Change Locks in Redondo Beach, CA

Should you rekey or replace when you change locks?

When people call us to change locks, the first real question is usually whether they need new hardware at all. Often they don't. 'Change locks' covers two different jobs, and choosing the right one is the difference between an economical visit and paying for hardware that was fine to begin with.

Rekeying keeps the lock you already have and changes the inside of it, so the old keys stop working and a new key takes over. The deadbolt, handle set and strike plate stay on your door. If the hardware is solid and still feels smooth, this is usually the more economical route, and it is where we start the conversation. The details are on our lock rekey service page.

Replacement means taking the old lock off and installing a different one. That makes sense when the hardware is worn, corroded, loose in the door, or not the grade of lock you want protecting your home. It is also the path when you want a different style or a keypad. Our lock replacement page covers that side.

• Rekey when the locks work well and the only problem is keys you can't account for.
• Replace when a lock sticks, spins, rattles, shows rust or pitting, or has a damaged cylinder or latch.
• Replace when you want a higher-security cylinder, a different finish, or keypad control.
• Rekey now and upgrade later is a fine plan if you need security tonight and want better hardware down the road.

Why change locks after buying a house or moving in?

Nobody can tell you how many copies of your keys exist. Previous owners, tenants, agents, contractors, cleaners, relatives and neighbors who once watered the plants all may have held one. A home that changed hands has at least a few keys you can't account for, however careful the last owner was.

That is why a locksmith for a new house is one of the first calls we'd suggest once the closing paperwork is done. A lock change is the one step that puts every key back in your hands. It works the same whether you bought a house, a condo or a townhome, or simply signed a lease and want a locksmith after moving.

In a rental, check your lease first, and in a condo check HOA rules. Some require a spare key on file, and some restrict what you can change on shared doors. Tell us the situation when you call and we'll work within it.

Other reasons to change locks: a lost or stolen key, a roommate or partner moving out, a former contractor who had access, or a break-in attempt that damaged the hardware. If you're standing outside without a key right now, that's a different job, so see our house lockout help.

How do we change your locks, step by step?

Every lock change follows the same order, because skipping a step is how people end up with a door that locks but doesn't latch, or a key that works on three doors out of four.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. Someone answers at any hour, and you describe the doors, the locks you can see, and why you want them changed.
2. We talk through rekey versus replace based on what you've told us, and we confirm in person once we can see the hardware.
3. A mobile van comes to your address. We inspect each lock: how the bolt throws, whether the door and strike plate line up, and whether anything is corroded or loose.
4. Before any work starts, we explain your options and what affects the cost for your particular doors.
5. We rekey or replace door by door. If you want, we key everything alike so one key opens the front, back, patio and garage entry doors.
6. We test every lock repeatedly with the door open and closed, confirm the latch and deadbolt engage cleanly, and hand over your keys.
7. We explain how to get extra copies and who should, and shouldn't, hold one.

What affects the cost of a lock change?

We don't post numbers on a web page, because an honest price depends on your doors. We'd rather explain what moves the price so you can judge any quote, ours included.

We'll explain the cost of your specific job before we start work. If anyone quotes a figure over the phone without asking about your locks, ask what it includes.

• Rekey versus replace. Rekeying existing hardware usually costs less than buying new locks.
• Number of locks. Each cylinder is its own piece of work, so a front door alone differs from a whole home with patio, side and garage entries.
• Hardware grade. Builder-grade sets and high-security locks are very different products, and with better hardware the parts are a large part of the total.
• Door condition. A good lock can't work properly in a warped or misaligned door, and correcting that is extra labor.
• Hardware type. Keypad and smart locks are priced differently from standard keyed ones.
• Timing. After-hours calls are different from scheduled daytime appointments.
• Keying choices. Keyed-alike, master-keyed and restricted keys each change the work involved.

Changing locks in Redondo Beach: what the local housing mix means

Redondo Beach packs a lot of housing types into one city, and the type of home often decides how a lock change goes. South Redondo mixes 1950s-1960s single-family homes, beach homes in The Avenues, and condo buildings near the pier and Esplanade. Older single-family homes often have hardware that was replaced years ago or never, so a new owner may rekey the good locks and replace the tired ones. Whether the address is in 90277 or 90278, we check each door rather than assume.

The Hollywood Riviera carries Spanish and mid-century styles on hillside streets. Door thickness, style and hardware vary there, so we look at each door before recommending a lock rather than assuming a standard set will fit.

North Redondo (90278) is known for dense two-on-a-lot townhome development, including the tall, narrow townhomes of Golden Hills. A townhome usually has more than one exterior door, so changing locks after buying one means counting every door and keying them to one key. We also handle townhome lockouts in Golden Hills and North Redondo, but a lock change right after purchase is far more relaxed.

Brookside Village is a large gated condominium community, and older garden apartments line Artesia Blvd and PCH. The mix of HOA condos, townhomes and rentals makes rekeying and mailbox lock work common. In a condo, your lock change usually covers your own unit door and mailbox, while gates and common-area hardware belong to the association. Check HOA rules before swapping anything facing a shared hallway, and see our mailbox lock replacement page for the mailbox side.

Owners of rentals along Artesia Blvd and PCH have one more reason to change locks: every tenant turnover is a chance for a key to walk away. Our locksmith for landlords page explains how we handle that.

How does salt air affect door locks near the coast?

Coastal exposure along the Esplanade, the pier and King Harbor brings steady salt-air corrosion to exterior hardware. That matters for a lock change because rekeying can't rescue corroded parts. If the key turns stiffly, the latch drags, or you see pitting or crust on the cylinder or strike plate, replacement is usually the honest answer.

Inland North Redondo is slightly more sheltered but still sits within the marine layer belt, keeping mornings damp much of the year. Damp air is hard on lower-grade finishes and on lock internals that were never maintained. When we replace hardware here, we talk about finish and materials, not just the key.

• Rinse and dry exterior handles now and then rather than letting a salt film build up.
• Use a dry lubricant made for locks in the keyway, not heavy oil that collects grime.
• Ask what finish is meant for outdoor, coastal exposure before you pick a handle set.
• Replace instead of rekey once corrosion has reached the cylinder or latch.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key to change your locks?

We've been in business since 1987, and we've seen a lot of residential hardware in that time, from older builder-grade sets to current high-security cylinders. Here is what you get when you call:

• One company, no dispatch middlemen. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a call center that resells your job to whoever is free.
• A real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile service vans that come to you.
• David, our owner and lead technician, who oversees how the work gets done.
• Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
• Service across 140 cities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Redondo Beach included.

How to prepare, and what to do after the new locks go in

Redondo Beach is about 20 miles from our Westwood base. We won't promise an arrival time on a web page, but we'll give you a realistic estimate on the phone. A little preparation makes the visit smoother, and it's worth asking any locksmith, us included, for a BSIS LCO license number, since California requires locksmith companies to hold that license.

• Before: walk the property and count every exterior door, including patio, side and garage entries.
• Before: decide whether you want every door on one key.
• Before: check your lease or HOA rules, and have something handy showing you live at the address.
• After: test each key on each door, and decide who gets copies.
• After: change garage keypad and alarm codes too, because those also travel with a house.
• After: if you want keypad or app control later, our smart lock installation page explains the options.
• If a door never had a proper bolt, our deadbolt installation page covers adding one.

More locksmith help in Redondo Beach

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

Change Locks near Redondo Beach

• Hermosa Beach
• Torrance
• Lawndale
• Manhattan Beach
• Palos Verdes Estates
• Gardena