Emergency Locksmith in Burbank, CA

What counts as a locksmith emergency?

Not every lock problem is urgent, but some can't wait until morning. The common emergencies we get calls about in Burbank fall into a few groups: you are locked out of a home, apartment, car, or shop; a key snapped off in the cylinder; a door was forced and now won't close or latch; or a lock has failed in a way that leaves the property open.

What they share is that something is either keeping you out or leaving something exposed. A person standing outside a locked door at night with the keys on the kitchen counter has a different problem than someone whose front door was kicked in. Both need help quickly, and both call for different first steps.

This page covers the urgent side of lock trouble: getting you in, making a damaged opening secure again, and removing what's jammed. If you are planning ahead, such as new keys for a house you just bought, that is a different kind of job, and we'll point you to the right page for it.

• Locked out of a house, apartment, car, or business
• A key broken off inside a lock or ignition
• A door or frame damaged by a break-in attempt
• A deadbolt that is stuck, jammed, or won't turn at all
• Keys lost or stolen, and you need the property secured tonight

How does an emergency call with us work?

When you call (213) 577-1366, a person answers whatever the hour. We keep the call practical. We need to know where you are, what you're locked out of or what's broken, and whether anyone is in danger or inside the property.

If someone is trapped inside or a child or pet is locked in a car, say so first. If there is a danger to life, call 911 before you call us. Locksmiths are not emergency responders, and fire and police come first in those situations.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the address, the type of door or lock, and what happened.
2. We tell you honestly what we expect the job to involve and what will drive the cost, so there are no surprises when we arrive.
3. A technician drives to you in one of our mobile vans. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and Burbank is roughly 16 miles from there.
4. On site, we confirm that you live at or are authorized to access the property before we open anything.
5. We open the lock using the least destructive method that will work, then check that the door, latch, and lock all work properly.
6. If the lock or door is damaged, we explain your options, either repairing it or replacing it, and secure the opening before we leave.

How do we open a locked door without wrecking it?

Most emergency door unlocking can be done without damaging the lock. The method depends on the lock and the door. A basic latch on an interior-style knob is a different job from a high-quality deadbolt, and neither is like a car door with side airbags in the panel.

We try the gentlest approach first. That can mean manipulating the lock itself, bypassing the latch, or working through a gap that doesn't touch the cylinder. Many lockouts end with the original lock still in place, working normally, and the only evidence is that you're back inside.

Sometimes that isn't possible. A lock that has been damaged, a high-security cylinder built to resist picking, or a deadbolt that has been jammed from the inside may need to be drilled. When that is the case, we say so before we start and explain what it means for the lock. Drilling usually means replacing the cylinder or the whole lock afterward. We'd rather tell you that up front than let you find out on the bill.

We don't promise that every lock will open without a trace, because no honest locksmith can. What we promise is to tell you what we're doing and why.

What should you do while you wait?

A few small steps can make the visit go faster and keep you safe while you wait for us.

• Wait somewhere well lit and public if you can, rather than at a dark door or alley.
• Have a photo ID ready, along with something that connects you to the address, such as mail, a lease, or a vehicle registration for a car.
• Check the other doors and windows only if it is safe. Don't force anything, since a broken window or bent frame can turn a simple lockout into a larger repair.
• If a key snapped off, stop turning it and don't try to dig the piece out with a pin or knife. That often pushes it deeper.
• If there was a break-in, don't touch more than you need to, and call the police before you start cleaning up.
• Tell us about any alarm, smart lock, or second lock on the door, so the technician knows what to expect.

What happens after a break-in or forced entry?

After a forced entry, the lock is often the smallest part of the damage. The door may be split around the strike plate, the frame cracked, the latch bent, or the cylinder punched or pried out. Sometimes the lock still looks fine and still works, but the door no longer holds when someone leans on it.

Our first job is to make the opening secure so you aren't sleeping or leaving the property with it exposed. That might mean a repair, a replacement of the damaged hardware, or a temporary measure, depending on how bad it is. We tell you which is which.

If keys were lost or stolen, or if someone had access to the property who shouldn't, the lock itself may need attention even if it was never damaged. Re-keying is often the more economical route compared with replacing hardware, because it changes which key works without swapping the whole lock. You can read about that on our lock rekeying page. If the hardware is bent, broken, or worn out, lock replacement may make more sense.

A key snapped inside a lock is a related emergency. We pull out the broken piece and, where possible, keep the lock usable. See our broken key extraction service for how we handle that.

What affects the cost of an emergency locksmith?

We don't quote numbers on a web page because the real cost depends on the situation, and a number that doesn't fit your door would just mislead you. Here is what actually moves the cost up or down:

• The type of lock. A standard residential knob is a different job from a high-security deadbolt, a commercial cylinder, or a smart lock.
• The method needed. A lock that opens without damage generally costs less than one that has to be drilled and replaced.
• Whether parts are needed. If a cylinder, latch, strike plate, or whole lock must be replaced, hardware is part of the cost.
• Door and frame damage. After a break-in, repairs to the door itself add work.
• Time of day. Calls at night, on weekends, and on holidays involve pulling a technician away from rest or family, and that can be reflected in the cost.
• Distance and access. Burbank is about 16 miles from our Westwood base, and a hard-to-reach location, such as a gated complex or a hillside address, can add time.
• The kind of service. An emergency door opening is a different job from a car lockout or a commercial door, and each is quoted on its own terms.

Emergency locksmith in Burbank: homes, apartments, and storefronts

Burbank covers a lot of different kinds of buildings, and the type of building changes how an emergency plays out. We serve Burbank ZIP codes including 91501, 91502, 91504, 91505, and 91506, and the neighborhoods vary a lot from one to the next.

In Magnolia Park, many homes are 1920s to 1940s bungalows, and many older Burbank homes still carry original mid-century door hardware. Old locks can be worn, painted over, or built to a pattern that modern replacement parts don't match. When one of those jams, the first goal is to get the door open without making a bad situation worse. For a house in that situation, our house lockout page walks through what to expect.

Near Downtown Burbank and along the Chandler Bikeway, there are condos and large apartment complexes with controlled access. A lockout there often involves more than one door: the unit door, a gate, a fob-controlled entry, or a building lock that belongs to the property manager rather than the tenant. We work out which lock is yours and which is not. Our apartment lockout page covers the details, including what to do when a lock belongs to the building.

In the Media District, offices and gated lots around the studios have their own hardware, and after-hours lockouts there can involve commercial cylinders, panic hardware, or gate locks. Along Magnolia Boulevard and San Fernando Boulevard, storefronts need a quick answer because an unlocked or broken door is a security risk until it's fixed. See our business lockout service for commercial emergencies.

Travelers parked at Hollywood Burbank Airport sometimes lock keys in a car or lose them before a flight. That is a vehicle problem rather than a house problem, so we handle it through our car lockout service. Tell us which airport lot you are in when you call.

How does Burbank's climate affect lock emergencies?

Valley heat in summer can swell wooden doors, and that is a common reason a door sticks, a deadbolt won't line up with its strike plate, or a key feels like it's binding. A lock that seems to be failing is sometimes a door that has simply swollen, and forcing the key can snap it. If a key is stiff, don't lean on it. Call us before it breaks.

The dry Santa Ana winds that sweep down the Verdugo foothills can swing a door shut behind you, and hillside homes above Glenoaks Boulevard get more sun and wind exposure than houses on the flats. Those homes also tend to have exterior hardware that has spent years in direct sun. Burbank is far enough inland that salt-air corrosion isn't the issue it is near the coast, so worn locks here are usually dry, sun-baked, or just old rather than rusted through.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for an emergency?

When you're locked out at night, you want to know who is coming and whether they know the work. Here is what we can honestly tell you:

• We've been in business since 1987, so the technicians and the shop have seen almost every kind of lock failure.
• We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans, so the people answering and the people working are part of one company.
• There are no dispatch middlemen. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach our own team, not a lead-selling service that passes your job to a stranger.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
• The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
• We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, so Burbank is part of a normal route for us. For ongoing coverage details, see our 24-hour locksmith page.

How can you check that a locksmith is legitimate?

Emergencies are when people are most likely to get taken advantage of, so it helps to know what to ask. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. You should ask any locksmith for that license number before they start work, and you are entitled to look it up.

Other warning signs are a vague company name on the phone, a quote that changes once the technician arrives, a refusal to explain the method, and a technician who wants to drill a lock without first trying anything else. A legitimate locksmith asks you to prove you're allowed to be there, explains what they're doing, and tells you what it'll cost before beginning the work.

If you want to ask questions before you decide, call us at (213) 577-1366. We'd rather you ask than guess.

More locksmith help in Burbank

• 24 Hour Locksmith in Burbank
• Apartment Lockout in Burbank
• Broken Key Extraction in Burbank
• Business Lockout in Burbank
• Car Lockout in Burbank
• House Lockout in Burbank
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