signs you need it
You are carrying a different key for every door in the house and you want one key that operates every entry lock.
What it costs in Union City
Keying multiple locks alike costs $20 to $30 per lock when done at the same visit, on top of the per-lock rekey charge of $75 to $160.
How we do it
We re-pin each cylinder to the same key code so a single key turns the deadbolt, the knob, the side door, and the garage entry.
What Rekey Locks Costs in Union City
| Item | Typical range in Union City |
|---|---|
| Standard lock rekey (per lock) | $75 – $160 |
| Keyed alike (per lock, same visit) | $20 – $30 |
| Service call / trip charge | $45 – $90 |
How fast can you rekey my locks in Union City?
Most rekey jobs in Union City take under an hour per lock once we are on site, and many customers have a whole house done in a single afternoon visit. Call (833) 589-8078 for a firm schedule.
Should I rekey or replace my locks after moving into a Union City home?
Rekeying is almost always the better first step if the hardware is still solid, and on most Union City tract homes it costs less than replacing. If the lock is worn out, we will tell you plainly and give you a replacement price.
Brands We Service in Union City
We work on the hardware Union City homes actually have, and we carry parts for our brands covering the full spectrum. That means Schlage and Kwikset for the everyday deadbolts on tract homes, and Medeco and Yale for high-security cylinders and premium architectural hardware. If you have a Baldwin lockset on a newer custom home or a multi-point lock on a townhome near the BART station, we service those too. Having parts in the van means most jobs here finish on the first visit, not after a trip back to the shop.
Pricing for Locksmith in Union City, CA
| Service | Typical range in Union City |
|---|---|
| Standard lock rekey (per lock) | $75 – $160 |
| Keyed alike (per lock, same visit) | $20 – $30 |
| Service call / trip charge | $45 – $90 |
| Deadbolt installation (basic, supplied) | $90 – $180 |
| High-security deadbolt installation | $150 – $300 |
| Knob / lever replacement | $60 – $120 |
| Mailbox lock replacement | $40 – $100 |
| Filing cabinet lock replacement | $50 – $120 |
| Car lockout (no key replacement) | $60 – $120 |
| House / apartment lockout | $60 – $120 |
What pushes a price up in Union City is usually the age of the hardware. A forty-year-old lock that has never been serviced may need more work than a clean re-pin, and swollen doors after winter rain can require strike plate work. The price we quote on the phone is the price on the invoice, with no call-out surcharge added on arrival.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Union City
We cover all of the 94587 ZIP, from the older flatland neighborhoods to the newer developments near transit. Most Union City neighborhoods are reachable within a short drive from the 880 corridor, and our typical response window for the area runs under an hour for emergency calls.
- Decoto
- Alvarado
- Old Alameda Creek area
- Union City BART / transit village
- Contempo Homes district
Service Area – Cities Near Union City
Union City sits between several Bay Area cities we serve regularly, and if you are on the border of the 94587 ZIP you are still in our coverage area. We handle rekey and lockout work in Newark, CA, Fremont, CA, Fairview, CA, and Hayward, CA with the same upfront pricing and no call-out surcharge policy.
Serving Union City, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Union City area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Locksmith in Union City
Most Union City neighborhoods are reachable within an hour, and often faster if you are near the 880 corridor or the BART station. Call (833) 589-8078 and we will give you a real ETA when you call, not a vague promise.
For single-family homes in Union City, no permit is needed to rekey or replace locks. For condos and townhomes with an HOA, check your CC&Rs, but rekeying is almost always allowed without approval. We can match existing hardware if the HOA has style requirements.
Yes, we cover all of the 94587 ZIP in Union City, from Decoto to Alvarado to the BART station developments. We also serve the bordering cities of Newark, Fremont, Fairview, and Hayward. Call (833) 589-8078 to confirm your address and get a free estimate.
Call Citadel Locksmith at (833) 589-8078 for a free estimate on any lock, key, or rekey job in Union City. We quote the full price on the phone before anyone is dispatched, and the number we give you is the number on the invoice.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local locksmith pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Union City Customers Say
"Quoted a price on the phone and honored it. After the last locksmith I called, that alone is worth a review."
— Eduardo Vargas"Rekeyed every lock in the house the day after we closed. Six doors, all matched to one key, done in about ninety minutes."
— Beatriz Martinez"Commercial job, panic bar and a master key system for a small office. Clean install and clear documentation of which key opens what."
— Holly Ackerman