Key Duplication in San Gabriel, CA: house, office and mailbox keys

Why make a spare house key before you need one?

Most key duplication calls fall into two groups. Some people have one working key and want a second. Others have a key that has been copied from a copy, then copied again, until it sticks, skips, or refuses to turn. Both problems are easy to solve early. After a lockout, they are not.

A spare house key left with a trusted neighbor or relative, a second key for a roommate, an apartment key copy for a new partner, or an extra office key for a manager are all ordinary reasons to call. So is a key that only works if you jiggle it. That usually means the key itself has worn down, and a fresh cut from a good original is the fix.

We cut keys for houses, apartments, offices, mailboxes, gates, padlocks, and deadbolts. We also tell you plainly when a key cannot or should not be copied at a counter, which we cover below. Saying no to a bad copy is part of doing this work properly.

How do we copy a key, step by step?

A good copy is mostly about care before the cutting starts. Here is how we handle it, whether you are standing at our counter or we are at your door with a mobile locksmith van.

1. Identify the key. We read the brand, the keyway, and any stamping on the bow. Two keys that look alike can have different grooves, and a near match is the most common reason a copy binds.
2. Check the condition of the original. A key worn smooth from years of use makes a worn copy. If yours is tired, we say so and talk through other options, such as cutting from a better key or decoding the lock.
3. Pick the correct blank. The blank has to match the keyway and the lock's brand profile, not just the general size and shape.
4. Cut the key. We hold the original and the blank in the same position on the machine so the depth and spacing of every cut carry across.
5. Finish the key. We remove burrs and metal shavings. A rough edge chews up the pins inside your lock and shortens its life.
6. Test it. At your property we try the copy in the actual lock. If you are at our counter, try the new key in your door soon after and come back if it drags, so we can recut it.

Which keys copy easily, and which do not?

Ordinary house keys, standard deadbolt keys, and most padlock keys are straightforward. The harder cases are where honesty matters, because the wrong promise wastes your time.

• Standard residential keys: the usual flat-cut keys for entry locks and deadbolts. These are the routine jobs and usually the more economical route.
• High security key duplication: keys with sidebars, dimples, or other special cuts need specific blanks and equipment. Some can be copied once we confirm you are authorized to have them. Our high-security locks page explains how these systems work.
• Restricted key duplication: some keyways are controlled by the manufacturer, and blanks are only released against a registration card or authorization. In some cases the only route is the manufacturer or an authorized dealer. If that is your situation, we will say so up front rather than guess.
• Keys stamped 'Do Not Duplicate': that stamp is a request, not a technical barrier. We treat it as a reason to ask whose key it is and whether you have the right to copy it.
• Master keys: copying a key that opens multiple doors needs sign-off from whoever owns the system. If you are building or fixing one, see our master key system work.
• Car keys with chips: these are a separate job involving programming, not just cutting. Details depend on the exact vehicle, and we confirm by VIN or in person. Our transponder key programming page covers that side.

House, apartment and duplicate deadbolt keys

Your front door often has two keyed locks: the knob or handleset and a separate deadbolt. They sometimes use the same key and sometimes do not. If you need a duplicate deadbolt key, bring the one you have, or tell us the lock's brand if you know it. Having a copy of each key that opens your door is simpler than finding out at night that you only copied one.

For an apartment key copy, check your lease first. Many leases require landlord permission, and some complexes use restricted keys or keep a master on file. We can cut the key when you have the right to have it, and we will not pretend a restricted apartment key is something it is not. If you are already outside your door without a key, that is a different call, and our apartment lockout page explains how we handle it.

Sometimes a copy is the wrong answer. If you have lost track of how many keys exist, such as after a breakup, a roommate leaving, or a contractor finishing work, handing out more keys makes the problem bigger. In that case lock rekeying changes the lock so every old key stops working, and then we cut new keys for the people who should have them.

Office and commercial key duplication

Offices and shops run on keys that move between people: owners, managers, cleaners, new hires. Commercial key duplication has the same cutting skill as residential work, but it adds a question: who is allowed to authorize copies? A good rule is to name one person who approves every new key, and to write down who holds which one.

We cut standard commercial keys, padlock keys, file cabinet and desk keys, and keys for storage rooms. If your business has outgrown a loose pile of keys, our commercial locksmith service can look at the whole setup, and a keyed-alike or master arrangement can cut the number of keys people carry.

If a key is restricted or tied to a keyed system, we need to confirm authorization before we copy it. That protects you. It would defeat the point of a restricted key if anyone could walk in and get one made.

Mailbox key duplication

Mailbox keys are small, easy to lose, and usually forgotten until a package notice goes missing. Many private mailbox locks, including those in residential complexes and offices, can be copied from the original key or from the code stamped on it. We cut mailbox key duplicates the same careful way as any other key.

One limit worth knowing: if a lock is controlled by the postal service, the post office handles those keys and we will tell you so instead of taking your time. If you have no key at all, or the lock is damaged, copying is not the answer. That is a mailbox lock replacement job, where we change the lock and supply new keys.

Mailbox keys are also easy to overlook when you are moving. If you are leaving a place, remember to hand over every mailbox key, and if you are arriving, count how many keys came with it.

What affects the cost of key duplication?

We do not quote numbers on a web page because the honest answer depends on the key in your hand. Here is what moves the cost, so you can see where a figure comes from when we give you one.

• Key type: a standard flat-cut house key is usually the more economical route. High security and restricted keys involve special blanks and extra steps.
• Blank availability: some blanks are common, others are harder to source, and that affects both cost and timing.
• Quantity: cutting several keys at once is a different job from cutting one.
• Condition of the original: a worn or bent key may need extra work, or a different approach, to produce a copy that works smoothly.
• Authorization: restricted keys may require paperwork or a registration card, and that can add steps.
• Where the work happens: bringing a key to our Westwood storefront is generally the lighter-cost option than having a van come to you, since a mobile visit includes travel to your door. When you cannot easily get away, the van is the practical choice.
• Time of day: we answer the phone 24 hours a day, but after-hours visits are priced differently from daytime ones.

Key duplication around San Gabriel

San Gabriel's housing varies a lot from one end of the city to the other, and that shapes what people ask us to copy. In the Mission District, some of the city's oldest houses still have original mid-century locksets. Those keys have often been copied from copies for decades. If a key in a house like that drags or sticks, a fresh copy from a worn original just repeats the problem, so we look at the lock itself and may suggest lock rekeying with new keys cut clean.

North San Gabriel near the San Marino border has larger prewar and ranch homes on generous lots. Bigger homes usually mean more doors, a side gate, a garage entry, and more keys to keep track of. A spare house key for every adult in the household is a reasonable thing to ask for there. We can set up copies so each door is covered.

Along the Del Mar Avenue and Valley Boulevard corridors the stock is denser, with postwar apartments, condo complexes, and newer townhome infill. Apartment key copy requests are common, along with building gate keys and mailbox keys. Condo complexes off Las Tunas Drive often have gate and mailbox locks that residents need duplicates of, and those are quick jobs when the original key is in good shape.

On the Valley Boulevard Golden Mile near San Gabriel Square, restaurants and storefronts go through employee keys regularly, so office and shop key duplication is a normal request. Medical offices near San Gabriel Valley Medical Center face the same question about who holds which key. Customers in both ZIP codes, 91775 and 91776, can reach us the same way: by phone, any hour.

Our Westwood storefront is about 22 miles from San Gabriel, so for many people the van is the practical way to get copies made. One local note: San Gabriel's hot, dry summers can swell wood doors in older homes. A deadbolt that suddenly feels stiff in July is sometimes the door, not the key, and we will check that before blaming a copy.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for key duplication?

We have been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. We are one company with a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and our own mobile vans. There is no dispatch middleman between your call and the person who shows up. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.

Calls to (213) 577-1366 are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Most key duplication is not an emergency, but if you have just discovered the only key is gone or a copy broke off in the lock, you can reach us at any hour. If a key is broken, our broken key extraction service handles that separately.

One thing worth doing with any locksmith: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for it before they start work. It is a fair question, and a straightforward company will answer it plainly.

More locksmith help in San Gabriel

• Change Locks in San Gabriel
• Deadbolt Installation in San Gabriel
• Gate Lock Repair in San Gabriel
• High Security Locks in San Gabriel
• Lock Installation in San Gabriel
• Lock Rekey in San Gabriel
• All services in San Gabriel

Key Duplication near San Gabriel

• Alhambra
• Rosemead
• San Marino
• Temple City
• Monterey Park
• South Pasadena