Lock Installation in Duarte, CA: New Locks Fitted Correctly

What does lock installation in Duarte involve?

Lock installation is the work of putting a lock on a door that needs one, or fitting a different lock where the old one no longer suits the door or the people using it. It sounds simple, and with the right lock and a sound door it often is. But a lock is only as good as its fit. A deadbolt whose bolt rubs the strike plate, a lever set mounted a few degrees out of square, or a bore drilled a little large will work for a month and then start sticking. It will also be the first thing to fail when someone leans on the door.

At Wilshire Lock & Key we install new locks for Duarte homeowners, landlords, and small businesses. That covers residential lock installation on front, back, garage-entry, and patio doors, and commercial lock installation on storefronts and offices. We have been doing this work since 1987, and the habits are the same whether the door is light or heavy: measure first, prepare the door properly, set the hardware straight, and test it before we pack up.

This page is about fitting new locks. If an existing lock is simply worn out or broken and you want it swapped, that is covered under lock replacement. If the lock is fine and you only want different keys to work in it, rekeying is usually the more economical route. We will tell you which one you actually need rather than sell you the bigger job.

When do Duarte homes and businesses need new lock installation?

Most calls for a new lock installation fall into a handful of situations. Knowing which one you are in helps us bring the right hardware on the first trip.

Sometimes the need is obvious, like a door with nothing on it. More often it is a door that has a lock but not a good one, or a lock that no longer matches how you use the property.

• A door has only a knob lock and no deadbolt, which is common on older interior-to-exterior doors such as back and side entries.
• You bought or moved into a place and want hardware you know the history of, instead of keys that may be in other people's pockets.
• A remodel or new door slab left the opening bored but unfitted, or bored for a lock size you do not want.
• Existing hardware is loose, corroded, or mismatched, and a fresh set across several doors would be cleaner than patching each one.
• You want a stronger security lock on the door that matters most, usually the front or the garage entry.
• A business is moving in, adding a door, or replacing a worn storefront lock and needs commercial hardware that handles heavy daily use.
• You want every exterior door on one key instead of a ring of five.

How do we install a new lock, step by step?

Every installation is a little different, but the sequence below is how a typical visit runs. A mobile van arrives with a range of hardware, so in most cases we can finish in one visit.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and describe the door, the lock you have in mind (or ask us to recommend one), and whether it is a home or a business.
2. We look at the door itself: material, thickness, edge condition, existing bore holes, and the state of the frame and strike area.
3. We confirm the lock choice with you. If the door or frame is not ready for the lock you picked, we say so and explain the options.
4. We prepare the door. That may mean using the existing bores, or boring or chiseling new ones to the correct size and backset. Any damage gets repaired first.
5. We mount the lock body, cylinder, and trim, keeping everything level and the spindle or tailpiece free of binding.
6. We set the strike plate and check that the bolt or latch lands cleanly in the frame. For security locks we use longer screws that reach the framing behind the jamb.
7. We test the lock repeatedly with the door open, closing, and fully shut, from both sides, with every key.
8. We go over how the lock works, hand you the keys, and note any door or frame issue worth fixing later.

Which types of locks can we install?

Not every door wants the same lock. Part of the job is matching the hardware to the door, the frame, and how the door is used. Here is how we think about the common types.

• Front door lock installation: A front door usually needs a keyed deadbolt plus a handle set or lever, and the two should work together without fighting each other. We check door thickness, backset, and frame condition before choosing anything, because a strong lock in a weak frame is a wasted purchase.
• Deadbolts: If your door needs a stand-alone bolt, our page on deadbolt installation goes deeper on bolt throw, strike reinforcement, and single versus double cylinder.
• Lever lock installation: Lever handles are easier on hands and are common where accessibility matters, including apartments and small offices. They come in keyed, privacy, and passage versions, and we fit the right function for each door.
• Mortise lock installation: A mortise lock sits in a pocket cut into the edge of the door instead of a drilled hole, which makes it a bigger and more exacting job. It needs careful cutting and alignment, and shortcuts show up quickly in how the lock feels.
• Security lock installation: Making a door harder to defeat is a combination of a better cylinder, a proper strike, and longer screws into the framing. For pick-resistant and drill-resistant cylinder options, see high-security locks.
• Keypad and electronic locks: These install differently and involve batteries, codes, and sometimes app setup, so they have their own page on smart lock installation.
• Commercial lock installation: Storefront and office doors need hardware built for heavy use, and sometimes exit hardware or closers as well. We match the lock to the door type, whether wood, hollow metal, or aluminum and glass.

What affects the cost of lock installation in Duarte?

We do not publish flat numbers for installation because the same words, new lock, can describe very different jobs. What we can do is tell you honestly what moves the cost up or down, so nothing surprises you when we talk through the job with you before work begins.

• The lock itself: Grade, finish, brand, and type all matter. A basic residential knob set and a heavy-duty commercial mortise lock are not in the same category.
• How many doors: Several doors in one visit are usually the more economical way to do it than coming back for each one.
• Door condition: A door that is already bored correctly is quick work. A door that needs new holes, patching, or repair from forced entry takes more time and materials.
• Door material: Solid wood, hollow metal, fiberglass, and aluminum storefront doors each have their own tooling and fitting requirements.
• Frame and strike work: Reinforcing a weak jamb or fitting a longer strike is often the difference between a lock that looks secure and one that is.
• Keying: Matching several locks to one key, or using a restricted keyway, adds steps compared with a single stock-keyed lock.
• When and where: After-hours visits and the travel to your address are part of the picture. Duarte is roughly 33 miles from our Westwood storefront, and the mobile van comes to you.

What does lock installation look like around Duarte?

Duarte's housing sets the pattern for most of the installation work here. Much of the city is postwar single-family housing from the 1940s through the 1960s along the Huntington Drive flats, mostly ranch homes and modest bungalows. Many of those homes still carry original mid-century locksets and garage hardware. Where a front or back door has only an aging knob lock, adding a properly fitted deadbolt and a modern lever or handle set is one of the most practical upgrades we do. Older doors often need a close look at the bore and the frame first, because decades of use can leave a door slightly out of true.

Up on Duarte Mesa and in the Fish Canyon, Mel Canyon, and Spinks Canyon areas, the homes are larger hillside lots and custom houses, often with more exterior doors to secure. A typical scenario is a sale or tenant turnover. Some owners only need rekeying, but others decide the hardware should be replaced altogether, and that becomes a new lock installation across several doors in one visit, all keyed to a single key.

Climate matters here too. The San Gabriel foothills bring hot, dry summers and periodic Santa Ana winds out of the canyons. Sun-exposed doors expand in the heat, which can make a poorly fitted bolt bind, and wind-blown grit works into exterior locks. We account for both when we set clearances, and we recommend hardware with solid weather-facing finishes for doors that take direct sun.

Near the City of Hope campus and along Huntington Drive, townhomes and apartment complexes mix with visitor housing and storefronts. In the 91010 ZIP code, that means a landlord or property manager may need matching new locks across several units, which we cover in more detail on our page for locksmiths for landlords. Business owners along the Huntington Drive corridor and Buena Vista Street corridor might want a new commercial entry lock, or a fix to a storefront that has seen heavy wear, which overlaps with storefront lock repair.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for installation?

There are plenty of ways to get a lock on a door. Here is what we offer that is worth weighing.

• Since 1987: We have been fitting locks in the Los Angeles area for decades, across all kinds of doors and frames.
• Storefront plus mobile vans: We have a real location at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and vans that come to you, serving 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
• One company, no dispatch middlemen: When you call (213) 577-1366, you are reaching us, not a call center that sells your job to whoever picks it up.
• David's oversight: David, the owner and lead technician, stands behind how the work is done and how it is explained.
• Open around the clock: The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. If you need a mobile locksmith to come to the door, that is how we work.

What should you know before hiring a locksmith in California?

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 company you are considering for their license number before they start work, and check it against the state's records. A legitimate company will not mind the question.

Also be wary of anyone who quotes you a very low number on the phone and a very different number at your door. A responsible locksmith explains what drives cost, looks at the door first, and talks through the job before touching it.

How to prepare for your installation visit

A little preparation makes the visit shorter and the result better. None of it is complicated.

• If you already bought a lock, keep the box and all the parts. Tell us the brand and model when you call.
• Clear the area around the door so we can work at the edge and the frame.
• Tell us about any trouble the door has had, such as sticking in summer heat, past break-in damage, or a latch that does not line up.
• Decide how many keys you want and whether other locks should match them.
• If it is a rental or business, have the owner or manager's approval ready for the hardware choice.

More locksmith help in Duarte

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

Lock Installation near Duarte

• Bradbury
• Monrovia
• Irwindale
• Azusa
• Arcadia
• Baldwin Park