What does deadbolt installation involve on a home door in Arleta?
A deadbolt is a separate lock from the knob or lever on your door. A spring latch can be pushed back with a bent card or a firm shove. A deadbolt uses a solid steel bolt that only moves when the cylinder or thumbturn moves it. That is why it does most of the work of keeping a door shut.
Installation sounds simple and often is not. The door has to be bored to the right size, the bolt has to line up with the strike in the frame, and the screws have to reach something solid. A deadbolt that is slightly out of line will still lock on the day it goes in. Then it starts to stick, and one hot afternoon it refuses to throw at all. We install deadbolts for the long run, not just for the first turn of the key.
This page covers three jobs. The first is new deadbolt installation on a door that has none. The second is deadbolt replacement, where the old one is worn, loose, or does not match your other keys. The third is double cylinder deadbolt installation, where the door really calls for it. If you are locked out right now, start with our house lockout service. We can sort out the deadbolt once you are back inside.
Single cylinder or double cylinder: which deadbolt fits your door?
A single cylinder deadbolt takes a key on the outside and has a thumbturn on the inside. It is the right choice for the large majority of home entry doors. You can leave quickly in an emergency without hunting for a key.
A double cylinder deadbolt takes a key on both sides. Its one real purpose is a door with glass within arm's reach of the thumbturn, such as a sidelight, a glass panel, or a window set into the door. Without a thumbturn, someone who breaks the glass cannot simply reach in and turn the lock.
The tradeoff is serious and we explain it every time. If a fire starts and the key is not where you can find it in the dark, a keyed-both-sides lock can trap people inside. Many building and fire codes restrict keyed-both-sides locks on exit doors of occupied homes. The rules can differ for rentals and between jurisdictions, so check with your landlord or your local building department before you commit. We will not install one without talking this through with you.
- Choose single cylinder if your door is solid wood or metal with no glass nearby. A double cylinder adds risk there without adding much security, and we will say so plainly.
- Consider double cylinder only if there is glass close enough to reach through, and only where local rules and your household allow it.
- If you do use a double cylinder, keep a key in a fixed spot near the door, out of reach from any glass. Make sure everyone in the home knows where it is.
- If glass is the worry, ask about alternatives too, such as replacing the glass with a tougher panel or adding a high-quality single cylinder lock.
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Call (213) 577-1366How we install or replace a deadbolt, step by step
Here is how a typical visit runs. Every door is a little different, but the order stays the same.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and a person answers, any hour. Tell us what the door is made of, whether it already has a deadbolt hole, and whether you want a single or double cylinder.
- A mobile van comes to your address. We look at the door thickness, the condition of the edge, the frame, and any existing bore holes before we touch anything.
- We choose the hardware with you: the grade, the finish, the keyway, and single or double cylinder. If you want the new key to match another lock, we plan for that now.
- We mark and bore the door. On a new installation we use a hole saw and a door jig so the face hole and the edge hole are square and centered. On a replacement we check that the existing holes are the right size and clean.
- We fit the bolt and cylinder, set the correct backset, and mortise the strike plate into the frame so it sits flush.
- We secure the strike with long screws that reach the framing behind the jamb, not just the thin jamb itself. This single detail does more for real-world strength than most upgrades.
- We align and test. We close the door and throw the bolt many times, confirm it extends fully into the frame without you lifting or pushing the door, and check every key.
- We hand you the keys and show you how the lock works. If other doors in the house should share the same key, we will tell you your options.
Deadbolt replacement: when swapping beats adding
Plenty of calls are about a deadbolt that exists but has stopped doing its job. A key that grinds or sticks, a thumbturn that spins loosely, a bolt that drags across the strike, or a lock that wobbles in the door are all common signs. Another reason is simple: you do not know who has keys. People ask for deadbolt replacement after a move, a breakup, a former tenant, or a contractor who had a copy.
Replacement is not always the answer. If the hardware is sound and the only problem is who holds the keys, rekeying the lock is usually the more economical route. If the deadbolt and the knob set are both tired, a wider lock replacement may make more sense. We will look at what you have and tell you which job fits, even when the smaller job earns us less.
If you are interested in keypad or app-controlled locks, the door preparation is much the same as for a standard deadbolt. That work has its own page: smart lock installation.
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Call (213) 577-1366What should you look for in a deadbolt?
Deadbolts come in a wide range of quality, and the packaging does not always make the difference obvious. These are the things we check when we help you choose.
- Grade: ANSI/BHMA grades run from 1 (the heaviest duty) to 3. A higher grade generally means stronger internal parts and better resistance to forced entry. We will explain what each step up gets you on your particular door.
- Bolt throw: the bolt should extend a full inch into the frame. A shorter throw is easier to defeat.
- Bolt material: a hardened steel insert in the bolt resists sawing and cutting.
- Strike plate: a solid plate with long screws matters as much as the lock body itself. A flimsy strike is the usual weak point.
- Free-spinning outer collar: it makes it harder to grab and wrench the lock off the door.
- Keyway: a standard keyway is easy to copy at any hardware store. A restricted keyway controls duplication. See our high-security locks page if that matters to you.
- Finish and fit: we match the look of your existing hardware so the door does not end up with three different metals.
How much does deadbolt installation cost in Arleta?
We do not publish a flat figure here, because the honest answer depends on the door in front of us. What moves the cost is fairly predictable:
- New installation or replacement: cutting new bores in a door takes more work than swapping a lock into holes that already fit.
- Door material and condition: solid wood, hollow-core, steel, and fiberglass are all prepared differently. A door with old, oversized, or damaged holes may need repair before a new lock will sit right.
- Hardware grade and brand: a basic builder-grade deadbolt and a high-grade restricted-keyway model are not close in price.
- Single or double cylinder: the double cylinder is a different part and calls for the safety conversation described above.
- Frame work: reinforcing a weak strike area or repairing a split jamb adds time and parts.
- Number of doors: several doors in one visit are generally more efficient than the same work spread across separate trips.
- Keying: matching several locks to a single key, or adding a restricted keyway, is its own step.
- Timing: a night, weekend, or holiday visit differs from a scheduled daytime one.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a deadbolt?
We have been in business since 1987, and a deadbolt job is one of the things we have done the longest. We work from a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and run mobile service vans. Arleta is about 18 miles from that base, and the vans bring the tools and a range of hardware to your door.
You deal with one company. Your call goes to us, not to a dispatch service that sells the job to whoever is available. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. If you need help at an odd hour, see our mobile locksmith service for how that works.
One more point matters when you choose anyone to work on your door. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Ask any locksmith, us included, for the license number, and check it with the state before they start work. A company that dodges the question has told you what you need to know.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Deadbolts on Arleta's 1950s ranch-style homes
Arleta is overwhelmingly single-family, built out in 1950s ranch tracts with driveways and detached garages. That shapes the deadbolt work we see. Many unremodeled homes still carry original postwar locksets. If your house is one of them, the front door may have only a knob latch, or an old deadbolt that has been loose for years. Whether you live along the Woodman Avenue corridor, the Osborne Street corridor, the Branford Street corridor, the Canterbury Avenue area, or out toward the Terra Bella Street edge near Pacoima, the same questions come up. Is there a real deadbolt on the front door, and does the back door have one as well?
Home purchases are a common trigger. After buying along the Woodman Avenue corridor, new owners often want fresh deadbolts on the main doors. They have no idea how many copies of the old keys exist. In that case we often install new deadbolts and key them alike, so one key works for the front and back. If the hardware is sound, rekeying may be all you need.
The area's northeast valley heat is a real factor in the 91331 ZIP code. In summer, doors and frames expand, and a deadbolt that was aligned perfectly in March can bind in July. We leave a little working clearance when we set the strike, and we test the lock with the door closed and the bolt thrown, not just by feel with the door open. The area is dry year-round and has no coastal corrosion factors, so quality hardware holds its finish well here once it is installed properly.
Single-family lots also mean doors beyond the front door. A detached garage often has a side door, and many properties have a side gate. A deadbolt on the garage side door makes sense. For other types of lock work, see our lock installation page. For latches on side gates, see gate lock repair.
Keeping a new deadbolt working well
A properly installed deadbolt needs little attention, but a few habits help it last. Use a dry lubricant such as graphite or a silicone-based product in the keyway now and then, and avoid heavy oil, which collects dust. Check the strike plate screws once a year, since they can loosen as the frame moves with the seasons. Do not use the bolt to pull the door closed, and do not slam a door with the bolt thrown.
If the bolt starts to catch during hot weather, do not force the key. Forcing it is how keys snap in cylinders. Call us and we will check the alignment. If a key does break, that is a separate job, and we cover it with our broken key extraction service.
Frequently asked questions
Can you install a deadbolt on a door that does not have one?
Yes. If the door is thick enough and in decent condition, we bore the face and edge holes with a jig, fit the bolt, and mortise the strike into the frame. Very thin or damaged doors sometimes need extra preparation, and we will tell you before we start.
Do I need a double cylinder deadbolt?
Usually not. A double cylinder is only worth considering when there is glass within reach of the interior thumbturn. On a solid door with no glass nearby, a good single cylinder deadbolt is the better choice because you can exit quickly in an emergency.
Is a double cylinder deadbolt allowed on my front door?
It depends. Many building and fire codes restrict keyed-both-sides locks on exit doors in occupied homes, and rules differ for rentals and between jurisdictions. Check with your landlord or local building department. We will talk through the safety issues before installing one.
How long will the installation take?
It depends on the door. Swapping a deadbolt into holes that already fit is a shorter job than boring a new door, and a door that needs repair first takes longer. When we see the door, we will give you an honest sense of the work before we begin.
Can the new deadbolt use the same key as my other locks?
Often, yes. We can key a new deadbolt to match your existing locks if the brands are compatible, or choose hardware so the front and back doors share one key. Tell us on the phone which doors you want to match.
My deadbolt sticks in summer. Should I replace it?
Not necessarily. In Arleta's summer heat, doors and frames expand, so the problem is often alignment rather than a worn lock. We check the strike and the bolt first. If the lock itself is worn, we will recommend replacement.
Do you replace deadbolts at night or on weekends?
Yes. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. Evening and weekend visits are possible, though timing can affect the cost.
Can you put a deadbolt on a garage side door or a gate?
Garage side doors, yes, if the door is solid enough to hold the lock. Gates are different, because they often need a latch or a gate-specific lock instead of a standard deadbolt. Call us with a description of what you have.
What if I do not know whether I need a new deadbolt or just a rekey?
Describe the problem on the phone. If the lock works smoothly and your only concern is who has keys, rekeying is often the better fit. If it is worn, loose, or missing, we install a new one. We will tell you honestly which one you need.
More locksmith help in Arleta
Deadbolt Installation near Arleta
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.