What does a full-service locksmith in Malibu cover?
Malibu is a long, narrow city, and the lock work along it changes every few miles. One call is a beach house whose deadbolt has seized from salt air. The next is a canyon estate with a gate keypad that quit. The next is a shop door in the Civic Center area that won't latch. We handle all of it as one company: emergency, residential, commercial and automotive.
This page is the overview, and each category below points to a deeper page. If you're standing outside a locked door right now, skip the reading and call (213) 577-1366.
Locked out or a lock failed in Malibu: what do we do?
Emergency calls are the reason most people find us, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day, every day. Our emergency locksmith service in Malibu covers the situations that can't wait for morning, and a house lockout is the most common of them. Typical emergency calls include:
Whenever we can, we open a door without damaging it. That means picking or bypass first, and drilling only when the lock leaves no other choice.
- Locked out of a house or beach house
- A key snapped off inside the cylinder
- A deadbolt that is corroded or swollen shut and won't turn
- A door or lock damaged by an attempted break-in
- Locks that need changing right away after keys are lost or a guest leaves
What home lock work do we do in Malibu?
Our residential locksmith work runs from simple to involved. A lock rekey changes the inside of your existing locks so old keys stop working, which often makes sense after a move, a lost key or a rental turnover. New deadbolts, handlesets, smart locks and high-security cylinders fall under lock installation.
Malibu adds its own jobs. We replace corroded deadbolts and hinges on oceanfront homes, fit hardware on rebuilt houses, and repair gates and keypads on canyon properties through our gate lock repair service. We also work in the long-standing mobile-home communities such as Paradise Cove and Point Dume Club. Owners of short-term rentals can read about vacation rental locksmith work.
What do we do for Malibu businesses?
Shops and offices need locks that open easily all day and hold at night. Our commercial locksmith services include rekeying, master key systems, door closers, panic bars, commercial door hardware and access control. When a front door sticks, drags or won't lock, storefront lock repair is usually the first stop.
Storefront service at places like Malibu Country Mart and the Civic Center area comes with a practical wrinkle: the fix has to leave the business secure when we go. We plan the work around that, and we'll tell you honestly when a repair should really be a replacement.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can you help with car keys and lockouts in Malibu?
Yes. Our automotive locksmith work covers car lockouts, lost-key replacement, key fobs, transponder key programming and ignition repair. We come to the vehicle wherever it is parked.
What a car needs depends on its make, model and year, and we don't guess. We confirm the details by VIN and in person before promising anything. Some vehicles can only be keyed through the dealer, and when yours is one of them we'll say so plainly instead of sending a van out for nothing.
How does a Malibu call work?
Malibu is about 17 miles from our Westwood storefront, so we handle the call with that distance in mind.
Here is how it goes from the first ring:
- Call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the street, the neighborhood and what happened. Gate codes and access notes help a lot.
- We ask a few questions about the lock or vehicle: type, age, condition, and for a car the year, make and model.
- We tell you what to expect for arrival. The drive is 17 miles and road conditions that day matter, so we'd rather give you an honest read than a promise that doesn't hold.
- On arrival we ask you to show that you belong at that door or own that vehicle. Any reputable locksmith should ask.
- We look at the lock, explain your options and what drives the cost, and you decide before work starts.
- We do the work, test every lock and key, and leave you with keys that work.
What affects the cost of locksmith work in Malibu?
We don't put numbers on a web page, because honest pricing depends on the lock in front of us. These are the factors that move the cost:
Rekeying is usually the more economical route when your hardware is sound, since you keep the lock and change only what's inside. When hardware is corroded or loose, replacement makes better sense, and we'll say so. We explain the cost before we start.
- The kind of job: opening a door, rekeying, replacing hardware and programming a car key are different amounts of work.
- The lock itself: standard, high-security and smart locks differ in parts and labor.
- Condition: salt-corroded or swollen hardware can turn a simple job into a repair or replacement.
- Time of day: after-hours and holiday calls are priced differently than daytime appointments.
- Location and access: distance from our base, gated properties and hard-to-reach doors affect the time involved.
- Number of locks: several locks in one visit are handled more efficiently than separate trips.
- Vehicle details: make, model, year, and whether the key can be cut and programmed by us or only by the dealer.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What does the Malibu coast do to doors and locks?
Malibu has a true coastal microclimate. The marine layer, fog and salt air corrode locks, hinges and other exterior metal noticeably faster than inland, and damp conditions swell wood doors until bolts bind in the strike. A deadbolt that feels stiff, a key that turns only with a push, or a hinge streaked with rust is usually telling you the finish has given up.
Oceanfront homes along Pacific Coast Highway see this most. Often the right answer is replacing the corroded deadbolt and hinges with corrosion-resistant hardware rather than repairing the same parts again and again. If the door itself has swollen, the lock may be fine and the fit is the problem. We check which it is before recommending anything.
Fire has shaped the housing too. Repeated wildfires, including the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the January 2025 Palisades Fire on the city's eastern edge, mean a meaningful share of homes are recent rebuilds with new door and lock hardware. A new build is a good moment to rekey so keys from the construction phase no longer work. Canyon mouths also channel hot, dry Santa Ana winds that drive wildfire risk, so on gated canyon properties it's worth asking how a gate opens if power is lost.
Which Malibu neighborhoods and ZIP codes do we serve?
We serve all of Malibu, including ZIP codes 90265 and 90263. That covers Malibu Colony, Carbon Beach, Serra Retreat, Malibu Knolls, Big Rock, Las Flores Canyon, Corral Canyon, Latigo Canyon, Point Dume, Malibu Park, the Zuma Beach area, Malibu West, Trancas Canyon, Broad Beach and Paradise Cove.
The work varies by area. Typical jobs include beach house lockouts in Malibu Colony and on Point Dume, gate and keypad service for canyon estates off Latigo and Corral Canyon roads, rekeying vacation rentals near Zuma Beach, and lock installation on homes rebuilt along the eastern Malibu coast.
Gated enclaves such as Serra Retreat and the guard-gated Malibu Colony add one step: tell us on the phone how we get in, so a van isn't left waiting at a gate.
Why do Malibu customers call Wilshire Lock & Key?
We've been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Malibu among them. We are a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans, so you deal with one company rather than a dispatch middleman passing your job to whoever is free. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
We're not next door. Malibu is 17 miles from our base, and we'd rather say so than pretend otherwise. What we offer is a company that answers the phone around the clock, explains the job and the cost plainly, and has been doing this since 1987.
One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for it before they touch your lock. Whenever you're ready, call (213) 577-1366.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes we cover
Malibu areas we serve include Malibu Colony, Carbon Beach, Serra Retreat, Malibu Knolls, Big Rock, Las Flores Canyon, Corral Canyon, Latigo Canyon, Point Dume, Malibu Park. ZIP codes: 90265, 90263.
Malibu locksmith questions
Do you answer Malibu calls at night and on holidays?
Yes. The phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. That includes Malibu nights, weekends and holidays.
How far is Malibu from your shop?
Our storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood is 17 miles from Malibu. Our mobile vans do the work at your door, and when you call we give you an honest read on arrival instead of a promise we can't keep.
Why does my deadbolt stick so much near the ocean?
Salt air, fog and the marine layer corrode exterior metal faster than inland, and damp air can swell a wood door so the bolt binds. Sometimes a cleaning and adjustment fixes it. If the parts are corroded, replacing them with corrosion-resistant hardware makes more sense.
Can you rekey a home that was rebuilt after a wildfire?
Yes. Rebuilt homes often have new hardware, and rekeying means any keys from the construction phase stop working. If the new locks are fine, rekeying is usually the more economical route compared with replacing them.
Do you service gates and keypads on canyon properties?
Yes. We repair gate locks and keypads on estates such as those off Latigo and Corral Canyon roads. Tell us the gate type when you call, and ask about how it opens if power is cut.
Can you make a replacement key for my car in Malibu?
Often, yes, but it depends on the make, model and year. We confirm by VIN and in person before promising anything, and if your vehicle can only be keyed by the dealer, we tell you so up front.
How much does a locksmith visit cost in Malibu?
It depends on the job, the lock or vehicle, its condition, the time of day, distance and access. We explain what is driving the cost and answer your questions before any work begins.
How do I know a locksmith is legitimate?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, so ask for it before work starts. Also look for a real business address, a clear explanation of the work, and a willingness to verify who you are.
Do you handle vacation rentals near Zuma Beach?
Yes. We rekey rental properties between guests or after a key goes missing, and we can set up locks that make turnovers easier. Our vacation rental page covers the details.
Nearby service areas
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.