Do you need a new deadbolt, or a better one?
Most people call us about deadbolt installation for one of three reasons. The front door has only a spring latch in the knob, which a thin tool or a firm shoulder can defeat. Or there is already a deadbolt, but it's worn, loose, or sticking, and replacing it makes more sense than nursing it along. Or the household has changed and the door needs something different from what the last owner or tenant left behind.
A deadbolt is the one part of a door that does real work against forced entry. A knob lock keeps the door closed. A deadbolt throws a solid steel bolt into the frame, and it can't be pushed back with a card or a screwdriver the way a spring latch can. That only holds if the bolt is long enough, the door is bored cleanly, and the strike plate is anchored into the framing and not just the thin trim. Plenty of deadbolts we see are decent hardware installed badly, and a badly installed deadbolt gives you a false sense of security.
So the first question on any call is not which brand. It's what door you have, what condition it's in, and who needs to get in and out of it. That decides everything after. If you want the wider picture of lock work beyond deadbolts, our lock installation service covers knobs, levers, and other hardware, and this page stays focused on deadbolts.
Single-cylinder or double-cylinder: which one belongs on your door?
A single-cylinder deadbolt has a key slot on the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. You can lock or unlock it from inside with no key. It's the right choice for the large majority of homes, because anyone inside can leave quickly in an emergency.
A double-cylinder deadbolt needs a key on both sides. Double cylinder deadbolt installation makes sense in one narrow situation: a door with glass in it, or a sidelight within arm's reach of the lock, where a burglar could break the glass and reach in to turn a thumb turn. The trade-off is serious. If there's a fire and nobody can find the key, the door becomes a trap.
Because of that, we'll talk through the door before we install a double-cylinder. Some buildings, rental units, and local fire and building rules restrict keyed-both-sides locks on exit doors, and we can't tell you your landlord's or the city's position from here. Ask them before you order one. If you do go ahead, the usual practice is to keep a key in a known spot near the door, never in the lock itself and never out of reach of everyone in the home.
- Single cylinder: key outside, thumb turn inside. Best for most front, back, and rear-unit doors.
- Double cylinder: key both sides. Only for doors with glass or sidelights within reach of the lock, and only where your building allows it.
- Either type can be keyed to match your other locks if you'd rather carry one key.
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Call (213) 577-1366How we handle a deadbolt installation, step by step
Whether it's a first deadbolt or deadbolt replacement, the work follows the same order. Doing it in order is what makes the bolt slide freely instead of binding.
- Look at the door. We check the material (solid wood, hollow-core, steel, or a wood-clad door), its thickness, the condition of the frame, and whether there's already a hole for a deadbolt.
- Pick the hardware with you. We go over single or double cylinder, the grade of the lock, finish, and whether you want it keyed like your other locks.
- Mark and bore. For a new installation we use a hole saw and edge-bore bit sized to the standard residential pattern, with the backset measured to your door, not guessed.
- Fit the latch and cylinder. The bolt assembly goes into the door edge and the cylinder and thumb turn mount through the face, tightened so nothing wobbles.
- Set the strike. The strike plate is mortised flush and secured with long screws that bite into the framing behind the jamb, which is where a kick-in is actually resisted.
- Test and align. We run the bolt with the door open and closed. It should throw fully without lifting or pushing the door. If it doesn't, we adjust the strike until it does.
- Hand over the keys and explain the lock, including where the key for a double-cylinder should live.
What affects the cost of deadbolt installation in East Los Angeles?
We won't quote a number on a web page, because the honest answer depends on your door. Here is what moves the cost, so you can see why two jobs on the same street can differ.
A first-time installation on a door that has no deadbolt hole involves boring and fitting, so it's more work than swapping one deadbolt for another in an existing hole. A direct replacement is usually the more economical route when the door is sound. If the old hole is oversized, damaged, or misaligned, extra repair work comes into it.
Hardware grade is the second driver. Entry-level deadbolts and higher-security deadbolts with hardened bolts, pick-resistant cylinders, and reinforced strikes are different products at different costs. If you're weighing that step up, see our page on high-security locks.
Door material and condition matter too. Steel doors, thin hollow-core doors, and warped old wood doors each need different handling. The number of locks affects the total, since keying several doors alike takes time. So does the hour of the call: after-hours visits cost differently from scheduled daytime work. We give you the price on the phone once we know the door, and we confirm it before any drilling starts.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Deadbolt replacement: when swapping is better than adding, and when rekeying is enough
Deadbolt replacement is the right call when the existing lock is worn, the thumb turn spins without throwing the bolt, the key sticks, or the bolt has been bent by a past break-in attempt. It's also right when the hardware is a low-grade model that was never much of a barrier. Replacement in an existing hole is often quick, because the door is already prepared.
Sometimes you don't need a new deadbolt at all. If the lock is sound but you've lost keys, had a roommate move out, or took over a place with unknown key holders, rekeying the lock changes which key works and keeps the hardware you have. That's often the lighter-cost option. We'll tell you plainly if that's all your situation calls for, rather than sell you a new lock.
If the whole lock is failing or you want a different style, our lock replacement page explains how we approach full swaps. And if you're curious about keyless entry on the same door, smart lock installation is its own job with its own considerations, such as power, door thickness, and how the lock will be used.
Deadbolts on East Los Angeles doors: bungalows, duplexes, and security screens
East Los Angeles has a lot of early-20th-century bungalows, Spanish-style houses, and duplexes on small lots, with denser apartment buildings along the main corridors. Those older doors shape how we install. Many are solid wood that's been painted a dozen times, and the frames have shifted over decades. We often have to clean up an old bore, shim a strike, or reinforce a jamb before a new deadbolt will sit true.
Security screen doors and gated front yards are common throughout the area. They add a layer, but the main door behind them still needs a real deadbolt. The screen door's own latch is usually a light lock, and a deadbolt on the inner door is what carries the weight. We make sure the deadbolt, the screen door, and the frame clear each other, so you aren't scraping knuckles or fighting two doors at once.
Multigenerational households and rear units are another pattern here. A converted garage or back unit often needs its own deadbolt, and a household with several adults and teens coming and going may want one key pattern across doors or deliberately separate keys for the rear unit. We work that out with you at the door.
A few examples of how this plays out in the neighborhoods we serve:
- Belvedere and Maravilla (ZIP 90022): duplexes and small apartment buildings where the front and the shared entry may each need their own deadbolt, and a tenant may be replacing a worn one after a lockout. Our house lockout page covers the entry side of that.
- City Terrace (ZIP 90063): hillside homes and rear units, where a back door sees more sun and wind than a front door on the flats, and where separate keying for a rear unit is common.
- Whittier Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard, and Third Street corridors (ZIP 90023 and nearby): corridor apartment buildings where a deadbolt gets replaced after tenant turnover and where security screen doors share the entry with the main door.
- Eastmont and the Obregon Park area: older single-family homes where the existing door and jamb often need attention before any new hardware will seat properly.
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Call (213) 577-1366Heat, damp winters, and doors that stick
East Los Angeles sits in an inland basin with hot, dry summers, and City Terrace's hillsides take more sun and wind than the flats. Older wood doors can swell in summer heat and then stick during damp winter spells. That matters for deadbolts, because a door that swells will rub the bolt against the strike and make a perfectly good lock feel stiff.
When we install or replace a deadbolt on a door like that, we check how the door sits in its frame in its current condition, not just on a dry day. If the door is binding, a bolt that only just fits will start dragging the first time the wood moves. We leave a little working clearance and adjust the strike with that in mind. If the door itself is the problem, we'll say so and point you toward planing or adjusting the door, instead of fitting a lock that will fight it all year.
Sun and wind also wear finishes and cylinders on exposed back and side doors. A cheap finish on a west-facing door can pit and seize sooner than you'd like, which is a good reason to choose the hardware by the door's exposure and not only by its looks.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a deadbolt
We've been in business since 1987. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile service vans, and East Los Angeles is about 18 miles from our base, so we come to you with the tools and stock to do the job at your door. We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and we're one company. Your call isn't handed to a dispatch middleman who sends whoever is free.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters on a job like this, where success comes down to details nobody sees once the door is closed: bore size, strike depth, screw length, how the bolt meets the plate.
The phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. If you're locked out, that's a different job, and our 24-hour locksmith page explains the after-hours side. If you're a property owner handling several units, our locksmith for landlords page covers how we work with multi-unit buildings and turnovers.
What to ask any locksmith before they drill your door
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), called an LCO license. Ask any locksmith for it before they start work, and check that the company name on the license matches the name on the van and the paperwork. That applies to us as well. It's a fair question and a simple one.
Also ask for the total cost before work begins, what grade the deadbolt is, and what happens if the door turns out to need repair. A reputable tradesperson answers these without hesitation. Be cautious of anyone who quotes a low figure over the phone and then raises it at the door, or who wants to drill out a lock that could simply be rekeyed.
Finally, ask to see the lock working before they leave. You should be able to throw the bolt fully, from both sides if it's a double cylinder, with the door shut, and the bolt should move smoothly with no lifting, pushing, or forcing.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a deadbolt installation take?
A direct replacement in an existing hole is usually quick. A new installation on a door that has no deadbolt hole takes longer, because it involves boring, fitting the latch, and mortising the strike. Old wood doors with worn frames can add time. We can give you a realistic idea once we know your door.
Can you put a deadbolt on a door that doesn't have one?
Usually yes, as long as the door is thick enough and solid enough to take the bore. Most solid wood and steel doors can. Very thin or damaged hollow-core doors may not hold a deadbolt well, and we'll tell you if the door should be reinforced or replaced first.
Is a double-cylinder deadbolt safe to use?
It can be a safety problem. Because it needs a key on both sides, you can't get out quickly if you can't find the key. We recommend it only for doors with glass within reach of the lock, and only where your building and local rules allow it. Ask your landlord or the city first.
Can you install a deadbolt on my security screen door?
Screen doors are usually light aluminum or steel frames not built for a full deadbolt. We generally put the real deadbolt on the main door behind the screen and make sure the two doors work together. If your screen door has a specific lock you want repaired, tell us what you have.
Should I replace my deadbolt or just rekey it?
If the lock is in good shape and you only need to change who has keys, rekeying is typically the lighter-cost option. If the lock is worn, damaged, or a low-grade model, replacement is the better choice. We'll tell you which applies after looking at it.
Will the new deadbolt match my other locks?
It can. We can key a new deadbolt to match your existing locks so you carry one key, or we can key it separately, which many households prefer for a rear unit or converted garage. We'll go over the options before we start.
My door sticks in summer. Will a new deadbolt fix that?
Not by itself. If the wood swells in heat and rubs the bolt or strike, the lock will feel stiff no matter how new it is. We check how the door sits in the frame and adjust the strike. If the door itself needs planing, we'll say so.
I'm a renter. Can I have a deadbolt installed?
Check your lease and talk to your landlord first, since many leases require permission for lock changes and some buildings have rules about key access. If your landlord approves, we can do the work. Landlords managing several units can look at our landlord services.
Do you install deadbolts at night or on weekends?
Yes. Our phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. Cost may differ for after-hours work, and we'll explain that when you call, before anyone comes out.
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Deadbolt Installation near East Los Angeles
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.