Change Locks in Paramount, CA

Should you rekey, replace, or just change your locks in Paramount?

When people say they want to change the locks, they usually mean one of three different things. Sometimes they want every key that exists out in the world to stop working. Sometimes they want sturdier hardware on the door. And sometimes they want a different style, like a keypad, a new finish, or a matching set front to back. Those are different jobs with different costs, and the first thing we do on any call is figure out which one you actually need.

Rekeying keeps your existing lock hardware and changes the pin arrangement inside the cylinder, so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over. Replacing means taking the lock off the door and putting a different one on. Either route leaves you with a door that previous key holders cannot open. If you can't tell which one fits your situation, that's completely normal, and sorting it out is what the phone call is for. We would rather ask a few questions and steer you to the lighter-cost option when it's enough than sell you a pile of new hardware you didn't need.

The mechanics of each have their own pages: lock rekeying and lock replacement. This page is about the bigger decision, and about how a full lock change goes from the first phone call to the last test of the key.

When does it make sense to change your door locks?

There's no calendar rule for this. The right moment is whenever you can no longer say with confidence who holds a working key. These are the situations we get called about most often:

• You just bought a house. You have no idea how many copies the previous owner, their relatives, a former cleaner, a contractor, or a real estate lockbox visitor ever made. This is the most common reason we change locks, and it's the one job we'd call close to non-negotiable for a new homeowner.
• You moved into a new place. In a rental, check your lease and talk to your landlord before touching any hardware, because who may change the locks and who pays is usually settled there. In a place you own, treat it exactly like a purchase.
• You lost your keys, or one was stolen. If the key had an address attached to it, or went missing along with a wallet or bag, changing the locks is the clean fix.
• A relationship or household changed. A roommate moved out, a partner left, a caregiver finished, or an employee or contractor no longer needs access.
• The locks are tired. Keys that stick, cylinders that turn only after jiggling, knobs that spin loose, or latches that no longer catch are all signs the hardware is nearing the end of its life.
• You want an upgrade. Maybe you're adding a deadbolt where there's only a knob, or you want a keypad so you can stop handing out keys.
• Something happened that makes you uneasy. A break-in attempt, a door that was found unlocked when you swear you locked it, or a key that went missing for a while.

Locksmith for new homeowners: what we do after you get the keys

If you're searching for a locksmith for a new house, here is the short version of how we approach it. The day you close or move in is the best time to reset who has access. Everything before that moment is unknown, and a few minutes spent on the doors is cheap insurance compared with worrying about it for years.

We start with a walk-through of every exterior opening: front door, back door, side gates, garage entry door, and any sliding door that has a keyed lock. We look at what's on each one, how old it looks, and whether the lock is working properly. A lot of people only think about the front door and forget that the back door and the garage side door often have their own separate keys. We'll bring that up so you don't end up with a front door that's secure and a back door that's still open to whoever kept the old key.

Then we talk about whether you'd like everything on one key. Having a single key that opens the front, back, and side doors is far more convenient, and it's usually something we can arrange during the same visit whether we rekey or replace.

How a lock change works, step by step

Every home is a little different, but a typical lock change with us follows this order:

1. You call (213) 577-1366. A person answers, at any hour, and we ask what's going on: new purchase, lost key, move-in, or something else. We also ask how many doors, what kind of locks you have now, and whether anything is stuck or broken.
2. We talk through the likely path. Based on your description, we'll tell you whether this sounds like a rekey, a replacement, or a mix, and what the main factors in the cost will be, before anyone drives out.
3. A technician from our company comes to the property. We run mobile vans, so we come to you. You won't be handed to a stranger from a dispatch network.
4. We inspect each lock on site. We check the cylinder, the latch, the strike plate, and how the door closes. This is where a rekey plan can turn into a replacement plan if a lock is worn out, or the other way around.
5. We give you the options and the cost basis before work starts. You choose what to do door by door. If a lock is in decent shape, we'll say so.
6. We do the work: rekey the cylinders, swap the hardware, or both. If you want, we key the doors alike so one key covers them.
7. We test everything. Every key goes through each lock several times, the door is closed and latched, and the deadbolt is thrown and retracted. You get the new keys in your hand, and we'll show you which key does what.
8. We leave you with advice. Where to store spare keys, who should have copies, and what to do if you want to add a deadbolt or smart lock later.

Rekey or replace locks: how do you decide?

Here's the plain way we think about it. Rekeying is usually the more economical route when the existing hardware is solid, matches the look you want, and works smoothly. Replacement makes sense when something about the hardware itself is the problem. Neither is better in the abstract; it depends on what's on your door.

• Rekey when the locks are in good working order, you like how they look, and your goal is simply to cut off old keys.
• Rekey when you have several locks and want them all on one key, since the existing hardware can often be brought onto a single keyway.
• Replace when a lock is loose, worn, sticky, damaged, or has a broken or missing part.
• Replace when the lock is a basic knob and you want something with real resistance to forced entry. For this kind of upgrade, look at our deadbolt installation work.
• Replace when you want a keypad, fingerprint, or app-based lock. Our smart lock installation page explains what to expect and how those units fit existing doors.
• Replace when you simply don't like the lock. Finish and style are valid reasons, even if nothing is technically wrong with the old set.

What affects the cost of changing locks?

We don't put prices on a web page, because the real number depends on your doors, and any figure we posted here would be a guess. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so that a quote makes sense when you hear it.

• How many locks. A single front door is a smaller job than a house with a front door, back door, side door, and a garage entry.
• Rekey versus replace. Rekeying existing hardware is usually the lighter-cost option. Replacement adds the cost of the new hardware itself.
• The grade and brand of hardware. A basic builder-grade set and a higher-security deadbolt are very different products, and the price gap reflects that.
• Keyed-alike and extra keys. Putting several locks on one key, and cutting extra copies for family members, adds some work. See our key duplication page for more on copies.
• The condition of the door. A swollen, warped, or misaligned door can make a lock bind, and that sometimes needs attention before new hardware will work properly.
• Whether anything is damaged or stuck. A lock that's been forced, jammed, or has a broken key inside is a different job from a clean, routine change.
• Time and distance. After-hours and late-night calls, and the distance from our base, can factor in. We tell you how that applies before work begins, not after.

Changing locks in Paramount: what we see around 90723

Paramount became a city in 1948, formed from the dairy towns of Hynes and Clearwater, and much of its housing grew from that era. In the Hynes and Clearwater districts and on the streets around them, the typical home is a small single-family house from the 1940s or 1950s. Rekeying postwar single-family homes is one of the most regular lock jobs in Paramount, and it's very often the right answer for a new owner: the hardware on these doors may be decades old, but if it still works, a rekey cuts off the old keys without replacing everything. If a lock has worn out over the years, we'll point it out during the walk-through and you can decide on the spot.

Paramount also has a high share of renters, with many apartment complexes from the 1960s through the 1980s, especially along the Paramount Boulevard and Downey Avenue corridors. For tenants, a lock change starts with the lease and a conversation with the property manager. For owners, the question is turnover: whenever a unit changes hands, the old keys are still out there. Property managers who handle several units can read about our locksmith services for landlords, and mailbox locks that come with those complexes are covered under mailbox lock replacement, because a door lock change doesn't always include the mailbox unless you ask for it.

Security screen doors are common on both houses and apartments here. They often have their own lock, separate from the main door, and that lock is easy to forget. When we change locks in 90723, we ask about the screen door too, so the main door and the screen door don't end up on different keys without you planning it.

There are also several mobile home parks in the city, and hardware swaps on mobile home doors are part of the local picture. Those doors are lighter and sometimes use different cutouts and latch arrangements than a standard house door, so we check fit before we promise a particular lock will work.

As for weather, Paramount sits on the flat southeast-county coastal plain, with a morning marine layer and mild temperatures. Salt-air corrosion isn't a meaningful factor here, so you generally don't need special coastal-rated finishes. Damp winters, though, can swell older wood doors, and a swollen door can make a new lock feel stiff or latch badly. If your door sticks in winter, mention it when you call, because it affects how we fit the latch and strike.

Paramount is about 23 miles from our Westwood storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd, and we come out to you in mobile service vans. Whether you're near Progress Park, along Alondra Boulevard, on the Rosecrans Avenue corridor, in the Somerset Boulevard area, or close to the Hollydale side of South Gate, the process is the same: you call, we talk through the job, and a technician from our own company comes out.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lock change?

Plenty of companies can change a lock. Here's what we think actually makes a difference when the job is the security of your home.

• We've been in business since 1987. Four decades of doors teaches you what old hardware does and where it fails.
• We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile vans. There's an actual place behind the phone number.
• We're one company. The person who answers the phone at (213) 577-1366 works for the same business that sends the technician. There are no dispatch middlemen passing your call around.
• Our owner, David, is the lead technician and oversees the work. Questions about how a job should be done get answered by someone with a stake in it.
• We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, so a lost key at night or a move-in on a weekend doesn't have to wait.
• We'll tell you when you don't need to replace something. If a rekey will do the job, that's what we'll recommend.

What to ask any locksmith before they change your locks

Whoever you hire, ask a few questions first. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license (a Locksmith Company Operator license through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services). Ask any locksmith for their license number before work starts, and check that the name on the number matches the name on the van and the paperwork.

Ask what the quote covers. A real quote should tell you what is included per lock and what could change after the technician sees the door. Be cautious of anyone who won't discuss how the cost is built until they're standing at your door with the lock already off. Ask who is coming: a company employee, or a subcontractor you've never heard of. And ask whether the keys cut will be tested in each lock before the technician leaves. It should be a yes.

Finally, be wary of any lock change where you don't get to see the old hardware or understand why it was removed. If a lock is replaced, you should know the reason.

How to get ready for a lock change

A little preparation makes the visit quicker and the quote more accurate. Count the doors you want done, including the garage entry, side gate, and any screen door with a lock. Gather any keys you still have, even ones you think don't work, since they can help us identify the hardware. Take a quick photo of each lock on the inside and outside, and mention if any door sticks or doesn't close well. Decide in advance how many keys you'd like and whether you want them all alike. If you're a renter, have your landlord's permission in writing before the technician arrives.

If you're locked out right now, that's a different job from a lock change, and we can handle it first; our house lockout page covers that. The lock change can follow once you're back inside.

More locksmith help in Paramount

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

Change Locks near Paramount

• Bellflower
• Compton
• South Gate
• Downey
• Lynwood
• Lakewood