Why are Los Angeles businesses moving from keys to access control?
A key tells you a door can be opened. It does not tell you who opened it, when, or whether that person still works for you. That gap is the reason most businesses call us about access control installation. A mechanical key can be copied at any hardware counter, handed to a cousin, or kept by a former employee for years, and the only real fix is rekeying every cylinder and distributing new keys to everyone.
Electronic access control closes that gap. Each person gets a credential — a code, a card, or a key fob — and the door decides, based on a list you control, whether to open. When someone leaves, you remove one credential instead of changing a building's worth of locks. When you hire, you add one. Many systems also keep a record of entries, which settles a surprising number of disagreements about who was in the back office and when.
The reasons for switching are usually ordinary ones: a staff change, a suite that changed tenants, a back door everyone props open, a shared key nobody can account for. None of it is exotic. It is simply easier to manage people than to manage pieces of brass.
It is not the right answer for every door. A single storage room used by three trusted people may be better served by a quality keyed or keypad lock. We will tell you that on the phone, because the lighter-cost option that actually does the job is the one worth installing.
What kinds of access control hardware do we install?
Commercial access control is a handful of building blocks combined to suit the door. We install and service the following, and we will explain the trade-offs of each in plain terms before you decide.
- Keypad access control: a code-entry reader at the door. It suits small teams, rear doors, supply rooms, and places where issuing cards is more trouble than it is worth. The weakness is that codes get shared, so where the system allows it we recommend a separate code for each person.
- Card access system or key card entry: a proximity or smart card is presented to a reader. Cards are easy to issue and just as easy to cancel one at a time, which makes this a common choice for employee access control.
- Key fob access control: the same credential idea in a small fob that rides on a keyring. It works well for staff who already carry keys and for residents or tenants entering a shared building.
- Electric strike installation: the strike plate in the door frame is replaced with one that releases electrically, while the lock itself stays in the door.
- Magnetic lock installation: an electromagnet on the frame holds an armature plate on the door. There are no moving parts in the lock, but the door's exit path needs careful planning.
- Multi-door access control: a controller that manages several doors from one list of people and schedules, so you can decide who reaches the front, the stockroom, or the server closet.
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Call (213) 577-1366Electric strike or magnetic lock: which one fits your door?
This is the question we answer most often, and the honest answer depends on the door, the frame, and how people leave through it. An electric strike works with a lock that is already in the door, so it is often the more economical route when the existing hardware is sound. A magnetic lock is a better fit for some glass and aluminum doors where cutting a frame for a strike is awkward or impossible.
The other big difference is what happens when power is lost. Most strikes are set so the door stays locked but can still be opened from the inside by the lever or handle. A magnetic lock releases the moment it loses power. That can be exactly what you want for safety, and exactly what you do not want for a door protecting inventory, so the choice has to be made on purpose and not by default.
Egress is the part nobody should improvise. People must be able to leave a building quickly, and a door held shut by a magnet needs a dependable release, usually a request-to-exit device and, in many buildings, a connection to the fire alarm. Local code and the fire authority have the final say. If your door already carries a bar, our page on panic bar installation explains how exit hardware and electronic entry can coexist.
None of this works if the door does not close fully. A strike cannot catch a latch that never reaches it, and a magnet cannot hold a door that hangs open an inch. That is why we check the closer during every visit, and why a worn one gets attention through door closer repair before electronics go on. The door, the frame, and the hardware need to be treated as one system, which is the thinking behind our commercial door hardware work.
How does an access control installation work, step by step?
Every job is a little different, but the sequence is consistent. We would rather you know it up front than be surprised halfway through.
- You call (213) 577-1366, and a person answers at any hour. Tell us how many doors are involved, what they are made of (wood, hollow metal, or aluminum and glass), who needs to get in, and what hardware is there now.
- We walk the doors. For each one we look at the frame, the existing lock, the closest power source, the likely path for low-voltage wire, and how people will exit.
- We put the plan in plain language: which hardware goes on which door, how many credentials you need, and who gets which schedule. You see the scope before work begins and you decide what is worth doing now versus later.
- We prepare the doors. That can mean cutting a frame for a strike, mounting a magnetic lock and its bracket, installing readers or keypads, and running the wire between them.
- We install the controller and power supply, connect the exit devices, and confirm what each door does if power fails.
- We enroll credentials and set schedules, such as who has weekday-only access and who has entry at all hours.
- We test every door: opening, closing, latching, exiting, and power-off behavior. Then we walk you through adding and removing people yourself, so a staffing change does not require a service call.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can you repair or upgrade the access control system we already have?
Yes, access control repair is a regular part of the work. The common faults are not mysterious: a reader that has stopped responding, a strike that buzzes but does not release, a magnetic lock that no longer holds firmly, a power supply that has quit, cards that read inconsistently, or a door that no longer latches because the closer or the hinges have drifted. Often the electronics get blamed for a mechanical problem, so we look at both.
An access control upgrade can be modest. Swapping a keypad for card readers, adding a door to an existing controller, or replacing worn readers on wiring that is already in the wall can all be reasonable steps. We will also be straight with you when a system is old enough that parts are hard to find, or when a proprietary design leaves you tied to one source. In that case we explain the options and let you choose.
If you only need one door handled and a full controller is overkill, a standalone electronic lock may be enough, and our smart lock installation page covers that route. Many businesses also keep a keyed override on important doors, and a master key system keeps those overrides organized so the key ring does not grow out of control.
What affects the cost of access control installation in Los Angeles?
We do not publish prices on a web page, because two jobs that both say access control can be very different work. After we see the doors, we give you a quote you can read line by line. These are the factors that move it most:
- Door count: one interior door and a multi-door system across several floors are different projects.
- Door and frame type: solid wood, hollow metal, and aluminum storefront glass each need different preparation and mounting.
- Strike, maglock, or both: the choice affects hardware, mounting, and the work required at the frame.
- Reader and credential type: a keypad, cards, and fobs differ in equipment, and the number of credentials matters.
- Wiring path: open ceilings and drywall are straightforward, while masonry, concrete, and finished spaces take more labor.
- Power and controller: more doors means a larger power supply and controller, and backup power adds equipment.
- Condition of what is there: a sound door and a worn latch with a sagging frame are not the same starting point.
- Code-related items: request-to-exit devices and fire alarm connections add parts and coordination.
- Timing: work outside normal business hours is handled differently from scheduled daytime installation.
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Call (213) 577-1366How does access control fit buildings in Westwood, Century City, Koreatown, and Downtown?
Los Angeles is a city of very different buildings, and access control has to fit the one you are standing in. Along the Wilshire Corridor through Westwood, 90024, the skyline is mostly HOA-managed condominium high-rises. Building-access lock service there is less about one door and more about who manages the credential list, whether that is a property manager or the board, and how a lost fob gets cancelled without changing everyone else's. We ask those questions before we talk about hardware.
Century City, 90067, is a different case. Office suite rekeying in Century City towers is a routine need when a tenant moves out and another moves in. A suite door fitted with a keypad or card reader means the next turnover is a credential change instead of a rekey. Because towers often have building-managed systems, we suggest checking with building management before altering any suite door, and we are happy to work from what they allow. When a rekey is still the right call, our lock rekeying page explains how that goes.
Koreatown, 90010, along with Palms and Sawtelle, has a very large stock of mid-century apartments and dingbats where renters outnumber owners. Controlled-access entries, intercoms, and mailbox banks are common, and a fob-controlled front door can replace a shared key that every former tenant still seems to have. If you manage several such buildings, our page for landlords covers the wider picture.
Downtown, including 90014 and 90012, mixes loft conversions in early-1900s commercial buildings with storefronts in the Historic Core and Fashion District. Older frames, masonry, and tall doors make the wiring route and the mounting surface the main questions, and we look at those first. Many older buildings elsewhere also still carry original hardware, so we check whether a door can support new equipment before promising anything.
Weather rarely decides a job here, but it deserves a mention. The Westside gets regular morning marine layer that can leave exterior hardware damp, while neighborhoods further inland are warmer and drier. For an outdoor keypad or reader we pick equipment built for exterior mounting, and we mount it with that dampness in mind.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for access control?
We have been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, so a door in Los Angeles is nothing unfamiliar to us. These are the practical reasons businesses call us:
- We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile service vans that come to your door.
- You deal with one company. There is no dispatch service passing your call to a stranger, so the person who plans your system is part of the team that installs it.
- David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work, which means there is someone accountable for it.
- Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, at (213) 577-1366.
- Our plain explanations include telling you when a simpler or lighter-cost option fits better than a full system.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What should you ask any locksmith before they install access control?
In California, locksmith companies are required to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, called a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for that license number, whatever company they are, and check it before work begins. It is a reasonable request and an honest company will not mind it.
A few more questions are worth asking anyone who proposes an access control installation:
- How will people exit this door, and what happens when power fails?
- Who holds the administrator codes or software login, and will I have full control of them?
- What exactly is in the written scope, and what is not?
- Will the door still close and latch properly when you are done?
- Who do I call if a reader fails on a weekend?
Need a system planned or a failing one repaired?
If you are weighing keypads against cards, trying to decide between a strike and a maglock, or dealing with a reader that has quit, call (213) 577-1366 and describe the doors. For wider business needs beyond entry control, our commercial locksmith page lists the other work we handle. We will tell you what we would do and what we think is not necessary.
Frequently asked questions
Can you add access control to doors I already have?
Usually yes. Many existing doors can take a strike, a magnetic lock, or a reader, but the frame, the door material, and the closer all matter. We look at each door in person, tell you what it can support, and say plainly if one needs repair first.
Should my small business choose a keypad, a card system, or fobs?
Keypads are simple and need no credentials to hand out, but codes get shared. Cards and fobs let you cancel a single person without affecting anyone else, which suits growing teams. A few people on one door often do fine with a keypad; more doors and staff usually favor cards or fobs.
Is a magnetic lock safe on an exit door?
It can be, when it is installed with a dependable release and in line with local code. A maglock lets go when power is lost, so exit planning is essential. We review the exit path with you, and the fire authority for your building has the final word on requirements.
What happens to my doors if the power goes out?
It depends on how each door is set up. Most strikes stay locked from the outside but still let people exit, while a magnetic lock releases. We decide this door by door, based on what the door protects and how people leave, and we show you the result during testing.
Can one system control several doors and many employees?
Yes. A multi-door controller manages a list of people across doors, with different schedules for different people. A receptionist might have the front and break room, while a manager has the stockroom as well. We set it up around how your business actually runs.
How do I remove a former employee's access?
With a credential-based system, you disable that person's code, card, or fob, and nothing else changes. We show you how to do this yourself during the walkthrough. With a mechanical key, the only comparable fix is rekeying, which is the main reason many businesses switch.
Do I need my landlord's or building's permission?
Often, yes, especially in multi-tenant buildings and office towers where the building manages common systems and the fire alarm. Before changing a suite door or an entry, check your lease and ask building management. We can work to their requirements.
Does the morning fog on the Westside affect outdoor readers and keypads?
The effect is modest, but dampness is real on exterior hardware in the marine layer. We use equipment made for outdoor mounting and mount it so moisture does not collect. Further inland, where it is warmer and drier, it matters less.
Can I call at night about a reader that has failed?
Yes. Our phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If a door will not lock or will not open, call and describe what it is doing, and we will tell you the best way to handle it.
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Access Control Installation near Los Angeles
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.