Change Locks in Culver City, CA

What does it mean to change locks?

People say they want the locks changed, and they usually mean one thing: the old keys should stop working and a new set should be the only way in. There are two ways to get there, and they are not the same job. You can rekey the lock you already have, or you can take it off the door and put a different lock on.

Rekeying means we open the lock, swap the small internal pins so they match a new key, and put it back together. The hardware on your door stays the same. Replacing means the entire lockset or deadbolt comes off and a new one goes on. Both stop the old keys from working. They differ in cost, in how long they take, and in what they do for the look, feel and security level of your door.

A lock change is also not a repair. If a lock is sticking, jammed or half broken, that is a different conversation, and we'll tell you if that is what you are really dealing with. On this page we stay focused on the situation most Culver City callers are in: you want to control who has keys, and you're not sure what the right fix is.

Should you rekey or replace your locks?

This is the question we get most, and the honest answer is that it depends on the lock in front of us. Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the existing hardware is in good shape. Replacing makes sense when it isn't, or when you want something the old lock can't give you.

We look at the hardware before recommending anything. A lock that turns smoothly, feels solid and comes from a reputable maker is usually a good rekey candidate. A lock that is worn, loose, corroded, or a style you've never liked is usually better off replaced, because rekeying a tired lock just gives you a tired lock with a new key.

• Rekey when the locks work smoothly, look fine to you, and you simply want new keys that nobody else holds.
• Rekey when you want every door on the property to run on one key. We can set matching locks to the same key during the same visit.
• Replace when a lock is worn, loose, damaged, or visibly outdated, or when parts are hard to find.
• Replace when you want a better grade of security hardware, a different finish, or a smart lock. Our pages on lock replacement and high-security locks cover those choices in more detail.
• Replace or add hardware when a door has no deadbolt, or only a basic knob lock, and you want more than a key change gives you.

Changing locks after buying a house or moving in

If you've just closed on a house or signed a lease, changing the locks is one of the first things worth doing. You don't know how many keys were made for the previous owner or tenant, who borrowed one, or who still has a copy on a keyring somewhere. Previous owners, contractors, agents, neighbors, relatives and former roommates may all have held a key at some point. Nothing suggests they'd misuse it, but there is no reason to leave the question open.

A locksmith for a new house does a bit more than swap cylinders. We walk the property with you and count the doors that lock: front, back, garage side door, sliding door, any gates or side entries. Then we help you decide which should be rekeyed together, which need hardware replaced, and which are fine as they are. Many new owners find one or two locks they didn't know about, such as a side gate or a garage service door, and end up much happier having them all on one key.

If you rent, check your lease first. Some leases and local rules cover who may change locks and who must keep a copy. If you are a property owner changing locks between tenants, our page for locksmith for landlords is a better starting point, though we can help with a turnover rekey either way.

How we change your locks, step by step

Here is how a typical lock change goes, whether you call us at 2 p.m. or 2 a.m. The details shift with the job, but the order rarely does.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. A real person answers, around the clock. Tell us what happened, how many doors are involved, and what kind of locks you have if you know.
2. We ask a few questions about the doors, the age of the home, and what you're hoping to achieve, so we can arrive with the right parts. If you are unsure whether to rekey or replace, say so. That's what we're there for.
3. A technician comes to you in one of our mobile vans. We're one company, not a dispatch service that hands your call to whoever is free.
4. On site, we look at each lock before we quote anything. We check how it turns, whether it is loose, what condition the strike plate and door are in, and whether the lock is worth keeping.
5. We explain your options in plain terms, including the lighter-cost option when one exists, and give you the cost before work starts. You choose.
6. We rekey or replace the locks, test every key in every lock, and check that doors latch and deadbolts throw the way they should.
7. We hand over your new keys and tell you what to do about extras. If you want spares, we can cut them on the spot, and our key duplication service covers that.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We don't post prices on this page, because a fair number depends on the job, and any figure that ignored your doors would be a guess. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so nothing surprises you when we quote.

The biggest factor is rekey versus replace. Rekeying uses your existing hardware, so you're mostly paying for labor and small parts. Replacing adds the cost of the new lock itself, and that varies widely between a basic knob set and a high-security deadbolt or smart lock.

• Number of locks. Doing every door in one visit is usually more economical per lock than coming back for one at a time.
• Type and grade of hardware. Standard locks, higher-security cylinders and electronic locks sit in different cost ranges.
• Condition of the existing locks. Worn or damaged hardware may not be worth rekeying, and a lock that can't be rekeyed has to be replaced.
• Door preparation. If a door needs new holes drilled or a strike plate reinforced, that adds work, for example when adding a new deadbolt. Our deadbolt installation page explains what that involves.
• Matching keys. Putting several locks on one key is a small extra step, but it is a step.
• Time of day. Calls in the middle of the night or on holidays can be priced differently than a scheduled daytime visit. If your situation can wait, ask us about it when you call.

Changing locks in Culver City: homes, condos and studios

Culver City is a mix, and the right lock change depends on which part of it you live in. Much of the city is made up of 1940s and 1950s single-family tracts, and neighborhoods like Sunkist Park and Carlson Park are good examples. Postwar homes like these often still have their original garage side doors and mid-century locksets. If you've just bought one, those old locks are worth a careful look. Some are solid and rekey nicely. Others are worn enough that replacing the lock is the sounder choice. Garage side doors are easy to overlook when people change locks, and in these tracts they are often the door that gets missed.

Hillside homes in Culver Crest and Blair Hills have their own pattern: more entrances, side gates and sometimes doors at different levels. A new owner there might find five or six locks to deal with, and putting them all on one key is the practical fix. The same goes for the many homes in the 90230 and 90232 ZIP codes where a previous owner added a door or two over the decades.

Fox Hills carries most of the city's condominium and larger apartment complexes. Condo owners who just bought in will want the unit's own locks changed, but the building's shared entries and mailbox locks are generally managed by the association, so we start by sorting out which doors are yours to change. If you ever get locked out of a Fox Hills unit, that is a separate call, and our 24-hour locksmith service is set up for it.

Downtown Culver City and the new mixed-use apartment buildings around Ivy Station are a different story again. Newer units often arrive with modern hardware, and tenants and owners there often ask whether to move to a smart lock when they change the code or keys. We cover that choice below and on our smart lock installation page.

One small, honest local note: Culver City gets regular morning marine layer, but little direct salt exposure, so hardware wear from weather is mild. Damp mornings can make older wood doors stick seasonally. If a door is binding in the damp months, the lock may be fine and the door itself may just be swollen. We'll tell you if that's the case rather than sell you a new lock.

Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, about 7 miles from Culver City, and our mobile vans serve the whole city.

When a smart lock makes sense, and when it doesn't

Changing locks is a natural moment to ask whether you want a keypad or app-based lock. For some households it is a real improvement: no key to lose, codes you can change when a cleaner or guest is done, and no need to hand out copies. For others, a good mechanical deadbolt is simpler and has fewer things that can go wrong, such as dead batteries.

A fair way to decide is to ask how often keys change hands at your place. If you regularly have guests, workers, or family coming and going, a smart lock saves hassle. If it is just you and a few people you trust, a rekeyed or replaced mechanical lock does the job, and usually costs less. We'll install either one and tell you plainly which we'd choose for your door.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key to change your locks?

There are plenty of locksmith listings in Los Angeles, and not all of them are what they seem. Here is what we can honestly tell you about us.

We have been in business since 1987. That is a long time to keep earning repeat calls in one region, and it means our technicians have seen nearly every lock, from old mid-century hardware to the newest electronic sets.

We are one company with a real storefront and mobile vans. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a call center that sells your job to a stranger. The person who comes to your door works for us.

David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. If a job is unusual or you'd like to talk to the person in charge, that is possible.

We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. If you move in late on a Sunday, or find out at night that a former tenant never returned a key, you can still call. Many of these situations can be handled the same day, and we'd rather tell you honestly what we can do than overpromise.

Our Culver City locksmith page shows the other services we offer in your area.

How to check any locksmith before you let them change your locks

Whoever you hire will hold the keys to your home, so it is worth a quick check. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for that license number before they begin. A legitimate company will give it to you without fuss.

Beyond the license, ask whether the company has a real local address, whether the technician arrives in a marked vehicle, and whether you'll get the cost before the work starts. Be wary of anyone who quotes a rock-bottom number over the phone and then raises it at your door. If you're comparing options, you can see how we operate on our residential locksmith page or call us with your questions. We'd rather you ask than guess.

More locksmith help in Culver City

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

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