Should you rekey or replace when you change locks?
The phrase change the locks covers two different jobs, and most people don't know which one they need until someone explains it. Rekeying keeps the lock you already own and changes the inside of the cylinder, so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over. Replacing removes the hardware and puts new hardware on the door. Either way, you end up with the result you actually care about: the keys that are out there in the world no longer open your door.
Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the hardware is sound. If your knobs and deadbolts turn smoothly, latch cleanly, and aren't loose on the door, there is no good reason to throw them away. You can read more about how that job works on our lock rekey page.
Replacement is the better call when the hardware itself is the problem, or when you want something the old hardware can't give you. If you're weighing that option, our lock replacement page covers it in more depth. Here is how we usually think about it at the door:
- Rekey when the lock is in good mechanical shape and you just need the old keys to stop working.
- Replace when a lock is loose, sticky, badly worn, cracked, or missing parts.
- Replace when you want a different style or finish, or a stronger deadbolt than the one on the door.
- Replace when you want a keypad or smart lock instead of a traditional key.
- Mix the two when it makes sense: rekey the good locks, replace the tired ones, and keep every door on the same key.
Why change locks after buying a house or moving in?
When you buy a house, you receive some keys at closing, but you have no idea how many others exist. Previous owners hand keys to relatives, neighbors, cleaners, contractors, and friends who watered the plants. Real estate transactions bring more people through a house than most owners realize. Nobody is necessarily acting in bad faith. The point is simply that you can't count the keys, and a lock you can't account for isn't doing its job.
That is why a lock change is one of the first things we suggest to anyone looking for a locksmith for a new house. It is a small job compared to everything else on a moving checklist, and it settles a question that otherwise stays open for years. The same logic applies when you move into a rental, take over a family home, or move after a breakup or a roommate leaving: if someone else once held a key, change the lock.
When we say change the locks, we mean every door that matters, not only the front. A quick walk around the property usually turns up more than people expect:
- Front door knob and deadbolt
- Back and side doors, including any that open onto a patio or yard
- The service door to a detached garage, and the garage itself if it has a keyed lock
- Security screen doors with their own locks
- Gate latches, sheds, and any other keyed lock you inherit with the property
- If a door has no deadbolt at all, that is the moment to talk about deadbolt installation while we're already there
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We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How we change your locks, step by step
We keep the process simple so you always know what's happening at your door and why.
- You call (213) 577-1366. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tell us roughly how many doors, what kind of home it is, and whether you want one key for everything.
- A mobile van comes to your address. Our Westwood storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd backs up the vans, so the person at your door isn't a stranger from a dispatch list.
- We look at each lock before touching it: how it turns, how the latch and bolt engage, whether the door and frame line up, and what condition the hardware is in.
- We recommend rekey or replace for each door and explain the reasoning. You decide. If rekeying is the sensible choice, we say so, even though it's a smaller job.
- We do the work, then test every lock with the door open and closed, checking that the deadbolt extends fully into the frame and the latch catches without forcing.
- We hand over the new keys, cut extras if you want them, and explain which key opens which door. If you need more copies later, our key duplication service is there for that.
Can all your locks use the same key?
Yes, in most cases. Rekeying or replacing several locks to a single key is called keying alike, and most households prefer it. Nobody wants a ring of five keys just to get in the front, back, and garage. We can set it up so one key runs every lock on the property.
There is one trade-off worth knowing. Keyed-alike locks mean a single lost key affects every door. For a house with a lot of people coming and going, some owners keep one separate key for a garage or storage space. We talk through that choice with you instead of assuming.
What affects the cost of a lock change in La Puente?
We don't quote numbers on a web page, because any figure printed here would be a guess about a job we haven't seen. What we can do is tell you what drives the cost, so you aren't surprised and can compare quotes honestly:
- How many locks: a single front door is a different job from every exterior door, the garage, and a screen door.
- Rekey or replace: rekeying existing hardware is usually the lighter-cost option, while new hardware adds the cost of the hardware itself.
- Hardware grade and finish: basic builder-grade sets, heavier-duty deadbolts, and decorative finishes all sit at different levels.
- Keyed alike or not: bringing several locks onto one key takes a bit more work than leaving each lock separate.
- Mechanical versus electronic: keypads and smart locks cost more than traditional hardware and may take longer to set up.
- Door and frame condition: a bolt that doesn't line up with the strike may need adjusting before any new lock will work properly.
- Time of day: after-hours and holiday calls can be priced differently from a scheduled weekday visit.
- Extra keys: additional copies are part of the total.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What does a lock change look like on a 1950s La Puente tract home?
Much of La Puente was built in the 1950s during the area's rapid postwar subdivision. The typical house is a single-story stucco tract home on a modest lot, often with a detached garage. Those houses are now seventy-odd years old, and a lot of them still have original or very old locksets on the doors. If you've just bought on one of the streets near La Puente Park, replacing worn original locksets is often a real conversation, not just a rekey. Rekeying works when the hardware still has life in it; very tired hardware is better swapped out.
The climate matters too. The eastern San Gabriel Valley has hot, dry summers and mild winters, with no coastal salt air to corrode hardware. The main practical effect on postwar tract homes is that wood doors expand and shift with the seasons. A door that starts sticking or a deadbolt that won't throw all the way in July isn't always a bad lock. Sometimes the door has swollen against the frame. We check alignment before we blame the hardware, so you don't pay to replace a lock that just needs the door and strike adjusted.
The same kind of house shows up across the city, from Old Town La Puente to the Hacienda Boulevard and Amar Road corridors, and out toward the Valinda and Bassett border areas next to the city. Whether your address is in 91744 or 91746, the same questions come up on a new-owner lock change: how many doors, how old is the hardware, and who might still have a key.
Owner occupancy in La Puente is high, and many households are multigenerational. That changes the key math. More adults living in one house usually means more keys in more pockets, and a bigger incentive to keep a clean, current record of who has one. For these households, one keyed-alike set for everyone often makes day-to-day life easier, while a separate key for the detached garage or a storage area can keep things tidy.
Security screen doors are a common retrofit on these homes. The screen door usually has its own latch and lock, separate from the main door. When you change locks, it's worth deciding whether that lock should also be rekeyed or replaced, so you aren't left with an old key that still opens one of your entrances. Apartment stock in La Puente is limited and mostly near the major corridors. If you own a rental there, our locksmith for landlords page covers turnover between tenants.
We serve La Puente from our Westwood storefront, about 29 miles away, with mobile vans that come to your address. Storefronts in the Old Town La Puente business district and commercial doors on Hacienda Boulevard and Amar Road are a different type of job, with their own hardware and requirements, so we handle those separately from a home lock change.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What about a lock change after a lockout, lost keys, or a breakup?
A lock change isn't only for new homeowners. The same decision comes up whenever you lose a key, have one stolen, end a relationship, or part ways with a roommate or house sitter. In those cases the question is not whether the lock still works. It is whether someone you no longer trust still has a working key.
If you're locked out right now, the first job is getting you inside. Our house lockout page covers that. Once you're in, it's a good moment to ask whether the lock should be rekeyed so the missing key stops working. We can often do both in the same visit.
If you want to move from keys to a keypad or smart lock, that's a lock change as well, and it comes with a few extra decisions about power, connectivity, and what happens if the batteries die. Our smart lock installation page goes through those.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lock change?
Plenty of companies can swap a deadbolt. Here is what we think actually makes a difference when you're trusting someone with the locks on your home:
- We've been in business since 1987. That is a long time to stay accountable to the same neighborhoods.
- We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile service vans. You aren't calling a number that disappears.
- We're one company. There's no dispatch middleman passing your call to whichever subcontractor is closest.
- David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
- We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
- We'll tell you honestly when rekeying is enough. For the full range of home work, see our residential locksmith page.
How to check a locksmith before they work on your doors
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, called a BSIS LCO license. Whoever you call, whether it's us or anyone else, ask for the license number and look it up before they start work. A company that dodges the question, answers with a different name than the one on the ad, or can't tell you where it's based is a company to be careful with.
Other warning signs are worth knowing too. Be wary of anyone who insists every lock must be drilled out and replaced without even looking at it, or who won't explain what the job includes before starting. You should be able to ask what is being done to your door and why, and get a plain answer.
Frequently asked questions
Should I change the locks when I buy a house in La Puente?
Yes, we'd recommend it. You can't know how many copies of the old keys exist or who holds them. Changing the locks, by rekeying or replacing, puts the keys back in your hands. Most people do it in the first days after moving in, before they've settled into a routine.
Is it better to rekey or replace my locks?
It depends on the hardware. If the locks work smoothly and are in good shape, rekeying is usually the more economical route. If they're worn, loose, damaged, or you want a different style or a stronger deadbolt, replacing makes more sense. We look at each door and tell you what we'd choose.
How long does it take to change the locks on a house?
It depends on how many doors you have, whether you're rekeying or replacing, and whether any doors need adjusting. A single door is a quick job, and a whole house with a garage and screen door takes longer. Call (213) 577-1366 and describe the job, and we can tell you what to expect.
Can you make every lock on my house use one key?
Yes, in most cases. We can key your exterior doors alike so one key covers them all. If you'd like one door, like a garage or storage area, to have its own key, we can do that too.
My wood door sticks in summer. Do I need new locks?
Not necessarily. Wood doors on older tract homes expand in hot, dry weather and can bind against the frame, which makes a good lock feel faulty. We check how the door and strike line up first, then decide whether the lock is the real problem.
Do I need to be home while you change the locks?
We need access to the doors we're working on, and you'll want to get the new keys in your hand. Someone should be there, or you should make arrangements with us when you call.
Can you change the lock on my security screen door and garage door too?
Yes. Screen doors, detached garage service doors, side doors, and gates can be included in the same visit. If you want everything on one key, tell us up front and we'll plan the job that way.
Do you change locks at night or on weekends?
Yes. Our phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. After-hours calls can be priced differently from scheduled daytime visits, and we'll explain that when you call.
Can I switch from a regular key lock to a smart lock when I change locks?
Yes, a lock change is a good time to make that switch. We'll talk through your door, how you want to enter, and what happens if the batteries run out, so you end up with something that works for your household.
More locksmith help in La Puente
Change Locks near La Puente
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.