Locksmith in Lakewood, CA: home, business, car and emergency service

What does a locksmith visit in Lakewood usually involve?

Most Lakewood calls fall into four groups. Someone is locked out and needs back in. A homeowner has original 1950s hardware that is wearing out. A shop owner has a door that won't latch or lock. Or a driver has a key problem in a parking lot. We handle all four from one company: Wilshire Lock & Key, with a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans. The phone, (213) 577-1366, is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.

This page is the overview of everything we do in the city. Each section below points to a more detailed page for that kind of work. If you can't tell which category your problem belongs in, call and describe what's happening. We'll sort it out on the phone and tell you plainly what the job involves.

What should you do if you're locked out in Lakewood?

Call (213) 577-1366. A person answers at any hour. Our emergency locksmith service in Lakewood covers the usual late-night problems: a front door pulled shut with the keys inside, a key snapped off in a deadbolt, a lock that stopped turning, or a door that was forced and now won't secure.

On most residential doors we start with non-destructive entry. Drilling is a last resort, and we tell you before we do it. For apartments along South Street and Candlewood Street, apartment lockout help works a little differently, because the lock may belong to the building. We'll ask for proof you live there, such as ID that matches the address or a lease, and for the manager's okay where the hardware isn't yours.

One safety note: if you think someone unauthorized is inside, or you feel unsafe, call 911 first and call us afterward.

How are home locks handled in Lakewood's 1950s ranch houses?

Lakewood went up quickly. Roughly 17,500 compact single-story tract homes were built between 1950 and 1953, and that stock still dominates the city. Many of those houses still carry decades-old knob and deadbolt hardware. That shapes most of our home work here. Our residential locksmith work in Lakewood is mostly about making old doors secure again without replacing more than you need to.

Typical home jobs on these lots include:

• Rekeying, so keys held by previous owners, former tenants or old contractors stop working. Lock rekeying keeps the hardware you already have and changes what's inside it.
• Replacing worn knobsets and deadbolts that stick, spin freely, or no longer line up with the strike plate.
• Adding a deadbolt to a door that has only a knob lock.
• Side-yard gate latches and hasps. Gate and garage side doors are near-universal on these lots, and gate lock repair is a regular request.
• Garage side-door locks, duplicate keys, and mailbox lock replacement.

Who handles storefront and business locks in Lakewood?

Commercial work here centers on the busy streets: Lakewood Boulevard, South Street and Del Amo Boulevard, plus the Lakewood Center district. A storefront door takes far more daily wear than a house door. Latches loosen, closers stop closing, and a lock that's been fighting the door for months finally gives up at closing time.

Our commercial locksmith service covers lockouts, rekeying after an employee leaves, and replacing failed hardware. For a door that won't latch or secure, storefront lock repair is usually the first call. We also install and repair panic bars, door closers and commercial door hardware, set up master key systems, and install access control. We'll tell you whether a repair or replacement makes more sense for the door in front of us.

Can you help with car keys and lockouts around Lakewood?

Yes. Shopper car lockouts around Lakewood Center mall are one of the most common car calls we see in the city. You set your keys down, the door closes, and you're standing in a parking area. A car lockout is often the simplest automotive job, and we come to your vehicle.

Our broader automotive locksmith service also covers lost keys, key fobs, transponder key programming and ignition repair. Here we are careful about what we promise. Whether we can cut and program a key depends on the make, model, year and key type, so we confirm by VIN and in person before we start. A few vehicles are dealer-only, and when yours is one of them we say so rather than let you wait on us for nothing.

How does a call to Wilshire Lock & Key work?

The process is the same whether it's noon on a weekday or the middle of the night.

The steps:

1. Call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the address, the nearest cross street, and what's wrong.
2. We ask a few questions: the type of door or vehicle, whether the lock is a knob or deadbolt, whether the key broke, and whether anyone is at risk.
3. We explain what affects the cost for your situation and give you an honest arrival estimate. Our base is in Westwood, 29 miles away, and traffic on the way is a real factor.
4. The technician arrives and confirms you're entitled to the access, with ID matching the address, a lease, or vehicle registration.
5. We use the least destructive method that works, and we explain what we're doing and why.
6. We go over the cost before the work begins, finish the job, and test every lock and key with you before we leave.

What affects the cost of locksmith work in Lakewood?

We don't quote numbers on a web page, because the honest answer depends on the job. These are the factors that move the cost:

• The type of work. Getting through a door is a different job from replacing a deadbolt or programming a car key.
• The hours. Calls in the middle of the night or on a holiday cost more to staff than a weekday appointment.
• The hardware. Standard knobsets are one thing, and high-security cylinders or smart locks are another. Older 1950s hardware sometimes can't be rekeyed cleanly and has to be replaced.
• The condition of the door. Damp winters can swell older wood doors, and a swollen door that binds in the frame may need adjusting along with the lock.
• Rekey versus replace. Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the lock is still in good shape. Replacement makes sense when it's worn out or you want something stronger.
• The vehicle. Year, make, key type and whether the work is dealer-only all change what's involved.
• Distance and scope. We travel from Westwood, 29 miles away, and a job with many doors or locks takes longer than a single door.

Why do Lakewood's postwar homes keep needing lock work?

Lakewood is a flat coastal-plain city several miles inland. You get morning marine layer and mild temperatures. Salt-air corrosion is minor here compared with shoreline Long Beach, so lock bodies don't usually rust out the way they do right at the water. The bigger weather factor is damp winters, which can swell older wood doors until the bolt drags against the strike.

The age of the housing matters more than the climate. Nearly every house was built in a short window in the early 1950s, so original or aging hardware is everywhere, and so are the same weak points: knob-only entries, loose strike plates, worn side gates, and garage side doors that share one old key. Apartments are limited here and sit mostly along major corridors such as South Street and Candlewood Street. That's why the local jobs we see most often are these:

• Rekeying tract homes that still have original or aging hardware
• Side-gate and garage side-door lock work on postwar ranch lots
• Shopper car lockouts around Lakewood Center mall
• Storefront lock service along Lakewood Boulevard, South Street and Del Amo Boulevard
• Apartment lockouts along Candlewood Street near the mall

Which parts of Lakewood do we serve?

We work across the whole city, including ZIP codes 90712, 90713 and 90715. That covers Lakewood Park, Lakewood Mutuals, Lakewood Gardens, Lakewood Country Club Estates, Mayfair, the Lakewood Center district, and the Del Valle Park area. We also work near Carson Park on the Long Beach border and near Lakewood Village in Long Beach.

If you're not sure how to describe where you are, use a landmark. Mayfair Park, Del Valle Park, Rynerson Park, Monte Verde Park, Lakewood Civic Center, Lakewood Country Club and the Lakewood Equestrian Center all work fine as reference points. We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and you can see the full list on our locations page.

Why do people in Lakewood call Wilshire Lock & Key?

We'd rather be straightforward than flashy. Here is what we can honestly say:

• We've been in business since 1987.
• We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, along with mobile vans. Our base is 29 miles from Lakewood, which affects arrival time, and we tell you that up front.
• It's one company. The person who answers the phone works for us, and your job isn't passed along to a dispatch middleman.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
• The phone is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
• California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for their license number before work starts.

Neighborhoods and ZIP codes we cover

Lakewood areas we serve include Lakewood Park, Lakewood Mutuals, Lakewood Gardens, Lakewood Country Club Estates, Mayfair, Lakewood Center district, Del Valle Park area, near Carson Park (Long Beach border), near Lakewood Village (Long Beach). ZIP codes: 90712, 90713, 90715.

Nearby service areas

• Bellflower
• Long Beach
• Signal Hill
• Paramount
• Hawaiian Gardens
• Cerritos