Change Locks in Malibu, CA: Rekey or Replace, Done Right

What does it mean to change your locks?

People say "change the locks" and mean two different jobs. The difference matters for both security and cost. Rekeying keeps your existing lock hardware but changes the pin arrangement inside the cylinder, so the old keys stop working and a new key fits. Replacing means taking the lock off the door and putting a different one on, which is the moment to upgrade the hardware, change the finish, or add features.

On the day of the work, both jobs get you to the same result: the keys that used to open your door no longer do. The right choice depends on the condition of the hardware you have and what you want from it. That is why we don't open with a sales pitch. We open by looking at your locks.

This page covers how to make that decision and how the work goes. If you already know which way you're leaning, our pages on lock rekeying and lock replacement go deeper on each one.

Should you change the locks after buying a house or moving in?

In almost every case, yes. When you buy a home you have no idea how many keys exist. Previous owners, their relatives, tenants, house cleaners, contractors, painters and neighbors may all have been handed one over the years, and nobody keeps a tidy list. You can't tell from the key in your hand whether it's the only one or one of a dozen.

A lock change is one of the first things worth doing once you get the keys, ideally before your first night in the house. If you're searching for a locksmith for a new house, or a locksmith after moving, this is the job you're really looking for. It's quick compared to most moving-day tasks, and it settles the question of who can get in.

New ownership isn't the only trigger. We also change locks in these situations:

• A key was lost or stolen, and you can't be sure it hasn't been traced back to your address
• A roommate, partner or tenant moved out and still has a key
• A break-in or attempted break-in damaged a lock or made you distrust the one you have
• Contractors or a construction crew had keys during a remodel or rebuild
• A rental or vacation property needs fresh keys between guests or tenants
• The lock works but is worn, sticky or loose, and you'd rather fix it before it fails

Rekey or replace your locks: how do you decide?

Here is how we think it through at the door. We look at the lock first, not the invoice.

Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the hardware is in good shape. Most standard residential deadbolts and knob sets can be rekeyed. You keep a lock you already like, the doors still match in finish, and we can set several doors to work with one key. Rekeying is a good fit when you want new keys and nothing else about the lock bothers you.

Replacing makes more sense when the hardware is the problem, not the keys. Some signs that point that way:

• The lock is corroded, pitted or stiff. Fitting new pins into a failing cylinder only moves the problem down the road.
• The deadbolt doesn't fully throw, or the latch drags, and the lock itself is worn out.
• The front door has only a knob lock and no deadbolt. That is a case for deadbolt installation, not a rekey.
• You want keypad or app-based entry and are ready for a smart lock.
• You want tougher hardware or controlled key blanks and are looking at high-security locks.
• The lock is a very low-grade model that doesn't rekey well, or the parts to rekey it aren't available.

How do we change your locks, step by step?

Every job is a little different, but this is the usual flow from the first phone call to the last key handed over.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. A person answers, any hour, any day. Tell us what's going on (new house, lost key, a door that won't latch) and roughly how many exterior doors you have.
2. We come to you. Malibu is about 17 miles from our Westwood storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd, so a mobile van makes the trip and the work happens at your door.
3. We inspect each lock: brand, age, how it turns, whether the bolt lines up with the strike, and any corrosion on the cylinder, hinges or plates.
4. We explain what we see and lay out your options in plain language: rekey, replace, or a mix by door. We go over the cost with you before we start any work.
5. We do the work. For rekeying, we pull the cylinder, repin it, and fit new keys. For replacement, we remove the old lock, install the new one, and check that it sits square in the door.
6. We test every lock with every key more than once, check that the bolt throws fully, and confirm the door closes and latches properly.
7. We hand over the keys, cut extras if you want them, and go over what to do with the old keys so they don't end up back in circulation.

What affects the cost of a lock change in Malibu?

We won't quote numbers on a web page because the honest answer depends on your doors. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so there are no surprises when we give you a figure at your door.

• How many locks you're changing. A single front door is a different job than every exterior door, a garage entry, a patio slider and a side gate.
• Rekey or replace. Rekeying is typically the lighter-cost option when the hardware is sound. Replacing adds the cost of the new lock itself.
• Hardware grade. Standard residential sets, high-security cylinders and smart locks span a wide range.
• Keying everything alike. Setting multiple doors to one key takes a little more work but saves you a keyring.
• Condition of the door and frame. A swollen, sagging or misaligned door can mean extra adjustment before any lock will work well.
• Corrosion. Seized screws, rusted strike plates and worn hinges sometimes need to be replaced along with the lock.
• Time of day. Calling at 2 a.m. is different from scheduling a visit during the week.
• Extra keys and special blanks. Restricted keys cost more to cut than common ones.

How does Malibu's salt air change the rekey-or-replace decision?

Malibu has a true coastal microclimate. The marine layer and fog roll in regularly, and the salt in that air corrodes locks, hinges and other exterior metal noticeably faster than it would inland. Damp conditions also swell wood doors, which can throw a once-smooth lock out of alignment.

That has direct consequences for a lock change. A cylinder that has been sitting in salt air for years can look fine from the outside and feel gritty or stiff inside. If we rekey a corroded cylinder, you get new keys in a part that's already on its way out. In that case we'll usually tell you to replace it instead, and we'll show you why.

The same goes for the parts around the lock. Hinges and strike plates take a beating on the coast. If the door has swelled and the deadbolt no longer lines up with the strike, a new lock won't fix that by itself. We check the fit first so you aren't paying for a lock change that still leaves you with a door that sticks.

If your home is right on the water, the cleaner approach is often to pick hardware with finishes made for marine conditions and to expect to look at it more often than you would inland. Ask us what we have on the van, and we'll tell you honestly what holds up and what doesn't.

Changing locks across Malibu: coast, canyons, gated enclaves and rebuilds

Malibu's housing mix shapes what a lock change looks like from one address to the next. Whether you're in ZIP 90265 or 90263, the first question is usually what kind of home it is.

Along Pacific Coast Highway, beachfront homes sit tightly packed, and one of the most common jobs on the oceanfront is replacing a corroded deadbolt and the worn hinges beside it. In areas like Carbon Beach and Broad Beach, salt exposure is part of every conversation about hardware. If you've just bought an oceanfront home, we'll look at the whole entry, not only the lock cylinder.

In guard-gated Malibu Colony and gated Serra Retreat, the front door is only one layer of access. A lock change on the house doesn't change the gate code or the community's entry system, so it's worth asking the association what you need to update separately. If you also need a private gate or keypad worked on, our gate lock repair page covers that side of things. Beach house lockouts in Malibu Colony and on Point Dume are a regular reason people call us, and a lock change often follows when a key has gone missing. If that's your situation tonight, start with our house lockout service.

Up the canyons, estates sit on large lots off roads like Latigo Canyon and Corral Canyon, often with gates and keypads in addition to door locks. Those homes tend to have several entry points, so a full lock change is a bigger job than it looks, and keying everything alike makes a real difference.

Malibu also has long-standing mobile-home communities, including Paradise Cove and Point Dume Club. Doors and hardware on those homes can differ from a standard site-built house, so we check what's actually on the door before we promise a particular swap.

Near Zuma Beach, vacation rentals need fresh keys more often than an owner-occupied house does. If you manage one, see our page on vacation rental locksmith work for how we handle turnover.

Finally, repeated wildfires, including the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the January 2025 Palisades Fire on the city's eastern edge, mean a meaningful share of Malibu homes are recent rebuilds with new door and lock hardware. If you're moving into a rebuilt home, ask yourself who had keys during construction. Crews, subcontractors and inspectors often hold a key until the final walkthrough. Rekeying a new build is a simple way to make sure those keys no longer open your door, and it lets you keep the new hardware you've already got.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key to change your locks?

We've been in business since 1987. We have a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and mobile service vans that cover 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Malibu included. When you call, you reach us, not a call center that sells your job to whichever contractor picks it up. The person who comes to your door works for the same company that answered the phone, so there are no dispatch middlemen in between.

David, our owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters on a lock change, where the details (a bolt that's slightly off, a cylinder that's tired, a key that binds) are the kind of thing that gets missed when nobody is looking over the job.

Our phone line, (213) 577-1366, is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. If you need a lock changed after a move-in that runs late, after a break-in, or the morning after a key goes missing, you don't have to wait for business hours to talk to someone.

One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith who comes to your home for it before they start. It's a reasonable question and a good habit.

What should you do before and after the lock change?

A little preparation makes the visit go faster and keeps the result useful long after we've left. Here is a short checklist from our side.

• Before we arrive, walk the house and count every exterior lock: front door, back door, garage entry, sliders, side gates and any storage or shed locks.
• Decide whether you want everything on one key. It's convenient, but think about who needs access to which doors.
• Gather the keys you already have so we can check them against the locks and take any old ones you'd like us to dispose of.
• After the work, write down who gets a key, and keep that list. It makes the next change much simpler.
• Update everything that isn't a physical key: garage keypad codes, gate codes, alarm codes and any smart-lock access.
• If you own a rental or vacation home, decide now how often you'll rekey so it becomes routine rather than an emergency.

More locksmith help in Malibu

• Deadbolt Installation in Malibu
• Gate Lock Repair in Malibu
• High Security Locks in Malibu
• Key Duplication in Malibu
• Lock Installation in Malibu
• Lock Rekey in Malibu
• All services in Malibu

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