What does lock installation actually involve?
Lock installation means fitting a lock to a door that has no lock, has a lock you want to upgrade, or needs its hole pattern changed to take different hardware. It is not the same as rekeying, where the lock stays and only the internal pin arrangement changes, and it is not repair, where we fix what is already there. If you are not sure which one you need, describe the door to us on the phone and we will tell you straight.
A proper door lock installation is mostly about the door, not the lock. The large bore hole for the lock body, the smaller hole in the door edge for the latch, the strike plate in the frame, and the gap between door and jamb all have to line up. A good lock in a poorly prepared door still drags, rattles, or fails to catch. That is the part nobody sees afterward, and it decides whether the lock works smoothly for years or becomes a nuisance in the first season.
If your current hardware works and your only worry is who holds a key, rekeying is usually the more economical route. If the hardware is worn or broken but the door itself is sound, lock replacement swaps like for like. New lock installation is the right call when you are adding something that was not there before or changing the type of lock on a door.
When do Lake Balboa homes and buildings need a new lock installed?
Most installation calls come from a handful of ordinary situations. None of them are dramatic, but several are time-sensitive because a door that will not secure properly is a door you cannot leave.
- A door has only a knob latch and no deadbolt, and you want real resistance against a shoulder or a pry bar.
- A contractor hung a new door or a new frame, and nobody drilled it for hardware.
- Old hardware is loose, worn out, or an odd style you want to change to a lever handle or a modern set.
- A break-in or attempted break-in damaged the edge of the door or the frame, and the lock position needs to be rebuilt and reinforced.
- A tenant turnover or a new building owner wants consistent hardware across several doors.
- A small business is moving in and needs its entry, back door, and interior office doors set up properly.
- A security screen door, side gate, or secondary entry has never had a lock at all.
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Call (213) 577-1366How we handle a lock installation, step by step
Every door is a little different, so the order below adjusts, but this is how a typical installation goes from the first call to the final test.
- You call (213) 577-1366 any hour and tell us the door type, whether it is wood, metal, or glass-framed, what lock is on it now, and what you want it to do. Photos help if you can send them.
- We tell you what we think the right lock type is and what will drive the cost, so there are no surprises when we arrive. We are one company, so the person you talk to is not a dispatcher passing your address to someone else.
- On site, we check the door before touching it: thickness, condition, how it hangs, whether it rubs or sags, and whether the frame is solid enough to hold a strike plate.
- We mark and prepare the door, drilling the bore and latch holes to the size the hardware calls for. If a door is already drilled, we check that the existing holes suit the new lock and fix them if they do not.
- We fit the lock body, the latch, and the strike plate, adjusting the frame side so the bolt throws fully and the door closes without being pushed.
- We test it with the door open and closed, from inside and out, and with every key. You operate it yourself before we leave.
- We hand over the keys and explain how the lock works, including any settings, so you are not guessing later.
Which type of lock is right for your door?
There is no single best lock. The right one depends on the door, who uses it, and what you are protecting against. Here is how we think through the common choices.
- Front door lock installation: this is usually a deadbolt paired with a handle set or knob. The deadbolt does the real security work. If you only need the bolt, see our page on deadbolt installation.
- Lever lock installation: lever handles are easier on hands and wrists and are common in accessible and commercial settings. They are a good fit for interior and secondary doors, and a latch alone is not security, so we usually pair them with a deadbolt on exterior doors.
- Mortise lock installation: a mortise lock sits inside a deep pocket cut into the door edge. It is a different animal from a standard bore-and-latch lock, and the door has to be cut accurately for it. If you already have a mortise pocket, we can often fit a modern mortise body to it instead of cutting a new door. If you do not, we will tell you whether a different lock type makes more sense.
- Security lock installation: this covers higher-resistance cylinders, reinforced strike plates, and door edge reinforcement. Our page on high-security locks goes into key control and pick resistance.
- Smart and keypad locks: these suit people who share access with family, cleaners, or guests. We cover that on the smart lock installation page.
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Call (213) 577-1366How much does lock installation cost in Lake Balboa?
We do not publish flat numbers on this page because the work varies too much for a figure to be honest. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost, so you can judge any quote you get, ours included.
Once we know the door and the lock, we quote you before we start. If we find something on site that changes the job, we explain it and you decide before any extra work happens.
- The lock itself: a basic bore-and-latch set, a quality deadbolt, a commercial-grade lever, a mortise body, and a high-security cylinder sit in very different ranges.
- The door: a solid wood door that is already drilled is simple. A door that needs new holes, a metal door, or a glass-framed door takes more care and time.
- Frame condition: a split or loose jamb has to be repaired or reinforced before a new strike plate means anything.
- Number of doors: several doors keyed alike or on a system are usually more efficient than one at a time, since setup and travel are shared.
- Key requirements: keyed alike across doors, extra copies, or restricted keys add to the work.
- Timing and location: after-hours calls and longer drives affect scheduling, and we tell you up front when that applies.
- Existing problems: a door that sticks, sags, or has been drilled badly before may need correction first.
What changes between residential and commercial lock installation?
Residential lock installation is mostly about balancing security with daily convenience: a deadbolt on the front, reliable latches on the interior, and keys that suit a household. Commercial lock installation adds several other concerns: heavier daily use, more people holding keys, doors that may need to be unlocked from inside without a key, and sometimes hardware that has to meet fire or egress requirements.
For a small office, workshop, or shop, we typically look at the entry, the back door, and any interior doors that need separate control. A commercial-grade lever set or a heavier deadbolt holds up better to the traffic than a home-grade set. If you need more than one keyed door, we can talk about how to structure the keying so you are not carrying a ring of unrelated keys.
Our commercial locksmith page covers business work more fully. Here we keep to the installation itself: right lock, right preparation, tested and working.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for an installation?
We have been in business since 1987, and that history is in how we approach a door: look first, drill second. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood along with mobile service vans, so the work is done by the same company you called, not handed off to a stranger through a dispatch network. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees how we work and holds the standard for what a finished installation should look like.
We answer the phone around the clock, every day of the year, at (213) 577-1366. That matters for installation because the urgent version of this job is common. A door gets damaged, a lock is removed, a new tenant moves in at night, and the door has to be secured before anyone can sleep. We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and Lake Balboa is about 13 miles from our base.
We will also tell you when a cheaper-sounding fix is not the right one, and when you do not need an installation at all. Sometimes a lock needs repair or a rekey, and we will say so even if it is a smaller job.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Lock installation in Lake Balboa: postwar homes, Sherman Way apartments, and airport-side offices
Lake Balboa, ZIP 91406, was carved out of Van Nuys as its own neighborhood in the early 2000s, but the housing is classic postwar Valley stock: 1940s and 1950s single-story stucco homes on modest lots. In the streets around the Balboa Boulevard corridor, original postwar door hardware is still common in houses that have not been updated. That has a direct effect on installation. An old front door may have a worn latch and no deadbolt, and the existing bore may not match modern hardware, so we check the hole sizes and the edge of the door before choosing a lock.
The climate matters here too. The neighborhood sits on the Valley floor beside the Sepulveda Basin, with hot, dry summers and somewhat damper air near the basin's irrigated parkland and lake. That seasonal swing produces modest sticking and alignment issues in older wood doors. If a door has moved a little, a new lock fitted without correcting the alignment will bind within months. So we check how the door sits in the frame and adjust the strike location before we call the job done.
Along the Sherman Way and Victory Boulevard corridors there are apartment buildings, and in those the installation questions are different. Landlords and managers often want consistent hardware, and tenants sometimes ask for added security on a door that came with only a basic latch. Older multifamily buildings also have security screen doors and mailbox locks that are worth including in the same visit. If you manage rental units, our page for landlords covers turnover work, and our mailbox lock replacement page covers that part.
On the west side of Van Nuys Airport there are small aviation businesses and offices that need installed locks on entries, back doors, and storage rooms. The same goes for the Vanowen Street corridor and the area around Birmingham Charter High School, where homes and small businesses sit side by side. We work with each door as it is and recommend the lock that fits, rather than a template that fits none of them.
What should you check before hiring any locksmith?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith you are considering for that license number, whether it is us or someone else, and check it with the state. It is a reasonable request and an honest company will not mind it.
A few other things are worth watching for. Be wary of anyone who will not describe how they quote, who gives a price over the phone without asking about your door, or who arrives and changes the story. Ask whether the person who answers the phone is the company doing the work. And ask what will happen if the door turns out to need more than the lock, so you are not hearing about it for the first time with a drill in hand.
Our license number is being added to this site shortly. In the meantime, you are welcome to call (213) 577-1366 and ask us directly about it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you install a lock on a door that has never been drilled?
Yes. We measure and mark the door, drill the bore and latch holes to the right size, and fit the strike plate on the frame. Wood and metal doors are both workable. Glass-framed doors need a different approach, so mention that when you call.
Do I need a deadbolt on my front door as well as a handle lock?
For an exterior door, we recommend one. A knob or lever latch keeps the door shut but is easy to force. A deadbolt throws a solid bolt into the frame, and that is the part that resists kicking and prying. We can install both in one visit.
Can you fit a new lock into my old postwar door?
Usually, yes. Original hardware in older homes sometimes has holes that do not match modern locks, and the door may have shifted over the years. We check the existing holes and the way the door hangs, then either fit the lock directly or correct the door first. We tell you which before we start.
What is a mortise lock, and can you install one?
A mortise lock sits in a deep pocket cut into the edge of the door, rather than in two round holes like a standard lock. We can fit a mortise body to an existing pocket, and we will tell you honestly whether cutting a new one makes sense for your door or whether a different lock type is the better choice.
Will you come out at night for a lock installation?
Yes. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (213) 577-1366. Night calls are often for a door that was damaged or left unsecured, and we can secure it. Timing and distance affect how we schedule, and we tell you what to expect when you call.
Can you install locks for my small business near Van Nuys Airport?
Yes. We do commercial lock installation for entries, back doors, storage rooms, and interior office doors. Tell us how many doors, who needs keys, and whether any door must open from the inside without a key. We will recommend hardware suited to daily use.
How do you decide between installation, rekeying, and replacement?
It depends on what is wrong. If the lock works and you only want to change who has keys, rekeying is usually more economical. If the lock is worn or broken but the door is fine, replacement may be right. If you want a different type of lock or have no lock, that is installation.
Can you make several of my locks use the same key?
Often, yes. Locks can be keyed alike during installation so one key works at several doors. The option depends on the lock brand and model, so we confirm it before we choose the hardware for you.
How much will my lock installation cost?
It depends on the lock, the door, the frame condition, how many doors there are, and when and where we are working. We explain what applies to your job and quote before we start. If something unexpected comes up on site, we tell you before doing any extra work.
More locksmith help in Lake Balboa
Lock Installation near Lake Balboa
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.