What does lock installation actually involve?
Lock installation means fitting a lock where there isn't one, or fitting a new one after the old hardware has come off. On a door that was prepared properly, it can be a straightforward job. But most doors in East Los Angeles were not prepared by one person on one day. They have been drilled, patched, repainted and re-hung over decades, and the new lock has to work with that history instead of fighting it.
People call us for installation in a handful of situations: a remodel or a newly added room, a rear unit or converted garage that never had a proper lock, a door whose old hardware wore out or was damaged in a break-in attempt, or a business opening in a new space. Sometimes the right answer is not a new lock at all. If the hardware is sound and you only want different keys, rekeying the existing locks is usually the more economical route. If a lock is failing and you want the same style back, our lock replacement service covers the swap. This page is about the work where new hardware has to be fitted correctly to a door.
We will tell you which of those jobs you actually have before we start, even when the honest answer is a smaller job than the one you called about.
Which type of lock is right for your door?
The box on the shelf is not the decision. The door is. Thickness, material, existing holes, how the frame is built and who uses the door every day all point toward a particular kind of lock. These are the types we install most often.
- Front door lock installation: usually a keyed entry set or handle set paired with a deadbolt. The goal is a latch and bolt that line up cleanly with the frame so the door closes without a shoulder push.
- Deadbolts: a deadbolt added to a door has its own considerations, from bolt length to strike reinforcement. We cover those in detail on our deadbolt installation page.
- Lever lock installation: lever handles are easier to operate than round knobs for anyone with limited hand strength, which matters in households where several generations share one front door.
- Mortise lock installation: the lock body sits in a deep pocket cut into the edge of the door. It is common on older doors and many commercial doors, and it takes careful cutting, which is why it is not a quick swap.
- Security lock installation: higher-grade cylinders, reinforced strike plates and longer screws that bite into the framing. If that is what you are after, our high-security lock work goes into the options.
- Commercial lock installation: storefront doors, glass doors with narrow frames, rear service doors and office entries. Our commercial locksmith service is the broader page for businesses.
- Keypad and app-based locks: these are fitted differently because of batteries, electronics and door alignment. See our smart lock installation page for that.
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Call (213) 577-1366How do we install a new lock, step by step?
A good installation is mostly preparation. The part where the lock goes in is short. The steps below are how David has run these jobs for years, and how every technician at Wilshire Lock & Key is expected to work.
- We talk it through on the phone. You tell us the door type, whether it is wood, metal or glass, what is on it now, and what you want the lock to do.
- We look at the door in person. Before any hardware comes out, we check the hinges, the frame, the strike area and whether the door closes true. A lock cannot fix a door that is hanging crooked.
- We choose hardware that suits the door. That means matching handing, backset and thickness, and recommending a grade of lock that fits how the door is used instead of just whatever is in the van.
- We prepare the door. Oversized holes get sleeved or filled, mortise pockets are cut cleanly, and the strike pocket in the frame is chiseled so the bolt seats fully.
- We fit the lock and set the screws into solid framing, not just thin jamb material, so the lock holds up to a real push.
- We test it repeatedly with the door open and closed, from inside and outside, and adjust until it operates smoothly without forcing.
- We hand over the keys and show you how the lock works, including any quirk specific to your door.
What affects the cost of lock installation in East Los Angeles?
We do not quote numbers on a web page, because an honest price depends on the door in front of us. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so nothing about the quote surprises you.
- The lock itself: a basic entry set, a high-grade cylinder, a mortise body and an electronic lock sit in very different places.
- The door: solid wood, hollow metal, aluminum storefront and glass each need different preparation, and some take more time to work on than others.
- Existing holes: if the door already has a standard bore and the new lock fits it, the job is simpler. If the holes are the wrong size or have been damaged, repair work comes first.
- Frame condition: a split jamb or a weak strike area may need reinforcing for the new lock to be worth installing.
- How many locks: several doors on one visit, or a set of locks keyed alike, changes the picture compared with a single door.
- Residential or commercial: commercial doors often carry heavier hardware, codes and specific finishes.
- Timing and travel: an after-hours call to a different part of our service area is not the same as a scheduled daytime visit.
- What you have already bought: if you have a lock in hand, we can fit it, but we will tell you honestly if it suits the door or not.
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We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What about mortise, lever and older door hardware?
Older doors deserve a separate word. A mortise lock is built into the thickness of the door, so a poor cut weakens the door itself. We take extra time on those jobs because there is no easy undo once the wood has been removed. When an older mortise lock is still sound, we may recommend keeping it and fitting a new cylinder instead of replacing the whole body.
Lever handles on old doors raise a different question: whether the existing spindle, backplate and latch can take a lever without sagging over time. Heavier levers pull on the latch every time the door is used, and we pick hardware with that in mind.
On commercial doors the issues change again. Narrow-stile glass doors cannot take just any lock, and a rear service door may need hardware that is built to take daily abuse. If your business needs a full set of hardware, a coordinated key system or exit devices, we will point you to the right service instead of stretching a basic installation to cover it.
Lock installation in East Los Angeles homes: bungalows, duplexes and rear units
East Los Angeles is dominated by early-20th-century bungalows, Spanish-style houses and duplexes on small lots, with hillside homes in City Terrace and denser apartment buildings along the main corridors. Across ZIP codes 90022, 90023 and 90063, that mix shapes what installation looks like. An old wood door that has been refinished several times rarely accepts a modern lock without some preparation, and we plan for that before we arrive.
Rear units and converted garages are a good example. Many properties have a second dwelling behind the main house, and the door on that unit was often fitted quickly, sometimes with whatever lock was lying around. When a family in City Terrace wants a rear unit to have its own proper entry lock, installing new hardware on that door is usually the right answer, not borrowing a key from the main house. Multigenerational households make this more common, since different family members may need separate, secure entrances.
Climate matters too. East Los Angeles has an inland basin climate with hot, dry summers, and older wood doors can swell in summer heat and stick during damp winter spells. A lock fitted tightly in January may bind in August, so we leave the right working clearance and check how the door sits in the frame instead of making the lock the tightest part of the door. City Terrace hillsides also get more sun and wind exposure than the flats, which is hard on finishes and exposed hardware, so we steer toward durable exterior finishes there.
Security screen doors and gated front yards are prevalent throughout the area, and that creates a second layer of installation. If you are fitting a new lock on the main door behind a security screen, the two need to work together so you are not fumbling with keys in the dark. Along Atlantic Boulevard and in the surrounding streets, we regularly look at both the screen door latch and the front door lock at once, and fit hardware that makes sense as a pair.
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Call (213) 577-1366Apartments, rentals and storefronts along the corridors
Denser apartment stock sits along the main corridors, and the Belvedere and Maravilla areas have plenty of duplexes and small apartment buildings. In those buildings, installation usually comes up when a door has no working lock at all, when a unit is being renovated, or when a landlord decides to standardize hardware across several doors. Rekeys after rental turnover along the corridor apartment buildings are common, but they are a different job from installing new hardware. When a landlord wants to compare options for a full building, our page for landlords explains how we handle multiple units.
Businesses along the Whittier Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard and Third Street corridors have their own needs. A new tenant moving into a storefront often wants fresh locks on the front door, the rear door and any interior office, and a commercial lock installation lets them start with hardware they know and control. We fit commercial hardware around the door's frame and the way the business operates, from the opening routine to the closing one.
If you are in Eastmont, Union Pacific or the streets near Obregon Park and are not sure whether your door needs a new lock, a rekey or a repair, call us and describe it. We would rather sort it out over the phone than send a van for the wrong job.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for installation?
We have been in business since 1987, and our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood. From there, mobile service vans cover 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, East Los Angeles among them. If you would like to see how the mobile side of the business works, that page explains it.
You are dealing with one company. There is no call center that sells your job to whichever subcontractor will take it. The people who answer the phone work for the same business that sends the technician, and David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. If something about an installation does not sit right, there is one place to take it.
The phone line at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Plenty of installations are not emergencies, and we are glad to schedule them during the day. But a door that will not lock after a break-in attempt does not wait for business hours, and neither do we.
How do you check that a locksmith is legitimate?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a Locksmith Company license, known as an LCO license, issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Ask any locksmith for that license number before they start work on your door, and check it with BSIS if you want to be sure. It is a reasonable question and a legitimate company will not mind it.
Beyond the license, a few other things are worth watching. A trustworthy locksmith explains what they plan to do and why. They are clear about what affects the cost before they start. And they are willing to say when the lock you already have is fine and the better job is a smaller one.
Frequently asked questions
Can you install a new lock on a door that already has a hole drilled for an old one?
Usually yes. If the existing hole is the standard size, many locks will fit directly. If it is oversized, chewed up or in the wrong position, we sleeve or repair it first so the new lock sits solid. We check the door before we recommend hardware.
How long does a lock installation take?
It depends on the door. A standard lock on a prepared door is a relatively quick job, while a mortise lock, a damaged door or a set of several doors takes longer. We would rather give you an honest range after seeing the door than promise a number over the phone.
Do I need a new lock installed or just a rekey?
If the lock works well and you only want to stop old keys from working, a rekey is typically the lighter-cost option. If the lock is worn, damaged, the wrong style or missing altogether, installation or replacement makes sense. Describe it to us and we will tell you which one fits.
Can you install a lock on my security screen door?
Yes. Security screen doors are common throughout East Los Angeles, and we fit or replace their latches and locks. We check how thick the frame is and whether it can hold the hardware properly, and we make sure the screen door lock and your main door lock work well together.
My old wood door sticks in summer. Will a new lock make that worse?
It can if the lock is installed with no working clearance. Older wood doors swell in heat and can stick in damp weather, so we check how the door sits in the frame and set the latch and strike to allow for seasonal movement. If the door itself needs planing or adjusting, we will tell you.
Do you install locks at night or on weekends?
Yes. Our phone line at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For urgent situations, such as a door that will not secure after a break-in, we can come out at any hour. Non-urgent installations can be scheduled during the day.
Do you install locks for businesses as well as homes?
We do. We fit locks on storefront doors, rear doors, office entries and interior doors, along with the hardware that goes with them. Commercial doors often need specific hardware, so we look at the door and the way the business uses it before choosing.
Do I need to be home during the installation?
Someone with authority over the property should be there at the start so we can confirm the work and walk through it, and again at the end to test the lock and take the keys. For rental units, we need confirmation that the owner or manager has approved the change.
More locksmith help in East Los Angeles
Lock 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.