What does deadbolt installation involve on an Altadena home?
A deadbolt is the lock that actually holds your door shut. The latch in an ordinary knob is a slanted, spring-loaded tongue, and on many doors it can be pushed back with a flat piece of plastic or a firm shove. A deadbolt throws a solid steel bolt out of the door edge and into the frame, and nothing about it springs back. That is why landlords and most basic security advice start with it.
The hardware is often the easy part. The real work is in the door and the frame. A deadbolt needs a clean round hole through the face of the door, a matching hole in the edge, a recess for the bolt plate, and a strike in the jamb that lines up so the bolt slides in freely without being forced. If any of those is slightly off, the lock binds in heat, drags when the door swells, or never fully extends. We install single-cylinder and double-cylinder deadbolts, align them, and test them with the door open, closed, and in normal use before we hand over the keys.
This page is about deadbolts specifically. If you need a full entry set, a handle set, or several different locks handled on one visit, our lock installation service in Altadena covers the wider picture.
Single cylinder or double cylinder: which does your door need?
A single-cylinder deadbolt takes a key on the outside and has a thumb turn on the inside. It is quick to operate from inside, including in the dark and in a hurry, and it is the right choice for most doors.
A double-cylinder deadbolt takes a key on both sides. Its purpose is narrow: it suits a door with glass within arm's reach of the interior thumb turn, such as a sidelight, a French door, or a glass panel in the door itself. Someone who breaks the glass can reach in and turn a thumb turn, but they cannot turn a keyed cylinder.
The trade-off is real. In a fire or other emergency, everyone inside needs a key to get out, and smoke and panic make keys hard to find. Many building and fire codes restrict keyed-both-sides deadbolts on required exit doors, especially in rentals and multi-family buildings, and the rules vary. Check with your local building department or your landlord before you commit. Our honest advice is that if there is no glass within reach, single cylinder is usually the better choice. If there is glass, we will talk through your options, including how to handle the key and whether a different fix for the glass makes more sense.
Here is a quick way to sort it out:
- Choose single cylinder when the door is solid, or any glass is well out of reach of the thumb turn.
- Consider double cylinder when a pane or sidelight sits close enough that a hand could reach through a broken window to the thumb turn.
- Ask your landlord or building department first if the door is a required exit in a rental, a duplex, or any multi-unit building.
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Call (213) 577-1366Deadbolt replacement: when to swap it and when another fix is enough
Deadbolts wear out gradually, and a lock that works most of the time tends to fail on the one day you need it. Replacement usually makes sense when you see any of these signs:
Not every problem calls for new hardware, though. If the deadbolt is sound and your worry is who might still hold a key, such as a former tenant, an ex, or a contractor, then rekeying changes the internal pins so the old keys stop working, and it is often the more economical route. We will tell you if that is all you need.
If the deadbolt is fine but the whole door is dated, or you want several locks changed together, look at lock replacement. And if you want more resistance to picking, drilling, and forced entry than builder-grade hardware offers, that is a different class of product, covered under high-security locks.
- The bolt does not fully extend, or it only slides home if you lift or push the door.
- The key sticks, needs jiggling, or turns hard.
- The thumb turn spins freely or the cylinder wobbles in the door.
- The finish has worn through to bare metal, or the lock has been forced and the bolt is bent.
- You moved in and have no idea how many copies of the old key exist.
How we install a deadbolt, step by step
Every door is a little different, so we do not run the same routine on all of them. This is the general order of work.
- You call and describe the door: what it is made of, whether it already has a deadbolt hole, whether there is glass nearby, and whether you want the new lock keyed to match your others.
- We look at the door and frame in person, checking thickness, the condition of the edge, and whether the jamb is solid or split and soft.
- We agree with you on the hardware: single or double cylinder, finish, and grade. Nothing gets drilled until you have decided.
- We prepare the door, either fitting the new lock into the existing bore or cutting a new face hole and edge hole with the right bits so the wood does not splinter.
- We mount the bolt, cylinder, and interior piece, then set the strike plate in the jamb with long screws that bite into the framing behind the jamb, not just the trim.
- We align and test: the bolt extends fully, retracts smoothly, and the door closes without lifting or slamming. We test every key, hand them over, and show you how the lock works.
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Call (213) 577-1366What affects the cost of deadbolt installation in Altadena?
We do not publish numbers on a web page because the job decides the cost, not a flat rate. Here is what moves it up or down, so you can see why two deadbolt jobs on the same street can differ:
- New hole or existing hole: swapping a deadbolt into a bore that is already there is simpler than cutting a new one.
- Door material: solid wood, hollow-core, steel, and fiberglass all drill and fit differently, and some need extra care.
- Hardware grade and brand: a basic residential deadbolt and a heavier-duty one are priced differently, and so are different finishes.
- Single or double cylinder: double-cylinder hardware is a more specialized part.
- Keying: matching the new lock to keys you already carry, or keying several doors alike, adds a little work.
- Frame condition: a cracked jamb or a worn-out strike area may need reinforcement or repair so the new deadbolt actually does its job.
- Damage from a break-in: a door that has been kicked or pried may need repair before any lock will hold in it.
- Number of doors, time of day, and distance: after-hours calls and the drive out to Altadena, roughly 26 miles from our Westwood storefront, are part of the picture.
Where deadbolt work shows up around Altadena
Altadena sits mostly within ZIP code 91001, and the doors across it vary more than in most places. Since the January 2025 Eaton Fire, many blocks are a mix of surviving older homes and active rebuilding, and West Altadena was hit especially hard. Deadbolt work looks different depending on where a house falls in that picture.
For homes under reconstruction in West Altadena and East Altadena, deadbolts are often one of the last hardware pieces to go on. New doors are typically prepared to standard dimensions, which makes installation clean. The sequencing matters, though. If final deadbolts are installed while framers, painters, and flooring crews still need access, keys end up with people you may not know. We are glad to talk through timing with you or your builder, and to come back once the finish work is done.
Near the Christmas Tree Lane district along Santa Rosa Avenue and in Janes Village, intact blocks still carry original early-1900s doors and locksets alongside newer hardware. Older solid wood doors can be thick and hard, and an old bore is not always a standard size, so adding or replacing a deadbolt calls for careful boring and fitting rather than force. We try to keep original hardware where a door has it, and place the deadbolt where it works with the door instead of against it.
La Viña is a gated hillside community at the northwest edge of town. The gate controls who comes up the street, but it does not replace a solid deadbolt on the front door. If the gate mechanism itself is the problem, that is gate lock repair, a separate job. Up in The Meadows, the Country Club area, and the Rubio Canyon and Millard Canyon areas, we measure and fit each door on site rather than assuming anything about it.
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Call (213) 577-1366How do Santa Ana winds and sun affect a deadbolt?
Altadena's foothill microclimate runs hotter in summer than the basin, and the dry Santa Ana winds off the San Gabriels carry grit. Wind-blown grit and intense sun are the main wear factors on exterior doors and locks here. Grit works into key slots and the bolt path, and the sun fades finishes and heats up metal doors, which can change how a door sits in its frame through the seasons.
The result is often a deadbolt that starts to feel stiff or catch at the strike. A properly aligned install leaves a little working clearance, so the bolt does not fight the frame when the door shifts. For upkeep, use a dry lubricant in the cylinder, not an oily one that holds grit, and wipe down the bolt and strike now and then.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a deadbolt
We have been in business since 1987, working from a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and out of mobile service vans. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach the company that does the work, not a dispatch service that sells your job to whoever is free. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how we work, including how a deadbolt should be set and tested.
We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including Altadena, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If a door has been kicked in, or a failed deadbolt means the house cannot be locked tonight, ask for emergency locksmith help. Deadbolt jobs are one part of our broader residential locksmith work, so if you spot another weak door on the visit, we can look at that too.
What should you ask any locksmith before they touch your door?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), called a Locksmith Company (LCO) license. Ask any locksmith for that license number and check it with BSIS yourself. It takes a minute and tells you who you are dealing with.
Also ask what kind of lock they plan to install, which grade it is, and what will change the cost before they start drilling. A good tradesperson answers those questions plainly. If someone will not, that tells you what you need to know.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put a deadbolt on a door that does not have one?
Usually yes. We check the door's thickness, material, and edge first. A solid wood, steel, or fiberglass door generally takes a deadbolt without trouble. Hollow or very thin doors may need reinforcement, and we will tell you if a door is not a good candidate.
How long does deadbolt installation take?
Replacing a deadbolt in an existing bore is usually a short visit. Cutting new holes, repairing damage, or reinforcing a frame takes longer. We can give you a better sense once you describe the door on the phone at (213) 577-1366.
Is a double-cylinder deadbolt safe to use in a house?
It keeps someone from reaching through broken glass to turn a thumb turn, but anyone inside needs a key to get out, which matters in a fire. Many codes restrict them on required exits, especially in rentals. Check with your building department or landlord, and we will talk through the options.
Do I need a new deadbolt or just rekeying?
If the deadbolt works smoothly and your concern is who has keys, rekeying is often enough and usually the more economical route. If the lock is worn, loose, bent, or low-grade, replacement is the better call.
Can you match the new deadbolt to my existing keys?
In many cases, yes. We can key a new deadbolt to match your other locks, provided the brand and keyway allow it. Tell us what you have when you call, and we will confirm it at the door.
My home is being rebuilt after the Eaton Fire. When should the deadbolts go in?
Often near the end, once the trades that need access have finished, so keys are not scattered among crews. We can work with you or your builder on timing and install the deadbolts when the doors are ready and the house is ready to be secured.
Can you install a deadbolt on an old Craftsman door without damaging it?
We take extra care with original doors. We measure first, bore slowly with the right tools, and try to keep any original hardware. On some old doors, an existing bore is not standard, and we fit around it. We will tell you before we start if a door has limits.
Do you come to the canyon and foothill areas of Altadena, and at night?
Yes. We serve Altadena, including the areas near Rubio Canyon and Millard Canyon, and the phone is answered around the clock. Altadena is about 26 miles from our Westwood storefront, and we send a mobile van to you.
More locksmith help in Altadena
Deadbolt Installation near Altadena
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.