What counts as an emergency locksmith call in Pacoima?
An emergency locksmith call is one where waiting until morning is not a real option. Someone is locked out with a child, a pet, or a pot on the stove inside. A door was kicked in and the house can't be left open overnight. A key broke off in a deadbolt and the person it belongs to has to get to work or get home. A shop's front lock quit at closing time and the building can't sit unsecured.
Those are the calls our emergency line exists for. Wilshire Lock & Key has been answering them since 1987, and the phone at (213) 577-1366 is picked up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included. Emergency locksmith work is about getting you safely inside or closing up the opening. It is not about selling you a pile of new hardware at midnight.
This page covers the urgent side of locksmithing for Pacoima: emergency lockout service, emergency door unlocking, break-in damage, and broken keys. Where your situation is really a different job, such as a planned lock upgrade or a key copy, we point you to the right page instead of padding this one.
What should you do before you call?
A few minutes of calm checking can change what the job turns out to be, and it helps the technician arrive with the right tools. None of this is required, but it is useful.
- Check every other way in that you legitimately control: a back door, a side gate, a window you know is unlatched. Don't climb or force anything if it risks a fall or a cut.
- If you suspect a break-in and the door is open or damaged, stay outside and call the police first. Call us after, once it's safe, to secure the opening.
- Note what kind of lock you have if you can see it: a deadbolt, a knob lock, a lever handle, a security screen door latch, or more than one of these stacked on the same door.
- If a key broke, don't try to dig the piece out with a knife or pliers. Pushing it deeper or bending the pins makes extraction harder.
- Have something ready that shows you belong at the address, such as an ID with that address, a lease, a utility bill, or a piece of mail.
How does an emergency call with us work, step by step?
We keep the process plain so you know what is happening at every point, especially when it's late and you're tired and stressed.
- You call (213) 577-1366. A real person answers, any hour. You tell us the address, what kind of door or lock it is, and what happened.
- We ask a few questions: Is anyone inside who needs help? Is there visible damage? Is there a security screen door or grille in front of the main door? These answers decide what goes in the van.
- We tell you honestly how the trip looks, including that distance and traffic affect arrival. We don't invent a promise we can't keep.
- On arrival, the technician confirms you live there or are authorized to be there. This protects residents, tenants, and owners, and a reputable locksmith asks every time.
- We look at the lock and door before touching anything and explain what we plan to do and what it involves for cost.
- We open the door using the least destructive method the lock allows. If the lock has to be drilled or replaced, we tell you why before we do it.
- If the door or frame was damaged, we make the opening secure for the night, and we talk through repairs or a permanent fix that can wait for daylight if you prefer.
- You see the door lock and unlock properly before we leave.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How does emergency door unlocking actually work?
Most lockouts can be solved without damaging anything. The method depends on the hardware. Spring-latch knob locks and some older latches can often be released with thin tools that slip past the latch. Deadbolts that were thrown can be picked or manipulated open by a trained hand. Some doors have gaps or hardware that allow other non-destructive entry routes, and a technician reads the door to decide.
Drilling is a last resort, not a first move. It is used when a lock is damaged, jammed, or built to resist picking, and then the lock is replaced as part of the job. If a technician says drilling is needed, ask why. There should be a clear reason.
If your issue is specifically a home, apartment, car, or business lockout, those situations have their own details, such as landlord access, vehicle systems, or after-hours building security. See our pages on house lockout service, apartment lockout help, and car lockout service for those specifics. This page is the broader emergency view: whatever the door is, we get you through it.
What about break-in damage and broken keys?
After a break-in, the first job is making the property closeable again. That might mean realigning a bent strike plate, replacing a splintered section of door frame hardware, swapping a damaged deadbolt, or installing a temporary solution until a carpenter or the property owner can do a full repair. We handle the lock and hardware side; we don't pretend to be a general contractor, and we'll say so when a repair goes beyond locks.
Once a door has been forced, assume the old keys are no longer a safe bet. Whoever has been inside knows how your door behaves. A lock rekey is often the more economical route after a break-in, because it makes old keys useless without replacing every lock. If the lock itself is damaged, replacement is the better call.
Broken keys are a different kind of emergency. A key snapped in the cylinder can be pulled out with specialized extractors, usually without harming the lock. Quick action matters because repeated attempts to jiggle the piece out tend to jam it. Our broken key extraction page goes deeper on that process, and you can call the emergency line at any hour for it.
What affects the price of an emergency locksmith in Pacoima?
We don't quote numbers on a web page because the real cost depends on your situation, and a made-up figure would mislead you. Here is what actually moves the cost, so you can judge any quote you receive from us or anyone else.
Ask for the full picture before work starts. A trustworthy locksmith explains the parts of the job, not just one low-sounding line.
- Time of day. Nights, weekends, and holidays involve pulling a technician out of their normal schedule, and that is reflected in after-hours work.
- Travel distance. Pacoima is about 19 miles from our Westwood storefront, and where the van is when you call affects the trip.
- Lock type. A basic knob lock is a different job from a high-security deadbolt or a multi-point door lock.
- Method required. Non-destructive opening is usually the lighter-cost route. Drilling and replacement add hardware and labor.
- Damage. A forced door may need new strike plates, reinforcement, or a replacement lock set.
- Number of locks. A door with a deadbolt, a knob lock, and a security screen door latch is more than one problem.
- What happens after. Rekeying, new keys, or a lock upgrade are separate decisions from getting you inside.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for an emergency?
Plenty of websites list a local-looking number that actually routes to a call center, which then passes the job to whoever is available. That is not how we work. We are one company, in business since 1987, with a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and our own mobile service vans. When you call, you are talking to us, not to a dispatch middleman who takes a cut and never sees your door.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters in emergencies, because the decisions that count, such as whether to drill, whether to replace, whether to leave a repair for daylight, should come from someone with decades of experience and a name on the business.
We serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, so Pacoima is part of an area we cover regularly. If your emergency turns out to need a different kind of help, our 24-hour locksmith page and our Pacoima overview show the full range of what we do here.
What do emergency calls look like around Pacoima?
Pacoima, ZIP 91331, has its own mix of buildings and conditions, and they shape what an emergency call usually involves.
In the postwar tracts off Laurel Canyon Boulevard, housing is mostly small-lot single-family homes from the 1940s and 50s. A home lockout there often involves an older entry door, sometimes with a security screen door in front. A bent or stuck screen door latch can be what's keeping you out, and it's a different fix from the lock behind it. Grilles over windows are common too, so the usual backup of a window is frequently not an option.
Along the Van Nuys Boulevard Mural Mile and the Glenoaks Boulevard corridor, the emergencies tend to be commercial: a storefront lock that jams, a door that won't secure at closing, or a break-in that left damaged hardware. Our business lockout and storefront lock repair pages cover those in more detail.
In the San Fernando Gardens area, rental units change hands and locks often need attention. When a tenant is locked out or a unit has been entered, the emergency fix and a follow-up rekey go hand in hand.
Near Whiteman Airport, gate and hangar-area locks bring their own problems. A stuck or damaged gate lock can leave property exposed, and our gate lock repair page explains that work.
The climate matters here as well. Pacoima is one of the hotter parts of the Valley in summer, and Santa Ana winds funnel through the nearby passes. Heat and dry wind age door seals, weatherstripping, and exposed hardware, which is why older locks and latches here sometimes fail without warning. A lock that has been baking in direct sun for decades can stick or seize at the worst time. If that sounds like your door, mention it when you call.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How can you check that a locksmith is legitimate?
Emergencies are when people get taken advantage of, so a short check is worth it. California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for their license number before they begin work, and look it up with the state if you want to be sure. That applies to us as it does to anyone.
Other signs of a trustworthy call: the company gives its real name when answering, the technician arrives in a marked vehicle and asks you to confirm you belong at the address, and the cost drivers are explained before anything is drilled or replaced. Be wary of anyone who won't explain the job, insists on drilling a lock that could be opened another way, or changes the story after arriving.
If you'd like to talk before you need us, or you have a question that isn't an emergency, our contact page is there for that.
Frequently asked questions
How fast can you get to Pacoima?
It depends on where our vans are when you call, the time of day, and traffic. Pacoima is about 19 miles from our Westwood storefront, and we won't put a number on it here because we'd rather tell you honestly when you call (213) 577-1366 than promise something we can't control.
Will you damage my door or lock to get me inside?
Not if we can avoid it. We try non-destructive methods first. Drilling is a last resort for locks that are damaged, jammed, or resistant to other methods, and if it's needed we explain why before we do it.
Do I need to show ID or proof that I live there?
Yes, we'll ask. A technician should confirm you live at the address or are authorized to be there before opening a door. An ID with that address, a lease, or a utility bill usually works. It protects you and your neighbors.
Can you help if a key broke off in my lock?
Yes. Specialized extractors can usually remove the broken piece without damaging the lock. Try not to dig at it yourself, since that often pushes the piece deeper. Call us any hour and we'll walk through what to expect.
My home has a security screen door. Can you work on that too?
Yes. Security screen doors and window grilles are common on older Pacoima homes, and the latch on the screen door is sometimes the real reason you can't get in. We repair or open those latches as part of emergency work.
Does an emergency call cost more at night or on weekends?
After-hours work is usually priced differently because it takes a technician out of the normal schedule. We don't list figures online, since the total also depends on your lock type, method, and any damage. Ask for a clear explanation of the cost before work begins.
Should I rekey or replace my locks after a break-in?
If the lock still works and wasn't damaged, rekeying is often the more economical route, since it makes old keys useless. If the lock or door hardware was forced or broken, replacement is the better choice. The technician can tell you which applies once they see it.
Are you a licensed locksmith?
California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for that number before work begins. That includes us. It's a fair and smart question to ask on any call.
Do you only serve ZIP code 91331?
No. 91331 is Pacoima, and we serve it regularly, but we cover 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. You can see the full list on our locations page.
More locksmith help in Pacoima
Emergency Locksmith near Pacoima
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.