What does a deadbolt installation actually involve?
A deadbolt is the lock that does the real work on an exterior door. The spring latch in your doorknob keeps the door closed, but it can often be pushed back with a thin piece of plastic or a firm shove. A deadbolt is different. It is a solid steel bolt that slides into the door frame and stays there until a key or thumb turn pulls it back. That is why most people want one on every outside door.
Installing one sounds simple, and the first half of the job is. The second half is where cheap work shows. The bolt has to land in the strike plate cleanly, with the door closed and the weatherstripping compressed, without you lifting, pulling or leaning on the door to make it catch. A deadbolt that is a few millimeters off will grind, stick in humid weather, and wear out its own mechanism within a couple of years.
So when we talk about deadbolt installation, we mean the whole sequence: choosing the right hardware for the door, drilling and boring cleanly, setting the bolt, mounting the strike into solid framing, and checking the door's alignment from the hinges to the latch edge. We do this for new installs where a door has only a knob, and for deadbolt replacement where an old one is worn, loose, jammed or simply the wrong type for the way you live.
Single cylinder or double cylinder: which deadbolt fits your door?
A single-cylinder deadbolt has a keyway on the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. You can lock and unlock it from inside without a key, which is what most households want. It is also the easier choice when everyone in the home needs a quick way out.
A double-cylinder deadbolt has a keyway on both sides. Anyone inside needs a key to open it. People ask for double cylinders for one reason: a door with glass in it, or a sidelight or window within arm's reach of the thumb turn. If someone breaks the glass and reaches in, a thumb turn is within easy reach. A keyed inside cylinder removes that option.
The tradeoff is real and we will tell you plainly. A double-cylinder deadbolt can slow your exit in a fire or other emergency if the key is not where you can grab it instantly. Fire and building codes in many places restrict or discourage them on residential exit doors, and rules differ by building type. If you rent or live in a managed building, check with your landlord or HOA, and for a code question ask your local building or fire authority. We install double cylinder deadbolts where they are appropriate, and we will say so if we think a single cylinder with a better strike and a reinforced frame is the smarter answer for your door.
If you do go with a double cylinder, the usual advice is simple: keep a key in a consistent, reachable spot near the door whenever someone is home, and make sure every adult in the household knows where it is.
- Choose single cylinder for most solid doors, apartment entries and anywhere quick exit matters.
- Consider double cylinder for doors with glass or sidelights close to the interior thumb turn, where code and your building allow it.
- Ask us if you are unsure. Glass placement, door material and building rules all change the answer.
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Call (213) 577-1366When is replacing a deadbolt the better move?
Many calls start with a deadbolt that already exists but is not doing its job. Replacement makes sense in a few situations:
- The key turns hard, sticks, or has to be jiggled. Sometimes that is a worn cylinder, sometimes a misaligned door, and we check which before replacing anything. If the problem is smaller, lock repair may be the lighter-cost option.
- The bolt does not fully extend, or it rubs the strike plate every time you close the door.
- The deadbolt is loose on the door and the screws will not hold anymore.
- You moved in and do not know who has keys. If the hardware is in good shape, rekeying the existing lock is often the more economical route. If the hardware is worn out or low quality, replacing it is the cleaner fix.
- The existing lock is an old, unbranded or visibly weak unit and you want something sturdier.
- A previous break-in or attempt left the door, bolt or frame damaged.
How we install a deadbolt, step by step
Whether we come to you in a mobile van or you stop by our Westwood storefront for a lock to be fitted to a door you bring in, the process is the same. We work in this order because each step depends on the one before it.
- Look at the door. We check material (solid wood, hollow-core, metal, or composite), thickness, condition near the edge, and whether the frame is sound. A deadbolt is only as strong as the wood or metal around it.
- Talk through the lock. We confirm single or double cylinder, finish, keying (one key for the knob and deadbolt, or separate), and the grade of hardware that suits the door and your situation.
- Mark and bore. For a new install we use a hole saw for the face hole and a spade or edge bit for the latch bore, with a template so both holes line up square. For a replacement we measure the existing holes and backset first, since a mismatch there changes everything.
- Set the bolt and cylinder. We fit the latch, mount the exterior cylinder and interior turn or cylinder, and tighten without over-torquing, because crushed tailpieces and overtightened screws make a lock bind.
- Mortise and mount the strike. We cut the strike recess flush and use long screws that reach the framing behind the jamb, not just the thin jamb itself. This is the single most important detail for kick resistance.
- Test under real conditions. We close the door, throw the bolt, and check that it extends fully with no lifting or pushing. We test with the weatherstripping in place and again after adjusting the strike if needed.
- Hand over keys and explain. You get the keys, we show you how the lock operates, and we tell you honestly if anything about the door or frame still worries us.
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 deadbolt installation in Los Angeles?
We do not quote numbers on a web page because the same phrase, "install a deadbolt," covers very different jobs. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the price so nothing about a quote surprises you.
The biggest factor is whether this is a replacement or a new install. Swapping a deadbolt into existing, correctly sized holes is a quicker job than drilling a new bore into a door that has never had one. A hollow or thin door, or a metal door, changes the tools and time involved.
The hardware itself matters. Basic residential deadbolts, sturdier grades, and high-security locks with pick- and drill-resistant features all sit at different cost levels. Single versus double cylinder, finish, and whether you want the deadbolt keyed to match an existing lock all play a role too.
Condition of the door and frame counts. If the frame is split, the jamb is soft, or the door is out of square, we may recommend fixing that so the new deadbolt can perform as it should. We will point it out and let you decide.
Timing and location matter as well. A scheduled install is different from a late-night emergency call, and travel to your address is part of a mobile job. Calling the shop on (213) 577-1366 gets you a straight answer based on your door, not a script.
- New install or replacement
- Door material, thickness and condition
- Hardware grade and finish
- Single or double cylinder, and keying requirements
- Frame and strike condition
- Timing of the visit and where the job is
Deadbolt installation across Los Angeles neighborhoods
Los Angeles is not one kind of building, and the right deadbolt job changes with the door in front of us. Our storefront is on Wilshire in Westwood, so these are streets and buildings we pass every day, and our mobile vans cover the rest of the city from there.
In Mid-Wilshire, many homes date from the 1920s and 1930s, and many older buildings still carry original mortise locksets and mid-century hardware. Adding a modern deadbolt to an old door takes care: the wood may be thinner at the edge, the existing mortise may limit where a new bore can go, and we would rather tell you that up front than split a century-old door. Often the answer is a deadbolt that works alongside the original lockset, and when the old lockset is failing, we go over options with you rather than push a rip-and-replace.
In Palms and Sawtelle, and in Koreatown, there is a very large stock of mid-century apartments and dingbats, and renters outnumber owners across most of the central city. Move-in is when people call us for deadbolts, because the existing one is worn, the key situation is unknown, or the unit only has a knob lock. If you rent, read your lease and talk to your landlord before changing hardware, and keep the old parts if the lease asks for them. Property owners with several units can look at our page on locksmith services for landlords, which covers handling many doors at once.
In Mar Vista and Rancho Park, the postwar single-family tracts often have solid wood or older hollow-core front doors. Westside mornings bring marine layer, which can leave exterior hardware damp, and older wood doors can swell a little in the foggier months. That is a small effect, but it is why we check alignment with the door in its real condition and do not fit a bolt so tight that it only works on a dry afternoon. A deadbolt on a front door in 90064 or 90025 should work every month of the year.
Along the Wilshire Corridor through Westwood (ZIP 90024 and nearby), HOA-managed condominium high-rises are common. If you live in one, your association may control the exterior face of your unit door: finish, keying, even which locks are allowed. Check your rules first, and we will work within them. Downtown, loft conversions in early-1900s commercial buildings often come with heavy, older doors that need different bits and a careful look at the frame.
Wherever you are in the city, the pattern is the same. We look at your actual door, then recommend the deadbolt that suits it. For a whole-door upgrade, our lock installation page covers the broader work, and if you want a keypad or app-based unit instead of a key, see smart lock installation.
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We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Choosing the deadbolt itself: what to look at
Not all deadbolts are equal, and the packaging does not always tell you the difference. A few points are worth knowing, whether or not you hire us.
Grade is the first thing to check. Residential deadbolts are rated by grade under ANSI/BHMA standards, and a higher-grade lock is built with sturdier internals and tougher resistance to force. We will show you what a given model is rated for and what that means for your door.
The bolt throw matters: a longer throw into the frame resists spreading the door from the jamb. The strike plate and its screws matter just as much. A strong deadbolt held by half-inch screws in a thin jamb is a weak lock. We use long screws that reach the framing, and for doors that have been kicked in before, a reinforced strike or jamb kit is worth discussing.
Cylinder quality affects pick and bump resistance. A basic cylinder keeps honest people honest. If you are concerned about more determined attempts, there are cylinders with security pins and restricted keyways, which also stop others from copying your key freely.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a deadbolt?
We have been in business since 1987, which means we have seen how these locks wear out on real Los Angeles doors, not only how they look in a catalog. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work, so the standards for how a bolt should throw and how a strike should sit are set in one place.
We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans, so you can bring a door in or have us come to you. You deal with one company, not a dispatch middleman who hands your address to whoever is free. When you call (213) 577-1366, the line is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If it is a lockout or a door that will not secure tonight, see our emergency locksmith page.
We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, but this page is about your door in Los Angeles. If you want to know how our mobile locksmith service works, the page explains what we bring in the van.
Ask any locksmith for a BSIS license
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Before anyone drills your door, ask to see it and check the number with the state. It is a fair question, and a reputable company will not mind it.
Be cautious of anyone who cannot give you a company name, quotes a vague price over the phone and then changes it on the doorstep, or insists on drilling out a lock that could have been handled another way. A deadbolt job should be explained before it starts, not after.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a deadbolt installation take?
A straightforward replacement into existing holes is usually a short visit. A brand-new install on a door that has never had a deadbolt takes longer because of the boring and strike work. Door condition, frame problems, and whether we are matching keys to other locks can add time. We will give you a realistic idea once we have seen the door.
Can you install a deadbolt on a door that only has a knob?
Usually yes. We check the door's thickness, material and edge condition first, because a very thin or hollow door may need extra care or reinforcement. Solid wood, solid-core and metal doors are generally fine. If your door will not safely take a deadbolt, we will say so and talk about alternatives.
Is a double cylinder deadbolt safe to have at home?
It is more secure against someone reaching through broken glass, but it can slow your exit in an emergency if the inside key is not at hand. Codes and building rules in many places restrict them on residential exit doors. Check with your landlord, HOA or local building or fire authority, and keep a key in a consistent, reachable place if you install one.
Do I need a new deadbolt or can you just rekey the one I have?
If the lock is in good shape and you only need to stop old keys from working, rekeying is often the more economical route. If the deadbolt is worn, loose, low quality or does not fit the door properly, replacement is the better fix. We look at it and tell you honestly which makes sense.
Can I install a deadbolt in my apartment if I rent?
Check your lease and talk to your landlord first. Many leases restrict changing locks without permission, and many landlords want a copy of the key. If the landlord agrees, we can install it. Property managers with multiple doors can read our page on locksmith services for landlords.
Can you match the new deadbolt to my existing key?
In many cases yes. We can often key a new deadbolt to match your existing knob lock or other deadbolts, so one key works for the door. That depends on the brand and keyway of the existing lock, which we check on site.
Will a deadbolt fit an old wood door in a 1920s or 1930s home?
Often it will, but older doors need care. The edge may be thin, and an original mortise lockset can limit where a new bore can go. We inspect the door before drilling and explain the options, including working around an original lockset instead of cutting into the door more than needed.
Do you offer deadbolt installation outside business hours?
Yes. Our phone line at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. If you have a door that will not secure tonight, call and we will work out the right next step with you.
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Deadbolt Installation near Los Angeles
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.