What does it mean to change locks, and should you rekey or replace?
When someone calls and says they need to change locks, they almost always mean one of two jobs. The first is rekeying: we alter the inside of the lock you already have so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over. The hardware on your door stays exactly as it is. The second is replacement: we take the lock off the door and install a different one. Both jobs end with the same result that matters most, which is that nobody holding an old key can open your door anymore. The difference is what is left on the door afterward.
We don't have a favorite. Plenty of customers call us sure they need new locks when a rekey would do the job. Others ask for a rekey on hardware that is worn out and shouldn't be kept. Our job on this page and on the phone is to look at what you actually have, tell you plainly which way makes sense, and let you decide. If you're unsure, that's fine. Not knowing is the most common reason people call.
Why change door locks after buying a house or moving in?
Keys don't expire. When you buy a house, you have no real way of knowing how many copies of its keys exist or who is holding them. The previous owners may have handed copies to relatives, a housekeeper, a gardener, a pool service, a contractor or a neighbor who watered the plants. A listing agent may have used a lockbox during the sale. Even honest people lose keys, and a lost key with no address on it is still a working key to your door until the lock is changed.
That is why changing locks after buying a house is one of the first things we suggest to new owners, ahead of painting or unpacking. It is a small job compared with everything else in a move, and it replaces a long list of unknowns with a short list of keys you can count. The same logic applies if you are simply moving into a different place and have no history on its locks. A locksmith for a new house is really doing one thing: resetting who has access.
- You just bought a home and don't know who holds copies of the keys.
- You moved into a place where the previous occupant's keys were never fully accounted for.
- Keys were lost or stolen, even if you aren't sure they went missing at your address.
- A relationship, roommate or employment situation ended and someone still has a key.
- There was a break-in or an attempt, and the lock or door frame took damage.
- The lock is worn, sticky or hard to turn and you'd rather not wait for it to fail.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How do you decide whether to rekey or replace your locks?
The decision comes down to the condition of the hardware and what you want from it. A rekey is usually the more economical route when the lock is sound, because you are paying to change the key-matching parts and not for a whole new product. We explain that service in more detail on our lock rekey page, and the full swap on our lock replacement page. Here is the short version of how we think about it at your door.
- Rekey when the lock turns smoothly, the latch and bolt line up with the door frame, the finish is acceptable and the lock is a decent quality to begin with.
- Rekey when you want several doors to open with one key. We can set locks to match each other as part of the job.
- Replace when the lock is loose, corroded, cracked, binding or visibly worn from years of use.
- Replace when the hardware is a basic grade you don't trust, or when you want a stronger deadbolt than the one on the door.
- Replace when you want a different style or finish, or when you are considering an electronic lock. Our smart lock installation work covers that route.
- Replace when the lock can't be rekeyed for a practical reason, such as missing parts or an unusual cylinder we can't reliably reset.
How does a lock change work, step by step?
Every property is a little different, but a typical lock change follows the same path. Nothing in it is complicated, and you are welcome to ask questions at any point.
- Call (213) 577-1366 and tell us about the property: how many exterior doors, whether there are gates or outbuildings, and whether you already know what kind of locks are on them. Phones are answered around the clock.
- A technician comes to you in one of our mobile service vans. If you would rather deal with the shop for a particular lock or part, our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood.
- We confirm you are the owner or an authorized occupant. Expect us to ask for something simple, such as closing paperwork or a document showing you live there. It protects you as much as anyone.
- We inspect each lock on the property, checking the condition of the cylinder, the bolt, the strike plate and how the door sits in the frame.
- We recommend rekey or replace for each door, with reasons, and explain the cost before we start work. You can approve all of it, some of it, or ask for a different mix.
- We do the work, then test every lock with the new keys, with the door open and again with it closed, so we know the latch and bolt are actually engaging.
- We hand over the new keys, tell you which key opens which door, and suggest what to do with the old ones so they don't end up in a drawer mixed with the new ones.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What affects the cost of changing locks?
We don't post prices on this page because a lock change is not one fixed job, and a number written without seeing your doors would be a guess. What we can do is tell you what moves the cost up or down, so the quote you hear makes sense.
Because La Habra Heights sits well outside our Westwood base, roughly 29 miles by the distance we track, travel is part of the picture, and it is one reason we want a clear count of doors before we head out. Our mobile locksmith service is built for exactly this kind of trip, and we'd rather do the work in one visit than several.
- How many locks are being changed. Large custom homes often have more entry points than people remember.
- Rekey versus replace. Rekeying is typically lighter on cost when the existing locks are in good shape.
- The grade and brand of any new hardware. A basic knob and a high-security deadbolt are very different products.
- The type of lock: entry knob, deadbolt, handleset, side-door lock, gate lock or an outbuilding padlock.
- Whether you want locks keyed alike, so one key works on several doors.
- The condition of the door and frame. A lock that is fine but sits in a warped or damaged door may need extra work.
- The time of day. Evenings, weekends and holidays are treated as after-hours work.
- Travel to the property and how many separate buildings or gates are involved.
Changing locks in La Habra Heights: what is different here?
La Habra Heights is a rural residential city of custom homes on large lots. Zoning calls for roughly one-acre parcels, and there is no conventional tract development. That shapes lock work more than people expect. Where a suburban house has a front door, a back door and a garage, a property here can have a main house, a guest house, a workshop, a barn and a long driveway with an automatic gate, all of which are part of who has access.
Homes range from 1920s avocado-ranch-era homesteads to modern hillside estates. On the older homesteads, we often find a mix of hardware added over decades, so we look at each door individually before promising a rekey. Newer estates tend to have more consistent hardware, though they also tend to have more doors. Customers contact us from across the city, including the Hacienda Road corridor, the East Road area, the West Road area, the streets near Hacienda Golf Club and the Powder Canyon area at the north end by the Puente Hills Preserve, all within ZIP code 90631.
One scenario comes up repeatedly: a whole-property rekey after the sale of a multi-building hillside parcel. The buyer closes, receives a ring of keys, and has no idea which of them belong to the house, the gate, the garage or the outbuildings. In that case we walk the property with the new owner, list every lock and decide together which ones to rekey, which to replace and which doors should share a key. It turns a confusing pile of keys into a simple system.
The setting matters, too. Hillside and canyon terrain in the Puente Hills runs hotter and drier than the flatlands below, and Santa Ana winds hit the ridgelines hard. Intense sun weathers wood gates, garage side doors and exterior hardware faster than in shaded suburban settings. When we inspect for a lock change here, sun-faded finishes, sticking cylinders and warped wood around a latch are common reasons we recommend replacing a lock that would otherwise have been a simple rekey.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What about gates, barns and outbuildings when you change locks?
A lock change on a large property is really an access plan. Before we touch a lock we like to map every point a person could get through: the driveway gate, the pedestrian gate if there is one, the main house, the garage side door, the workshop and any barn or storage building. Then we decide which of those should share a key and which should stay separate. Many owners keep the house and garage on one key and give the barn or workshop its own, so a contractor or ranch hand can work in one building without carrying a key to the house.
Gate hardware is its own category. Keypads and intercoms involve codes and power, and a new owner should change the codes at the same time as the keys. If a gate lock is failing or the hardware itself needs work, that is a repair job, and our gate lock repair page covers it. We'll tell you straight when something you're calling a lock change is really a gate problem. Barn and workshop locks, padlocks and hasps take a beating from sun and wind, and sometimes the honest answer is that the hardware has reached the end of its life.
For secluded homes set back from the road, particularly off Hacienda Road, owners often want to go beyond a standard lock when they change locks. A stronger deadbolt is a reasonable upgrade, and you can read how we approach that on our deadbolt installation page and our high-security locks page. Once locks are changed, you may also want extra copies for family members, which is handled by our key duplication service, though we suggest making them from the new keys only.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lock change?
We have been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. We run a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood along with mobile service vans, so the person who answers your call works for the same company that sends the van. There is no dispatch middleman passing your job to whoever is available. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
The phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. A lock change often can't wait for business hours, especially when you have just taken possession of a house or someone has a key they shouldn't.
One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for their license number before they begin, and treat a reluctant answer as a warning sign. It is a fair question to put to any company, including us.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What should you have ready before the technician arrives?
A little preparation makes a lock change faster and cheaper to carry out. None of it is required, but it helps.
- Every key you currently have, including the ones you aren't sure about. We'd like to test them and know what is in circulation.
- A rough list of doors, gates and outbuildings that have locks, including any you rarely use.
- Gate codes, remotes and keypad information if the property has an automatic gate.
- Proof that you own or live at the property, such as closing documents or a lease.
- A decision, or at least a preference, on whether you'd like some doors keyed alike.
- Access to every door we'll be working on, and a note of any that stick, drag or don't latch properly.
Frequently asked questions
Should I change the locks after buying a house in La Habra Heights?
Yes, we recommend it. You can't know how many copies of the old keys exist or who has them. On a large custom property with several buildings and a gate, there are usually more keys in circulation than the sellers remember. Changing the locks, and the gate code if there is one, gives you a known starting point.
What is the difference between rekeying and replacing locks?
Rekeying changes the internal key-matching parts of your existing lock so that old keys no longer work. Replacing removes the lock and installs a new one. Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the hardware is in good shape. Replacing makes sense when the lock is worn, damaged, low quality or you want an upgrade.
Can you change every lock on my property in one visit?
In most cases that is the plan. A call ahead with a rough count of doors, gates and outbuildings helps us bring the right hardware. If we find something unusual when we inspect, such as an old lock we can't reliably rekey, we'll tell you and explain the options before going further.
Do you change locks on gates, barns and workshops, or just house doors?
We handle house doors, garage side doors and outbuilding locks as part of a lock change. Driveway gate lock and keypad hardware is common on larger properties here, and we can reset codes and keys. If the gate hardware itself is failing, that becomes a repair job, and we'll say so.
How do I know whether my locks can be rekeyed?
Most standard residential locks in good condition can be rekeyed. We confirm by looking at the lock itself. Older, worn or mismatched hardware sometimes can't be reset reliably, and in those cases we'll recommend replacing it instead of promising something we can't deliver.
How much will it cost to change my locks?
It depends on how many locks are involved, whether each is rekeyed or replaced, the grade of any new hardware, whether you want locks keyed alike, the condition of the doors, the time of day and travel to the property. We explain the cost for your specific doors before work starts.
Will the old keys still work after the locks are changed?
No. Once a lock is rekeyed or replaced, the old keys no longer operate it. We test the new keys on every lock before we leave. If you want, we can also tell you which of your old keys can be discarded, so they aren't mixed up with the new set.
Can you come outside normal business hours?
Yes. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. After-hours and holiday work is treated differently when it comes to cost, and we'll explain that when you call.
Do I need to be home while the locks are changed?
Someone authorized should be present at the start to confirm access and approve the work, and again at the end to receive the keys and see the locks tested. For large properties, owners often walk the grounds with the technician at the beginning so every door, gate and outbuilding is accounted for.
More locksmith help in La Habra Heights
Change Locks near La Habra Heights
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.