Change Locks in Alhambra, CA

Should you rekey or replace when you change locks?

Most people who call about changing their locks aren't sure what they actually need, and that's a fair place to start. 'Change the locks' can mean two different jobs, and the difference affects both your budget and how secure the door ends up. Part of what we do is sort that out with you before anyone picks up a tool.

Rekeying means we open up the lock cylinder you already have, change the internal pins so the old keys no longer turn it, and cut new keys that do. The hardware stays on the door. Replacing means taking the old lock off and installing different hardware, which makes sense when the lock itself is the problem. You can read more about each on our lock rekey page and our lock replacement page.

Here is how we usually think it through when someone describes their situation over the phone:

• Rekey when the lock is in good working order and the only concern is who might still hold a key. This is the common answer after buying a house or moving into a new place.
• Replace when the lock is worn, loose, damaged, or visibly low quality, or when you want a different kind of lock altogether, such as a stronger deadbolt or an electronic one.
• Replace when a key has broken off repeatedly, the latch drags, or the lock has been forced and the cylinder or strike is bent.
• Rekey when you want a handsome original piece of hardware to stay on the door but need it to work with a new set of keys.
• Either way, if you want every door to open with one key, tell us at the start so we plan the job around that.

How do you change locks after buying a house or moving in?

When you take possession of a home, you have no real way of knowing how many keys exist. The previous owners may have given copies to relatives, a house cleaner, a neighbor, a contractor, or a real estate agent. Some of those keys were copied years ago and forgotten. None of that is anyone's fault, but it means the safest first step is to make every existing key useless and start from a clean set that only you control.

That's why a locksmith for new homeowners is usually one of the first calls worth making, ideally before your first night in the house. A lock change takes care of this whether you are working with a locksmith for a new house you just closed on, or a locksmith after moving into a home that has sat empty for a while.

If you rent, check with your landlord before changing anything. Lock changes in rentals usually go through the lease and the property owner, and we'd rather you have that conversation first. Landlords who want the work done between tenants can read about our locksmith services for landlords.

When we walk a new house, we count every keyed opening, not just the front door. That usually includes:

• The front entry lock and deadbolt
• Back and side doors, including any door to a patio or yard
• The entry door between the garage and the house
• Sliding door locks and secondary security bars or pin locks
• Side gates, mailbox locks, and any shed or detached garage locks
• Window locks you rely on, if they are keyed

How we change your locks, step by step

A lock change is straightforward when it's planned well. Here's what the visit looks like from your side.

1. You call (213) 577-1366, day or night, and tell us what's going on: new house, new move-in, lost key, or just a wish for peace of mind. We ask how many doors, what kind of locks you have now, and whether the doors open and close smoothly.
2. A mobile van comes to your address. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and the vans go out from there, so the person at your door works for the same company you called.
3. We confirm who we're working for. Because changing a lock controls who gets into a home, we ask for something that shows you live there or own the place, such as a closing document, a lease, or mail with your name.
4. We look at each lock and each door before recommending anything. We check the condition of the hardware, whether the latch lines up with the strike plate, and whether the door itself is sticking or sagging.
5. We explain the options plainly: what can be rekeyed, what should be replaced, and what the difference means for the cost. You decide before we start.
6. We do the work. Rekeyed cylinders get new pins and new keys; replaced hardware is installed and adjusted so the lock turns smoothly. If you want several doors on one key, we set that up here.
7. We test every lock with the new keys, with the door open and closed, hand you the keys, and show you how to tell if the old ones are truly dead. If you want extra copies, we can cut them on site or through our key duplication service.

What affects the cost of changing locks in Alhambra?

We don't post flat numbers for a lock change because the job varies too much for a single figure to be honest. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so the quote you get over the phone makes sense.

In general, rekeying existing hardware is usually the more economical route compared with buying and installing new locks for every door. But that only holds when the existing locks are sound. Putting new keys into a worn-out lock is not a good use of your money.

• Number of locks: a front door and deadbolt is a smaller job than a whole house with several entries, a slider, and a gate.
• Rekey versus replace: rekeying uses your existing hardware; replacing adds the cost of the new locks themselves.
• Hardware grade and brand: basic builder-grade locks and higher-security locks sit in very different ranges, and some brands are simpler to rekey than others.
• Condition of the door: if the door is swollen, misaligned, or has damaged bore holes, it may need adjustment before any lock will work well.
• Keying choices: keying all doors alike takes more planning than keying each one separately.
• Special hardware: electronic locks, mortise locks, and high-security cylinders take more time and parts.
• Time of day: after-hours and holiday calls are handled differently from a scheduled daytime visit.
• Distance: we're based about 20 miles from Alhambra, and travel is part of the picture for any mobile visit.

What should you know about changing locks in Alhambra's historic homes?

Alhambra has several city-designated historic single-family neighborhoods, including the Bean Tract, the Midwick Tract, the Airport Tract, and Emery Park. These streets are full of 1920s to 1940s Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor homes, and many still have their original hardware. If you've just bought a bungalow in 91801 or 91803 and you're looking at a front door that is nearly a century old, the right lock change may be different from what a newer house needs.

Our local scenario here is a common one: rekeying 1920s bungalows with original hardware in Emery Park and the Midwick Tract. Often the original lockset is worth keeping. It fits the door and the house, and it can usually be worked on rather than thrown out. We look at the cylinder, the mechanism, and the condition of the parts, and if the lock can be rekeyed we'll tell you so. If it's too worn, or parts are not available, we'll say that too, and talk through replacement hardware that suits the door. We confirm this in person, not guess over the phone.

Older doors also have their own issue. The western San Gabriel Valley has summers several degrees hotter than coastal Los Angeles, mild winters, and marine-layer mornings mainly in late spring. Vintage wood doors in the historic tracts are prone to seasonal swelling and sticking. A door that drags in the latch can look like a failing lock when the real culprit is the wood. Before you spend on new hardware, let us check whether the door just needs adjusting. We'd rather fix the real cause.

Many of these older homes also have only a knob lock on the entry, or a deadbolt that has seen better days. A lock change is a good moment to look at whether the door needs a better deadbolt. You can read about our deadbolt installation work if you want to add one while we're there.

What about condos and apartments near Main Street and Valley Boulevard?

The housing stock changes around Downtown Alhambra's Main Street district and along the Valley Boulevard corridor. You find mid-rise condos, apartments, and newer mixed-use buildings, which gives the city a large multi-unit share. The lock questions in those buildings are different from the ones in a historic tract house.

In a condo or apartment, the unit door is usually the part you can change, but shared entries, lobby doors, and garage gates are often controlled by the building or the HOA. Before we change anything on a door, we'll ask which locks are yours and whether the building has rules about hardware or keying. Some buildings need a specific lock type or require that management keeps a key, and it's easier to learn that first than to redo the job.

If you're moving into a unit near Main Street, the most useful thing is often a quick rekey of the unit door and any secondary locks, so keys held by the last resident stop working. If you want a keypad or app-controlled lock instead, take a look at our smart lock installation page. Not every door or building rule fits an electronic lock, so we check that before recommending one.

Changing locks between tenants or on an investment property

Because so much of Alhambra is multi-unit housing, a good share of lock changes are turnovers. When a tenant moves out, keys have often been copied, lost, or never returned. Rekeying between tenants gives the next resident a lock that only their keys can open, without the expense of new hardware at every turnover.

For owners with several units, we can plan the keying so one key opens what it should and nothing else. If you manage more than one door, mention that when you call so we can set up the job properly, rather than treating each door as a one-off.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key to change your locks?

We've been in business since 1987, and David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. We're a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, with mobile vans that go out to customers across 140 cities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Alhambra included.

When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us directly, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. If you need help outside normal hours, see our 24-hour locksmith service.

• One company from the call to the finished job, with no dispatch middleman passing your address to someone you never spoke to.
• We explain whether to rekey or replace before we start, and the reasoning behind it.
• We work on historic hardware, standard residential locks, and newer electronic ones.
• We'll tell you if the door needs attention, not just the lock.
• We stay on the lock change you asked about, and we point you to separate services if you need something else.

What should you ask any locksmith before they change your locks?

California requires locksmith companies to hold a Locksmith Company (LCO) license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). It is reasonable to ask any locksmith for that license number before they work on your home, and to check that the name on it matches the company that shows up.

A few other questions are worth asking, whoever you call: Will you tell me the full scope before you begin? Will you explain rekey versus replace? Can I see ID? Be wary of anyone who won't discuss the job until they arrive, or who pushes you to replace every lock without looking at them.

More locksmith help in Alhambra

• Deadbolt Installation in Alhambra
• Gate Lock Repair in Alhambra
• High Security Locks in Alhambra
• Key Duplication in Alhambra
• Lock Installation in Alhambra
• Lock Rekey in Alhambra
• All services in Alhambra

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