Change Locks in Athens, CA: Rekey or Replace, Done Right

Should you rekey or replace when you change locks?

When someone calls to change their door locks, the real question underneath is almost always the same: do I need new hardware, or just new keys? Those are two different jobs that share one name. Rekeying keeps the lock you already have and changes the pins inside it, so every old key stops working and a new key takes over. Replacing means taking the lock off the door and installing a different one.

If the hardware is sound, rekeying is usually the more economical route. A deadbolt that turns smoothly, a latch that holds, and a finish that isn't worn through rarely need to be thrown away. Replacement earns its place when the lock is worn out, damaged, loose in the door, or just not what you want protecting your home.

We make that call at your door with the lock in front of us, not from a script. When you call (213) 577-1366 you can describe what you have and we'll tell you what we expect, then confirm once we've looked at it. Our pages on rekeying locks and replacing locks go deeper on each side of the decision.

• Rekey when the lock works well, looks fine, and your only goal is to cut off old keys.
• Replace when the lock is worn, sticky, cracked, or a style you don't trust.
• Replace when you want a different type of lock, such as a keypad or a higher-security cylinder.
• Replace when the lock never fit the door properly or the door was poorly prepared at some point.
• Either way, several locks on one house can be set to work with a single key.

When do people change their door locks?

Nobody changes locks for fun. There's always a reason, and the reason shapes the job. The most common one is a new address. You bought a house or moved into one, and you have no idea how many copies of the old key are out there. Previous owners, their relatives, agents, contractors, a neighbor who once watered the plants. You can't know, and a lock change settles the question.

The other reasons tend to be quieter. A key went missing and you don't know where. A roommate or relationship situation ended. A caretaker, tenant, or worker no longer needs access. Or something happened, a break-in or an attempt, and the old locks simply don't feel like yours anymore.

None of this calls for special preparation on your part. We just need to know how many doors are involved and whether you'd like every lock on one key or separate keys for separate doors.

• Locksmith for new homeowners: you bought and want to be the only person with access.
• Locksmith after moving: you rented or moved in and don't trust the existing keys.
• Lost or stolen keys: you want the missing key to stop working.
• Change in who lives or works at the property.
• Worn or dated locks that you want brought up to date.

How does a lock change work, step by step?

Here is how a typical visit goes. We come to you in a mobile van, so everything happens at the door.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us about the doors: how many, front or back, and whether there's a security screen door or gate in front of them.
2. We arrive, confirm you're the owner, resident, or someone authorized to have the work done, and look at every lock involved.
3. We tell you what we recommend for each door, rekey or replace, and explain what will drive the cost before we start.
4. We do the work. Rekeying means taking the cylinder apart, resetting it to a new key pattern, and putting it back together. Replacing means removing the old lockset, checking the door preparation, and installing the new one square and tight.
5. We cut the new keys. If you need more copies later, our key duplication service covers that.
6. We test each lock from both sides, with the door open and closed, using the key you'll actually carry. On rekeyed locks we also try an old key to confirm it no longer turns.
7. You check each lock yourself before we leave, and we answer any questions about how to use or care for them.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We don't put numbers on a web page because the honest answer depends on your doors, and a made-up figure would only mislead you. What we can tell you is exactly what moves the cost up or down.

Rekeying a few matching locks is usually the lighter-cost way to change who has access. Costs climb when hardware has to be replaced, when a door needs corrective work, or when you want upgraded locks. We explain the factors before starting, and if the plan doesn't suit you, you can say no.

• The number of locks and doors involved.
• Rekey versus replace, since new hardware adds the cost of the hardware itself.
• The grade and type of the new locks, from basic deadbolts to higher-security cylinders or smart locks.
• The condition of the door: misaligned latches, swollen wood, old extra holes, or a loose frame.
• Whether you want every lock keyed alike or kept separate.
• How many keys you need cut.
• The time of day. After-hours and holiday calls are handled differently from daytime appointments.
• Extra work on the same visit, like adding a deadbolt where there isn't one.

What's different about changing locks in Athens?

Athens is an unincorporated community of Los Angeles County, covering ZIP codes 90044 and 90047, roughly 15 miles from our Westwood storefront. Calls here are handled by our mobile vans, and the housing shapes the work. Most homes are 1930s to 1950s single-family bungalows and small stucco houses on modest lots, with pockets of postwar houses near the Chester Washington Golf Course. In Athens on the Hill and the streets around it, many homes still carry dated locksets, sometimes original hardware and sometimes a mismatched collection added over decades.

That is exactly where a lock change makes sense. Hardware that old may have had keys passed around through several owners and tenants, and nobody holds a complete list. Rekeying and changing locks on older bungalows is a regular kind of job in Athens. When a lockset is too worn to rekey well, we replace it and make sure the new one suits the door.

Security screen doors and window bars are common here, and they affect how we plan. A screen door has its own lock and its own key, and we check it while we're there so you aren't left with a new front lock and an old, widely copied screen door key. Many homes also benefit from a stronger deadbolt on the main door while we're already changing locks, and our deadbolt installation page explains what that involves.

The climate matters a little too. Athens sees a morning marine layer and mild temperatures year-round. Salt-air corrosion is minimal, so hardware here tends to wear from age and use rather than rust. Damp winter mornings can swell older wood doors, though, and a door that sticks in January can make a new bolt bind. We check alignment and bolt travel with that in mind, so the lock works in every season.

We work across the area: Athens on the Hill, the Chester Washington Golf Course area, the Vermont Avenue, El Segundo Boulevard, Imperial Highway, and Normandie Avenue corridors, and the edges near Hollypark (Gardena) and Westmont. If you're near Athens Park, Helen Keller Park, or Los Angeles Southwest College and need locks changed, the process is the same.

Changing locks after buying a house: what should you do first?

If you just bought a home in Athens, change the locks as soon as you reasonably can, ideally before you spend your first night there. Closing hands you a set of keys, but it doesn't tell you who else has one. Here is a sensible order of operations.

1. Walk the property and list every exterior door: front, back, side, any garage entry door, and any security screen door.
2. Note other locked items that belong in the plan, such as gates, a mailbox, and sheds.
3. Decide door by door whether to rekey or replace. Sound, newer-looking locks usually rekey. Worn or dated ones are replacement candidates.
4. Decide how many keys each person needs, and whether one key should open every door.
5. Consider upgrades while we're there. A weak or missing deadbolt is the most common one, and some owners want a keypad or app-controlled lock, which our smart lock installation page covers.
6. Handle codes separately. Alarm codes and garage opener codes aren't lock work, so ask the seller or your provider to reset those.

What if you rent, share a place, or manage a small building?

If you rent, start with your lease and your landlord. In many rentals the landlord controls the locks, and changing them yourself may conflict with your agreement. Talk to the property owner before you call us.

Small apartment buildings line Vermont Avenue and the major east-west boulevards in Athens, and property owners there often need locks changed between tenants. If that's you, our page for landlords and property managers explains how we handle turnover work. If you're stuck outside your own unit while sorting this out, see our apartment lockout help.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key to change your locks?

We've been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Athens among them. We aren't a call center. We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and our own mobile service vans, so the company that answers your call is the company that comes to your door. There are no dispatch middlemen passing your job to whoever is free.

David, our owner and lead technician, oversees the work. A lock change is a small job with real consequences for how safe you feel at home, and it should be done carefully, not rushed through.

• Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366.
• Honest advice on rekey or replace, including when the lighter-cost option is the right one.
• Cost explained before work starts, so there's no surprise afterward.
• One company handles the whole job, from the call to the final lock test.

What should you ask any locksmith before they start?

Ask for the license. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and any locksmith you hire should be willing to show it. Ask who is coming, what the work will involve, and what factors drive the cost, before anything is touched.

A lock that works with its key shouldn't be drilled or destroyed just to change it. If a locksmith suggests that for a door you can already open, ask why. If you'd like to talk it through first, contact us or call (213) 577-1366, and we'll walk you through your options.

More locksmith help in Athens

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

Change Locks near Athens

• Westmont
• Gardena
• Hawthorne
• Inglewood
• Willowbrook
• Compton