Change Locks in La Cañada Flintridge, CA

What does it mean to change your locks?

When people say they want the locks changed, they usually mean one of two different jobs. Rekeying keeps your existing lock hardware and changes the inside of each cylinder, so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over. Replacing means taking the hardware off the door and installing new knobs, deadbolts or handlesets.

For security, the result is the same: keys that other people are holding no longer open your door. The differences are cost, how long the work takes, how the door looks afterward, and whether the hardware you have is worth keeping. We do both, and we have no reason to push you toward the bigger job. If rekeying is enough, we will tell you so.

This page is about making that decision and what the visit looks like. If you already know which one you want, our pages on lock rekeying and lock replacement go into the mechanics of each.

Should you rekey or replace your locks?

The honest answer is that it depends on the condition of each lock, not on a blanket rule. A locksmith has to put a hand on the hardware to say for sure, but these are the questions we work through with you, usually on the first phone call.

Rekeying tends to make sense when:

• The locks turn smoothly, the bolt throws all the way, and the latch catches without a fight.
• You like the finish and style of the hardware you already have.
• Your main goal is simply to cut off old keys, which is the situation after most home purchases and moves.
• You want several exterior doors to work on one key instead of carrying a ring of them.
• The cylinders are from a reputable maker and in good shape inside.
• Replacing makes more sense when:
• The hardware is loose, worn, corroded, or damaged, or the key sticks and grinds even though nothing is broken.
• You want a different look, or the doors currently have a mix of mismatched hardware from different eras.
• You want to step up to a higher-security cylinder or add a deadbolt where there is only a spring latch.
• You are interested in keypad or app-based entry. Our smart lock installation page covers what that involves.
• Someone has already forced or tampered with the lock.

Just bought a house or moved in? Change the locks first

If you are looking for a locksmith for a new house, this is the single most useful thing we can tell you: you have no way of knowing how many keys to your home exist. Previous owners, their relatives, listing agents, contractors, cleaners, dog walkers and neighbors may all have held one at some point. Most of them are honest people, and it does not matter. A lock change turns an unknown number of keys into a number you control.

Do it before you settle in, ideally the day you get possession. Walk the property with a list rather than relying on memory. The doors people forget are usually the ones that matter:

Think through the front door, the back and side doors, the door from the house into the garage, any detached garage or workshop, shed and storage locks, and gates. Mailbox locks are a separate item that is easy to overlook.

If you rent, check your lease and talk to your landlord before altering anything. Locks are generally the owner's property, and you do not want a dispute over a door you changed without asking.

One practical note: garage door opener codes, alarm codes and wifi passwords are separate from the keys. Reset those yourself on move-in day as well. And if you arrive with boxes in hand and discover no key works, that is a house lockout situation, and we can handle it first and then talk about changing the locks.

How a lock change works with us, step by step

There is nothing mysterious about the process, and you should be able to follow it as it happens.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. A person answers at any hour, any day. Tell us how many doors, what kind of property it is, and why you are changing locks. If you know the brand of the hardware, great. If not, a photo helps.
2. For most homes in La Cañada Flintridge, we come to you in a mobile van. You do not need to bring the locks anywhere.
3. We ask for proof that you own or live at the property, such as ID that matches the address or closing paperwork. This is normal for a legitimate locksmith. A company that skips it is a company that would open anyone's door.
4. We look at every lock you want changed. For each one we tell you plainly whether rekeying is enough or whether the hardware should be replaced, and why.
5. Before we start work, we talk through what the job will involve and what affects the cost, so there are no surprises when it is finished.
6. We do the work, then test every lock with the new keys, with the door open and again with it closed, to be sure the latch and bolt line up properly.
7. We hand over the new keys, take the old hardware or parts if you want them gone, and tell you what we would suggest for spares. If you want extra copies, our key duplication service can handle that.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We do not publish numbers on a web page, because the honest price depends on your actual doors. What we can do is explain what moves the cost up or down, so you can judge any quote you receive, ours or anyone else's.

Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the existing hardware is sound, since you are not paying for new hardware. But it is not automatic. A lock that is worn out or damaged can cost more to rekey and fix than to replace, and in that case replacing is the sensible choice.

• The number of locks. Each cylinder has to be dealt with individually, so a whole-house job takes more time than a single door.
• Rekey versus replace. New hardware adds its own cost, and the grade and finish you choose changes it considerably.
• Keyed alike or not. Setting several doors to one key is a convenience that takes extra care when we assemble the cylinders.
• Security level. Restricted keyways and high-security cylinders cost more than standard ones, and for good reason.
• The condition of the door. If a door has shifted, swollen, or dried out so the bolt no longer lines up, the lock cannot work properly until that is addressed.
• Special locks. Gates, older mortise locks, and unusual hardware can need more time or parts.
• Time of day and distance. A visit at two in the morning is not the same as a weekday appointment, and travel distance is part of any mobile service.
• Whether anything else is wrong, such as a broken key stuck in a cylinder or a damaged strike plate.

Changing locks in La Cañada Flintridge: what the town's homes call for

La Cañada Flintridge is almost entirely single-family housing, with large-lot mid-century ranch homes, custom hillside houses, and older Flintridge estates. Multifamily buildings are minimal. That shapes what a lock change looks like here. It is rarely one apartment door. It is usually a whole house with a front door, side and back doors, an interior garage door, perhaps a detached garage, and often a driveway or perimeter gate. A thorough job means going around the whole property, not just the front step.

In Alta Canyada, we think often about rekeying mid-century ranch homes. These houses have been through a lot of owners and a lot of repairs, so it is common to find hardware from several different decades on one house. Rekeying lets everything work on a single key without tearing out hardware that still functions. In Flintridge itself, the estates often have long gated driveways and perimeter gates, and a lock change there should include a conversation about the gate too. We cover that under gate lock repair. On larger hillside properties, many owners use a new-house moment to step up to better cylinders and deadbolts, and our high-security locks page explains those options.

Many properties here back onto open foothill terrain, so rear and side doors deserve as much attention as the front. A lock change should not leave the quiet side of the house with the weakest hardware.

The climate matters too. La Cañada Flintridge runs hotter and windier than the basin during Santa Ana events, and strong sun on south-facing slopes dries out wood doors and trim. A door that has dried and shifted can make a deadbolt bind or miss its strike plate. New locks will not cure that, so we check how the door sits before and after the work. Winter storms can also hit the canyon edges hard, which is another reason to look at older exterior hardware.

We serve the whole city, ZIP code 91011, including Flintridge, Alta Canyada, the Sagebrush area in west LCF, the Paradise Canyon area, the Foothill Boulevard corridor around the town center, the Descanso Gardens area, the Angeles Crest Highway corridor, and the edge near La Crescenta. Our storefront is on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, about 22 miles away, and our mobile vans do the driving so you do not have to.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key?

We have been in business since 1987, and that history shapes how we work. We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, plus mobile vans that go out to customers. When you call, you reach us, not a national call center that sells your job to whoever picks it up. There are no dispatch middlemen between you and the person who shows up.

David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That means when a job is tricky, such as an old lock that does not want to cooperate or a property with unusual doors, there is someone with real accountability in the chain.

Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year. People change locks at all hours: after a break-in, after a breakup, after closing on a house late on a Friday. We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, but you are not a number to us. You are a household with specific doors, and we want to explain what you actually need.

How to check any locksmith before they touch your door

California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, issued through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. Ask any locksmith you are thinking of hiring for their license number, and check it yourself before work begins. This is especially important for lock changes, because the person doing the work will end up with knowledge of how your home is secured.

A few other signs of a legitimate company: they answer the phone with a real business name, they ask you to prove you live at the address, they explain the work and what affects the cost before starting, and they can tell you where their shop is. Be careful with anyone who stays vague about all of that.

More locksmith help in La Cañada Flintridge

• Deadbolt Installation in La Cañada Flintridge
• Gate Lock Repair in La Cañada Flintridge
• High Security Locks in La Cañada Flintridge
• Key Duplication in La Cañada Flintridge
• Lock Installation in La Cañada Flintridge
• Lock Rekey in La Cañada Flintridge
• All services in La Cañada Flintridge

Change Locks near La Cañada Flintridge

• Glendale
• Pasadena
• Altadena
• Burbank
• South Pasadena

Related articles

• Emergency Car Lockout Checklist for La Cañada FlintridgeA calm, step-by-step checklist for getting back into your car in La Cañada Flintridge without damage or guesswork.